Sunday, August 8, 2010
Around the World in 20 Days
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Bake Sale Success
Kelsey's bake sale was a lot of fun and we felt it was successful. Kevin made 10 dozen donuts ( a new favorite around here) and boy did they go fast!! Move over Krispy Kreme! We had a lot of fun and a lot of support from family, friends and neighbors who helped out and also bought items. Sorry if your diet was ruined this week. . . It's been most rewarding to see the kids come together, rally around Kelsey and dive in and do whatever we needed to do to help raise money. Its been rewarding, but I tell them if they want to take a trip like this --start saving now!! :)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Week in Review #6
We made another blog this week-its getting addicting, (ha ha). This one was for Kelsey for her big Beauty Product Drive: Shop in the Name of Love. She's having a big kickoff event Feb 27 and hopefully the media will be there to get some donations rolling in. Check out her blog: www.shopinthenameoflove.blogspot.com (Whew! that's a long one!) I'm quite thrilled that I made the blog all by myself, but now our family blog features Kelsey's picture. Anyone out there know how to keep them separate??
This week was spent mostly getting Kelsey ready for her service drive. Although she didn't get any corporate donations for her trip, she is still going ahead with the service drive. It's been fun to put this together because its something she really wants to do. Fun times this week as we gather supplies and contact the media.
We celebrated Breanna's 10th birthday last week. My baby girl is growing up right before my eyes. She just got her ears pierced too and can't wait to wear sparkly earrings like her sisters. Her birthday was quite an event to put on since it fell on a Wednesday. I hurried home from school and we dashed out the door to eat at In-and Out Burgers. Then we dashed home to frost and eat the cake, and open presents. Then dashed back out the door to attend a school social at my school. Then dashed home to get the girls to Young Womens. Then crashed into bed. She had a birthday party later that week with her friends. Before we know it she will be dashing out the door with the other girls to go to Young Womens.
Now Jayden is counting down until his birthday in May. Too bad he still has to wait for Carissa's and Kevin's too. His eyes lit up when he realized that next year (2011) he will be old enough to get baptized and go to Cub Scouts. He is already thinking up designs for his Pinewood Derby car. He and I went to a Mother Son activity at the Riparian Preserve Water Ranch. It was a nice flat hike around a lake with other moms and sons in the ward. The sun was just setting and it was fun for him to have boys around to run and shout and kick up the gravel with. He loved peeking in the observatory and seeing Mars through the telescope. So now his big fascination is space and asteroids. At the moment he wants to be a pilot and a spaceman.
This week was spent mostly getting Kelsey ready for her service drive. Although she didn't get any corporate donations for her trip, she is still going ahead with the service drive. It's been fun to put this together because its something she really wants to do. Fun times this week as we gather supplies and contact the media.
We celebrated Breanna's 10th birthday last week. My baby girl is growing up right before my eyes. She just got her ears pierced too and can't wait to wear sparkly earrings like her sisters. Her birthday was quite an event to put on since it fell on a Wednesday. I hurried home from school and we dashed out the door to eat at In-and Out Burgers. Then we dashed home to frost and eat the cake, and open presents. Then dashed back out the door to attend a school social at my school. Then dashed home to get the girls to Young Womens. Then crashed into bed. She had a birthday party later that week with her friends. Before we know it she will be dashing out the door with the other girls to go to Young Womens.
Now Jayden is counting down until his birthday in May. Too bad he still has to wait for Carissa's and Kevin's too. His eyes lit up when he realized that next year (2011) he will be old enough to get baptized and go to Cub Scouts. He is already thinking up designs for his Pinewood Derby car. He and I went to a Mother Son activity at the Riparian Preserve Water Ranch. It was a nice flat hike around a lake with other moms and sons in the ward. The sun was just setting and it was fun for him to have boys around to run and shout and kick up the gravel with. He loved peeking in the observatory and seeing Mars through the telescope. So now his big fascination is space and asteroids. At the moment he wants to be a pilot and a spaceman.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Week in Review #5
I have decided that elementary schools are the best places to be for holidays. Not necessarily because we teachers get so much teaching done then, but because there is a feeling of fun and excitement that can be felt in the halls and in the kids faces. The day before Christmas break was . . .magical I will say. The students, not just mine, arrived with gifts for their teachers and for each other. Fun crafts, parties and projects were planned, not for the educational objectives, but for the sheer fun of having a holiday. "Merry Christmas!" could be heard in the halls from both teachers and students as we left for our two week vacation.
Valentines Day was just as fun. The students once again arrived bearing gifts, flowers, chocolates, and classroom party treats. The office staff dressed in red and hearts. We passed out valentines and practiced our manners by saying "thank you". We ate party food and decorated cookies "just because". Everyone was once again happy; happy for no reason other than we have a holiday to celebrate. The sad thing is, I can't see too many more holidays coming up that will bring such excitement, except maybe the last day of school. And I am not sure who will be running through the halls full of cheer and glee; will it be the students or the teachers?
More excitement at home too. Kelsey just got word that she has been accepted to BYU-I. She is excited and will hear in about a week what track she is on (what semester she starts). It could be as soon as September or as far away as next April.
A lot of you have been asking for more details of her trip to Europe in June. We have been so busy getting ready for everything that we neglected to mention the details! Here we go: She has been nominated and accepted into a student ambassador program. She gets to travel for 20 days to England, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. She goes from June 14 to July 3. During the trip she gets to meet with members of Parliment and other government officials. At the end of the trip she gets to stay with a host family for a few days in one of the countries. She has been busy busy trying to raise money but we still have a ways to go. She is also organizing a service project to help a shelter for battered women. She is collecting soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, ect--any kind of beauty products that women could use. This project is not required for the ambassador program, its something she wants to do. If you want to donate to her trip or to her service project, let us know ASAP. If you have anymore questions about what she is up to, let me know.
In other news, we also just found out that Breanna won first place in an art contest and that her winning artwork is framed and on display in a store. It got sent to a national competition for FastFrames, but didn't win. She did get a tee-shirt and the store framed it for free. I will take a picture of her and her picture when the store lets her take it home.
Valentines Day was just as fun. The students once again arrived bearing gifts, flowers, chocolates, and classroom party treats. The office staff dressed in red and hearts. We passed out valentines and practiced our manners by saying "thank you". We ate party food and decorated cookies "just because". Everyone was once again happy; happy for no reason other than we have a holiday to celebrate. The sad thing is, I can't see too many more holidays coming up that will bring such excitement, except maybe the last day of school. And I am not sure who will be running through the halls full of cheer and glee; will it be the students or the teachers?
More excitement at home too. Kelsey just got word that she has been accepted to BYU-I. She is excited and will hear in about a week what track she is on (what semester she starts). It could be as soon as September or as far away as next April.
A lot of you have been asking for more details of her trip to Europe in June. We have been so busy getting ready for everything that we neglected to mention the details! Here we go: She has been nominated and accepted into a student ambassador program. She gets to travel for 20 days to England, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. She goes from June 14 to July 3. During the trip she gets to meet with members of Parliment and other government officials. At the end of the trip she gets to stay with a host family for a few days in one of the countries. She has been busy busy trying to raise money but we still have a ways to go. She is also organizing a service project to help a shelter for battered women. She is collecting soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, ect--any kind of beauty products that women could use. This project is not required for the ambassador program, its something she wants to do. If you want to donate to her trip or to her service project, let us know ASAP. If you have anymore questions about what she is up to, let me know.
In other news, we also just found out that Breanna won first place in an art contest and that her winning artwork is framed and on display in a store. It got sent to a national competition for FastFrames, but didn't win. She did get a tee-shirt and the store framed it for free. I will take a picture of her and her picture when the store lets her take it home.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Week in Review #4 (I think!)
I don't know where January has gone. We jumped back into school and WHOSH! the month is almost over. It feels like we are in the "thick of things" with the kids coming and going and both of us working. I remember my own homelife when I was a teen and was coming and going and all the commotion of a houseful of busy kids. Somehow my mom managed to get us everywhere, cook, teach, serve others, visit with neighbors, teach 4-H, help my bothers with Scouts, encourage us to develop our talents (which no doubt included more driving us to and fro) and the list goes on and on. Yet she and my dad were still able to keep us connected as a family and I am grateful for that. And so as I stand in this spot where my mother once was; at the helm of a busy, happy, productive family, I look back with some sadness that my kids are growing, but also look forward, knowing that we kids turned out happy and responsible, and have faith that my kids will turn out just as well.
Our last few weeks have been spent getting Kelsey ready for 2 big events in her life: Graduation and college, and getting ready for her trip to Europe as a Student Ambassador. Both these things are a lot of work to get ready for, but both, I am sure, will have a lasting and positive influence on her life. We got all the paperwork done for her passport and now just waiting for it to come back. She is also spearheading a donation drive to collect beauty products (lotion, shampoo, hair brushes, toothpaste, etc) to give to a shelter in town for battered women. Along with this she is also busy doing fundraisers to pay for her trip. And then there is the applications to colleges. She is 98% done with the application to BYU-I and hopes to be up there sometime this year. She hopes to get accepted to one of the semesters without snow. . . . . we Idahoans just smile . . .
We did have quite a weather week. We got rain rain rain! I am not sure of the total, but somewhere between 3-5 inches in a week. That is what we get in a year!! We loved the rain and the clouds-ate soup and baked banana bread--but rainy days are sure hard on teachers! My poor students were feeling quite cooped up after 3 days of not being able to go outside. Perhaps the change in weather made them act out more, because it was quite an exhausting week. I don't know how teachers in Portland or Minnestota do it! :) Hooray, the sun is out today and we can go out for recess tomorrow!
Our last few weeks have been spent getting Kelsey ready for 2 big events in her life: Graduation and college, and getting ready for her trip to Europe as a Student Ambassador. Both these things are a lot of work to get ready for, but both, I am sure, will have a lasting and positive influence on her life. We got all the paperwork done for her passport and now just waiting for it to come back. She is also spearheading a donation drive to collect beauty products (lotion, shampoo, hair brushes, toothpaste, etc) to give to a shelter in town for battered women. Along with this she is also busy doing fundraisers to pay for her trip. And then there is the applications to colleges. She is 98% done with the application to BYU-I and hopes to be up there sometime this year. She hopes to get accepted to one of the semesters without snow. . . . . we Idahoans just smile . . .
We did have quite a weather week. We got rain rain rain! I am not sure of the total, but somewhere between 3-5 inches in a week. That is what we get in a year!! We loved the rain and the clouds-ate soup and baked banana bread--but rainy days are sure hard on teachers! My poor students were feeling quite cooped up after 3 days of not being able to go outside. Perhaps the change in weather made them act out more, because it was quite an exhausting week. I don't know how teachers in Portland or Minnestota do it! :) Hooray, the sun is out today and we can go out for recess tomorrow!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Christmas Eats
It just wouldn't be Christmas without some flour flying in the kitchen. We made our favorite sugar cookie recipe Christmas Eve so Santa would have something to eat. Then Kevin got working on the turkey and the pumpkin pies. Once again my kitchen was a construction zone. But of course it all paid off as we enjoyed a delicious meal Christmas Day.
We got some photos of the kids and their gifts Christmas morning, but they were all taken sideways and I can't get them to turn for the blog. But Kelsey and her prized present turned out. Yes, she got what she wished for: a brand new Mustang. It came with a bow and everything. Too bad she forgot to mention to Santa what size she wished for.
New Year's Eve came around and Kevin was still in the cooking mood (the sugar cookies were all gone by now). He found a great recipe for raised donuts. Mmmnmm! I don't think we need to drive to Krispy Kreme's any more! I think we just found another tradition.
We got some photos of the kids and their gifts Christmas morning, but they were all taken sideways and I can't get them to turn for the blog. But Kelsey and her prized present turned out. Yes, she got what she wished for: a brand new Mustang. It came with a bow and everything. Too bad she forgot to mention to Santa what size she wished for.
New Year's Eve came around and Kevin was still in the cooking mood (the sugar cookies were all gone by now). He found a great recipe for raised donuts. Mmmnmm! I don't think we need to drive to Krispy Kreme's any more! I think we just found another tradition.
Christmas Preparations
Christmas break has come and gone. Too quickly, I might add. Since the first few days of break was filled with shopping, I hadn't felt much like I was actually home from school yet. I still found myself up early and worn out by 4 p.m, just like a school day. Luckily I got everything done in 3 days and had the rest of the 2 weeks off to rest and enjoy the season with the family. We went as a family 30 minutes away to the Mesa Temple to see the lights. Breanna made us laugh when she saw the neighboring houses and sighed" I wish I lived this close to the Temple!" We reminded her that soon our Gilbert Temple would be built a mile away from our house and we would be this close to the Temple!
The kids also wanted to have their friends over one morning and make crepes for them. Dressed in their jammies, they ate and ate. I think this will become one of our new traditions.
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