My summer in a Nutshell

This summer has been absolutely NUTS!!! Like I'm sure most everybody's has been :) Here's a few things I got accomplished this summer :)

First there was my birthday and this is what a got from my Mom :)

 I got this ADORABLE little guy from my sis-in-law Whitney :)

Next a little home decor :) My friend, Kenna made the purple deals for me for my birthday. I think it turned out pretty cute :)

Here is the dresser I re-finished.  It just needs handles :)

AND . . . I cut my hair!!!! It's a little more grown out now, but I LOVE it!! :]

I also went to girls camp this year, but will not be going again :(  At least not as an assistan camp director.  I got a new calling.  Can you guess what it is?

That's right!! I am the new YOUNG WOMEN'S PRESIDENT!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Holy pressure!! I do love it though :) Wish me luck! I'm gonna need it :)

Well today was the first day of school and summer is officially over now :( But life goes on and I am actually excited about this year's class and happy to be back with the kids where I belong :)

The End is Drawing Near!

Tomorrow is the last day of the school year and I will have officially taught three years (all in 5th grade)!!!!! I am sooo excited for the summer!! Now if only the weather would remember that it's the end of May!

It has been a tough year, but totally worth it.   I have gotten to know some really great kids and I look forward to seeing what next year brings, but not without enjoying my summer first! :)

Happy end of school year and start of summer to all!! :)

Good People

Today as I retrieved my mail from the mail box I noticed and ACTUAL LETTER in there!! Wahoooooo! It's NOT a bill!!!!! :) When I opened it up I found a card and a magnet with a very apporpriate quote for me on it.  I realized that this was from a friend and neighbor of mine who saw it in a store, thought of me, and sent it my way. How nice is that?!  It just reaffirmed my belief that the little things are soooo important, because I will NEVER forget that small kindness that she shared with me.  Right after my miscarriage I called my Mom to let her know what was going on and she said to me, "I don't worry about you because you have such good people around you up there in Idaho."  She is so right! (Like she oftern times is) :) I do VERY good, kind, thoughtful, righteous people around me here in Idaho and especially in Terreton/Mud Lake.  I am so grateful to be leaving out here and to know the people I do.  I feel truly blessed to have them in my life.  Thank you so much to my dear friend for this thoughtful reminder to trust in the Lord.

The card and magnet I received from my friend. :)

Pie in the Face

Last month was National Reading Month, in honor of Dr. Seuss whose birthday was the 2nd of March.  To celebrate the occassion and get the students to read we teachers hosted several activities throughout the month.  One such activitiy was a school wide reading goal that was set at the beginning of the month.  If the students reached their goal then they were allowed to watch "Horton Hears A Who" on the last Friday of the month.  If they EXCEEDED their goal then one student from each grade got to throw a pie in a teacher's face from the same grade.  Also, the principal would have "slime" (colored flour water) poured all over his head.  With incentives such as that . . . it came as no surprise . . .

they exceeded their goal.

Being the person that I am I made the silly mistake of volunteering my face to the cause. Here's the incriminating photos to prove my story.  =]

Here is Chelton (the student chosen to deliver my fate) all poised and ready to go.

Is it just me or does he look a little to excited to be doing this?

Whip cream anyone? :)

Nothing like a good hydrogenated oil and cream facial!!

 

Oooo! That's a little scary lookin'!

(At this point my contacts were fogging up pretty good! Didn't know that could happen!!

See you learn something new everyday! =] )

Here is Mr. Mackay (6th grade teacher), Mr. Hanson (the principal),

Mrs. Huber (4th grade teacher) and myself (5th grade teacher) in all our messy glory!

I hope the kids enjoyed the entertainment!! They did an awesome job at getting all those books read! The things we teachers do in the name of education.  I must really LOVE my job! Oh wait! I DO!!!  =] 

Until next year . . .

D.I. Treasures

A few weeks back I decided to wander into D.I. (like a Good Will) and see if I could find any "treasures."  My in-laws are ALWAYS finding GREAT stuff there, so I thought I'd try one more time (I NEVER find anything good, but what the heck!) :)  This time I decided to try and think about what I could DO or MAKE with things that I found.  Here's what I discovered:  
                 BEFORE                                              

AFTER

                                                                      

This project cost me a total of $3 for the shelf at D.I.  I had the paint, sand paper, and decor on hand and now it looks FABULOUS on my living room wall :)

                                        

Next . . .

BEFORE

AFTER

      This project cost a total of $5.50.  I paid $3 for the frame at D.I., $2.50 for the 1/4 yard of fabric at Porters (craft store) that I stretched over batting that had been glued on and then tacked the fabric down to the back with hot glue, and then used my circut to cut out vinyl I already had.

      AND FINALLY. . .

Take this (a wreath I found for $3 at D.I.)

and combine with THIS

Fake flowers from the dollar store ($12)

and you get . . .

(drum roll please!)

THIS!!!!!!

A bright, fun wreath for your front door to help usher in Spring!! :)

I had sooooo much fun creating each of these pieces and was pretty proud of myself for my finds at D.I.  I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship with the D.I.  :)

Jewlery Give Away

 Craftaholics Anonymous is having a FABULOUS giveway to get $40 gift certificate for some beautiful hand-stamped jewlery from Cap Creations. Check it out! :)

My Attempt At Being "Crafty" :)

This week Rusty is in Salt Lake City, UT receiving more training and certification.  That means I have the house ALL to myself (not a good thing!)  :)  Because of that I've had some extra time on my hands (and my mind! Gotta distract it!!).

When my Mom came to visit me about a week ago we got some fabric to make a blanket.  I FINALLY finished it last night! This is a tie blanket that requires NO SEWING!!!!! YEAH!!!!!! (That's why I can make them! :) The sewing machine and I do NOT get along!)  :)

My new blankie is 2yrds of zebra and birght pink fleece and then intermittenly tied with matching pink embroidery floss.  So warm and comfy on these long winter nights! :)

Another one of my blankie :)

My next attempt at being "crafty" happened before the blanket, but it still needs some "tweeking" :) It is a burlap heart wreath I made for Valentine's Day, but with a twist.  I dyed half of the burlap pink! It turned out really cute! :)

Well that's all for now :) We'll see what else I can come up with and get accomplished while Rusty is gone :)

What I've Learned

The past few weeks have been a whilrwind of emotions.  I feel like I have completely run the spectrum of human emotions and then some.  When I found out I was pregnant I was, of course, completely thrilled (to say the least).  When I miscarried it was the polar opposite.  I was more devestated than I ever have been.  If you have never experienced a miscarriage I can't completely explain to you the agony and loss that is felt along with it, but if you have then you know exactly what I'm talking about.  It is different for every woman, but somethings never change.

Looking back at this experience I realize that it was the "in between" time of these two events when I recieved my greatest blessings.  Trying to overcome our loss has been hard on both Rusty and I, but through faith and being optomistic we are making it through.  We have both come to see that we have truly been blessed through this experience.  Here's what I have learned:

1.) I CAN get pregnant (and on my own too!)
     This is a big relief and a comfort to me to know that my body is capable of getting pregnant  and that  hope is on the horizon.

2.) Things happen on the Lord's timetable and NOT my own
      This has been one of the HARDEST lessons to learn and I'm still learning it, but I hope that in time this will be an easier thing to handle and accept, but I do know that everything is done with a purpose and the Lord is definitely midful of me and has a plan for me.  It is now my job to learn and accept that plan over my own.

3.) Rusty is much more open to the idea of having a baby!! YEAH!!!!!!
     Before I found out I was pregnant, Rusty and I had been trying for about 16 months with  no success and (on his part) no desire to use the fertility drugs available.  However, after being pregnant and seeing the support and excitement of everyone he has changed his tune :)  Before, Rusty didn't even want to talk about babies (it makes me think of a horse that is pulling back on you as you try to tug it forward by the lead rope).  Now he is excited to try again when the doctor allows and to have a baby when the Lord deems it.
        
4.) This baby had a purpose.
     I have been thinking a lot lately about why the Lord would allow me to become pregnant after so long a struggle and then take it away.  I have conclued that I don't know why.  What I do know is that my baby had a purpose.  For me, I have learned so much from this experience and felt so blessed to have it, even if it was only for a few short weeks.  This baby has made me a better person and showed me the tender mercies of the Lord.  He loves me and is aware of both Rusty and I and knows our hopes and dreams of becoming parents and in a way this baby prepared us for some of the things to come.  I may not know all of the answers, but I do know that I love my baby and that it had a purpose on this earth and that someday I WILL see my baby's face.

I'm sorry that this post is not more exciting, but to be honest it has been very theraputic for me and is really a journal of my innermost thoughts and feelings.  I do not know my Savior as well as I may like, but I do know that somewhere in heaven he walks, talks, and teaches my children.  As long as He cares for my children, then I am willing to wait until He is ready to send them and I am ready to recieve them.