End of the School Year

Gabby and Miss Finerfrock

The end of the school year was a bittersweet one this year.  Michelle absolutely loved her 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Pate.  She is heading to junior high and while she is excited about that, she is very sad to leave Hunter.  She really loved being at Hunter for 6th grade.  Ella and Gabby may be attending Hunter next year (although we haven't made a final decision about that yet) and so it was a bit sad for them to end the school year also.  We gave each of the girls' teachers flowers.  I was able to get a photo of Gabby with each of her teachers.

Gabby and Miss Mary Lou

Ella in her classroom.

 Ella's teacher called me a couple of days after school ended. She thanked me for the flowers and for raising such amazing children.  That was so thoughtful of her to call. She is moving to Arizona this summer so she won't be teaching at Jackson any more.  I am sad to see her leave.  She is a phenomenal teacher.

Michelle had an awards assembly on the last day of school.  I wasn't able to go, but Alfredo went. Michelle earned several awards.  Mrs. Pate also wrote Michelle the sweetest note that she included in her report card. Here is what the note said:

Michelle,

This has been one amazing year and I am going to miss your sweet smile in my room each and every day!  You radiate this amazing energy that so many classmates are drawn to...even me.  I also appreciated how happy you always were each and every day in class.  It made our classroom a positive place to be and I thank you for that.  You are a very talented young lady who is internally motivated to succeed in all you do. I absolutely love that about you!  Thank you for all your sweet notes and thoughtful gifts that you gave me.  My all time favorite was the note on my car.  It made my day and was a great pick-me-up from having a bad day.  I will never forget that note and I keep it in my car as a little reminder for me to be happy!  Thank you for being a ray of sunshine in and out of my classroom.  I have absolutely enjoyed being your teacher this year!  I want to know all the wonderful things you're involved in, so stay in touch.  I hope that you have a great summer and stay safe!  

                                                                                                     Love,
                                                                                                     Mrs. Pate

As for me, it was a very sad and emotional last day of school.  After 11 years at Parkview, I am leaving and moving to a different school.  I am very excited about this move...I think it is going to be a wonderful change.  But I love the children at my school.  And I love the teachers at my school.  It was very bittersweet to say goodbye.  The Parkview staff includes so many incredibly talented and dedicated women (and a couple of men!).  Many of them have been a part of my life for 11 years now.  I have raised my family as I've worked alongside them.  I shed many, many tears on that last day.  I feel blessed to have a new opportunity before me, and I feel certain that I made the right decision to transfer schools.  But it was still hard.  I won't see most of these cute faces again:

On the last day, we met at the flag pole at the end of the day for a flag lowering ceremony to end the year.  Before we went to the flag ceremony, each class was given a balloon and we were to write two words on it that represented our class.  The words my class chose to write were "family" and "kind".  It's true...we did/do become like a family.  I'm glad each of these sweet boys and girls were able to be part of that family. And each teacher that has touched my life as well.  

Now on to new experiences for each of us!

Michelle's 12th Birthday!

Michelle turned 12 on May 14.  How is it possible that this cute, messy little girl:

has turned into this beautiful, silly, smart young lady:

For Michelle's birthday, we decided to give her a big surprise...a trip to Nauvoo to learn more about church history and to strengthen her testimony.  Just Michelle and I are going...and since I am so slow in posting (May was crazy busy)...our trip is in just a few days.  Michelle knew she was getting a big surprise but she had no idea what that surprise was.  On her birthday, she opened a gift from my Aunt Elaine:

Then it was time for the big surprise.  It was a giant posterboard cut into a puzzle.  At first, I think she was a little bit confused/disappointed.  But then she started to put the puzzle together.

Once she had figured it out and read the poster, she got choked up and began to cry.  She came over and hugged me and hugged Alfredo.  She has been very excited ever since.  I think it will be a wonderful opportunity to spend some time together, to learn more about church history and have our testimonies strengthened and to have a special, memorable experience.  We plan to do the same thing or something similar for Ella and Gabby for their 12th birthdays.

12 Things I Love about Michelle at age 12:

1.  Her excitement and enthusiasm for entering young womens.

2.  She loves to read.  I often have to tell her 2 or 3 times to go to bed at night because she is in bed reading.

3.  She is becoming quite talented at playing the piano and violin.

4.  She loves ramen noodle soup, eggs with tomatoes/cilantro/onions (and she is getting pretty good at making these eggs), salads, and really most food.  She eats more than you would expect and she likes a wide range of foods.

5.  She is such a good helper to me.  

6.  She tries hard to keep her room organized and neat... it isn't always neat but she does try.

7.  She is a wonderful student.  She will be in Quest next year at Kennedy...the gifted classes...in language arts, social studies and science.  She works hard and tries her best.

8.  She has a beautiful smile and laugh.

9.  She loves to teach FHE and she is excited to go to the temple for the first time soon.

10.  She is a good friend.

11.  She is brave.  She likes to try new things.  (She totally gets those qualities from her dad...not me.)

12.  Michelle is responsible.

Manti Temple

At the beginning of May, my aunt Elaine was able to be sealed by proxy to my uncle Phil in the Manti Temple.  I have been to Manti before, but this was my first opportunity to go inside the Manti Temple.  It is beautiful.  It was very special to be there with so many of my family members.  It was a beautiful day.  (It was also fun to run into one of the other teachers from my school there at the temple. Lauryn was there with her husband for a family member's wedding.)

Ella's 10th Birthday!

Ella wanted to have an outdoor party with water games...but the weather was cold and windy and there was a strong likelihood that it would rain.  So we changed it to an indoor party and played some fun games.  First, each person had to use one hand and a toothpick to pick up as many marshmellows as they could.  Jolie won that contest. We also had an estimation jar with candy in it.  It had 58 candies, and Austin guessed 56...so he won the whole jar!

Then the kids used 20 toothpicks and marshmellows to build the highest tower possible.  It was fun to see their different strategies and see what worked and what didn't work quite as well.

We did a relay race where they had to keep two dice balanced on a tongue depressor, walk down the hall and back and then pass the dice to the next person.

Ella had a delicious ice cream cake for her birthday!

We did a pinata...of course.

Gabby's best friend at school is Jocelyn.  She is sisters with Kim who is a good friend of Ella's.  So both of them came to the party.  It was fun to watch Gabby interact with Jocelyn.

Ella was spoiled with lots of wonderful gifts.

Ella had a wonderful birthday.  She is such a sweet girl!

Here are 10 things I love about Ella at 10 years old:

1.  Her Spanish has really improved.  She is still kind of shy about using it, but she knows quite a bit.

2.  She is very kind to other children.   She notices when they are hurt or sad and tries to make them feel better.

3.  Even though she is TEN, she still loves to give and get hugs, sit close to me, be held, and even hold hands.

4.  She loves animals.

5.  She loves to eat pizza, pancakes, eggs, and spaghetti.

6.  She likes to ride the scooter, jump on the trampoline, play with friends, and help others.

7.  She often reminds me about things that I am forgetting to do.

8.  She has a strong testimony and a desire to do what is right.

9.  She works hard in school and is respectful and responsible at school.

10.  Ella makes her own orange julius-like creation for all of us fairly often.

Mother's Day 2015

I had a simply wonderful Mother's Day.  Alfredo cooked both breakfast and dinner with help from the girls.  Alfredo bought me two beautiful blouses and a pair of shoes.  The girls made me cards and notes and small gifts at school, in Primary and in Activity Days.  They are such sweet girls.  

We played Clue together, the girls were helpful and played well with each other virtually all day.  We had dear friends over for dinner.  I had a nice visit with my mom on the phone.  It was a lovely day.

I am so grateful to be blessed with so many amazing women in my life.  The quote by Margaret Nadauld has been on my mind throughout this day:

Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.

I have been so fortunate to be surrounded by so many women who are kind, tender, refined, faithful, virtuous, and pure.  I was raised by one of the kindest, most patient, most forgiving, gentle women I have ever met.  My mom is intelligent.  She sews, plays the piano, works full time, serves faithfully in callings and always thinks of others first.  She rarely complains and is always a great listener.  Her faith is strong, and she is a wonderful grandmother.   I am so thankful for her.   I also have wonderful grandmas.  They have both passed away, but I was fortunate to have them both live into my adulthood.  My paternal grandma lived near us throughout my childhood and was an integral part of my life.  So much of who I am today I owe to these two great women.

My sisters Suzy and Becky, my mom and I ...taken 2009

My grandma Marj Bills holding my cousin's daughter and Michelle.

In addition to wonderful family members who have blessed my life in countless ways, I have so many other wonderful examples in my ward that are amazing mothers and faithful daughters of God.  I have dear friends of other faiths who also support me and help me to be a better mother. I have wonderful college roommates who I am still in touch with that inspire me.  I am so thankful for the countless ways that others touch my life and help me.

Of course, I am especially grateful for the three girls who have given me the privilege of becoming a Mother and for my husband.  They are my greatest gifts.  I make lots of mistakes, but they forgive me anyway.  I lose my patience, but they are patient with me.  Despite my imperfections,  they love me...and I love them more than I ever knew was possible.  Being a mother is hard but amazing, exhausting but exhilarating, the most challenging but most rewarding thing I have ever done.  So, so thankful.