Sunday Morning Report 9/6

I love Sunday Mornings.  We have such a late church this year, which we weren't thrilled about, but we have learned to really enjoying the non-rushed unhurried mornings. 

This week has been full of run here and run there.  Monday we had piano lessons and I was proud that the kids did really well.  They have been practicing hard.  They are preparing for a competition this next week.  (Krissy & Kavin.  Kaitlyn has been dancing and didn't have a song prepared.  Although she is learning lots of hymns!)  I went to a graveside service *read below* and I took a friend to lunch for her birthday and then I drove my sister-in-law Kristen Fenn to the airport.  It was fun to catch-up on her life.

Tuesday is my Let's Play Music day!  I started classes 3 weeks ago and each week, including this upcoming week, I will have someone observing my classes.  The first week it was a teacher that has been teaching longer than me.  She is the Provo teacher and strangely enough attended Eastern Arizona College right before I did.  Small world eh?  Her name is Nicole Brown and she said her nick-name there was Cocoa.  She emailed me after she observed and told me she got lots of great new ideas.   I've had teachers from the point of the mountain come, one from Salt Lake email and want to come observe and this week, a prospective teacher will come and watch.  Whew!  Not to mention BYU is going to be sending students to observe my class too.  They are in the process of studying our curriculum and want to see it in action.  That ought to be fun.  Lots of great things are happening!

Wednesday I spent time catching up and taught my 3rd year classes.  Thursday I grocery shopped and it sure seems like it takes all day to do errands and shop.  Rick kept calling me and saying, "You're still not home?"  I have to say, I don't like shopping much.  I know that sounds weird to hear me say.  You would think my personality would love it, but it doesn't!  Probably because I don't like spending money, there is road construction everywhere and when I find a better deal but I've already purchased a item, it makes me mad. 

Friday we were going to go to the ALA football game, but we were worn out.  So, we decided to go to a $1 movie instead.  We went and saw the movie Band Slam.  Which turned out to be a darling movie.  Saturday my kids went to the movies and saw it. 

This week I've been trying to take bit size chunks out of some projects that have needed done for like a year or so.  It's hard to manage day to day tasks and try to get to those other long term projects.  I finally stole Rick's Ipod from him, since he's had it for 3 years and never used it, and started ripping our CD's to Itunes and organizing all of it.  Now that I'm about half way done, it is starting to be fun!  I put all of my LPM songs on it and bought a Ipod dock to use.  It is a really nice Ipod dock.  It was originally priced at $199, but by the time I paid for it, it cost me $45.  Crazy huh!  It was on sale for $99.00 then they marked it down to $79.99 and THEN there was a $30 mail in rebate and on top of that they gave me 10% more off because it was the floor model.  I love shopping when this happens!  We had fun setting it up last night and getting rid of our tape player/ CD player.  I made the kids listen to the songs from I'm A Mormon.  I basically put on a 10 minute show singing and dancing for them.  I grew up on those songs and I was sad because they had hardly heard them.  It was fun!

Lastly, my heart just aches for a few sad events that have taken place recently.  Monday I attended Gunner Zink's graveside service with Kristen Fenn (my sister-in-law.)  Gunner was her nephew and he was accidentally killed.  He was only 12 and died way to soon.   His family lives in Missouri, but came here to bury him because this is where the parents will be buried.  I'm so thankful for the gospel and the knowledge we have of eternity.  My heart went right back to Stephanie death.  I wish them the passing of time because it surely heals the heart.  We continue to pray for them and hope they will feel God's peace. 

I also heard word from a dear friend that she is pregnant, but that her sweet baby has trisomy 18 and won't live.  I was so devastated to hear this news.  My heart couldn't take much more this week.  I thought of Kylee and how sad and yet sweet that time was.  Whew!  Lots of sad news, but again, I know from experience both families will make it through.  

FYI...still no camera cord.  Hopefully will get a new one on Monday.  My kids asked me what we were going to do for Labor Day and I told them we were going to LABOR.  They thought I was mean to say that!  I'm turning into my dad! Ha! Ha! 

Sunday Report 8/30

Well there has been alot that has happened since July. We've been busy, but accomplished much. I'm so thankful for my family and that I get to spend time with them during this journey we call life. Rick and I got to go to Hawaii this past summer. What an absolute dream that trip was! We stayed at a hotel located on the Waikiki Beach and drove all over the island sight-seeing and having fun. (The picture on the above is after we had dinner on the beach.)

We went to BYU Hawaii, the Hawii Temple, the Polynesian Cultural Center, Pearl Harbor Memorial, Diamond Head Volcano, Church, Beautiful Beaches all around the island and more! It was amazing.

One of the really memorable parts of our trip was sitting behind Elder Dallin H. Oaks and his family during the final show of the night at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

We ate at a luau and loved learning about all of the different cultures. It is amazing what the church has done over there. It's really great to see how the church is helping to preserve the heritage of the island people.

When we arrived home it was July 24th, we celebrated and immediately hit the ground running with projects for back to school! Rick and I miss the time we got to spend together. It feels like we've barely been able to talk to each other since we've been back. Every once in awhile we will give each other a hug and remind ourselves that we are indeed married and a couple! Between children, work, projects and helping in a variety of community p

rojects life is full of To Do's!

Kaitlyn is back dancing at her studio! The team she was put on is fitting perfectly with her schedule. We are thrilled it has worked out so well.

Krissy won Best of Show at the county fair. We were all so happy for her. With all of her ribbons she won $36.

Kavin was bummed because his parents waited to long to sign him up for soccer and he was put on a waiting list. I'm not used to doing this sports thing and was really mad at myself when this happened. Oh well! There is nothing we can do this year.

Over all life is going well. The kids are back in school now and we are purring right along like a well oiled machine. There are a few course corrections that have to be made each week, but overall things are going well.

Sunday Morning Report

It is Sunday morning and there isn't a peep in the house! I woke up this morning about 7:00 am and everyone is still peacefully resting. I'm weird, I like to wake up early, but not too early! During the school year when we wake up at 5:15ish, at times, I have a tendency to revert back to a teenager, but if I have to wake up on my own, I don't like to sleep much past 7:00. In my old age, I'm happy to retire to my bed early and then wake up early.

This past week has been busy! Kaitlyn went to girls camp where they river rafted down a river. Don't ask me which one, it was somewhere in Moab. I'm just thankful for the Young Women leaders and their willingness to serve and love these girls. Kaitlyn had a blast and told us she bore her testimony.

Krissy & Kavin had piano camp on Monday and Wednesday, then they had piano lessons on Thursday. They played together a lot this week. There favorite activity was to put the sprinklers under the tramp and then spread dawn dish washing soap on the tramp. Sort of a dangerous slip and slide wouldn't you say? Now that I think about that, I don't know if I should let them do that anymore.

Khloe our little Yorkie-Poo was attacked by our neighbors out-of-control dog this week. Rick was in the back yard watering the plants and Kavin came running to Rick sobbing telling him that Khloe was being attacked. Rick and Kavin found Khloe panic stricken hiding behind our big garbage can. The dog didn't break any skin but Kavin said his whole mouth was around her little petite neck. For the next ten minutes Kavin held Khloe and just sobbed. When I got home that night, Kavin came into me and said, "Mom, that thing that happened to Khloe tonight really freaked me out." Then he almost started sobbing again. He loves that little dog and I'm so glad.

We did a bit of school shopping this week too. As we were driving through the Provo area, I decided to take the kids past some of the houses we walked through when they had the 'Parade of Homes' here. They were beautiful homes. This one home was a solid brick home with 2 enormous chimneys. It reminded me of a house I would envision when I read English books. It wasn't to large but classic and um...probably had a romantic feel to it. As we drove by it, I told the kids how much I loved that house and Kavin said, "Mom, when I get older I'll buy that house for you!" It was so genuine and innocent. I love that boy. Then we drove past another house that was not really a house but an estate. It was so pretty and I made the comment, "That house is definitely to big for me, I don't think I need a house like that. Kavin piped up again and said, "I do! That's that kind of house I want to live in!" Interesting insight into your child's mind. He definitely knows what he wants. He told me he was going to be a Lego designer.

Rick was at BYU this week. He was helping with the Singer Entertainer's Camp. (It's the Young Ambassador Camp.) It is a lot of fun for him. He loves working with great kids, colleagues and teaching great music. However, he has so much to do to prepare for school he is a bit blogged down, but never fear, he will get it all done! I'm sure of that. He was up until 3 am just last night! What amazing dedication, eh?

Me, I've been working hard and knockin' it out of the park! I'm finishing up an accelerated 3rd year Let's Play Music class, that will finish this next week and I'm preparing the Schools Check-in Fair that is in August. This is a pretty big feat, considering I created the whole concept and we've never done it at this Elementary school before. However, it is coming together nicely and so many volunteers have stepped up! It is going to be a huge success!

I feel so blessed this week. I have had ample amounts of time to do all of my tasks because my angel helpers have awaken me this week, pretty early (we're talking 3 to 5 am) and I've gotten almost a days worth of work done before anyone wakes up. Don't worry, I take a short nap and I'm fine! The only bummer about this week is, I got a cold sore! Don't ask me where that came from.

The last amount of news for the week is this, we paid off our van! Wahoo! That is a great feeling my friends! I'm so grateful for the abundance of love and goodness in my life.

It's hard being a parent!

I'm blogging while my son sits in his room for a 12 minute piano time out. Whew...I sure needed a time-out as well! I told him that he was doing a sloppy job with his technique and he started crying and told me I was being mean to him and that he hated high louds. (A technique where they raise one finger, hit the piano key firmly and then wiggle their wrist to make sure it is relaxed.) This was the last straw, because he had giving me sloppy work from the beginning. I sent him to his room for 5 minutes, then he fought, whined and complained so I doubled it. Then he still whined and tried to negotiate with me and I gave him 2 minutes more!

We are going to have a big problem today, because I told him that he couldn't play until his piano was all the way done. I have people coming over to do some Let's Play Music testing and then I have to do hair for a friend. He is going to be a sad boy today! I warned him and pleaded with him, I tried to motivate and bribe him but he must want to experience some negative consequences today!

Whew, it's rough being a parent and flexing your emotional mommy muscle.

Well, it worked out! When he came back to practice he knew I meant business. The video is the consequence of being strong! Great work kids.

I'm BACK!

Alright people, I'm back. I don't care what it takes, I'm going to do this. I don't need to be overwhelmed and I feel like I need to post pictures with every post. NO! I'm not going to let it stop me. Do you hear me? Yeah.... I'm talking to you, the dysfunctional perception in my head that seems to always get in the way of me recording my history.

Truth be told, I just read Jena Sainsbury's blog which is highly entertaining, I might add and I've decided that this is a must! My family and friends live so far away and this will keep them up to speed, so here I go. There's no looking back!

I'm off to take my kids to piano lessons! I be back to chat shortly. I'm ALIVE!