Holiday Recap & What's Up Today

Girls at Mesa Temple Lights December 2009

Family sledding outing Strawberry, AZ January 2010

New Year's Eve 2009 break at the park - Justine and Lindsey.Fondue with Justine and Natalie - Amanda was at a roller skating party.

Fondue with Justine and Natalie - Amanda was at a roller skating party.

Sunday craft - making hand puppets for activity days Jan 2010.

School is taking more of my time than I'd like right now, but I know that it will be worth it in the end. I started back up today with my theories and lesson models class. This time around it is a six week class. I took 2 weeks off to study for math...ha ha. I had good intentions and got 2 days in. Hopefully, tonight I can catch up. My test is Thursday. I had planned on studying today, but ended up in the dr office this morning with Natalie. She was diagnosed with asthma today. Breathing treatment and Albuterol didn't do much, but it made her wheezing worse. She is on a daily steroid for 5 days, flovent until March and Albuterol every 4 hrs for rest of the week. I have yet to accomplish what I set out too. I am thankful that I'm home to take care of these things.

2010 promised to be better and we have just been hit with one thing after another. My mom says that it means God loves you when he gives you problems. I said, I could do with a little less love right now. I'm sure that we are meant to learn valuable lessons from these trials, I don't see it at the moment, but I have faith that closure will come soon. Frank got the "surprise" we cut your paycheck by 13% on payday, which was crummy timing. Thankfully, the community college that he teaches at on the side offered him an additional class to teach and he got an extension on a consulting job he is doing right now. We cut the cable, paper, pool guy (will miss Paul), and lawn service (they were about to get the boot after dumping gasoline on the lawn), lessened the minutes on the cell phones, downgraded the internet speed (which is causing me delays in school) and I'm planning meals. These are things that we should be doing already. It sounds like I'm upset about it, but actually, I am grateful for a couple things: Frank still has a job, we are relatively healthy and have insurance still, and that this will be a good learning experience for our kids on not being selfish.

Observing in Ms. Taylor's class has been my little happy spot right now. I actually shared my prologue to my book with the 8th graders reading it outloud. I was nervous, but they loved it and had a million questions about my characters, why I did this or that. Trying to guess what happened next. It was overwhelming. I asked if this is something they would be interested in and they said "yes!" "You need to publish it!" Their own stories were amazing. Kids are so creative and writing brings out things that you wouldn't expect from yourself. I have a paper in my class to write on why I want to be a teacher. It's moments like these that reaffirm my decision to go back to school. Like I said, my happy spot right now.

The holidays were relaxing and lots of time spent with good friends. Frank has made some great friends and it's been nice having families around that understand us and a couple of the wives have been great resources for me and the kids. We went to friends house for Christmas Eve, spent Christmas day at home with the kids and had friends over for the hottub, fire and pasta bar that Frank put together. New Year's Eve Frank cooked chinese again with friends the Jones'. We played games, the older kids and Amanda went to a party in their stake for the Young Men and Young Women. It was a great night. We managed to make it over the weekend up past Strawberry and Pine to play in the snow. We had issues with the van door in Payson and spent 2 hrs in Pizza Hut holed up while Frank got it fixed, but it ended up being a good day.

Amanda finished out volleyball and this week all the girls are being recognized in assemblies for various things! Good girls :).

I think that is about it for right now. This is more of my journal this year, so take it as you will. Stream of consciousness is my favorite way to write. I need to get the books on hold at the library for me and finish laundry. Piano tonight and volleyball at church. I'll get this day turned around in no time.