Youth Conference 2009

This August gave me a chance to play hostess as the kids from MV 3rd Ward traveled to my hometown, Logan, UT. After baptisms for the dead at the Logan temple, we had lunch at Adam's Park.

Marci, Darby and Jessica play volleyball after lunch.

Traison, Nathan, Hazen, Bo, Clint, Scott and Winston

face off against the girls.

Mariah and Dalton try to play with the sun in their eyes.

The whole gang at the Martin Harris Pageant in Clarkston (sorry, I'm too lazy to name everybody).

Below, we had a Fear Factor game the next day (after the rain finally stopped). We managed to get through the game and lunch before the rain started up again. We even held our testimony meeting in the garage at my parents' house because of the downpour.

Poor Bo and Clint! They had to have lifesavers stuck to their faces. The worst part was afterward, when the drool dripped down their cheeks! Gross!

Scott and Thomas had to be put through the same ordeal. Dalton tried to cheat by putting lifesavers in Thomas' hair. Yuck!

Laura tries to eat split pea baby food without throwing up. She obviously has a stronger stomach than I do.

Jessia had to eat a carameled onion. She ate the whole thing!

Bishop Brady and Tienna find a handcuff key before running to the rescue of a locked up teammate.

Overall, Youth Conference was a great experience for me. It was fun to be able to share my home with my Wyoming family. I hope the kids had a good time and will remember our time in Logan with fondness.

The Office Season 5

How pathetic am I? I drove all the way to Evanston tonight because The Office season 5 dvd just came out and I couldn't stand the thought of not having it immediately. Oh well. I freely admit that I'm addicted to the show. Dwight Shrute is my absolute favorite character and I can hardly wait for the next season to begin!!!

I'm a Slacker!

Wow-it's been so long since I posted anything! So much has happened! I guess the biggest thing is that school has started up again. But I haven't even wrote about Youth Conference or the Fair yet. I'll get to them another day I guess. I'm teaching 7th grade Language Arts again this year. My new students are doing okay so far. We'll see what happens now that the "honeymoon period" is ending. We've had nine days of class and my kids have turned in three pieces of writing already; a sensory poem, a reading interest letter, and peer interview/profile. Up next will be some personal poetry, then personal narratives. I'm so excited that we don't have to test Response to Literature on PAWS this year that I can't even describe it! I want to jump up and down, do cartwheels, and scream "Hallelujah!" However, since I'm a relatively undemonstrative and more importantly a terribly clumbsy person, I'll refrain and just say, "Hooray!"

Reese Hazel Page

Last time I went home I took plenty of pictures of Reese. She loves playing with Grandpa and Cooper!

Cooper is such a ham! He gets mad when he doesn't get his time in front of the camera too.

Eww!!! Gross, Reese! Only boys do yucky stuff like that!

Beautiful smile!

Give yourself a hand!

Leishman Reunion

Last weekend was the Leishman Reunion in Island Park, Idaho. I didn't bring my camera up there with me so there aren't any pictures. The reunion was really fun, after we got the campsite mess figured out anyway. We tubed in the Buffalo River, saw Big Springs and Mesa Falls, and just relaxed. It was the last trip we'll have with Patrick for a while, as he leaves on Sunday for the Marines. I had to stand next to him for a picture (that mom took) and boy did I feel short!

Summer '09 So Far

So far this summer has been good. Not too exciting though. I hurt my back on the second to last day of school so Erin and Tyler came and got me and I spent three weeks in Trenton. The first event was Reese's birthday party.

Dad and Cooper share a piece of birthday cake.



Reese always looks cute, but I just love this pic of her making a face!

Dad and Cooper play on the seesaw.

Cooper is always ready to show off for the camera. I spent most of my days in Cache Valley watching and playing with him. Good thing I always have my camera ready!

What a mess!

Checking things out in the new house.

Posing for the camera!

Ready to work!

What a goofball! Cooper somehow missed the lesson on how to properly wear a bucket hat. However, he did learn how to be silly! A+ !!

Now back in Wyoming, and out of school, I have no kids to take pictures of. Luckily I was able to find some good subjects in nature.

These wildflowers grow behind my house.

On June 30th, I traveled with Laurel Skillen and her son, Austin, to a part of Flaming Gorge known as Red Canyon. I took tons of pics!

This tree was just really cool to look at. You can't tell from this picture, but it opens up even more on the right side. It would be a great place for a family or senior picture.

This one faces up through the trees, looking at the sun. It was a beautiful, warm day which we loved after having so much rain this summer!

Getting Started/April Fools

I've been thinking that I need to start a blog for a while now, especially since April Fools of this year. There are just too many funny things that happen, particularly at school, to not document them. On April 1st, I planned the ultimate prank on my 7th graders. I told them that, for personal reasons, I'd be leaving Wyoming for good and that another teacher would take over my class. I surprised myself when real tears sprang up as I told the kids about this move. However, I could only keep up pretenses 'til third hour. RS began to cry and I just couldn't take the pressure anymore. When I confessed the truth, quite a few kids were mad. I have a feeling I better watch out next April. Also on that day, KCW found me in the Home Ec. room. He had borrowed Mr. W's wedding ring and got down on one knee in front of me. "This is really hard for me," he declared, "but I have to ask. Will you marry me?" I was laughing too hard to answer. Good prank, kiddo!