Weekend Update...

It's been a busy few weeks, but here are some quick highlights to keep you posted:

1.  Seminary has ended - last Friday, the fat lady sang - it's all over...for now.  I'm still contemplating doing it again next year.  The blessings were many and the learning was great.  They held an appreciation dinner Friday night for the teachers and offered a comedy show in the Norda's home.  It was great fun!  I think they were schmoozing us for next year...

2.  I got to go through the temple with another one of my girls, Kaity, on Saturday - it's always awesome!  I only have 2 girls left out of 10!  Also, Mikayla came home from her mission on medical leave - hope they find out what's really paining her, fix her, and send her back to Spain...I really want to go over there and know someone!  Dream on...

3.  I've been packing up my office and bringing it home little by little this past week.  It's weird to think that I won't be returning to Priest as I have for 7 years.  I've been trying to purge as much as possible, seeing as I have an entire 3rd grade classroom still being stored in my 1 car garage as well!  I hope to be able to move into Bunker by the end of the week to clear out my garage some.  I'm excited to be going to a new school, especially this one - everyone I seem to mention it to, upon finding out who the principal is, has WONDERFUL things to say about her.  That's not the same reaction I get when I mention my current one, in fact it's the direct opposite reaction.  I should have figured that out earlier, but I try and see the positive in people.  So I'm excited for an entirely new kind of experience.

4.  I don't really have any big plans this summer, which is kind of annerving.  There's no Yosemite trip, no girls camp, and no plans for flying anywhere just yet.  I hope to get to Cedar a few times, maybe up to the Leus cabin, and am pondering flying up to Oregon to stay with my brother for a weekend or so.  Who knows.  I know there HAS to be a lot of working out and eating better......

5.  I have completed teaching the 3 different university graduate classes and am exhausted from it.  I am slated to teach an undergrad class this fall, which I'm considering waiting to see if any graduate ones come up - they tend to be shorter and I get tired of driving to Henderson!  I'm also going to train again to teach Reality Spanish, probably back at Priest - it's a fun class for teachers to learn some useful classroom Spanish.  We'll see.

I know there's more, but I'm way too tired.  I can't wait to read a few books, hike some mountains, and decorate the final room in my house...my master bedroom/bath.  Any ideas?????

White Rock Hike

Loralee, Linda and I went hiking again today.  This time, we did NOT encounter any SNOW going up to our knees - that experience is a distant memory (last Saturday!)  Today, we tackled the White Rock trail at RedRock.  It's a 6 mile loop with a great trail.  At mile 3.5, we decided to take a 2 mile detour to Keystone Thrust to see what that was all about.  This was part of it - a fault line where the whiter limestone thrust against red rocks.  The flowers were out blooming in orange, yellow, pinks, and purples.  We even got to see some Big Horn Sheep - my first!  The sun was strong and there was no shade for the last 2-3 miles.  I got a little dehydrated, I think - as we approached the last .5 miles, I began to get a splitting headache and the muscles, feet, and stamina began to waver.  It was a great hike that I'd love to do again...we may be able to squeak out one more time next Saturday before the summer heat is here to stay.  If not, we'll have to wait until fall.  I really enjoy hiking, especially new trails with people who enjoy it, too.  Thanks for a great day! 

Happy Mother's Day

Over the past 2 months, 5 friends have lost their mothers (plus another in winter).  Mother's Day will be difficult for them as they miss their moms.  I am fortunate enough to have a great mom who's still with me.  And I hope she has a nice Mother's Day today.  I found a poem that's perfect for my mom.

As I Look Back...
As I look back on my life

I find myself wondering...
Did I remember to thank you

for all that you have done for me?

For all of the times you were by my side

to help me celebrate my successes

and accept my defeats?

Or for teaching me the value of hard work,

good judgement, courage, and honesty?

I wonder if I've ever thanked you

for the simple things...

The laughter, smiles, and quiet times we've shared?

If I have forgotten to express my gratitude

For any of these things,

I am thanking you now...

and I am hoping that you've known all along,

how very much you are loved and appreciated.

Author Unknown

Amber

When I was 15, my dad was building a pool for a family in the ward.  He hooked me up with the best babysitting job I could ever dream of - Amber!  I used to doze off on the couch curled up with 6mo old Landon in the afternoons as Ashley slept nearby (or up at Grandma Karma's).  Later on, Amber gave me another gift - a new baby boy, Shelby.  I LOVE NEW BABIES!  She worked at like 4am and sometimes would come home to hide in her room and nap while I watched the kids.  I loved babysitting at Amber's regularly after school. She spoiled her babysitters (Sadie, then Amy after I graduated) and we all became good friends.  She always gave the best gifts, paid way too much (which I'd hide some of it back in her purses or coat pockets for her to come across later on), and supported us in our hormonal trials.  But I think the best part of that budding friendship was after graduating when we were just friends.  I loved stopping in, finding her maybe resting in bed, and laying next to her just talking away.  That was the BOMB.  We had the best talks. She had different insights and was funnier than anyone I knew.  I remember when a friend of the family died suddenly, I was destroyed.  I ended up at Amber's who let me cry and cry and fall asleep on her couch.  Amber is one of my biggest cheerleaders, supporters, butt-kickers, and insight-givers.  Over the past 18 years, I have enjoyed her friendship tremendously.  I've watched "our" kids grow, marry, become parents, as well as losing Karma this winter.  I've witnessed her husband's conversion and their family going to the temple (of course she couldn't wait until I returned from Guatemala!!!)  I've really enjoyed her 'get away' house in Cedar City where Amber invites come and read a book all weekend or go shopping or go out to eat or just whatever.  She knows when I need an escape from my life, the world and it's pressures.  She will always be a refreshing voice and hug.  Some people come in and out of our lives, but others come and leave footprints that will never be erased.  Thank you, Amber.  You were on my mind today.

Interesting cultural experience

In pondering what to reflect on this past week, I keep going back to a 3-day national conference on Educating Black Children.  The potential for this conference was great and the ideas which could have come from it are currently in high demand.  However, my experience was not as fulfilling as I had hoped.  I have always considered myself a cultured, accepting, non-prejudiced person, willing to teach any and all children who come into my path.  I was hoping to be uplifted and encouraged for doing just that.  However, this conference proved to be more of a political/historical rally with a flair of Baptist revival.  I found the cultural things very interesting, but the negativity (or reverse racism) began to overshadow all positivity.  I actually became angered during a luncheon speech on Friday that got my blood boiling.  At that point, I turned off and shut down.  My black colleagues I was with commented about her going "over the top."  I was about to call it quits and leave with a bad taste in my mouth, but decided to do one more workshop session with a great author of "What Is It About Me You Can't Teach?"  I was glad to have ended my experience with her as she brought it all back down to reality and encouraged us to be better than we were.  One morning a great speaker (a linguist) taught us about the origins and rules of Black English, which I've tried to touch on in the linguistics classes I teach, but never understood it fully.  I took 4 pages of notes during her 2 hours and was captured by almost every word she said.  So the whole 3 days weren't a total bust.  Overall, it was a facinating cultural experience and it gave me much food for thought.