How much can we cram in 1 week?

On Monday, I went and did a 20 minute presentation to the school foundation board.  It was pouring down rain, I was exhausted, and it was hard to drive back to the school.  I had written a grant proposal since all of my funding for the high school was cut.  I felt I did a great job explaining all the wonderful things I have been doing for both schools.  I didn’t hear back until Thursday.  They said they were all impressed with what I have been doing, but only granted $1000 out of the $5000 I asked for.  I was devastated.  They even took away some extra grant funding from 2 years ago.  They said they are going to the superintendent to see if more funding can be available, but I am majorly discouraged.  Why would you cut the book funding??? Then this week the middle school principal cut the all school weekly reading time called “Turn the page Tuesday”.  What is wrong with these people???
Ok on to better things…Alayna brought the baby home this week.  She did such a great job.  She had a rough night, like they all do, and then she was home sick the next 2 days due to a massive head cold.

She is also doing a great job of taking care of all 3 guineas!  This is how they sit on her lap when she is on the computer.

Wish her luck- she gives her very 1st talk in sacrament meeting today!!

On Tuesday, I drove over an hour away to Earlville, Iowa to be the keynote speaker for the Eastern Iowa Reading Council Conference.  Talk about nerve-racking!  There were over 120 people there and I was nervous sick.  Thank goodness I had been preparing for months and practicing forever so I was at ease once it began.  It went great and I was even funny.  I am including the wonderful comments I received so I can look back on them when I have those rough days…
*To sum it up one lady came up and said, "I was tired and exhausted and didn't want to travel and come to this stupid meeting but you made every minute worth it!"
*"Hi Kris, I first want to thank you for the great night, I so wish my children would of had you for a teacher or librarian! My kids are 18, 20 and 21 and all of them were told not to read their favorite books or magazines which contained of hunting and sports. It makes me sad as an educator that teachers tell students that. I would love the websites you talked about last night, I think the students would really enjoy them. Thanks again for a great night!"
*Thank You, Kris!!! I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed your presentation last night - I felt completely rejuvenated when I left! You really should add writing a book to your very busy schedule as what you shared is so important and you have such an enthusiasm for literature - it would be a good read for sure!
Thursday was Book Character Dress Up day at the middle school.  It was a huge success and I am always so grateful to the adults who support me.  I was Maleficent when she was a little girl (hence the small horns and wings).  I was covered in a can of silver glitter (at one point my eyelashes stuck together).  I ran around with my electric swoosh wand being goofy and the kids just loved it!

See the glitter?


Friday was edible book day at the high school and even that was a success!!  We had 10 entries!  I didn’t compete since I didn’t think it would be fair, and really a student should win, but everyone kept telling me mine would win and voted for mine anyway.  We had over 100 kids vote and after school we had hundreds come in to taste test!  Here is my entry…



Here is our snowman- I call him Bart- made out of reams of paper.  AND one of our kids on the robotics team made him robotic arms!

Tyler’s play “Love on the Rails” was this weekend.  He did a fantastic job and I am surprised he was able to memorize all those lines!  We are super proud of him!


After the fight scene, being dragged to get tied to the tracks!

Kayla at BYU-I

Campfire and s'mores at the sand dunes!

Another flower?? Meet Daisy!

Because we already don’t have enough on our plate!  We were running errands yesterday and Alayna was insistent on going to Petco.  Mind you, this is a regular occurrence.  But I had been telling her I would take her and she was extra pushy.  So, I gave in and we stopped in real quick to see the new guineas.  There were some cute ones but they are $40 so its easy to say no.  We paid for the rice pops and were on our way out the door when Alayna spotted a lady holding a guinea pig and wanted to hold it.  the lady said sure, explained she was adopting him and there was a female left for adoption- only $10.  Someone didn’t want to take care of her anymore (apparently their home is immaculate and pets make messes and stink- go figure). Anyway, she is beautiful, calm, and cuddly and Alayna paid for her and has promised not to beg me for anymore.

Tyler had the Homecoming parade, Homecoming game, and 2 marching invitational contests this weekend.

He also had a choir concert where he was chosen to be part of a small ensemble (called a solee?) and he was amazing.  We could hear him all the way in the back.  We will post the video.

Sunday, for conference, we had the sister missionaries over, which is always wonderful (both conf and the missionaries).  One of the sisters is a Navajo Indian from a reservation on the 4 corners! We had Carmel apples too!

This week was Star Wars Reads Week and we partied big time at the middle school….

(Our custodian let us borrow her life size Yoda. How cool is that??)

The good and the bad…

1. Turn-the-page Tuesday, the entire school reading time at the middle school, was cut this week.  Instead they have everyone doing team building.  We (me and the many teachers) protested, but the principal said no.  How can I be doing so much for reading and people keep making barriers for me?

2.  A mom came in and said that I AM magic.  Her son sat and read all that night instead of video games.  That’s never happened.

3. This was in my box…from the tech teacher.

Also, I am in love with the new show “Flash”.  Oh Marisa, you are going to love it!!

Wish me luck this week:

Monday I present in front of the foundation board to get money for books for the high school.

Tuesday is my huge presentation at the Eastern Iowa Reading Council Conference.

Thursday is book character dress up day- my outfit rocks.

Friday is edible book day at the high school- wait til you see my submission.

Saturday going to see Maze Runner for Tylers Sweet Sixteen.  Holy Cow- he’s almost 16??

Marisa 10/6/14

This week was kind of a crazy one!  We had Sister's Conference on Monday, Mission Conference on Tuesday, my comp was really sick for a few days, and then we had General Conference on Saturday and Sunday - lots of conferences!  We hardly even worked this week!  It was a pretty interesting experience, though watching general conference with our plastic chairs and a laptop, and this time I had to watch it all in portuguese :P  I understand everything, but its really annoying to listen to a translation.  Its already hard to listen to 8 hours of conference talks in English, but its waaayyy worse when its all in portuguese.  It was kind of hard to concentrate.  But I really loved that the 70's are now speaking in their own language!  Super cool.  

Well this week is transfers, and I was transferred!  This week I'll be transferred to my new area, Limoeiro do Norte!   I'll be opening a new area there, and I'll also be training!  I'm sad to be leaving Quixada, but I'm also excited to be opening this new area!  Limoeiro is also a group, not a branch yet, like Quixada.  But there are even less members there.  Its pretty close to Quixada I think - its in the "rural" part of Ceara.  It should be an interesting adventure.  

I hope you all loved conference.  We truly do have a living-day prophet that talks to God and teaches us the things we need to do to be happy.  All we have to do now is actually apply these things that were taught.  I love you all!!  Beijos!

McMuffins, Marching and More apples

Alayna is sharing what she is learning from her FCS class.  We got egg McMuffins this week!  Today we will have English muffin pizzas with the missionaries when they come over for conference.

Doing carmeled apples the Hart way…

Kayla attending the Women’s Conference

Tyler had 2 more competitions yesterday.  They took 1st place in both!!

Tyler is in the very front…

Alayna’s school picture:

The piggies say hi!

Wow- the dark stain makes a HUGE difference!

Hugs and kisses to all on this beautiful conference weekend!