New York New York!

Today I'm thankful for: #1 - Early check in. Liz and I arrived at our hotel to check in and drop off our bags. I had my fingers crossed that we'd be able to check in by 11 and possibly take 45 minute nap. I was delighted when the girl said, "I'll see if we have your room ready and if we don't maybe we have another one." When I booked the room they only had one with a king sized bed for the cheap rate so that's what I got. The girl looked and the king room wasn't ready but they had one with two queens for the same prize and she'd put us in that room if that was ok. That's what I would have preferred in the first place so of course I said that was great. We were in our room and fast asleep by 8:30 alarms set to wake us up at 11:30. 

#2- Lunch. When we woke up from our nap we showered and headed toward time square. We had just enough time stop for lunch at Roxy's. I'm pretty sure that this sandwich is the most ridiculous thing I've ever ordered but it makes for a great memory and it filled us up.

#3- that some things don't get "old." We watched the 2 o'clock showing of Wicked and I'll tell you I could watch this show every other month and it wouldn't get old. I love the music and love the story. When the show was over and we walked out Liz said to me, "You can never watch another show the same again, can you?" It's true watching a Broadway show is a life changing experience. One that I can't seem to get enough of.

#3 - the NBC store and all the stores in Time Square for that matter. I love walking about and seeing all the displays. This one was fun completely filled with M&M's.

#4 - Mongnolia's bakery. We enjoyed a yummy treat at a delightful little bakery. I tried the red velvet cupcake this time and it was all I hoped it would be. 

#5 - A smoothie to cool us off. We needed to get dinner but with all the walking around and the heat not a lot sounded really good so we enjoyed a smoothie from Jamba Juice and it tasted SO good!

#6 Mary Poppins. Show #2 started at 8 p.m. This play is in a really old very cool theater. The walls are very ornate and there are several private boxes that help you feel like you took a step back in time. Liz and I grew up watching Mary Poppins so we LOVED watching the play. The sets were also very amazing. Again just a plain old very cool experience.

#7 Ending the day in Time Square. There's just something about Time Square at midnight. You feel like it's noon because of the mass of people and the bright lights. They are almost too much for this small town Idaho girl to take in all at once - and it doesn't matter how many times I've experienced it. 

The Red Eye Flight

Today I'm thankful for: #1- A morning with enough time to just sit and study my scriptures and the Ensign for an hour. I loved it and realized I need to do it so much more. I'm turning over a new leaf! An hour sounds like forever but it flies by when you can't get enough of what you're doing. #2- Yoga and a chance to clean. This afternoon Brett and Kerri came over for a little Yoga and then I swept and mopped the floor. I love the feeling of clean - even though I'm not the tidiest person I do like things neat I just have a really hard time keeping things that way. #3- Liz and the start of a fun trip. I picked Liz up from the bus stop around 7. We came back to my place had dinner and I picked up my room as I finished packing. Kerri took us to the airport a little after 10 and we got checked in and ready for a 5 hour flight to New York City. When we changed into comfy clothes we both laughed. We must be sisters because we'd picked out the same pants and shirts dealing with BYU. My mom always liked to dress us a like when we were kids and I hated it. (Not always but sometimes.) How is it that as an adult without trying we coordinate what we're wearing. I'm sure plenty of people thought we were funny in the airport. 

Gathering of Friends

Today I'm thankful for: #1- A 6 mile run. The perfect way to begin my Monday off. I felt great the whole run. You've gotta love that! #2 - Lunch from Village Baker's. Kendall agreed to help me grade some math competition papers so I bought us sandwiches for lunch. Not that I advertise on this blog but Village Baker's has the best sandwiches in all of the Salt Lake valley. I love them. I'm also very thankful that Kendall helped me grade math problems. It went so much quicker with a little help. I've been needing to get to them for weeks! After the math papers were finished we headed over to Kendall's place and enjoyed each other's company while I worked on the school slideshow and he sewed on a quilt he's making. A little funny that I was on my computer and he was sewing. #3- Friends. We got together to watch one episode of Burn Notice to end the holiday weekend. Preston and I are very happy with our grahams and milk - so good! 

Sunday Evening with No Work in the Morning

Today I'm thankful for: #1- Teaching Sunday School for the 3rd week in a row. I enjoy teaching Sunday school. For one reason the hour goes by so much faster when I'm in front of the class instead of in a seat. Today one of the things we discussed was the raising of Lazarus from the dead. I pulled out Jesus the Christ this morning and found the information about this time in the Savior's life very interesting. One of the things I learned was that Jews believed that the spirit stayed close to the body for three days after death. After three days they believed it finally departed to Heaven. This is significant because The Savior raised Lazarus on the 4th day after his death. This made the miracle even bigger because that meant the people believed that his spirit was really gone. We then discussed how this applies to our lives and how The Savior can raise us from a spiritual death if we let Him. #2- Another dinner at Tricia's family's. I know I list this every time I go but it really is a highlight of my Sunday when I join her. Tricia's family is wonderful and I'm so thankful they make me feel right at home when I visit. #3- Tricia bought this mattress for guests to sleep on. We blew it up for Kerri to spend the night and all of us enjoyed it as we watched a movie to end our Sunday. Quite comfortable. I think the best part was staying up a little later than usual because none of us had to work in the morning.

Spaghetti

Today I'm thankful for #1: The lovely breakfast Tricia's mom provided for us - muffins, bacon, and eggs. I think I enjoyed the bacon a little more than I should. Good thing I don't make that for breakfast every day. #2 - A four mile run before it started to rain again. Today we were going to do a long run but Kerri and I decided that because we'd started later we'd just go for four and then do a long run on Monday. #3 - A bunch of friends went to dinner at the Gateway. I ordered Spaghetti and it was delicious! I got it because it was cheap and I'm saving money to eat yummy things in New York. I'm glad I went for it because it really was very good. #4 - Burn Notice at Preston's house. We had just enough time after dinner to watch one episode. We're getting close to completing the third season. #5 - Watching Tricia score a goal. Kerri and I went to Tricia's 11:30 p.m. soccer game with her. It was a fun one to watch. Both Preston and Tricia scored and their team won the game. Thanks guys for entertaining us! #6 Cookies at 1:30 in the morning. When we got home from the game it was almost one. I threw some cookies in the oven and enjoyed warm cookies with milk. Yum!! A great way to end the day!!

The Y

Today I'm thankful for: #1- That funerals can be the celebration of a life instead of despair in the lose of a loved one. Elder Barker passed away on Sunday and his funeral was this morning. I sat through the funeral amazed at the love that filled the chapel. I also thought, "This is what life is all about!" It is about living a good life and sharing it with a loving family. When all is said and done family is what life is about. What more do you have when you pass away but your family. It really doesn't matter what you did professionally or what church callings you held. What matters is the influence you've had on your family and the knowledge that they will be yours forever. Family brings us a fullness of joy. You can't have that fullness without a spouse and children. - I believe this and because I believe this I'll keep the desire to marry and raise a family in my heart always. #2 - The Owens who took Elder Blanchard, Elder Thayne, and myself out to lunch after the service. It was nice to visit with them. #3 - Hiking Y Mountain. This was a first for me and was on my list of things to do to celebrate being 30 this year. It was lovely. Kerri and I bought new shirts at the bookstore before we made the ascent. You've got to wear blue if you hike the Y right? This made me want to head to a football game. I'll enjoy every day of summer but I'll love it when September gets here and the boys take the field. #4- Graham canyon ice cream. After our hike we headed to the BYU creamery to enjoy some goodness in a cone. Kerri introduced me to this wonderful ice cream and you can't help but get some when we're in Provo. I got a little raspberries and graham on top. It was pretty great. #5- A fire and somewhat of a campout. We met at Tricia's parent's house and started a fire between sprinkling rain. We were out long enough to stink like a fire. Then we crashed on the basement floor - I think I may be too old for sleep overs on the floor. 

Cleaning at 11:00 p.m.

Today I'm thankful for: #1- The lovelyness of sleeping in. I was exhausted last night and it felt wonderful to just sleep until my body decided it was time to get up. #2- Salt Lake temple. I joined Kerri and her friend Adam on a trip to the Salt Lake temple. I enjoy going to a session there. Such a beautiful temple and it always amazes me to think about all the love and hard work the early saints put in to build it. #3- Cleaning the temple at 11:30 p.m. until 1 in the morning. Tricia and I volunteered to clean and were questioning our decision when we got to the temple and were exhausted before we started. It was fun to give service though and the hour and a half that we spent vacuuming went very quickly! Who knew the women's locker room would take an hour and a half to vacuum.

Ensign Peak

Today I'm thankful for much more than just three things. #1 - A change. I chopped all my hair off and I'm excited to have it short for the summer. I had to keep telling Emily that I wanted it a bit short. Funny - I  never worry about it being too short. I'm always concerned that it won't be short enough. #2- Coloring with Jackson and Carson. I stopped by Michelle's house after my hair appointment. She was busy with something and Jackson let me in. He opened the door and said, "OLIVIA!" followed by a big hug. I love that little guy! Then I gave the boys and Grace a chocolate chip cookie to eat - it was 11:00 a.m. (I'm thankful Michelle doesn't get upset with me when I give her kids junk food before lunch.) Jackson had been coloring at the kitchen counter and he wanted me to help him. Carson quickly found his pirate coloring book and joined us. We colored and talked for at least a half hour. Carson sang pirate songs and I had a great time with these sweet little guys. Then Michelle surfaced from the basement. She was holding a paint brush and said, "I thought you'd come find me. You didn't so I kept painting." I said, "I figured you'd come find me when you'd finished whatever you were doing." We then decided to take a picnic lunch to the park. My favorite part of lunch was the ginormous dog that visited us and didn't have an owner with it. It was so nice to visit with my dear friend. #3- A hike up Ensign Peak with Brett, Kerri, and Kerri's friend Adam. It was lovely. The day was so nice compared to the last few weeks. It's pretty cool to be able to see the whole valley. #4- A three mile run. Kerri said to me yesterday, "I craved running for the first time in my life!" It's weird but true we love our runs something I thought I'd never say. I still hate the first mile but once I get going I do enjoy myself. #5- Dinner with Preston at EDO's in the mall. It is Japanese food and was quite delicious. #6- Warm chocolate chip cookies with ice cream while we watched the American Idol Finale. I'm not so into watching American Idol but it became a social thing and I guess I enjoy the social part of getting with friends to watch it and talk about it.

Bubble Wrap

Today I'm thankful for: #1- The four hours that finished up this first math training on the new common core. I'm excited for the core but it's going to be a lot of work. So glad I've got a great 6th grade team to work with so I don't have to do it alone. #2 - New blinds. Tricia bought blinds for the bedrooms and I'm excited that they'll help block out the sun when I want to sleep late. My window faces East. #3- Bubble wrap. The blinds came with bubble wrap and who knew it could be so fun even when you're an adult. Preston decided to pad his shirt with it and let us punch him. I wasn't very good at it but Tricia got it to pop like crazy. #4- Dinner with friends. We cooked dinner and enjoyed the finale of The Biggest Loser while we ate our dessert of chocolate chip cookies. 

Headbands

Today I'm thankful for: #1- A day to sleep in. I always sleep in my first day off track. I shouldn't but I can't help myself. I had a meeting to go to and I didn't even shower for it I just woke up and went. It was a math meeting with the district and I wasn't very excited to go. It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be and I have to go again tomorrow but only for half the day. #2 - After the meeting I came home and went for a run before I officially got ready for the day. So weird that running makes me happy and I'm thankful when I have time to go. #3- Headbands - I bought these a few weeks ago and since it wasn't that exciting of a day and they are something that I'm thankful for I decided my picture could be of one in my hair.  

Tricia, Kerri, and I

Today I'm thankful for: #1- Another great Sunday. I taught Sunday school again. It was enjoyable and a much smaller class this week. #2- Kerri came over and we did dinner today. We had a bunch of leftovers from the past week so we pulled them all out and ate bits and pieces of a variety of things. We finished off a couple of things which is good because usually once it gets but in our fridge it never comes out again until it's time to throw it away. #3- A quiet evening with friends. When Tricia got home from Sunday dinner we enjoyed visiting with each other. Fun friends! I enjoy their company so much!

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.