School's Out for SUMMER!!

Day 2 of Summer and it's completely awesome. I had such a fun year teaching this group of third graders. I honestly teared up Friday morning as I was hugging them good-bye. I totally will miss this year and this group, but did I mention that IT'S SUMMER!!?? I guess that a pretty good consolation. :)
Friday morning after we bid our darlings good-bye, the faculty and staff all packed up and headed for Mimi's Cafe for "Viking Island Survivor." At the end of each year there are always a few changes. Teachers retiring, transferring to different schools, staying home to be mommies, and we have to say "good-bye" to some sweet friends. So this year our reading specialists arranged "Viking Island Survivor" as our way to bid those leaving farewell. Someone read a tribute to each person leaving and then after each tribute we "extinguished their torch" (which consisted of everyone making fizzing noises) and someone announced that, "the tribe has spoken." It was really cute. I'll miss seeing those friends every day. Hopefully they'll visit every once-in-a-while.

My fun principal, Sylvia

Hip hip!

Wicked!

Last Friday night Mikey and I got to go out on a long-anticipated date to see the play "Wicked!" We bought our tickets in June '08, so we had plenty of time to look forward to it. We were lucky enough to get to see Wicked in January '08 in Los Angeles and we LOVED it!! So our expectations were high, but we totally loved it in Salt Lake, too. It was neat to see how the actors put their own spin on the characters. The lines were all the same, but the delivery was often quite different. We had such a great time! What made it extra fun was that we got to go with so many people we love! From left to right, we went with Mikey's Uncle Denny and Aunt Judy, our friends/cousins Jeff and Janelle, my brother-in-law Brandon and sister Sharlene, my mom Carol, my Grandma Verda, and my dad Richard (and me and Mikey). It was so fun to get to experience Wicked all together. Wicked in LA, January '08:

Swine Flu

It was once said that pigs would fly when we had our first black president. Well, within Obama's first 100 days . . . swine flu!

(I didn't make that up, but I thought it was pretty funny!)

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day, all!! I love Earth Day and I'm starting to feel like I'm not a fraud by celebrating it. I've always been pretty good at turning off the lights when I leave the room, and not littering, of course, but Mikey and I have started recycling this year! (I know I'm late getting on the band wagon.) I've always recycled when there's been a recycling bin close, but our apartment doesn't have recycling service, so it's never been right there at home. But that doesn't stop us now! I found the recycling center near my school, so every couple weeks after work I drop off our recycling from home. Wow! It adds up! Honestly, it's a bit of a pain, but it's so rewarding to see how much less garbage we throw away now.

At school today I'm celebrating Earth Day with my third graders. They are so cute and excited about it. Yesterday we made Earth Day posters and hung them up around the school. One of my students who cracks me up all the time made a poster that said, "NO HOMEWORK--IT KILLS TREES!" I had to laugh. But today we had our math lesson in the dark to save energy (luckily we have big windows in our classroom) and this afternoon we're going on an Earth Day walk to pick up garbage.

So today I challenge you to find one way to be a little greener. Replace one old light bulb with an energy efficient light bulb. Pick up garbage. Turn off the TV. Fix a leaky faucet. Use a reusable bag at the grocery store. Just something. I by no mean do all of these all the time, but I'm starting to get better and better.

HAPPY EARTH DAY, EVERYONE!

TFA

Thanks to Mikey, I was aware that the rock band Spinal Tap could rock, but they always seemed shallow to me. However, now that I see they're involved in such an important organization as TFA, of which I'm a member, I've gained a little more respect for them. WATCH THIS short video and consider making it a part of your life.

Headed to the Coast!

I'm so excited! Mikey and I just finished planning a vacation to the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington . . . and we're leaving tomorrow! The condo we're staying at is right on the Coast. What a great Spring Break. I don't think it will be any warmer than home, but it will be a fun, refreshing, and welcome change. Neither of us have ever been there, so it will be an adventure. We love adventures! Hip hip!

Ahh . . . I needed that

I love General Conference weekend! Isn't it always so rejuvenating? I love that if we listen with soft hearts, we will always hear what we need to from the leaders of the Church. I just want to record that I know the gospel is true. I know that we are here because we accepted the Plan of Happiness. This life has some tough twists and turns, but the ride is beautiful. I needed to hear so many things that were said in this conference. Just a few quick highlights that touched me:

• "This is the Lord's true church in which we are, with Him, lifting each other and are being blessed to succor the fellow sufferers He places in our way." --President Henry B. Eyring
  
• "Choose to live by faith and not by fear." --Elder Kevin W. Pearson
• "The future is as bright as your faith." --President Thomas S. Monson

In addition to being buoyed up by the talks given during Conference, another thing I love about Conference Weekend is our traditional Family Pizza Party. My Grandma Verda started this tradition years ago. While the men are at Priesthood Meeting on Saturday night, the girls all get together and make homemade pizza and hang out. We'll usually do some sort of craft--make jewelry, stamp homemade greeting cards, etc.--and just enjoy each other's company. Then when the Priesthood Meeting is over, the guys come home and we enjoy the yummy pizza we made. It's so fun! I look forward to it every Conference.