End of May 2011 Mission Poster

This is the last month!

Look at that. The poster is full....

And then some. We had to add 5 more stickers for May.

Oh what happy little bugs these are to finish out the poster!

Except that's not the end.....there will be one final sticker tomorrow! The day he comes home!!! :)

One Year Mark Poster!

YES!!! IT'S FINALLY HERE!!! THE DAY THAT MARKS ELDER GARY'S ONE YEAR MARK OF HIS MISSION!!!!!

HAPPY ONE YEAR MARK ELDER GARY!!!

Look at that. Half the poster is actually filled up!!! Finally!

And it's all downhill from here now!

Look at that. Starting to count down as of tomorrow!

Look how happy that frog is. I think our smiles are even bigger!!!

Volunteering

Today I started the volunteer hours for AmeriCorps. These are the 25 hours that are in the 'not comfort zone' area. For 5 hours today I volunteered at the Special Olympics. Not just me though, Morgan, Lexie and Tanner went with me. My hours go toward AmeriCorps, Morgan and Lexie's hours are for a Value Project for Young Womens. Tanner's are just so he learns to serve others.

I was very nervous this morning as we were headed there. Talk about out of my comfort zone! I didn't know what they were going to have us do. I didn't know how Tanner would do. I knew it shouldn't be a problem for Lexie, she does Peer Tutor at school. (that is where for one period of school a day, students go to class with a child with special needs and help them with their class. Lexie goes to Science with the student she peer tutors. She absolutely loves it!)

The Special Olympics today were held at the University. The event was swimming. We got to time the races. Morgan was in the big pool area (along with my friend). Lexie, Tanner and myself were in the small pool area. Each of us had a lane we were responsible for timing, except Tanner, who helped me with my lane.

It was so fun to watch the athletes and see how excited they got when they finished. Notice I didn't say when they won.....but when they finished. But, yes, they were excited when they won too. They had such great sportsmanship, they were truly role models in how to behave at a sporting event. It was also exciting to see how Tanner cheered for them & laughed as they splashed us as they got to the wall. There was one boy that, when Tanner would see him would say, "Look mom, it's the guy with the really big splash."

If my kids learned nothing else today, I hope they learned that we can always learn something from everyone. Even if they are different than we are. Though we were there to serve them, they truly taught us plenty, and in that way, served us.

We will be doing more hours for Special Olympics. I'll be posting about each of the events we get to volunteer for. I know I'll be nervous again next time as well. Maybe it won't be so out of my comfort zone by the time I get my hours done.

AmeriCorps---Round #2

Last year I wrote about my year in AmeriCorps. It is a volunteer program in many areas. I volunteer in Literacy. There are many requirements for the year, I am part time......

• 900 hours

Out of those hours, there are certain areas that have to met.....

• 25 hours of community service that can be done in an area that I am comfortable
• 25 hours of community service that have to be done in an area where I am NOT comfortable, for a Non-profit organization, that I work directly with the people the organization benefits.....(cannot be the same thing I did last year)
• 1 Literacy night project
• 1 Homeland Security project
• 1 Martin Luther King project (January)
• 1 AmeriCorps week project (May)
• Training sessions....school, district & AmeriCorps
• Study groups, about once a month, of which I am study group leader this year.......the organization is reading and discussing 'Bridges Out of Poverty' this year
• only 180 of my hours can come from training and community service
• Reading groups....I work with the most at risk in Kindergarten and 2nd grade
• Any other things that the Principal and Literacy Facilitator have us do within the parameters of AmeriCorps
• CERT.....since I completed this last year, I don't have to do it again this year. They didn't give anything to replace these 20 hours, so I need to get them on my own

Now we just need to make sure we get our hours in and projects done. And help the kids learn to read. Not always the easiest of all the tasks for the year.

Tannerism #11

Lexie, Tanner and myself have been watching the old school Beverly Hillbillies reruns on TVLand. We were watching an episode where 'the wealthiest woman in the world' wanted to buy the mansion. She wound up trying to bribe Granny and Ellie Mae with some fur coats. The two of them finally realized that she wasn't being sincere and decided they needed to return the fur coats. Of course, they decided they needed to return them clean, so they threw them in the washer. When they get to the woman's hotel room, they explain what they did, then show her the coats. One was shrunk, of course. The zebra one is completely white, the lye soap took the stripes right off. Etc, etc. Tanner doesn't even skip a beat and in all seriousness says........

"Well, that explains why we can't put Moose in the washer. His fur would shrink and his grey would be gone."

Yeah, that's why. Bahahahahaha!!!!!

Celebrate Good Times...Come On!!!

Today was Drew's graduation day....for the 3rd time in her life. In June 2006 she graduated from High School. One year later, May 2007, she graduated from Beauty School (which she started while still in high school mind you). So she has been a cosmetologist/stylist for over 2 years. Today she graduated with her Master Esthitician! YEAH DREW!!! She worked hard and it only took her 4 months because of already having her cosmetology license. So Wynn took the day off and he and I drove to Salt Lake to be there for her at this momentous time of her life.

Tomorrow she will take her state exam and get her Esthitician license....because we know that she will pass. Then she will be moving back home for now because her next goal is to work for a cruise line in their spa on a Cruise Ship. She already has an interview lined up...but it isn't until October. So she will live with us and work until then. WAY TO GO DREW!!! We are sooooooo proud of you!

Drew getting her turn in the 'spotlight'

Drew and her friend-ly graduates

Wynn, Drew and myself

Tanner Swimming Vids #2 Woohoo Amazing!

Look at how he did today. Better than yesterday!

(4 very short videos, big progress)

Look how far I made it

Better today

No arms today!

Dolphin kick (he's better at it w/0 the boogie board)

I actually had one of the mom's ask why would I have him in 3 swimming lesson sessions this summer. She commented heavily on that it's SO much money. (not thinking that her having 3 kids in 1 session is the same amount, and that it's not her money that's paying for him)But she also commented on how she just dreads this because it takes so_much_time. They were in at 8:00am. Nothing is open. What else are you going to be doing? Why not be here?

Now look at what he learned today. WOOHOO!
(4 short videos but big AMAZING progress!)

Just a noodle? Never without a life jacket before!

What he does at the end sets up for the next one

Yes! Twice!

And a third!

Last year, going off the diving board even with a life jacket on was next to impossible to get him to do. He got better this winter as we went more. And to think that last year (last week!) he wouldn't even go near the deep end without a life jacket. Now he's jumping and swimming in the deep end with no help! This is only his 2nd session. And this is exactly why I put him in 3.

Lexie-isms

While we were at Cabella's Lexie decided she wanted to go on the elevator instead of the stairs. I saw her get on the elevator and then stood on the stairs to make sure she got off. Drew was downstairs and after what seemed an exceptionally long time I started to worry. I hadn't seen her get off so I asked Drew if she had seen her. Nope. I went back upstairs and called the elevator. It was empty. Not panicing yet. She could have gotten off in the mean time. I got on the elevator and pushed the button I thought was for the first floor. As soon as the doors opened I knew what had happened. They doors in the front AND the back of the elevator on the 1st floor! She had done as I had and pushed the button for the rear doors. She was confused and went back up. An employee got on and helped her go back down. She did indeed get off as I was going upstairs.

I got off the elevator and heard them calling me. I came around from the backside of the elevator and they told me what happened. I told her that was OK, I hit the same button.

Drew, 'No, it's just cause she's a crack head.'
Lexie, 'No. My head is nice and uncracked.'
Drew, 'Do you know what a crack head is?'
Lexie, 'Yep. Someone who takes the drug crack. And there are no cracks in my head either. So my head is nice and uncracked in more ways than one!'

Breakfast of Champions

The alarm went off early this morning. Wynn went in to work late. We needed to be at Cedar Ridge Middle School at 6:30am. Why?, you ask. I know because I asked too. But it was for a good thing. All the 6th graders that had earned a 4.0 for at least one trimester this year were invited to the Breakfast of Champions. They and their parents got a small breakfast. They had a couple of speakers (one was Sky View High Schools top student who happened to go to the Breakfast of Champions when she was at Cedar Ridge), and they each received a medal and a box of Wheaties, the 'TRUE' Breakfast of Champions.

Lexie received a 4.0 ALL 3 TRIMESTERS!!! WAY TO GO LEXIE!!!

Lexie receiving her medal and cereal.

(The guy walked there just as Wynn clicked the picture!)

She is the Champion!!!

Lexie with the Principal, Mr. Michael Thompson

Wynn, Lexie and Loretta Jenkins

Lexie's medal

Wheaties, medal and program

Joyful Seasons of Life

We had a bi-stake womens conference this morning with Ardeth Kapp. If you have never had the chance to hear her speak or read one of her books, I feel bad for you because you have missed out. She had us laughing. She had us crying. And sometimes she had us laughing AND crying. The whole conference was on joy. She spoke on the different seasons we have in our lives and how to find joy in each of them. Everyone, all 700 women, went to her workshop,then we each went to 2 different workshops and we had lunch. We signed up for the workshops we wanted about a month ago, with a couple of alternatives. With 700 women attending, I can imagine what it was like to get it all organized!

My second workshop was Finding Joy Within, given by my very dear friend, Leslie Austin. She is a 7th grade teacher here at Cedar Ridge, plus I have the fortune to be in the same ward as her. I don't get to see her much because she is a Stake Relief Society President in one of the University Stakes. She was as delightful as ever. We laughed so very hard and when she accidently knocked over her glass of water on the podium, I could so see myself doing that very thing. She was awesome about the whole thing as she wiped it up while talking to us still. She talked about learning to own who we are. The good and the not so good and made it all seem so natural to do so in such a humerous way.

My third workshop was Facing Adversity Cheerfully given by Lila Cooley. I chose this one because the name of it sounded very interesting. She did a wonderful job. She showed how sometimes we don't always face things cheerfully, but come around to the cheerfulness after it's over. The joy is in the journey, not the destination. When we reach the destination we are then on a new and different journey, so we should learn to be cheerful in getting there.

I am going to try to put what I learned into practice. I am going to try to laugh more and have more joy in the everyday things. The spilling of milk, the breaking of glass, the typical everyday life as a mortal. I think I might start with the laughing more. What do you think?

After much weeping and wailing and nashing of teeth

I finished my online CERT course today!!!

Colleen and I have been printing off the lessons, 2 to 3 at a time, and taking them home to read and highlight them. Then we would go back to school the next day and answer the questions from the lessons we highlighted. Then we would do it again for the next couple of lessons. Yesterday we printed off the last 3 lessons...and the test. We have been working on this since January. We highlighted 2 of the lessons at school, so we only had 1 lesson to highlight and the test, 40 questions, to answer, and since it was 'open book' it would be no big deal. Then we could just go through and mark the answers on the computer.

I went to get my hair cut, help Lexie shop for a couple of things she needed, got home and had forgotten about Morgan and Lexie's basketball game. We were going to be late so decided not to go. Then Drew got off work and texted that she was just going to meet us there, so we decided to go. I figured I could just read and highlight while they played. Started highlighting and then my friend got there so we visited instead. Got home and still needed to get dinner, Tanners' homework done, and my CERT stuff done.

I got it all highlighted and started on the test. It wasn't too hard but not everything was phrased the same on the test as they were in the lessons. One question in particular could have had 2 answers because of the phrasing and I just couldn't figure it out. I searched and searched, and worked on it and worked on it and just couldn't find which was the right answer. Since I was tired and frustrated, and just tired of CERT, I started to cry and worry (weeping wailing and nashing of teeth) about what was I thinking. How could I go back to school if I was too stupid to do this test? Wynn talked me through it, told me I wasn't stupid and I would figure it out. I watched some Burn Notice (always cheers me up) and I eventually finished the rest of the test, late last night.

I only had to teach for one hour today so we spent the rest of the time answering the lesson questions then took the test. That question was still bothering me & she wasn't sure either. She answered one way & I answered the other. It still bothered me. She got them all right, 100%. I had gone back and changed my answer, so I got a 100% as well!!!

So now I know that I was so frustrated because in my subconscience I knew the other answer was right. If I will just listen to my gut, still small voice, or what ever you want to call it, I will do fine in school. There will still be frustration & feelings of being overwhelmed, but I will be fine.

And did I mention.... I GOT A 100%!!!!!

Tannerisms #3

This has a long background to get to the point. Bear with me, it's worth it.

Last summer Tanner & I were driving in town. This was the summer right after kindergarten. Just out of the blue he says
"Mom, I know what 1000 x 2 is."
"Really? What is it?"
"2000."
"Who taught you that?"
"Nobody. I just figured that if 1 x 2=2, then 1000 x 2=2000. This is easy. I don't know why people can't figure this out." (remember, he is only 6 1/2 at this time. He gets this math thing from his dad who is such a numbers person, doing them in his head all the time)

So forward to 1st grade. Right after Christmas I was talking to his teacher. I wrote the problem on the board & Tanner just looked at it because up to this time, he had just done it all in his head. I explained that the 'x' was for times & the line under the numbers was for equals, so he wrote the answer. Then as I proceeded to tell her the story from summer, he proceeded to do math problems on the board since he knew how to write them now. By the time we got done talking he was up to 10,000 x 5=50,000. He looked at me & said,"That's where the comma goes, right?" A few days later I told this to the principal. Remember, Tanner just turned 7 a week before this.

Forward to the next week. Tanner was sent home with a letter from school that since Mrs. Skidmore felt the math they were learning in class was too easy for him, he would be going to an excellerated math class on Tuesdays. We talked about what a cool opportunity this was for him. Then a couple days later we got a letter saying that he would be going to another excellerated math class on Thursdays. So now he has 2 different excellerated math classes he attends each week. We talked about how cool this was. He already does something different for reading group because his reading level higher. (gets that one from me)

Forward to last week. Tuesday got here & it was his first day for excellerated math. I could tell he was a little curious/anxious as we talked that morning while getting ready for school....
"Mom, why do I have to go to a different math class now?"
"Because the math you are doing in class is too easy for you so you aren't learning anything new. They are going to try to challenge you with these math classes so you can learn more."
"What if this math is too easy for me?" (no longer anxious)
" Then I guess you will just have to go to high school."
"I can't go to high school!"
"Why not?" (figuring there will be some concern about going with big kids)
"I'm not tall enough to play basketball yet!"

Seriously. Being tall enough for basketball was his ONLY concern with going to high school at age 7. This kid is going to keep me young from laughing all the time!

Callings

Gary & I both got sustained for callings today. I was the Primary secretary until, well, quite a few months ago actually. They did ask me a couple of months ago to do something else, but with everything going on, after speaking with me, they didn't feel it was the right time, & neither did I. So they decided to leave me alone for a while, until last week....

They felt that this calling would be good for all involved. I felt really good about it & where it is a Sunday only calling, I can do it. I only have to teach every other week because.....Gary & I are team teachers for the 14-15 year old Sunday School class!!! Yes, that means Morgan is in this class. It will only be for a few months until he leaves on his mission, but it will be great while he's here. We are so excited to get to do this together & Morgan thinks it will be fun to have us in there. The kids that are in this class are great kids. I'm thinking this is going to be, well, GREAT!!!

Lazy Saturday

Today was a lazy day, last Saturday of Christmas break. School & work begin again Monday morning.

I had to take Wynn & Gary to the doctor first thing this morning. They are doing well. Gary got sick Thursday night, but we think it was just a touch of stomach flu, (not exactly what he wanted on top of surgery the day before) but was feeling better by Friday. Wynn has a bit of the cough that Tanner & I have. We're just glad his hasn't seemed to be as bad as ours has been. But despite all of that, he said they look exceptionally good for just a couple days after surgery. They have to go back Monday morning. Wynn should be able to go to work Monday, but Gary still has 1 1/2 weeks before he can go back, because of all the dust where he works. They are both going stir crazy, they aren't ones to just sit or lie around. They aren't the stereotypical 'sick male'. I have to remind them to rest but they keep doing little chores to get away from the TV.

Gary bought a remote control airplane the morning of his surgery. He figured it would give him something to do while we are all at work & school. Friday night he figured out that it just wasn't going to work. So this morning we took it back to the store. The owner at Magical Moon Toys had helped him pick it out, and happened to be there this morning & helped him. Since he couldn't get it to work either, he got a replacement. This one seems to be working & will hopefully keep him entertained for a while each day. He thinks he will be an expert by the time he gets to return to work. He's also afraid he is going to be an RC airplane junky. We'll see, we'll see. He never spends money, on ANYTHING, (you should see his tennis shoes) so this was a big leap for him.

I did it!!!

I changed the background for October! All by myself! Well, ok, not ALL by myself, but it only took 2 emails to my sister. First email--how do I do it, the second email was a panic attack in the middle of changing it. No one was home for me to ask a question, & luckily, she answered right back. I'm always afraid I am going to do something irreversible that is going to cause countless hours for someone to fix. I told you, I am computer illiterate. But I did it & I think I can remember for next time. It was painless & actually just as easy as she told me it was going to be. Thanks T, you are a life saver (or blog background changing saver anyway).

Now I'm just not sure about all of the text colors on here. I don't know if I am just being critical because I did it or if they just need to be darker, or completely different or.....

I still need to download some pictures from my camera for a couple of blogs I needed to do already. And, yes, I know I need to add your birthday photo Drew. It's all coming. Don't know if I can handle another panic attack trying to download from my camera by myself today. We'll see if somebody gets home soon to supervise.