Happy Chinese New Year

We took the whole class to Chinese Pagoda this week for lunch. We have been learning about Chinese New Year, and so we joined two other classes on a long walk (maybe 1 1/2 miles round trip) to the local Chinese restaurant.

The walk was really nice because the weather was in the high 50's and sunny. Beautiful! I probably said "Where's your partner? Hurry up! Walk a little bit faster honey! Watch where you're walking!" at least 25 times each. Ahhh, the attention span of a six year old! :-)

It was extra fun because Jordyn's class went too! So I got to be with her.

Here's Mrs. Garza and myself. My new buddy! You get to know someone fairly quickly when you spend 8 hours a day with them!

Me and all 20 kids. I really like them.

Me and Jordyn.

And for kicks, a shot of me playing teacher!

Gong Hay Fat Choy! (Happy New Year!)

Another Foggy Day Means I Can Blog....

I've near completed my third week. That's amazing! I've really enjoyed my experiences so far. I consider it a huge blessing from above that I have such a great relationship with my Master Teacher. With various other stresses in my life, the last thing I wanted to deal with was 9 weeks of being belittled or intimidated. She treats me like a peer, a co-worker and trusts me with any project or lesson. I don't dread coming to work at all because I actually enjoy being there (of course I dread it sometimes, but not because of her).

I work at a school with ONLY first graders. There are 13 female 1st grade teachers on one small campus. As you can imagine, the potential for conflict and competition is HIGH! And let me tell you something about myself....I HATE drama and competition. It is SO not me. I'm by no means a pushover or insecure....because I feel strong in my opinions. But I will avoid conflict at nearly all costs too. It's been so interesting to hear the "behind the scenes" of teaching. The gossip and drama that can seep into conversations makes me a bit uncomfortable. It takes a lot of effort to stay neutral, but I believe it is so worth it. I don't want to feel like I'm in Jr. High again.

So aside from my "behind the scenes" exposure, I some other feelings I'm struggling with: I am realizing that I have some issues with traditional, in-the-box-mentality, budget-cut school systems. On one hand, I understand the need for a curriculum, for assessments and for keeping the children on track. But so often throughout the day, I feel like we are herding cattle rather than teaching sweet little kids! I feel like we are throwing out worksheet after worksheet after worksheet. Followed by test after test after test. And we STILL never complete everything. Throughout the past three weeks, I've often wondered "where's the fun?".

To back up this point, yesterday the kids were on the rug area, which is where we start our math lessons. I was doing the math lesson and one of the kids pulled something out of his pocket and said "Can I share this with everyone?". And Mrs. Garza said "No, honey. I told you we don't have time for that kind of stuff!". My heart felt a little sad for a minute. I mean, I totally understand the need for every minute of every day to ensure we are fitting in the curriculum. But what happened to learning about each other and our individuality? What happened to enhancing each child and helping them embrace who they are? What about fostering their own creativity?

And to back up yet another point on individuality? What is wrong with one kid wanting to meticulously color some project, and the other kid not wanting to? How much am I supposed to encourage (force) a kid to color something who may just really not like it? Will he eventually foster a love for it, or will his interests lie more in math? Or what about the kids who REALLY don't do well with verbally administered group tests. What if their test score is really low....not because they don't know it, but because they can't focus in that sort of setting? Yet, there's not enough time for a teacher to pull them aside on every single test to do it individually. And there's not enough funding for an aide.

I guess I'm needing to mature my own perspective on this. I need to find out how much wiggle room each teacher has, each school has, and each district has to individualize each child. I just get so frustrated seeing these little kids marching around in the same exact little box trying to fit into the same mold, when they are all different. I feel so saddened that education receives ANY budget cuts at ALL. I can't believe how much teachers need aids and there are only two aides for our entire school of 200+ kids and they are solely for the English Language Learners (which are at least a third of our school).

I'm trying to stay in a learning zone and not in an opinionated zone....so I can soak up as much learning as possible. I just cringe every time we throw another spreadsheet at these kids. I get so tired of the pencil/paper stuff. And I know that, with time and experience, I can manipulate lessons and incorporate more hands on experiences. But it is a challenge to do this AND to meet the criteria within the time-frame alloted.

Lastly, I cannot believe some of the things these six year olds are learning. I asked a teacher who had been doing first grade for 23 years if she noticed the curriculum getting more difficult over time. And she said she hasn't used most of the 1st grade things she has collected over the years for the past 8 years because it has changed so much. This worksheet is an example of the word problems that are common in 1st grade. I think it's hard! And my question is......half these kids can't read well enough to understand the questions...so what do you do?

I guess I need to get rid of the thoughts that plague me, like "why can't we sing and dance" sometimes? What happened to using your creativity, getting your wiggles out and just being SIX YEARS old?

(I really am having a good time, and learning lots of positive things. These are just the thoughts plaguing me a bit right now that I had to get out there).

My Days

Ever since giving birth to Jordyn, nearly four years ago, I have hardly had a solid night's sleep. Like most mother's, and with each additional child, I've often felt exhausted and like I was running on empty.

So it's been interesting to come to the completion of my second 45 hour work week - on top of the exhaustion of motherhood. Very interesting.

I've had some question.....so here's a little FAQs:

How's your morning routine working?
Well, I HAVE to get up at 5:30 am. I ride my recumbant bike for 30 minutes because I feel like I really need to keep my body healthy to survive this rigorous schedule. I try to be totally ready when the girls get up at 7:00. Then it's the mad rush of getting them to get dressed (usually involves an obscene amount of crying on Jordyn's part because she hates every article of clothing in the universe), get them to eat, fix all three girls' hair, make sure homework is in backpacks, shoes are on sweaters are on, not to mention all of my stuff...and then I try to drive away by 7:30. It's craziness! And I say "we need to HURRY" about 155 times.

Do you feel anxious or intimidated at school?
No, I don't actually. I feel well prepared and at a good stage in my life to be around the kids and know how to teach and handle them. I'm also open to suggestions and not offended when offered one. I am enjoying what I'm learning. I'm also overwhelmed by the amount of work a teacher does. I feel tired from being on my best behavior all day long without hardly a second alone to even pee. I've re-realized that I'm a person who needs downtime to refuel. I do not have a moment's down time from 7:30 until 3:30/4:00. Or...come to think of it......it's not till 7:30 actually.

What do you feel like with the kids when you get home?
I feel a mix of feelings. To state the obvious (and be repetetive) I feel really tired when I get home. I leave kids and come home to kids. BUT, these are my OWN kids. And I feel so excited to see them and to hug them and to really make sure they know I love them and missed them. I try really hard to be "present" for the few hours of the evening. But once 7:30 hits, and they are (hopefully) in bed.....I feel half dead. Laundry? Cleaning? Are you kidding? By 9:00, I am worthless.

How do you do it all? You have so much going on!
You should see the dust balls under my couches. And you should see the piles of clean kids' laundry piled all over that will probably have to be re-washed to get out the wrinkles. And you should ask Tucker the last time we had a conversation. I definitely don't do it "all". And I don't do it all "well" either! But it's a temporary set-up and it's for a greater purpose. It's scary for sure. And I just complete one day at a time, cross it off and see it as one step closer to completing this goal!

It's interesting being around the other teachers and finding out how they all balance their kids and work. But I have not yet met one who has kids the same ages as mine. There are a few who have one baby, and there are several whose kids are older or grown. And not many have more than two kids. So, I'm probably choosing a unique phase of life to student teach in. But, for us, this is what is working and feels right. Hard, but right. And even though there isn't much room for error in our schedule right now....it's working somehow! Thank heavens for that!

PeyPey's School

For about a year now, my 27 month old has been obsessed with her sisters being at school. This causes the constant question "Lexi at school?".....or the similar statement of "JoJo at school Mommy".

Finally, the time came for PeyPey's "school"!

Today, for the first time, Peyton went to a morning daycare.

And guess what? She lived!

Because Tucker is currently able to work on a business venture from home, she gets to spend a lot of time with Daddy in my new-found life of working 45 hours per week. (On a selfish note, my time without my Peyton still feels a little like life without Oxygen).

But she also gets a day with Lindy, Lyric and Paxton (thank you!) and an afternoon with Grandma (thank you!) and two mornings a week with daycare - which will be permanently referred to as "Peypey's school", because what else would a third daughter want to be, than like her older sisters?

I think it's all working out. I am a version of tired that I don't know if I've ever been in my life. And I have to add the occasional Crystal Light Energy On-the-Go mix to my bottle of water....but it's working. Somehow, it's working.

Especially because I get to be entertained by six year olds all day long. Like the one who kept referring to "white people" (we are learning ALL about Martin Luther King Jr right now) as "peach people" (like the crayon color, ha ha ha ha). Or like the one who announced in front of the class that "Brandon said I can't say God. He said it's a bad word. It's not a bad word!!"....which turned into quite a huge class discussion that I had to decline my own opinion on and use my talent of distraction (I don't want a note sent to me from a parent on week two on the job!).

Ahhh. I had better get to bed. It's well after 9:30. Way to late for (the new) me. (did I really just say that?).

Weekend Kid Fun

Too tired to put many words......just think: pudding, neighbors dog, cousins, dancing, high school musical Soundtracks, bike-rides and 70 degree sun.

Good times.

Say What?

You might be wondering if this is turning into a teaching blog. It very well may be! With a sprinkling of my family here and there.

Here are the top three most interesting conversations I've had....or, rather, witnessed....this week:

- Not only is there a high percentage of hispanics around here, but there are also a high number of Indian people (from India). So lots of kids have names unique in our American culture. Like Avneet or Ravinder. So at our center, a little boy Grant told me that "Ravinder's writing usually doesn't make sense. Kind of like her name doesn't make sense." Right in front of her! Awww, poor Ravinder! I tried to smooth that one over pretty quick.

- Angela told me "My Grandma has a really cool lighter. It looks like a car and then when she presses it, the fire comes out the back of the car! She uses it when she smokes her cigs." The Dillon follows up with "Yeah, my dad used to smoke cigs, but he quit. Now he just chews Copenhagen". It was just strange for me to hear six year olds discussing these things like this, and made me want to sing them a nursery rhyme to bring them back to a child's world!

- Grant told me out of the blue "My mom and dad used to take lots of drugs. And then they would do mean things like shove hot peppers down my throat and make me cry. So that's why I got adopted and my last name changed from __________ to __________." I was speechless! I asked him a few more questions and then it was time to go. So I told the teacher, and she had no idea...wondered if he made it up. But that was way to wierd to make up. So we're going to look into it!

Jordyn and I at lunch time. She wants me to eat with her EVERY day, but I tell her that Mommy has lots of work to do during that precious 30 minutes, but maybe once or twice a week.

One of my 25,000 projects today. We're working on graphing, so I made these large graphs.


(By the way, Oprah has had some really inspiring shows lately. I DVR it and watch it often in the evening....and particularly her shows on Spirituality are great. If you haven't seen them, go to her website for detailed recaps.)

Foggy Days

Our front window this morning

So, it's common in the winter time in this part of California to have the schools call "foggy day schedule", which means that school is delayed for two hours because it is so foggy. It can be really nice because you get an occasional slow-morning. The kids can sleep a little longer and we aren't rushing around like maniacs. However, now that I'm living a teacher's life.....sadly I still have to get up early and get ready because if I waited until they officially "call it" foggy day, it would be 6:30 ish and that is WAY too late for me to start getting ready.

This morning is a foggy day. I was totally ready by the time I found out....but now I can catch up on a few emails and some blogging...and enjoy some extra time with the girls.

I'm only on day four of student teaching....and I'm trying not to dwell on having 17 more weeks still! Its definitely intense. But I have enjoyed myself and what I'm experiencing quite a bit. I REALLY like my Master Teacher. The funny thing is, I wouldn't really pick her to be my kids' teacher....she's just not a fit with their personalities, but as a co-worker, I really like her. She is so welcoming to me, and even let me completely take over the class for about 20 minutes yesterday to read a story with them (she thought I did great......thank you, LDS church for YEARS of teaching opportunities). She is also giving me a master copy of every assignment or project we do so I can have resources to draw from later down the road.

Trying to balance my old full-time mom status with this new full-time working status is interesting. Luckily, I only miss out on seeing my older girls for about an hour after they get home from school. Peyton is harder for me to not see because I'm used to her being my little buddy all day long. I do feel happy with her set-up....starting next week she will have a mix of Tucker, Lindy, my Mom and a really good day-care/pre-school (for about six hours per week).

When I get home...which is around 3:30....all I want to do is hang out with them (or completely veg, but that's not an option). But I quickly have to think about what the five of us will eat, and getting homework done, practicing piano, getting baths, picking out clothes....plus cleaning up messes and refereeing fights (all with the help of Tucker, thank goodness). And finishing all that by 7:00 so we can start the going to bed process. It's all a bit crazy. And after they go to bed, I have about two hours where I can catch up....but by that point I'm so tired from the 5:30 am wake-up and fast-paced day, I want to do NOTHING.

I have to note that I have had to eliminate a few key things from my life to make this possible: Harmony, and Primary Presidency, volunteering in the classroom, and going to bed late. There's no way to do it all.

I've also decided that, unless it's absolutely necessary financially, I will probably teach part time for a few years after I'm credentialed. There are lots of charter schools/home schools around here and the teachers actually are assigned specific students to make sure they are on track with the curriculum. You can have anywhere from 4 students (which is four hours per week) to 40 students (full time). You get paid by the hour and it is very flexible.

But let's get through this semester first!

Meet the 1st Graders

My goal is to document my journey into student teaching because someday I won't remember these beginning experiences and feelings and it will all be "old hat".

Day one down!!

It was great, actually. I was up at 5:00 (supposed to be 5:30, thanks to Peyton for the head start...ha ha). I even rode the bike for 30 minutes and actually felt pretty good when I left with the girls at 7:35.

I feel thankful for the many experiences I've had in my adult life with children:

• I've substituted for about six months
• I've been in the Primary organization at church for over three years
• I have three children of my own
• I'm the oldest of 5 kids
• I've volunteered for 1 1/2 years in Kindergarten and 1st grade with my girls
• I had nearly a year of some great classes and field work

So there are many things that, through experience, now come more naturally for me. And instead of feeling intimidated by my Master teacher (like I may feel if I were 22 years old doing this), I feel a friendship with her. I also learned years ago from a previous boss the importance of not just doing a job well when asked to....but to be pro-active and initiating projects. So, I always try to apply that.

Today, I did lots of paper correcting, prep-work (copies, cutting etc), and helping the kids with their classwork. I will attend all the meetings with the teacher, and eventually I will teach lessons.

The kids are so cute. I love helping them understand new concepts. In first grade, they are still so eager to please and so willing to learn. Some of the girls were enamored by me and before they left to go home they said "Mrs. Maxfield, you are the best teacher". Then they said "Oh, and you're really pretty too". Awwww, isn't that cute!

I really like the teacher I'm working with. She's got lots of great ideas and is very willing to share them with me. It's also interesting to see how we're different. She's much more harsh than I am. I'm not a pushover, but I don't like to make the kids feel stupid or intimidated. Sometimes she would say (as the kids were on the rug) "I said SIT DOWN Jennifer!" really rudely. I would probably say something like "Jennifer, what did I ask you to do?" or give a warning like "Jennifer, if I have to ask you one more time to sit down, you will go to your desk.

Tucker is able to stay home with Peyton most of the time. He is working on starting a business (a topic for another time), so we've sort of switched roles for the moment. He had his first hiccup today. The school called me toward the end of the day saying "Mrs Maxfield, are you going to pick up Lexi?". It was 15 minutes after she got out of school! I was like WHAT?? Apparently, Pey had a poopy diaper on his way out the door, so he stopped to change it. I explained to him that pick up times are NOT negotiable! You drive out of the driveway at 1:40, poopy diaper or not! Ha! He learned. And, aside from that, is being a wonderful partner in all of this with me.

The highlight of the day was eating lunch with Jordyn. She came to my classroom and asked if I would eat with her. I thought and said "why not!". So I heated up my burrito and sat down at the cafeteria table with her and all the kids and ate! You would've thought I was a celebrity the way she and her friends looked at me eating there. It is so cute, this age. I am just soaking it up because someday it will NOT be cool for me to be on campus with her, I'm sure!

I Love My Grass

I can't believe how proud I am of my recent project: Wheat Grass! (Tara, Taco, Ron....you'll be proud).

Why do I feel so happy every time I look at it on the counter? (it grows about an inch per day)

I felt inspired to grow it once Tara told me (and showed me) how easy it is to do....and how decent it can taste in a drink! I also can't believe I never knew it came from WHEAT!! Duh! "Wheat Grass". So I have lots of food storage hard red wheat and planted it last week, per Tara's method. About 5-6 days later, this is what I have!

I think in a day or two, it will be ready to blend into my first wheat grass shake.

Here are some benefits....click here to read more:

40 Points about Wheatgrass and its Nutritional Values

1 Wheatgrass Juice is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll available.

2 Chlorophyll is the first product of light and, therefore, contains more light energy than any other element.

3 Wheatgrass juice is a crude chlorophyll and can be taken orally and as a colon implant without toxic side effects.

4 Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life.

5 Wheatgrass is high in oxygen like all green plants that contain chlorophyll. The brain and all body tissues function at an optimal level in a highly-oxygenated environment.

6 Chlorophyll is anti-bacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer.

7 Dr. Bernard Jensen says that it only takes minutes to digest wheatgrass juice and uses up very little body energy.

8 Science has proven that chlorophyll arrests growth and development of unfriendly bacteria.

9 Chlorophyll (wheatgrass) rebuilds the bloodstream. Studies of various animals have shown chlorophyll to be free of any toxic reaction. The red cell count was returned to normal within 4 to 5 days of the administration of chlorophyll, even in those animals which were known to be extremely anemic or low in red cell count.

10 Farmers in the Midwest who have sterile cows and bulls put them on wheatgrass to restore fertility. (The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.)

11 Chlorophyll can be extracted from many plants, but wheatgrass is superior because it has been found to have over 100 elements needed by man. If grown in organic soil, it absorbs 92 of the known 102 minerals from the soil.

12 Wheatgrass has what is called the grass-juice factor, which has been shown to keep herbivorous animals alive indefinitely.

13 Dr. Ann Wigmore and institutes based on her teachings has been helping people get well from chronic disorders for 30 years using wheatgrass.

14 Liquid chlorophyll gets into the tissues, refines them and makes them over.

15 Wheatgrass Juice is a superior detoxification agent compared to carrot juice and other fruits and vegetables. Dr Earp-Thomas, associate of Ann Wigmore, says that 15 pounds of Wheatgrass is the equivalent of 350 pounds of carrot, lettuce, celery, and so forth.

Student Teaching Begins

So, Monday is the day! I start my 18 week long job interview. For the rest of the school year, I will work full time, not get a penny (in fact be paying to do it) and be constantly critiqued. Whew! Makes me wonder why anyone would do it!

Luckily, I get to start at Jordyn's school, which is 100% 1st graders. Then I'll move to 3rd grade for the rest of the time.

What am I most nervous about?

• Being really tired
• Having enough clothes to "dress up" every day. Haven't done that in 7 years
• Getting my kids AND myself out the door at 7:30 and being on TIME
• Missing Peyton
• Having to let go of some things (like the house) sometimes to survive this transition
• Being so preoccupied that I won't have the energy for my own kids' issues
• Following a strict schedule to stay organized

Wish me lots and lots of luck.

Time With My Grandma

On Saturday, I had the impression to drive down to my Grandma's house in Anaheim and visit her. Usually, she seems fine with a couple hour visit....so I was going to drive down and back in one day. Tucker thought it was a bit impulsive, but supported the idea anyway.

My Grandma just turned 80. She's changed a lot in the past five years. I decided to just surprise her so she wouldn't have to feel the anxiety the entire time I was driving down. I was pretty sure she'd be home since she doesn't drive anymore.

I got there at 5:00 pm and saw her in her bedroom. Her window was open so I said "Knock Knock! Hi Grandma!". And she had a confused look on her face and then said "Jay?".

It took her a while to understand that I was there, and WHY I was there. She asked about a hundred times "Now, why are you here again?". And I told her over and over "I just wanted to come see you! I miss you!". And then she'd smile happily and gratefully - each time.

So we chatted for a while and she offered me candy every five minutes (that is what she lives on, literally). Her very favorite are Werthers. There were about a hundred wrappers all over her house! I finally convinced her to go to Vons to do some grocery shopping. We spent over an hour there walking (slowly) up and down every isle. She went there thinking she needed one thing, and $90 later we had a cart-full! I was so happy to take her shopping for once. She's done that about a million times in my life for me, so it's time to repay her a little! Half of the cart was filled with treats - Werther's, Nestle Dibs, Klondike bars, Famous Amos Cookies, Popsicles, chocolate covered cashews....no kidding! That's my Grandma!

By then it was 8:00, but Grandma wanted to go out to eat. She said over and over "If you ask me what my favorite thing to do is, I'd tell you it's going out to eat!". So we went to Mimi's Cafe and got some yummy soup and bread. I took her back home around 9:00 with the intention of leaving soon to head back home on my 3 hour drive. But once I started cleaning out her fridge, doing dishes, making pancakes for her to freeze, cleaning her bathroom and kitchen floor....it was after 11:00! By then she kept saying "Jamie, you CAN'T drive at this time of night!", so I called Tucker and decided to stay the night with her. I think she liked that. In the morning when I woke her up, she said "I thought I was dreaming that you came last night! But you're really here!".

I actually found a cute shirt and skirt in my Grandma's closet (imagine that with our 50 year age gap!) so I decided to accompany her to church. I got to see my Uncle Mike and Jill there too, since they are in my Grandma's ward. It was fun to escort her around. She proudly introduced me to everyone, but she got a little confused at kept saying "This is my daughter Pam!". My Uncle Mike said "Mom, that's not Pam, that's Jamie!". Grandma looked at me and said "Noooo, that's Pam!". She then proceeded to ask me at least 50 times the rest of the day how old I was. I'd always make her guess first. Sometimes she'd say 30, other times she'd say 50 (yikes!). She'd have bouts of confusion like that throughout the day, and then she'd come back around eventually.

She started calling me "Kristy" or "Janae" (Kristy's middle name) a lot on Sunday. So finally I said "You can call me Kristy if I can call you Floraine or Sally" (her sister's names). She laughed and laughed at that and finally resumed calling me Jamie.

After church she wanted to go out to eat again, so we went to Marie Callendars. She said "I don't know why Mormons think it's so bad to go out to eat on Sunday! I think it's so much more work to go home and cook your own food!". Too funny. I reassured her that we weren't doing anything wrong and it was a special day for us.

It was so special for me to go and serve my Grandma and spend a special day with her. I felt so nurturing of her the whole time I was there because I was flooded with memories of how much she has served others her whole life. She is one of the biggest influences in my life and I am in awe of how strong she is. I miss her how she used to be. I miss her making us breakfast, taking us shopping, putting logs in the fireplace and keeping an immaculate house. But I am so thankful to still be able to make special memories with her. I'm hoping to make this a more frequent service project!

Me and Grandma at Vons

Grandma is such a good sport with my constant picture taking!

Our soup at Mimi's cafe

Grandma and I at Marie Callendars

Fireworks - every night at 9:30 at Disneyland (grandma lives a mile away)

On the way to church, there is this HUGE tree trunk. Look at the size of it next to the white car. It's incredible!

Grandma was pretty good at getting in and out of my van!

A final self-portrait of the two of us!

Pit-stop in Manti

It's becoming a bit of a tradition to spend New Year's Eve with the Thurstons. So, since they abandoned us here in Cali, we were able to make it to their house for the holiday! It was fun to spend some time with them and meet their newest addition, Clayton (or "Playton" according to Peyton).

Tucker and Dane took some of the kids sledding. Poor Tucker runs an interesting track record with breaking something of Dane's and this time popped their tube!

We actually got a babysitter for all six kids (we took the baby) and went to a movie! We were a little scared because when Beth picked her up, she looked about as old as our kids! She was young, but also just little....and she did just fine. We saw "Yes Man".

This is what the kids did 95% of the time. High School Musical 3 Karaoke.

Peyton loved baby "Playton" (Clayton). It was so sweet to spend time with a cuddly newborn!


We had a yummy spread of treats on New Year's Eve. The best was Dane's ice sculpture centerpiece! It was so totally Dane to come walking in the house with something so unique! A HUGE icicle from outside!

The kids were running on no sleep, so we cheated. We showed them the ball drop on YouTube from 2008 and said goodnight around 9:30!!

Lexi welcomes 2009!

Jordyn welcomes 2009!

We also fit in a little project while we were there.

Beth's sunroom had old wallpaper on it, so we scraped it off, the guys helped us prime and tape it and we painted it a final color called "Cookie Dough".

The finished product is beautiful!!

Thanks for a great visit, Thurstons! We love you and your little rural Manti home!

Lights at Temple Square

We never take the time to go to Temple Square when we're in Salt Lake. So this time we hopped on the Utah Transit "TRAX" and saw the lights at Temple Square. The kids thought the lights were pretty, but I think riding the fast train was the highlight! (by the way, I think we pull off the bundled up winter-look like pros, don't you? You'd never know we were wimpy Californians!).

Friend-ly Reunion

(Katie, Tiffany, Tara with Eddie, Brittany, Karli, Me)

I was lucky enough to see so many special friends all in one evening, thanks to Katie. She had a little get-together at her house (well, not-so-little actually) with pizza and treats so we could all mingle for an evening. There were 14 kids and about that many adults there! It was so great to see everyone, as always. Thanks a million Katie and Ryan!