Girls on the Run 2014

Michelle had the opportunity to participate in Girls on the Run again at school this year. She really enjoyed it. She enjoyed learning about health and self esteem, and she enjoyed running. She was very excited when she found out her running buddy would be Ms. Edward, their principal. Gabby and I were there to cheer her on!
 Here are all the girls as the race was about to start.  Thousands of girls!
Mr. Fearick and one of the girls from Jackson...the race even had a police officer who lead the runners for the first lap.
  Michelle on her first lap.  Nearing the finish line!

Michelle was a real trooper.  The girls are given new running shoes as part of Girls on the Run.  The coaches keep them and have them use the shoes during practice and then they get them for the race.  Due to a miscommunication on my part, and because Michelle got sick at the last practice, the day before the race, her coaches thought she wasn't coming.  So they left her shoes at the school.  Since we met them at Sugarhouse Park, she just had to wear the shoes she had on...which were keds.  Not sandals, thankfully, but still not very good running shoes.  She has been growing so fast lately that the keds were a tiny bit tight, and not super comfortable for just day to day walking...so they were definitely not the best choice for a 5K.  But she didn't give up.  She walked a little bit, but jogged most of the time, and she finished in just over 43 minutes.  Then after the race was over, we had to walk back to our car, several blocks away.  Gabby was tired and whining and I told her I wouldn't carry her all the way to the car.  So for part of the walk, Michelle gave her a piggy back ride...despite just having finished a 5K.  She is such a good sport!

End of Year Faculty Party

At the end of each year, we have a faculty party.  The past two years it was held at our vice principal's home.  But this year she was reassigned to a different school and we had a new vice principal.  So I volunteered to have the party at our house, in our backyard.

At one point, there was some thunder and a brief sprinkling of rain.  We would have made it work if it had started to pour, but it would have been rather crowded in my house if we had to move inside.  So we were all very thankful that it only sprinkled for a few minutes and then stopped and the sun came out.

Alfredo grilled hamburgers and hot dogs.  (He's such a good sport!   He spent countless hours working on the yard in preparation for this party. He is the best!)   Everyone brought food to share.  We talked, laughed and visited.  The kids jumped on the trampoline, played on the zipline and teeter totter and swing and slide.  Even our principal and vice principal hopped on the trampoline!

It was a fun party, and I am thankful that I have such great coworkers!  Many of them are among my dearest friends.  I didn't take as many photos as I should have, so I didn't get photos of everyone who came.  But we had a great time!

Spirit Week

At the end of May, the girls had Spirit Week. Tuesday was Crazy Hair Day. Gabby wanted her hair ratted and messy...and it was, but she worried that it wasn't crazy enough (which is why she is pouting). We ended up adding 3 mismatched flowers and bows to her ratted hair before she got to school. She was upset that only one other kid in her class had crazy hair that day.

Wednesday was pajama day. I didn't take a photo of that. Thursday was Hippie Day. Here are my little hippies:


Friday was culture day, but only Ella decided to dress up for that...she wore a dress from El Salvador.

Family History Journal: Talents

Question 42:. What are some of your talents? How did you discover them? What have you done to cultivate and develop them?

I want to start this with a story about myself. I learned to read when I was three. I was always a very good reader and very good student. School came pretty easily to me. I worked hard; I often pushed myself. I was very successful in school. I tied with a girl named Rachel as number two in my senior class. My friend Lara was number one. I received one A- my first semester of freshman English. As a child and teenager, I was very proud of my intelligence. Probably I was a bit cocky about it, even, at least as a teenager. I took AP US history, government, economics, Spanish, calculus, and English. I passed all of those tests except Spanish. Not entirely my fault...my school didn't actually have AP Spanish, so my friend Lara and I did a kind of independent study version in our Spanish teacher's office while she taught another class. She checked on us from time to time, but we didn't put in as much effort as we could have. (Lara still managed to pass the AP exam.)

Anyway, 20 years ago (how did that happen?), I graduated from high school and headed off to Provo, Utah to be a student at BYU. I moved into Hinckley Hall, one of the dorms, and I was in a dorm for honors students. Suddenly, I was surrounded by many of BYU's smartest freshman. Several people in my ward were Presidential scholars...the highest scholarship given by BYU. They were incredibly intelligent. And many of them were seemingly talented in many other ways...sports, music, etc. I really didn't get homesick much that first year, and I developed wonderful friendships with several people that I stay in contact with today. But I did go through a bit of self doubt and feelings that I was not of worth. S much of what I had thought made me special was tied to my academic achievement...and suddenly, I saw that I wasn't as smart as I had always thought. I wasn't musical or athletic or artistic. I began to feel a bit like the Ugly Duckling.

A number of things happened over the next few years to help me get over those feelings. I was humbled. I prayed to know that I was special and loved, even though I wasn't as smart as I thought...smart, but not brilliant. And my prayers were answered. I also spent a lot of time reading my patriarchal blessing and highlighted each of the gifts that it mentioned. It ended up being a real blessing in my life.

So...my talents. Or my gifts. I think talents and gifts are similar, but not exactly the same. Most of them aren't, in my opinion, that noticeable...but I have talents. I am a good teacher. I am good with kids and have an ability to develop a warm, caring atmosphere in my classroom. How have I developed my skills and talents as a teacher? I have taught for 16 years. I have read lots of books about teaching. I have participated in training. I have been observed by others and received feedback from them. I have video taped myself teaching and watched those tapes. I have prayed and asked for help and assistance.

Another talent is that I am a good reader and have a good memory about what I read. I can often remember titles, authors and main ideas of books that I have read even years later. Since I average at least 50 chapter books/novels a year and hundreds of picture books, that is no small feat. I really don't have to work at this much. I do belong to Goodreads and type reviews for most of the books I read, and I know that writing helps cement things in my memory better. But other than that, I really don't work hard at that. I have the ability to recall scriptures, books and other things I have read easily.

Another gift I have is my testimony of Jesus Christ. For the most part, I find it easy to believe and develop faith. That has been true for most or all of my life. That is not to say that I never have questions or that I do not have to work to continue to strengthen my faith and testimony. I know these are precious gifts that can be lost if I do not put effort into strengthening them and using them.


Finally, another gift or talent I have is that I find it genuinely easy to love and feel empathy for others, most of the time. I know this is a gift of the spirit, and I know that I am not perfect at this. I know that this ability comes from my Father. Alfredo commented off-handedly today that I always see the good in others. That isn't entirely true. I often notice the bad and feel disappointed or saddened by the poor choices that others make. But at the same time, I can often feel some level of understanding about why they do what they do. I have been blessed to be able to love a wide variety of people, from a wide variety of backgrounds and often can see multiple perspectives. Primarily, this has been a gift of the spirit. But I have accepted callings in the church, including several that have really stretched me, and that has helped to develop my talents in this area. I have had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of people as I have taught. I have traveled a little bit outside of the US and that has helped me. And I truly believe reading has played an integral role in this as well....helping me to see multiple perspectives and learn about others who are different. (I actually read a research article a few months ago that showed that reading novels does increase empathy.).

I am not gifted musically...I don't sing or play an instrument. I am not as organized as I would like...or as organized as Alfredo would like me to be. :). I am clumsy and not at all athletic. I am not artistic. I am not good at fixing things. I am a pretty good cook...but I have to follow recipes, not just invent foods on my own. I am good at recording things...I journaled regularly for many years and now blog. I am definitely still a work in progress. But I am thankful, so very thankful, for the talents and gifts that I have been given. And I am thankful for the talents of so many others that bless my life.

Museum of Curiosity

On Friday, May 23, my parents were in town. My mom, stepdad, Aunt Elaine, my grandpa, my sister Suzy, my kids and I all went to the Museum of Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point. It was our first time going, and it is awesome! My kids had such a great time. There's a section devoted to water and weather. You could feel what it likes to have strong winds blow on you. You can add or remove blades on a fan to see what creates the biggest wind. There are water tables and other activities.

In another section, you learn about the rain forest and rain forest animals. My girls especially loved trying to hang upside down like a sloth...it's harder than it looks! You can try to squeeze like a snake, hop like a frog, compare your weight to various rain forest animals, and so on. Another section is like a small city, with a bank, stores, library, music studio (my favorite) and other buildings.


My girls had such a great time and have been eager to go back. I somehow didn't take any pictures of everyone else that came with us...I had a sinus infection and wasn't feeling well...a lousy way to spend my weekend... especially with family in town, but we had a great time at the museum.

Two Sweet Friends

This is Gabby and one of her two best friends. They are so sweet! When I saw them sitting with Gabby's arm around her friend, I had to snap a picture.

Mother's day

My sweet family spoiled me on Mother's Day. Alfredo bought me beautiful flowers and a beautiful blouse. He cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner. My kids were so sweet and presented me with numerous handmade gifts. I enjoyed the little quizzes they filled out about me in Primary. Michelle wrote that my favorite show is Good Luck, Charlie (which, admittedly, I do like), my favorite food is Korean (love it!), my favorite drink is hot chocolate, for fun I like to read, she loves it when I hug and kiss her. Her favorite thing about me is that I help her with homework. Ella wrote that my favorite food is Hershey's (not really a favorite...but I do love chocolate), my favorite drink is lemonade, I like to read, she loves it when I tuck her into bed, and her favorite thing about me is that I help her. Gabby said my favorite food is salad, my favorite drink is soda (nope), for fun I like to go to school, she loves it when I take her places, and her favorite thing about me is that I love her! So cute and sweet.

Gabby made me a cute poem with her fingerprints making a flower and she gave me an actual flower in a flowerpot she decorated. Michelle wrote a lovely poem based on the book "I Love You the Purplest." Ella gave me coupons for different chores/things she would do for me. Such sweet and wonderful girls. I feel very blessed to be their mother.