Debbie, Olivia, and Mae

Today I'm thankful for: #1- A nice run with friends. After our run while we waited for breakfast to cook - Kerri made a breakfast casserole of sorts - we did another 30 minutes of yoga. It feels so good to stretch. #2- A little service. I made dinner of enchiladas, rice, and beans with cream puffs for dessert to take to Debbie. #3- The Nelson family. Debbie had her baby last week and little Mae is as cute as they can possibly come. It was fun to share a dinner with them and as always visit with Debbie. What a wonderful friend. We decided that strawberries, vanilla pudding, whipped cream, and cream puffs will be a yearly tradition every May. (This is the second year that in May we've gotten together and eaten them.) It'll be a fun tradition to keep up. Little Olivia loved the strawberries and rubbing whipped cream all over her face. It made me laugh!  

Yoga

Today I'm thankful for: #1- One of the best days of teaching I've had. Exhausting but wonderful. Raegan and I lived through the reading assembly. The kids seemed to be really excited about it and I was excited that it was over. I ended up doing one of the challenges because Annette's back is out and she couldn't bend over. Let's just say I look really funny with pantyhose pulled over my face but I won the challenge. Then we had our buddy party. My kids planned the party and decided to do brown bag skits. They were excited about it and even though I think it was a little dumb they all seemed to be having the best of time.  Guess there's something to having kids plan activities that they find fun. Then we ended the party by eating pizza and snacks while we watched the slideshow my kids had made for the third graders. The third graders loved hearing what their 6th grade buddies had to say about them. The 3rd graders gave my kids piggy banks to start to save for their college education. They were adorable because they had painted them and they screamed kid done. This was a fun day because I got to witness what had happened between Raegan and I's classes. It was fun to see my 6th graders make the 3rd graders feel so special and be good examples. And the 3rd graders look up to the 6th graders and try to be more like them. Raegan and I had no idea the great character teaching that would go on as we did an activity about once a month. This is what makes teaching fun! #2 - Knowing that I don't have to go back to work for 3 weeks! I'm always so happy to track off. I need a break. #3- My sister Liz. Today was her birthday and I was so excited to tell her that we're off to New York to see some shows on Broadway to celebrate. She is such a good friend and I love her dearly. I'm so lucky to have a sister. Can't imagine my life without her! #4- Yoga with friends. We had gotten together to watch some shows and made dinner. Around 10 I decided that I'd really like to do some yoga. My hips and back were hurting and I knew yoga would help put them back where they belonged. It felt wonderful and I decided I've got to do more of it. It was a little hard to concentrate because we were laughing at how ridiculous we all looked. 

Face wash

Today I'm thankful for: #1- The extremely wonderful students I get to spend each day with. Tomorrow we say goodbye to our third grade buddies because when we come back on track there school year will have ended. I had my kids choose one third grader each and they wrote a letter to them. Today I decided it would be perfect if I had the kids read their letters on a slideshow of pictures of the the activities we've done with our buddies all year. It was adorable. It was fun to hear their voices telling the 3rd graders why they loved being their buddies this year. They were all so complimentary of each individual student and it was pretty neat. #2- Dinner with a friend. Kendall bought us pizza for dinner and we had a lovely visit catching each other up on our lives. #3-T.V. with Preston. I'm a social T.V. watcher. Sad but true. I'll "get into" a series because some of my friends are into them. I've watched some of the American Idol shows with Preston and Tricia and somehow I got into it a little. It's got a week before the finale and I'm really glad about that. #4 - Melaleuca face wash. Can you tell I forgot to take my picture of the day until I was headed to bed? I am thankful for it so it's not completely ridiculous. It really is great stuff and I'm hooked on several Melaleuca products. Love them. 

Ice Cream

Today I'm thankful for: #1- That I only have two more days until I go off track. I'm not sure why I'm so excited this go round. I'm not too sick of my kids I just feel like I need a little time to catch up on life. I can't wait! A fellow teacher said to me today, "Olivia, guess what! After Friday I only have three weeks of school left!" I looked at him and said, "Scott, guess what! After Friday so do I!" He looked at me funny (We're on different tracks.) Then it clicked that I was going off and while I'll be coming back when he is finished I am completely ok with that. I was also surprised that I was a little shocked to hear that only three weeks left. Where did this year go?? Crazy! #2 - A semi clean desk. My students had two tests to take this morning and while they dutifully worked I cleaned my desk. Remember that post about a clean desk way back in Jan. or Feb. Well my room is out of control once again. This may be part of the reason I'm ready to be off track. I've got to get in and get it under control before it drives me INSANE! #3 - Brett, who bought us ice cream to eat for dessert. I have never met a more thoughtful person who is constantly doing something nice for others. I feel pretty lucky to get to be his friend.

9:38

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - A quick day at work. We are busy these days. There are tests to study for, a party with our 3rd grade buddies to plan, and several projects to finish. I am constantly amazed what my students are able to accomplish and need to accept I will always feel a step behind. Today was a good day. Nothing special but a good day in my class. #2 - Raegan who makes tasks like getting ready for an assembly so much more enjoyable. We had to organize prizes for Friday's assembly and an hour into it I told her I was ready to go home. She said she was with me. Too bad we still had another 1/2 hour left. It's a good thing I have her to accomplish tasks with because even though I'd had enough I don't mind too much because I enjoy being with my friend. #3 - A short run and an early evening. Kerri and I went for a run and then watched biggest loser. Toward the end I started to fall asleep. On Sunday I said to Tricia - I'm going to go to bed at 9:30 this week. I was in bed at 9:45 last night but didn't actually sleep until 11:30. Tonight again I headed to bed at 9:30 and I better shut my light out soon so I get a good night's rest. I'm exhausted!!

Yet Another Start of a Week

Today I'm thankful: #1 - That even though I'm not the biggest fan of Mondays I get through them every week. Today was a fine day. We're working on several projects but my classroom is a mess and it is starting to get the better of me. Good thing I go off track in a couple of days so I can get in and get it back under control. If only my gift was to be neat and organized. It's one I have to work hard to develop a little bit more!! #2 - Home evening was enjoyable. With all the changes in my ward the crowd at home evening has changed quite a bit. Today we just did some "getting to know you" stuff and our bishop shared a message. I enjoyed being with friends and laughing. - Laughter always helps a Monday. #3- Preston, Tricia, and Brett are my good friends. I enjoy their company. I enjoy how we give each other a hard time and that just spending an evening watching a show is so much fun. I'm thankful for good friends.

A New Favorite

Today I'm thankful for: #1 -A brand new ward. Last Sunday our ward met for the first time but I was out of town. It was interesting to see how much the ward has changed. There are still many people who are still in the ward but it has really changed quite a bit. It'll be fun getting to know all the new faces. #2- The chance to teach Sunday School. They are still trying to get everything figured out so they had me teach Sunday School in the chapel to the entire congregation. That can be a little intimidating. I had everyone read scriptures and discuss questions in small groups then a few people summarized what they discussed. This went well because everyone engaged in the lesson at least is some small way. #3 - Cake and strawberries. Angel food cake is becoming a new favorite for me. I'm working really hard to perfect it because it is something that my grandmother used to make. I don't remember that she made them but my dad does and I'd like to be more like both my grandmothers so for now I'm working on my angel food cake. 

Whipped Cream -along with a little cake and strawberries

Today I'm thankful for: #1- A trip to Costco where I most definitely spent too much money. I am however very happy about the fresh raspberries I have to eat and the comfy new socks I have to run in. #2- Kerri who let me borrow her Kitchen aide so that I could make a couple of delicious angel food cakes. #3-Kara who came up from Provo to spend the evening just hanging out. We enjoyed fresh strawberries, angel food cake, and whipped cream. Kara and I perhaps enjoyed the whipped cream a little bit more than we should have.  I love spending time with this friend of mine. Unfortunately, we don't get to see each other often but it is always fun to see each other and catch up. 

Hymns

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - That people love me or tolerate me even when I'm extremely grumpy. My apologies to those who had to be around me today. Not my best day and there is no reason for it. I think it is time for me to go off track and reground myself. One week - only one more week! #2 - When I've had a day where I've let little things stress me out or feel especially tired of the day I like to come home turn on turn on piano music and read. Somehow this music clears my head, calms my heart, and I feel better. #3 - Dinner and a movie with Kerri. It was nice to be out of the house for the evening and as always lovely to spend it with my friend Kerri.

Burritos

Today I'm thankful for: #1- An afternoon with Ashley and Raegan visiting schools. Steve sent the three of us to a couple of schools to look around at a program we are going to start next year. The three of us had a great time together. Having professional relationships with coworkers is one of my favorite things about being a teacher. #2 -Brett who drove us to the start of our run. Brett usually drives- today I feel a bit bad that he's the guy and we let him drive all the time. When we got back from our run we discovered that his car's back window had been broken. Brett is a pretty level headed guy and wasn't near as upset as I would have been. I'm grateful we were all safe but it's a bit disturbing that people do such horrible things. #3-Enjoying American Idol with Preston, Tricia, and Kerri and eating burritos. I think I enjoy my friends company more than I enjoy watching any show and I was very happy with the yummy burritos I heated up for dinner. I shouldn't love frozen food as much as I do!

A Late Evening Milkshake

Today I'm thankful for: #1- My usual 1/2 hour of library time. The school has been testing the past few weeks so all our library times got moved to the end of the week and we only got 15 minutes to exchange books. I was happy this week I got to spend my usual 1/2 hour visiting with my friend Kris as my kids enjoyed looking and finding new books to enjoy. #2 - An early evening run.  We ran about three miles and I was very excited to get home and cook a lovely dinner with Kerri. We ate piles of vegetables - zucchini, squash, and broccoli and noodles and spaghetti sauce. I love food after a good run. It always tastes so much better! #3- Later in the evening we decided that we'd like a little treat. I made this chocolate shake and topped it with whip cream. Might not be the best idea milkshakes to end the evening but I enjoyed it greatly.

Missionary Jornals

Today I'm thankful for: #1- A Field trip with my students. It is one of my favorite days of the year even though I usually end up with a headache. We enjoyed a star show at the Clarke Planetarium, a tour of the downtown city library, and lunch at a park. I was very thankful for the parent volunteers who came with us and I enjoyed the day with my kids. #2 - Going to Taco Tuesday with Kerri and deciding on a 1/2 marathon to run in later this summer. #3 - Missionary Journals and Writing to Marianna. Marianna enters the MTC tomorrow so I wanted to get her a letter written. I thought it'd be fun to write to her about my feelings of my first day of my mission. I pulled out my mission journals and was so glad I'd written about my experiences. I'm also grateful to get to write Marianna because it makes me think about my mission and what it means to me. 

Brett Bytendorp

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - Sweet little girls who gave me hugs to send me off to work today. Oh how I love these three little girls! It made me so happy to have them give me hugs and kisses and tell me goodbye. #2 - Homemade Cafe Rio salads. Kerri and I made Brett dinner for his birthday and invited some friends over. We had a great time eating a very yummy dinner. #3 - Pie, cake, and ice cream with friends again enjoyed for Brett's birthday. So fun to celebrate with friends.

Marianna

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - Mother's day. I'm so thankful for my angel mother who has blessed my life for the past 30 years. She is someone I'd like to be more like and I'm glad that we get to celebrate all mother's on this day in May. #2- Marianna. I'm so excited for this cousin of mine to serve a mission. What an exciting time for her. She gave a wonderful talk on mother's and again I was thankful for all the mothers in my life. We enjoyed a whole afternoon visiting as a family and I realized how lucky I am to belong to such a wonderful group of people.  #3- Car ride home. I was so happy that I didn't have to drive. The car ride goes so much quicker when I don't have to drive. The girls didn't last long and were sound asleep minutes into the drive. We were all happy to get to my house and get to sleep.

Race for the Cure

Today I’m thankful: #1 – That no one I am really close to has suffered from breast cancer and at the same time I’m thankful for the opportunity to help raise money to find a cure. This was quite the experience. Kerri, Heather, Brett, and I hopped into Tricia’s mom’s van with Tricia, her mom, and her sister Paige. It was a lot of fun to be with a big group headed to the race. While I’m only a novice runner I’m really beginning to love a race. This race was inspiring. With all the signs of people who have survived cancer, people who were running in honor of someone who has had cancer. There were several times that my eyes teared up. It’s fun to be a part of something good. Plus, I ran the 5K in 33 minutes. Not too bad and I’m pretty happy with that time. I need to work on cutting a few minutes off that over the next couple of weeks if I want to better my last ½ marathon time. #2 – Visiting with friends. After the race Liz, Ruffin, the girls, and I headed north to Idaho. Marianna leaves on her mission on Wednesday. She is speaking in sacrament meeting tomorrow so we wanted to be there to say goodbye. When we got to Idaho Falls we stopped and visited with Nikkie and Tommy. I dearly love thes e friends and it was so nice to see them. We didn’t have long to visit we needed to get to a party and they were headed to see Nikkie’s family. We then spent the evening the St. Anthony bowling alley celebrating Jed’s thirtieth birthday. Happy birthday cousin! I sure do love being your age and being old with you. I love spending time with my family. Liz, Marianna, and I had a great time bowling. We aren't very good but what matters is we have fun right? #3- A love of playing games with family. After we got to mom's house Liz, Mom, and I decided to go out to Marianna's and play a couple of games. We left Ruffin to put Lucie down and the other girls were at Sam and Mary's house having a sleep over. Halfway through playing the game Liz got a phone call from Emme. She was missing her Mommy and was ready for the sleep over to end. Such a sweet little thing. She'll have plenty of time for sleep overs.

Bedtime Stories

Today I’m thankful for: #1- Thank you notes. This week is Teacher Appreciation week. Today I received several notes from students, which are an extra little paycheck. Honestly these little notes are better than anything they could buy me at the store. My favorite note came from my principal. It’s nice to have a personal note from your boss and to know that what you do every day is noticed and appreciated. #2- The chance to volunteer. Tricia, Kerri, and I met and headed downtown to volunteer for the Susan G. Coleman race for the cure. We are running in the race tomorrow morning and it was a neat experience to get to help out today. We didn’t do anything huge we just helped people register for the race and answer a few questions. It was fun to visit with people and hear why they were running in the race. #3- Bedtime stories with Gracee, Emme, and Lucie. Liz and Ruffin got into town around 8:30. Tricia and I fixed the girls a bed in Tricia’s room and as they snuggled in I read them three new books that I got at our last book fair. I love reading bedtime stories. I love the sleepy eyes and voices of children as they settle in for a good nights sleep. 

Mario!!!

Today I'm thankful for: #1- Delicious enchiladas. Brett and I made shredded beef and chicken enchiladas for our Cinco De Mayo party. I love a good enchilada! #2 - A Mario Pinata. We bought a Mario pinata to celebrate that Preston and I beat the game Super Mario Brothers. It was a pretty fun activity for a bunch of 30 year olds. However, I learned a valuable lesson. -Pinatas are for children the only thing that makes it fun for 30 year olds is watching the person trying to hit it and laughing at how ridiculous they look. Once it has been hit no one rushes in to get candy. It's like the fun is over. Plus not many people eagerly volunteer to be the one to take swings at the thing. Kerri did jumped in and volunteered first and with a couple of good swings had made a good hole in it. Then Brett took his turn and then I took a couple of swings and then there was nothing left hanging on the rope. #3 - Sitting around visiting with friends. The evening was so much fun just hanging out playing a couple of games and enjoying each other's company. We decided we needed to have a get together more often.

Raspberries provided by Kerri

Today I'm thankful: #1 - That all our end of level testing is complete. It's such an ordeal. I hold my breath that all my kids will be present all three days, that they'll all be healthy, that the computers will work properly (they NEVER do), and that they will all remember what I've taught them the entire year. This year went well enough. All my students were present and healthy, there were only minor problems with the computers, but I'll have to wait to find out if the remembered what I taught them. I am glad to be finished now we can start all the fun projects that will finish up the year. #2 - Kerri hung out with me for the evening. We went to the temple, took a run, and ate a fabulous dinner of roast, potatoes, and yummy vegetables. A very enjoyable evening filled with the best from all aspects of life - spiritual, physical, and food. #3 - Kerri brought me a lovely little gift. Raspberries are my favorite fruit. I could eat a bowl of fresh raspberries every day of my life and be very happy. Thanks Kerri for thinking of me and bringing me such a wonderful treat!!!

To the Movies

Today I'm thankful for: #1- The yummy chocolate chip cookie I ate for breakfast. Tricia bought me a cookie from Paradise Bakery a couple of days ago and I saw it on my shelf in the fridge this morning and I grabbed it for breakfast. Not the breakfast of champions that I should be eating but I sure enjoyed it! #2 - Yummy Indian food. Debbie and I went out to eat before the movie started and I was very excited to eat some Naan. You can't eat Indian food without Naan and I tried a delicious new chicken curry dish and I can't wait to eat my left overs tomorrow for lunch. #3 - A movie with my lovely friend Debbie. Debbie and I have been meaning to get together for months. We plan something and then something comes up. We decided that we had to make it happen because Debbie will have a new baby in a week and then her life will be really busy. Debbie and I love BBC shows so when a new version of Jane Eyre was released we knew we'd need to see it together. It was very enjoyable if you are a fan of the story of Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre is slightly tragic which I sorta like. - I know I'm weird but I like tragic as long as it ends happily. I did feel like I'd want one more scene of happy before it was over but I'll take it anyway. The funniest thing was when it was over Debbie and I turned to each other and began talking about what we thought about the show - how it compared to the book and to the other Jane Eyre shows we've watched. After two minutes we stopped look around at the theater and started to laugh. First of all the theater was that full maybe 30 people and there were only two men there. When it ended the parties with men quickly left but the remainder groups of people where doing just what Deb and I were doing. Discussing the differences and similarities to the other versions. It was like being in a movie club. So great and we all continued to talk until the credits were finished scrolling. Loved it! Perfect way to end the evening. 

Paper Airplanes

Today I'm thankful for: #1- The nice run I had after work. 5 miles not so bad. #2 - Paper airplanes at home evening. I remembered how I can't make a paper airplane. Mine was pretty pathetic. Still it was fun sitting and chatting with friends. #3 - My amazing friend Kerri who cooked dinner tonight! Feta burgers and grilled vegetables! Yummy - made me very happy. Thanks Kerri for fixing dinner! You're the best for so many reasons!!!

New Ward Boundaries

Today I'm thankful for: #1- The early stake conference that only lasted an hour and a half. We were home by 11 a.m. and I used most of my day to sleep. I felt exhausted and slept about 3 hours. I just might make it through the week now. #2- Time to catch up on my blog. I've been a little bit behind. It's so easy to get behind if I don't write one day then I have two to do the next day and then it just seems to snowball! It's good to be caught up. #3- New ward boundaries. We stayed in our ward but there are a lot of people who will be moved over to a new ward. I'm thankful that this change will be good. Not because we're loosing people but because change will force us to grow. I'm excited for the next 6 months and what it will bring.

A Little Snow Never Hurt Anyone

Today I'm thankful: #1 - that even though we woke up to a foot of snow Brett, Kerri, and I went for a run. We had to go a little bit shorter than I would have like because I had to go somewhere else by 9:15. The last time it snowed we headed to the gym instead of running but today we decided to hit the trail. It was beautiful. The snow hung heavy on the trees and I loved the run. #2 - A visit to the Barker's with the Ludlow's. President and Sister Ludlow picked me up and we drove to Springville to visit the Barker's. They had spent yesterday with them and I was glad my day permitted me to spend the afternoon with them. When we walked in Elder Barker was on the couch and when he saw me he said, "Olivia!" I was a little surprised that he recognized me so quickly and knew my name. Elder Blanchard was already there and a few minutes later Elder Thayne came. We sat and had a wonderful visit with him and Sister Barker as well as some of their sons and a daughter-in-law. What impressed me most was Elder Barker wanting to make sure we all knew how happy he was that we had come and that he loves all of us. I thought back on the many times I had been in their home. The many meals we shared on the mission. The evenings we'd stop by their apartment to say good night before we went to our own for the night. Elder and sister Barker will always be dearly loved by me because they are my mission grandparents and they loved me just like I was their granddaughter. Then there have been the numerous times they've invited me into their home for dinner. They've had me individually, with other missionaries (usually with Elder Blanchard and Thayne) and even the women's conference weekend that they were kind enough to let my mom, sister, and I stay with them. My family instantly fell in love with them just like I had that first time so many years ago. I dearly love both of them. As we left their house I was filled with gratitude for the plan our Heavenly Father has for us. He loves us and we will see our loved ones again. #3- Pizza with friends. President and Sister Ludlow took Elder Thayne along with their two granddaughters out to eat at the Brick Oven. I love pizza and this pizza is so yummy with homemade root beer it really doesn't get much better!

Cool Cups

Today I'm thankful for: #1- A early morning trip to the temple on my way to work. This made my day very wonderful. It started it off great and I was happy the entire day. #2 - The ALPS open house at my school today. Apparently a little girls who goes to another school has a brother who comes to our school saw me at the open house and told her mom she thought she'd like me as a teacher. My principal told them that he'd have to check with me and get back to them. I said of course I'll take her. I feel like if she wants me then I want her. I thought that was pretty cool! #3- Dinner with some of my most favorite people in the world. The Ludlows took me to dinner and I had a lovely time visiting with them. I'm so lucky to know them. #4- Preston pulling out his special cups for us to enjoy grahams and milk. He let me us the cool Canada mug! 

A Walk at the U

Today I'm thankful that: #1- My kids bowled with our 3rd grade buddies today. It was so much fun to watch them have so much fun together! #2- Tricia made me dinner. What a sweet roommate to not only share her food but to cook it all and then let me eat it. It made me so happy! #3 - The lovely walk across the University of Utah's campus. Tricia had to return some books at the library and Preston needed to pick up some papers. The night air was refreshing and I really enjoyed the walk. Thanks Preston for parking far away to make the walk longer and thanks for the tour of campus. 

A True and Living Church

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - The wonderful parent volunteer who comes into my room each week. I love her for all the help she's given me this year. I'm not the most organized but she's wonderful to do whatever little job I have for her and she keeps my calendar updated and all the books in alphabet order on my book shelves. Just little things that make my life easier. #2 - Good friends to carpool with. Maurianne and Marylynn met me at my house so we could ride to the conference center together to attend a meeting about the dissolving of University Stakes and the creation of Young Single Adult Stakes. #3 - A true and living church that is guided by revelation. The meeting tonight was wonderful. It's quite the things to be invited to attend a special meeting in the conference center. Those who spoke and gave us council delivered amazing messages. I'm so excited about this change. It will bring young single adults together in a close geographic area. We were counseled to seek to serve that it will build relationships and to rescue the one. It is so easy to get lost as a single adult and this change will help us find those who are lost and to bring them back. One of the members of the Seventies who talked (I'm not sure which speaker said this) talked about how this change has been brought about because of revelation. That it is the answer to prayers to help prevent a falling away of my generation. Into my mind came strongly the thought, "I'm so glad for revelation! I so thankful for a true church that is living that meets the needs of it's members in all generations." The doctrine of the church doesn't change - Christ is my Savior and is the only way back to Eternal life with my Father in Heaven - but the way the church and programs of the church can be reorganized to best meet the needs of the Saints. The reorganization really just helps with the ultimate goal of returning. Sister Beck spoke briefly and I was touched by her asking us to envision the unborn generations that are waiting to come to our righteous homes. Made me think about there being  a pretty big purpose to life. Then Elder Ballard spoke. He challenge each of us to find and get to know one person who needs an invitation to come back to church by the end of the year.He touched on all the aspects of this change that others had gone over. He encouraged us to seek an Eternal companion and said, "When your 80 not much else will be more important than your family." I was touched by this because it made me think of my grandpa. It made me think of this book I'd just given him for his birthday which was meant to show him that one of his greatest accomplishments is his grandchildren. For a few years now I've thought: "If I never get married what will I do when I'm 80 and don't have grandchildren and great grandchildren to occupy my time and my love?" I hope I don't have to answer that question. I'm thankful for the blessing of feeling the spirit tonight and the quiet tender feelings that tell me that wonderful things will happen as single adults follow the counsel of loving church leaders who have been inspired by God. I am so blessed!

Dental Floss

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - A lovely day with my kids. I was talking to someone the other day and I remarked how my students become mine for the year that I have them. They really do become mine. I love each and every one of them. Today when I took role two students were absent. I thought to myself, "I hope they're just late and will get here in a few minutes." They walked in just moments later and I thought, "I feel complete now." Weird but true. I miss them when they're gone. I want them with me! And here is the real miracle: When the end of the year comes I somehow am ready to smile at all of them and send them on their way and I get excited for the new bunch of kids that will become mine. And they do, I fall in love with a new class and the wonderfulness that is my job begins all again. #2 - Zucchini and yellow squash. These were my vegetables of choice for dinner and I enjoyed them so much. I love a good fresh cooked vegetable! #3 - Dental Floss. I can't imagine life without it. I don't use it daily like I should which is weird because I love the clean feeling it gives my teeth so I have no idea why I don't use it everyday. I better rededicate myself to this good habit. I contribute my love of dental floss all to President Rackham from my mission. I'll never forget him demonstrating how to properly floss your teeth in a zone conference. Might have been the funniest thing ever. Guess there is something to a happy person having healthy teeth.

Preston and Tricia

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - Lunch with Maurianne and Tiffany. Such wonderful girls! It was delightful to sit and visit with them for an hour. #2 - A phone conversation with my Grandpa. Grandpa called me last night to see if I had made it home and to thank me for the book I had given him. I didn't see he'd called until it was too late to return the call. When I called him back today he told me that he loved his book. He said he'd taken it to church and taught his priesthood lesson from it. That made me smile. When he opened his gift at his party he didn't read too much of it because everyone was wanting to look at it. He told me that often he can't sleep at night and will get up and read a while. He said I couldn't sleep so I got up and read that book and had myself a good cry. I almost started crying when he told me that. I wanted this to be a special gift and I think it was because it was a gift to tell him how much he is loved by all of his grandchildren. This is what I believe life is all about. Not just family but generations of family who do good and strive to be better because of who you have been. This is what is so amazing to me about my grandpa. His grandchildren love and adore him and know he cares for each one of us. Grandma did too and I can't wait to associate with them both throughout Eternity in an eternal family! #3 - A fun evening with Tricia and Preston. We watched a show we've had recorded for about a week and finally got a chance to watch it. These two are great and I'm so happy to have them as friends.

Kera

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - Easter Sunday. I'm thankful for this wonderful holiday. I love celebrating the live of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I don't just know that he lives but that He does now live. Because of His sacrifice I can be forgiven of my sins and I will live again after death! #2- Kera who made my drive seem so much shorter. I don't mind a drive in the car - even a four hour drive if I don't have to be by myself. Kera was a wonderful car partner and I'm so glad it worked out to ride together. #3 - Being home safe and sound. I love the feeling of being home again after being gone. I love sleeping in my bed and the feeling of the familiar.

I love these mountains! This is a horrible picture but it's the best I could get with point and shoot. These mountains carry a sense of home to me and always will. I love to see them covered with snow. 

Yellowstone, Oliver, and My Grandpa

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - Beautiful Yellowstone Park. I wanted to go to Yellowstone to see the baby buffalo. When they are first born they are orange. I've been to the park in late April and you get to see a bunch of them. I was really hopeful that there would be bunches of them. Unfortunately, we only saw two and I'm pretty sure that the two we saw were actually the same calf and we just saw it coming and going. I guess there is always next year to see the babies. Yellowstone in the winter is a lot of fun because the geysers are so visible because the air is so cold. I love to see the steam! #2- Here is my little nephew Oliver he is growing like crazy. He'll be walking before we know it! #3- My Grandpa. I dearly love this 82 year old man! I was so excited to give him the book I'd made. He opened it up and said, "Oh, look at that ugly old man!" Then he saw the picture of him and Rhett and said, "Look at that." With a big smile. Then he flipped the page to Wiley's picture and letter and started to read it out loud. Halfway through he got teary eyed. He didn't read anymore and enjoyed looking at the pictures. 

My Dad

Today I'm thankful for: #1- that I finally decided that I'd go home for a couple of days. I kept changing my mind so it was good to finally get in the car and just go. #2- Pizza at 5-11 Main. The old drug store has been turned into a lovely little pizza joint and it is a favorite place to eat when I am home. I enjoyed just being with my parents and visiting. #3- A drive up to Warm River with my parents. We will be camping here in 2 short months. I sure hope that all the snow is gone and it has warmed up considerably!! I joked that we might just need to make snow caves to sleep in in July. You couldn't even see the bridge let alone walk across it. I'm thankful for my dad my life has been blessed by wonderful parents! We didn't stay out of the car for long it was too cold!

You can't see it but this is where the bridge to the upper campground is. Still a lot of snow!

A Cookie

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - A lovely session at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple with Maurianne. It is always nice to be in the temple and extra nice to be there with a great friend. #2 - A cookie. Brett and I were talking about sugar cookies yesterday and were going to buy one at Great Harvest but they were closed. On my way home from the temple I stopped and got us one. I was pretty excited about it and Brett came over when he got through with work so we could enjoy them. Made me very happy. #3 - My student's autobiographies. I have 24 autobiographies that I need to grade. I love reading them and yet it's such a chore. Twenty-four life stories is a lot of reading. Today I cut the pile to 18. Hopefully tomorrow I get at least that many done as well. #4 - Preston and I finally found the secret level on Mario. Now we've only got one more to find - I hope.

Socks

Today I'm thankful for: #1- that my class and Raegan's class are buddy classes. Today my kids decorated paper eggs and hide them for her kids to find and her kid's did the same for mine. They had a great time and what was wonderful was they got to give something to each other. I think they had more fun watching each other find the eggs they hid than the ones they found. Makes me happy! #2- being outside. Brett went for a run and I rollerbladed. It was lovely. I also decided that rollerblading isn't tough exercise but I enjoy it so I figure it's better than just sitting on the couch all night. I wore my stellar yellow knee high socks. These make me really happy. They were a gift from a student last year who wore funky socks every day. #3- Texts from Maurianne and Kara. Both of them randomly texted me to say they were thinking about me and asked how I was. Maurianne and I made plans to go to the temple tomorrow. Sometimes just knowing someone is thinking about you is just the right little thing that you need. I need to remember that.

Fresh Grapes

Today I'm thankful for: #1- Raegan who sat and listened. I'm so thankful for my many friends who listen when I need it. I don't know what I'd do without them all. #2- Being able to give my students a fun memory. I finally got around to making a dvd for my class and the 3rd graders of their musical they performed. I spent the evening burning DVDs and only got about half of them finished. They are so adorable and I sure hope it is something most of them hang onto and pull out when they're older and enjoy it all over again. #3- Yummy fresh grapes.  I have a hard time with fruit because it can be so hit or miss. These grapes I bought have been delicious though. Tonight I thought I'd like a snack before I headed to bed and these grapes were perfect.

Snow Shoeing Under the Full Moon... Well almost

Today I'm thankful for: #1- the assembly that taught my students that natural highs are so much better than getting a high off of something that will hurt their bodies. Basically the kids sang karaoke for 45 min. jumped around and had a great time. The gym was crazy! The kids had a great time but more importantly they got the message. I quizzed them when we got back to class and they all passed. I also gave them a treat for being so good at a crazy assembly. They had fun but behaved. Sometimes that is extremely hard to do! #2- Chicken lasagna. This is one of my new favorite meals. Kerri, Brett, Haley, Brandon, and I had a wonderful dinner. As Kerri, Brett, and I were getting the lasagna into the oven we decided we aren't going to know how to cook on our own. It's so much faster when three of us are making something. #3- Kerri has snow shoeing under the full moon on her bucket list. She has had this activity planned for weeks. Today it rained like crazy. Most of our group decided the rain and cloudy weather was too much and decided not to go. Brett, Kerri, Brian, and I decided we'd still go even if we couldn't actually see the moon. When we got to the trail head snow was coming down pretty good. We strapped head lamps on and started out. It was definitely a new experience for me. By the time we got to the falls it had stopped snowing and the sky had started to clear just a little bit. One of the best parts of the whole trip was sliding down the mountain a couple of times. Nothing like a bunch of adults sliding down snow on their backs. It was pretty great! The hike back was so much shorter than the hike there. I love how that works. We finally saw the full moon for about a half a second about 200 feet from the car. So technically we didn't snow shoe under a full moon but I think I'll count it. We ended the night at my place with some of Kerri's apple pie, hot chocolate, pita chips, and salsa. Late night but SO worth it. I kept thinking to myself how cool is my life that if I want to go snow shoeing in the dark I can and the mountains are so close and so beautiful. Then to add on top of that you add on that my life is full of such wonderful friends. It's a pretty great life!

Tricia's Mom

Today I'm thankful for: #1- the Internet that makes preparing a lesson so much easier than it used to be. I love to read my lessons online. It's easy to click on all the scripture links and type up an outline all at the same time. #2- the visit I had with President Ludlow today. It's his birthday today and it was nice to visit with him for a couple of minutes. He told me they are coming to Utah in a couple of weeks and I'm very excited to see them! #3- Tricia's mom who cooks delicious Sunday dinners and let's me come to dinner. As we were getting ready to leave I said, "Tricia, we need to take a picture with your mom in it for my picture of the day. I'm always saying that she is what I'm thankful for it's time I had a picture." So this is Tricia's mom Kris. She's pretty great and I'm so thankful for the "going home" feeling anytime I go to dinner at their home. #4- Fresh tulips. Thanks Tricia! I can't wait to enjoy them all week long!

A Free Rice Krispie Treat

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - the yummy omelet Brett made after our 5 mile run this morning. I'm not quite where I can say I love to run (I don't think that'll ever happen) but I love the feeling after I've finished. Case in point an omelet and chocolate milk could have never tasted better. So I guess I love eating after running and today breakfast was divine. #2 - A new water bottle. I finally made it to REI to use a gift card I got for my birthday. I'm pretty excited about it. Hopefully I won't leave it anywhere and keep track of it. #3 - A free treat. Tricia, Preston, Kerri, and I went and saw the edited version of A King's Speech. It was really interesting and well done. I enjoy a good movie where you feel like you learned something about history when you're through. After the movie we headed to Noodles and Company to grab some dinner. Because we were there right before the store was closing we were given free rice krispie treats.  They were pretty great - it made Kerri and I pretty happy!

Melted Cheese

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - Fridays and the chance to catch up on the week with my students. We take time on Fridays to make sure assignments have been handed in and that the kids are ready to move on next week. Usually I have the same few kids that haven't turned everything in but this week we had a lot of stuff that needed to be finished so I let the kids work on it for about a half hour and then it was time for study hall and most of them still had things to finish. Today I'm grateful for a group of kids who work hard and get done with what they need to do. They are aware of their responsibilities and care about their school work. Even when they aren't all finished this makes me happy as a teacher because they are working hard and doing their best. #2 - Time with friends. Tricia and I took balloons to Kendall to wish him a Happy Birthday at a party at his house. We were pretty excited about the balloons - I think everyone should get a giant helium balloon for their birthday. I'm pretty sure I was more excited about the balloons than Kendall was. We didn't stay long because I had plans to meet Kerri and Brett to see a movie. It was a fun evening. #3 - a plate of melted cheese. I am my mother's daughter. Growing up this was a favorite bedtime snack for us. We'd love to have melted cheese. Usually Mom would melt cheese on a huge plate and we'd all have our own fork and eat away. Tonight I was hungry when I got home and decided that this really sounded good. I was surprised that it not only sounded good but really tasted good. I went to bed exhausted from the day but very happy.