Happy Valentines Day!!

Bob bought me these beautiful orchids to go with our newly painted living room.  I just love them!

Of course we had our traditional heart-shaped pizza and even had homemade coldstone!

Alayna had a SC competition in Urbandale on Friday and Tyler was gone to one in Keokuk all day yesterday.

On Thursday we had Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner since Marisa had missed 2 years worth!

I held a very successful bake sale at the HS where we made $120 and so I bought 10 new books at Barnes and Noble!

Blind date with a book has been a huge success at school!

And Robin Lord Taylor (from Gotham) favorited another one of my tweets!

Probably the most exciting news is I was able to get Mike Mullin, author of the Ashfall Trilogy, to come to Anamosa (which plays a prominent part in Book 2).  You would not believe the HOURS I have put into getting him here and the nightmare trying to get funding.  Long story short the district wont pay.  I took it to the foundation and they denied it because “we aren't sure its good to take kids out of the classes and it wont benefit the kids over time because it’s a one day thing.”  I WORK WITH IDIOTS!!!!  He does these amazing presentations with Taekwondo and volcanoes.  I set him up at both schools, ordered books because he sais he would sign one for everyone who bought one, set him up to present at the public library, set him up to tour the famous jail AND get them to carry his book.  ANyway, a bank, the public library, and an anonymous teacher covered the cost.   I am truly grateful for other people’s support.  ugh!

Returning Home with Honor

We have had a busy, emotionally exhausting week as Marisa made it home safely from her 18 month mission in Brazil.

She had many hours of travel including 10 hours in the Atlanta airport with a 4 hour delay.  She finally made it and even though all her luggage was lost (but delivered 2 days later), she was happy to be home.  Until the big doors opened to the outside and she turned to go back up the escalator to catch a flight back to Brazil!

Her 1st request was to eat out at Red Robin

Then we took her home to show her all the new décor and meet the guineas

(“Oh I havent seen carpet in soooo long!)

Then we took her to the stake center to be released and then out to ice cream at coldstone even though it was literally below freezing outside.  Then she got to open gifts and promptly fell asleep while watching Frozen.

Here are a couple of pics at the Sao Pauolo airport

We are so happy to have all our children under one roof again.  As I wrote on fb this week:

I am convinced that there is no greater joy than having each member of your family back together again! Our home was full of laughter and its as if the kids have never been apart. That hug! As soon as I got to her, we were both in tears. I am so grateful for her safe return.

A special thank you to all for the love and support not only while she was on her mission, but on her long travel home. Thanks to all those in and around Atlanta who volunteered to go get her. Thanks for the emails and fb checkins. Thanks to my cousin for racing to get her a flight. Today I feel truly blessed.

Lots and lots of snow!

So, our travel home from Chicago was treacherous to say the least!  The roads were super slick and iced over.  We counted almost 60 cars in the ditch including a flipped semi and a jack-knifed semi.  I am extremely grateful we made it home safely!  Apparently, CR also got hit by the snow and blizzard and when we got home we found our poor kids trying to shovel the massive amounts of snow off the driveway!

We counted up all the books and I scored over 438 books FREE for our district!!

Plus In case anyone is interested I got "published" sort of. They asked me to write up my experience at ALA. I Feel honored again.

http://www.iasl-ia.org/2015/02/busy-librarians-blizzards-and-booksoh-my.html

Alayna did a super awesome job in her 1st real show choir performance.  She is a great dancer and singer, which runs in the family.  We are so proud of her and her hard work!  And she is looking very grown up!

She also finally got her braces.  She through she was going to die the 1st 2 days but is much better now!

Before:

After:

Kayla came to work ith me on Friday and we succeeded in freaking out quite a few teachers and students with this flash back to the past…he says “Welcome to the library”.

Only 3 days til Marisa gets home!!!!!!!

Only 4 days til my STEM test!

Only 5 days til our huge HS bake sale

Only 6 days until I get to spend Valentines day with my whole family!

Only 33 days until the cruise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can make it right???  I think I can I think I can I think I can

The worst storm of the season..

Huge Storm hit Chicago (and Cedar Rapids) today.  Dropping 10 inches of snow.  Blizzard from 2- midnight.  I went out into the storm anyway to get new books…

and see Levar Burton (from Reading Rainbow and Star Trek).  What an incredibly eloquent and inspirational speaker.  I was touched by his new book called “The Rhino who swallowed the storm.” 

We are now safely inside the hotel waiting out the storm.  I plan to hit the exhibits one last time tomorrow before we head home.

Kids are doing well at home.  Tyler made it home safely from a showchoir competition in Omaha.  The girls were busy helping with the décor in our home.  Look at the new pillows they got for the living room.  10 days until Marisa comes home!!

Chicago- Part 2

Met Mike Mullin (author of Ashfall) !!  I was 1st in line and when he found out I was the librarian from Anamosa, he talked to me for 15 minutes as well as agreed to come do an author visit!

Met Tom Angleberger! (Author of Origami Yoda)

Met Wylde Scott…

I can’t wait to count up all the free books I got.  I had to have Bob wait in the car down by the taxis- I would go fill 5 full bags of books, dump it in the trunk, and go do it again.  I couldn’t have done it without him!

Bruises on both arms and across my neck from the heavy bags

What a Fantastic Trip!

I had the wonderful privilege and opportunity to attend the ALA (American Library Association) in Chicago this weekend!  It was overwhelmingly awesome!  I felt very out of my element but loved it!

I was super luck y to have Bob agree to come with me.  We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and this is the view from our room…

The view at the restaurant

Interactive displays at the hotel

Stairs at the conference:

I was 1st in line for the exhibit hall and somehow made the paper…

Night view