A Day of Thanks

Thanksgiving was not as hilarious as Halloween. But it was restful, for which I am now even more thankful for. Before I worked I didn't really value a holiday the way I do now. Just knowing that the week only had 2.5 teaching days was something to be grateful for. The week before had been quite trying--kids acting crazy, things to be worked out with the staff, parents acting crazy and threatening lawsuits, etc. I even got bit by one of my students and a lovely mouth shaped bruise for a week to remind me of the day's events. (No, I didn't bite him back. He must have been excited about New Moon coming out that day). Thankfully the next week was not only shorter, but better. Kids,staff and parents had calmed down and we were able to do some fun crafts and enjoy the week. This year we are thankful for jobs, our home, each other, our health and our Savior.

Our kids at home were especially excited for Thanksgiving because a). Mom would be home early on Wednesday, and b). Dad makes the best Turkey. Kevin starts the day before soaking the turkey in a brine. Then gets up early the next day to make an herbal seasoning/aromatic stuffing, and then slow cooks it all day. It must have paid off because sadly, there were no left overs this year. Good thing Christmas is around the corner and we can do it all again!

Howl-a-ween!

Halloween was pretty scary this year. At least that is what everyone thought about our costumes. Usually Kevin and I don't dress up. But we got invited to a costume party and had to rummage around the house for something suitable. The party rules were that we could not spend any money on a costume. Luckily we had some items that we had bought last year at the clearance sale after Halloween for me. I was a lovely gypsy/pirate with dreadlocks. Kevin, however, was the hit of the party. He pulled out his "Tennessee-teeth" as we now call them, pulled on a flannel shirt, and slung my banjo over his shoulder. (Also note: squirrel-snack in pocket) No one recognized him at first. Then to realize that this country hick was their respected Bishop, was even more hilarious. Thanks to him, we did walk away with 2nd place and a lot of laughs. The kids and the dog were a little leary of us when we got home since none of the kids had seen us dress up and leave. They were a little hesitant to open the door to whomever was playing "Deliverance" on the front porch. . . .

A Needed Break

During Fall Break we decided to head to the hills and get out of town. Kevin has been itching for a vacation since we didn't get to go anywhere this summer. He had quite a week at church and work and was not thrilled with my idea to just hang out at home and relax (so I could get things done). We decided to rent a cabin in Flagstaff and spend time up north. Renting a cabin was a great idea because it was cheaper than 2 hotel rooms, we could cook our own food and the kids had plenty of room to run around. There was a nature preserve nearby that we enjoyed walking around. The kids loved the pine trees and the cool weather.
Sedona's red rocks were breathtaking. We loved hiking in Oak Creek Canyon. The kids also loved riding the Grand Canyon Railway that took us to the Grand Canyon. One of my favorite parts of the trip was horseback riding. Even J got to ride his own horse. He looked so cute and proud in the saddle.
When we got back to town we were greeted by 95 degree weather!! Yikes! The week before we had had a cold spell and now it was heating back up. Oh well. It was a wonderful and definitely needed trip. Now it's back to work!

We're Back!

Okay, so it has been awhile since we have posted anything. I figured today I should at least attempt to catch up --no, there is too much--at least mention some of the things we have been so busy doing lately. With teaching school, kids going to school, church stuff, kid stuff, and everything else we do, some days I wonder why I couldn't wait to be a grown up. But then I look at my kids and take inventory of my life and realize that its because of all the craziness of having a family that makes my life full.

Week in Review #1

 Last week was a whirlwind of activities and traveling.  With the passing of my niece, Merideth, we decided to head up to Logan for the funeral.  I know I didn't write much about the happenings there, but little Merideth was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Valve syndrome, a birth defect.  She was born July 14 and I was able to fly to Logan to meet her (see Lauging in Logan post).  She was such a sweet baby and I could feel her sweet, patient spirit as I held her. She returned to Heavenly Father on July 23, 2009.  There is so much that I could say and not enough room to say it here.  The funeral was beautiful and Diana and Aaron did wonderful jobs on their talks. It was a sad day, but a day of comfort and peace. I am amazed at the power of prayer as I witnessed Diana and Aaron being strengthed by prayers of so many loved ones.

Since returning from Utah we have been going non
stop.  We had one day to wash clothes again and then Kevin, K
C and A headed out to Snowflake, AZ to go to Ward Youth
Conference.  They did baptisms at the Snowflake Temple, stayed in a
cabin, and had a lot of fun.  They came home tired and just in time for
K to wash her clothes again and pack for a trip to Boise to see
Lyrica.  She will be gone for a week and then wash her clothes just in
time for school to start Aug 10.  My district meetings have started as
well and will go through next week.  We finally got to move into our
classrooms, since Centennial Elementary is brand new.  It still has that new school
smell.  Ahhhh.   Its a beautiful school and I am excited to start this
new adventure.

Some Twisted Humor

Something tells me my kids have been busy at the computer this summer. I happened to find a file marked "Weird". I know that sometimes a teen's view of the world can be a little distorted, but this seems a little twisted. I actually laughed so hard that my sides hurt the next day. These are just a few of my kids' strange sense of humor.

Laughing in Logan

I've just returned from visiting my sister, Diana in Logan and to help her get ready for her 2nd child who will be born with Hypoplastic Left Ventricle Syndrome. Little Natalie, age 2 was definitely a hoot to be around. Her vocabulary and sentence structure blew me away. Her little voice was so fun to hear all over the house. She is quite a chatter box.
The day I arrived happened to be 7/11. That meant we were just in time for 7-Eleven Day, where you get a free 7.11 ounce Slurpee from 7 am to 11 pm. What luck. We treated ourselves to a free treat. Too bad the sweet syrup gave me a headache. I said it tasted like red corn syrup to which Natalie repeated "corn syrup!" over and over.
A day or two later we were enjoying something else sweet and Natalie said someting about corn syrup. This time her Daddy heard her and was blown away that his little girl could recognize such an ingredient. Diana and I just had to laugh.
We did have some fun Sister Time in between getting ready for the baby. We shopped for school supplies (for me, not the kids!) made meals to freeze, watched a movie, ate corn syrup, played with Gymboree bubbles--a must have for little kids, and ran last minute errands before the big day. I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with her and her family and to have such a wonderful sister.

Some friends of ours asked us to watch over their 3 cats while they were out of town. C was most excited to take the job. They also said that we could use their pool. So for about 10 days we had the fun of having a pool across the street. One day I took B and J for a swim. J had the most fun jumping in. One time he said "I'm going to jump in like Superman!" I warned him that he could hurt himself (translation: belly flop). "I don't care!" he replied as he lept straight out over the water. BAM! He came up holding his chest. "Ohhhhh!" he wailed, "I DO care!" Experience is sometimes a good teacher.

Here's the Hoot!

The Hancock herd's blog is officially up and running. We think life around our home is a hoot! We want to invite you to join with us in celebrating the fun in family life. As Marjorie Pay Hinckley said, "The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You can either laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache."
Stay tuned as we get our site happening and humming. . . .