Cramming it all in...

Happy Flag Day! Andy had fire training this morning, so I spent the AM cleaning out email and catching up on things...yes, the chain emails are from me. It's been an exhausting couple of weeks of workshops and classes for me. I'm done for the summer though, except for research on my own. Now I've got to get ready for Logan and Ivy's visit...planning fun but not too taxing activities for a 4 and 6 year old is tough!

Anyway, I found some cool pictures hiding on old emails... check out the Meisel/White Family Shot and the Compatible Dyad (not a twosome, but still great) and some pictures of how Sarah spends her time. That's Diane's fountain and Gracie with her... I'm deliberately ignoring the picture of the scorpion Diane sent us. I've seen a tarantula near the garage... and Andy says the neighbor mentioned a rattlesnake in his chicken coop.

Camping at Tuweep

We met Dee and Steve at the Chevron (there's only one folks...) and drove out a long dirt road to Toroweap Point. There is a scenic day use area and Tuweep Campground. We got the "best" campsite...kind of all to ourselves. They have very nice composting latrines out there...relatively un-smelly:) We traveled out Thursday afternoon and then set up camp. Then Friday, we lazed around and Steve took Andy and I out to Toroweap Point (see pics over the edge). Saturday, Steve, Andy, and I hiked east toward the "Grand Canyon" (it's all the canyon, but toward the North Rim area) to look for Steve's Grandpa's old mine. We found some cool stuff...of course, we hadn't taken the camera, because we didn't know if/how wet we might get. There were clouds and storms on and off...great camping/hiking weather. We came home Sunday and "vegged".

Andy started his summer school classes, and I am taking a class that someone else was signed up for originally. But my trainer is Mary Matheson, who used to be the instructional specialist at Cheyenne Elementary before I taught there...small world!

Summer Vacation...

Hi! I'm taking some of our precious week off to let you in on the "haps" at our house... Yes, you read correctly, the WEEK we have off. Andy starts summer school on Monday - for 6 weeks. We'll have about 13 days between when he finishes and I start back. We're hoping to explore Yellowstone and the surrounding area during that time. Since Friday, we had the Brethours visit (see pics)





and dinner with friends, fighting about whose tv shows to watch, and naps! We are heading out on a camping trip with friends this weekend out to Toroweap Point (North Rim of the Grand Canyon). Sarah's REALLY excited...our friends have friends of hers.




Anyway, I'll post pictures when we get back... I will be going to do some work at school and take a class, but mostly I'm hoping to get a GINORMOUS amount of books read this summer. Take care, and hope you aren't itchy....yes, I have cedar gnat scars again!

VOTE FOR ADAM!

Hello, yes, I have converted Andy to an American Idol watcher. I LOVE Adam. I thought that the top 4 were all very talented, but Adam definitely deserves to win. Enough there...


We had a blast in California! Sarah loves that Grammie has her own "pond"...



Holly showed her the ropes. Holly was very patient in sharing her favorite USC toy at first... but then she decided that Sarah needed to get her own ball.









We cooked and relaxed and Mary made FLAN!!!! She's the best.

I've got 8 days left of school...

How lucky we are...

I know, 6 weeks with no news, and now 2 in a row! But Andy and I have had an amazing weekend. Yesterday morning we went to a funeral for a friend's grandmother. It was overwhelming to see the whole family there, to hear their stories about such a great lady, and we have been lucky enough to feel included in their family for the last few years. She was a great example, working for the community and loving her family.

Then yesterday afternoon we went to a neighborhood Kentucky Derby party. We had a great time getting to know some of our local "outcasts" a little better. I won the loser's pool - yeah, Flying Private!

This morning we attended a Blessing for Nikki's little boy (see Rockin' Richins blog). It was very moving to watch and listen to the amount of love they have for Cole. After we left the service, Andy and I went for breakfast. We were talking about how lucky we are to have met so many people who are just doing the best that they can, as individuals, as families, and as friends. We are so lucky!

We've been busy...

Well, hello again! It's been a really busy 6 weeks. Andy finished his EMT class and took his state tests for certification. We have an EMT in the immediate family. He wants to take the intermediate course next. Then came all his end of the semester projects, papers, and tests. He just finished his last final on Tuesday. So far, so good! And we had our 13th annual Chili Cook Off fundraiser for the Smithsonian Volunteer Fire Department - won 3rd place for the Revenge of the Mother-in-Law chili...even got a trophy!
My principal is retiring, and with all of the budget crunches, we've had tons of insecurity with programs and schedules. Hopefully, my assistant principal will get the job...that will settle some things down. One of our PE coaches has struggled with cancer and is really involved with the American Cancer Society. She organized a fundraiser that was 6th grade against 7th grade, with the "losing" set of teachers taking a pie in the face. With 24 hours to go, I thought we were going to pull it out, but I think the 7th grade teachers sunk our battleship on the last day. It was all in good fun, and Andy came to take pictures. It's a 24 hour walk/relay with people camping out, kids and dogs walking the track as well. We think next year we'll go and stay overnight - it looks like a blast!
So, I still have 3 weeks left. If the flu closes our schools, we're going online. They've told us to have lesson plans ready and be able to work from home. Luckily for me, I've got the blog all set up where I can post lessons and activities. The last day of school is the 22nd. Then the Brethours (see picture of Logan to the right) will come for Memorial Day weekend. Andy starts summer school on June 1. Logan and Ivy will come for a week in July, and then when summer school ends, hopefully we'll go camping for a couple of weeks. Whew!

Someday this will be a family event...

I have been looking for where I stashed Mom's Avon Walk page address, and I finally found it!

http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=1830&px=3653271

For those of you who don't know, Katie and Mom have done a couple of walks - starting with the 3-Day and now doing Avon's own 2-day walk for Breast Cancer. Even though they think it doesn't run in the family, Mom's been affected, so we all understand how important the fight for a cure is. It was one of those charities that Alpha Phi supported in college, too, so I did some supporting for the Komen event way back when. I will try to get Katie's page address and add it here. Here's the Avon/Love Army of Women page:

http://www.armyofwomen.org/

The reason it will SOMEDAY be a family event is that the walks are always in Sept/Oct, and until this year (continuing contract, yeah!) I wasn't able to leave so early in the year. Mom and Katie will be walking in LA in September, but are already fundraising... the goal is $1800 each. Katie got to meet Reese Witherspoon 2 years ago! Here's the main Avon Walk page, too. This is probably the only continuing donation that I'll be giving this year...give a little, give a lot!

http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=walk_homepage

The statistics that my 8th grade science teacher gave us are still with me...please make sure that you are doing all you can for your own health! And don't forget to click everyday...

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2