Going to Miami (insert music here)

Long day- 12 hours of travel.  But the kids did great and everyone was still happy when we arrived.

Drove to Chicago.  Then caught a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Then caught the flight to Miami. 

Got in tired to our hotel by 1AM

Projects Galore and the Vacay Countdown

Another crazy week has passed.  Today Marisa and Bob gave wonderful talks in sacrament meeting and I was called up to bear my testimony.  I always love hearing Bob speak and it was great to hear Marisa and see how much she and her testimony have grown!

Alayna had a choir competition at Xavier yesterday.

The girls and Bob continue to do amazing work on the kitchen! 

The girls helped me with a huge project for the new library and yes we murdered an old copyright book!

Packing up for the NEW carpet, NEW paint, NEW shelves!

I got a FB message from one students from my first year of teaching when I was pregnant with Marisa.  Her message touched my heart!  Maybe we actually make a difference and don’t always see the results?

"I was in your 6th grade class the first year you taught. By far my most memorable teacher. You even had me over to your house for a spaghetti dinner. Best teacher ever!!! Do you remember teaching our class a dance to Tony Toni Tony?”

Cruise in 5 days!!!!!!!!

Lots of work

This week has been busy with tons of projects. 

Finally got one of Marisa’s beautiful hammocks up.

We are grateful for the girls help as we are starting the kitchen.

The girls came to work with me on Monday and worked hard for 8 hours.  It always amazes me how c=shocked people are that they would come help me because they knew I needed it and would do it for free.  I guess that means I raised my kids right!  They covered hundreds of books for me, helped get up bulletin boards and even started another project for the high school.  Heres a hint-pics to follow later.

The assistant principal came in on Thursday and said they are starting the painting sooner than they thought and so I needed to start packing up the library.  So guess what I did for 2 days straight and still not done.  But I will do anything for new carpet, new paint, and possible new shelves.  But working 2 jobs is just killing me.

Some cool stuff:

1.  We bought a snow blower!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2.  I contacted Cece Bell, author of El Deafo to sign and send a book to my parents.  What a wonderfully kind lady she is!  I knew she would be able to appreciate the work and effort that my parents have done for the deaf for so many years.

3.  I got my “Match the Shelfies” displays up.  We start playing Monday!

4.  Marisa has been sharing and making some awesome things from Brazil.  This is the night with “pastels”

5.  Even Marisa loves the guineas now…

6.  Its been consistently bitter cold, but good things are on the way!  We leave in 12 days for the Caribbean and I CANNOT WAIT!!!!

More Show choir

Tyler show choir

Lots of show choir

I already sent several posts of just show choir pics, as Tyler JUST showed me where the parent fb page is.  So, enjoy!  He and Alayna both had competitions this weekend.  Tyler even made the Quad city news- he is on the far right.

Marisa has been super sick all week with a major cold and laryngitis.  Her body is hating this weather and I don’t blame it one bit!

I had huge success with our game “Blind date with a book.”  When we finally revealed them on Friday I just loved kids saying “OMGSH I would never have picked this up but now I really want to read it!”  I just love that!

Then, after some tough work issues, I received this anonymous letter in my mailbox and it literally made me cry.  I guess this why I keep trying- its for the kids.

Nothing else new

Show Choir #3