Saranne Wrap

Home Decorating

2011-11-05T22:26:00.003-06:00

I know I need to post pictures of my new house, but I thought I'd let those of you who didn't go shopping with us today see what we bought.

This painting of aspens and two iron-worked, shutter, candle holders. Without the flash:

With the flash:

And a fun blue carpet with a flower-petal pattern. Kind-of like temple carpet.

This is how it looks with my couches.

Right now it's dark outside, otherwise I'd go out and take more pictures. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that soon.

PTCs

2010-11-12T21:04:00.002-07:00

Parent-Teacher Conferences are completed! Well, I had two that didn't show and will have to contact them next week, but the long evenings are over! They actually went very well but it just feels good to have them finished.

China

2010-11-01T18:45:00.005-06:00

Some cool pictures of our time in China! (They're not in any particular order.)

Shanghai financial district

Throne room in the Forbidden City

Dad catching rings with his head in the park of the Temple of Heaven

Me, on the Great Wall

Mom and Dad on the Great Wall

Kim and I in Tiananmen Square (Yes, Mao's picture is still there)

Kim and Kiki (a lady on our tour with us) in a Rikshaw

A giant panda in a tree, he climbed up there just for us!

There's more but I just don't have the patience to wait for them to upload again, sorry.

Hello from Texas

2010-07-22T20:41:00.002-06:00

Here I am "deep in the heart of Texas." I'm visiting Lynette and Anthony for a week and a couple days. So far, I've driven from San Antonio to Corpus Christi and then today I drove with Lynette from here to Houston and back. I'm tired.

Still Alive

2010-07-01T20:01:00.002-06:00

Just so you know, I'm here! I haven't dropped off the face of the earth completely. But it is summer and I tend to retreat into a reading haze. Also, I've done some really fun kayaking with my roommate, Kim. I don't have any pictures yet, but I'll try to remember my camera/phone one of the next times.

Oh, I have also had a great time with this summer's TV shows. Burn Notice, Royal Pains, SYTYCD, Good Guys, In Plain Sight, Flashpoint, Lie to Me, and last but definitely not least Leverage. And in the next couple weeks: White Collar, Psych, Warehouse 13, and Eureka (I think that's all of them).

Ride

2009-10-18T21:02:00.006-06:00

As you can see, I have a new car. I just love it! I usually have a reason for getting a new car (even if it is only so that I can have cruise control and power windows, right Lynette?), this time's no different. I decided that I needed an all-wheel or 4-wheel drive vehicle for the commute to my school during the winter. If Utah ever canceled school due to snowfall, I probably wouldn't worry about it so much but Utah follows a strict never, never, NEVER cancel school policy (at least along the Wasatch Front). Because of this, I had a great reason to purchase a car: a 2008 Subaru Forrester, L.L. Bean edition. Don't worry, I paid cash for it so I don't have a payment. Isn't it cute? I never really thought that I'd buy a blue car, or a two tone car, but I really like this one.

Yapple Dapples

2009-10-10T16:23:00.005-06:00

My visit to Arkansas was a success! While at the Battlefield we found a ton of Yapple Dapples. Well acutally, that's not their real name but we couldn't remember what the name was so Shawn came up with a new and I say better name.

I had a great time in Arkansas! I love it there! Thanks for having me, Bills!

Not in Greenland!

2009-09-18T17:59:00.003-06:00

Guess what? I got a job yesterday! I'll be teaching fourth grade during the morning and I'll be the Math Specialist in the afternoon. The math part is somewhat undefined as of yet but should be a good program to get up and running! I will be working at my old school, Westland Elementary, in West Jordan--yes, that's in the Jordan School District. And yes, I interviewed yesterday morning with the new principal and after being home for about an hour, he called and offered me the job. Yesterday was my hire date and I will have students on Monday! It's been pretty great to be back with all of my friends at Westland--I love the feeling of being liked.

Back in the States, with Friends and Family

2009-08-17T00:26:00.004-06:00

I know that I have been shockingly remiss in updating my blog for the last four months. I've been to Paris, London and surrounding areas, Scotland, Bountiful, St. George, Bear Lake and Lava Hot Springs. You might say that I've been living it up and you'd be right. I have thoroughly enjoyed sleeping-in, staying up late, and in general doing a whole lot of "nothing." Here are a few pictures, in no particular order. If you want to see more, you'll have to come on over and I'd be happy to treat you to a slide show!

Louis at home in the woodshop at SLCC.

Veronica

Roxanne

Jane

Jenni in front of her new home.

Kim and I at Stonehenge.

Standing in two hemispheres--The Prime Meridian.

In the Catacombs of Paris--how scary!

And the Eiffel Tower, just lighting up for the evening.

Spring in Denmark

2009-04-22T07:55:00.004-06:00

I went for a walk today and these are some of the pictures I took.

I know they're a weed but sometimes I think they're pretty.

I think this is some kind of magnolia. Angie says Japanese Magnolia but I don't know. I just think they're pretty.

Lynette, this one reminds me of you. Don't know if it's the same as the one you like but I think it looks like that one.

Spring is here! I love it!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-03-16T08:05:00.003-06:00

I know you have all been waiting and wondering how my birthday went--being in Denmark and all. Well, it was pretty good. We had a great dinner of ham, twice-baked potatoes, green beans, peas, green salad, broccoli salad, and of course cake for dessert (it was a chocolate cake with chocolate pudding frosting with whipped cream). I don't know if you can see, but in the picture, I have a huge mound of whipped cream--Scott's idea, I don't think he knows what it means to stop. As you can see, Dang came over and we had a great time!

Then on Saturday, Dang and I went to the temple and then into Copenhagen. You'll notice that I've not posted any pictures from Saturday--I forgot to take my camera. Don't worry, I'll go back to most of them before I come home so that I can get those pictures that I missed. I've also talked to and/or emailed with many of you either on my day or some time thereafter. I hope that you're all having a great March! Some people have a birthday week, I think that I prefer the idea of a birthday month. Then I won't be offended if you can't remember the exact day.

Angie and Scott are pretty busy getting things ready to move. Trying to sell a bunch of stuff that they just don't want to take back, some electrical things that just won't work and other furniture-type things that they just don't have room for in their house and other food-storage things that the US just doesn't allow you to bring back (even though it was bought in the US). It's going to be a crazy month and a half. We're all getting pretty sick of being in school but we only have five weeks left (of school)!

Still Here

2009-03-04T12:40:00.002-07:00

So I was kind-of waiting to post until I had three comments on my Pay-it-Forward post and then I decided that I was right when I wondered if anyone would want anything I will make. Just you wait until you see what I make for Lynette, you'll all wish you'd signed up when you had the chance.

Anyway, this is what I've been up to. Teaching, teaching, teaching. People keeping asking me and this is really the main thing that I do. I have been able to make some sightseeing trips but will post some of those pictures later. Just so you know, I'm alive and well. And although some of you seem to think that when I said "I don't want to sound trunky," I meant that I was. I'm not. I am still having a great time (that was not said, thought or typed in a defensive manner). Every time I walk down the street, get on a bus or go to church, I still think, "Wow, I'm living in Denmark! How many people EVER have the opportunity to say that?" Don't worry, I know that it's not that many because there are only about 5 million people that live here. Guess what? It's my birthday month!

Pay it Forward

2009-02-22T00:38:00.001-07:00

I was number 3 on Shawn's blog. He got it from Daniel. Daniel got it off of Bekah's blog who got it off of Candice's blog. So, here are the rules:

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me.

2. Winners must post this challenge on their own blog, meaning that you will pay it forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your 3 friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember it’s the spirit and the thought that count!

4. When you receive your gift, blog about it! If you are not one of the first three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! It's all about paying it forward.

I really can't wait to see what I make and who I get to give it to!

FYI

2009-02-01T05:46:00.001-07:00

I don't really want to sound trunky but . . . start the countdown--less than 100 days!

Stateside

2009-01-26T12:13:00.005-07:00

For those of you reading this who aren't members of my family, I feel sorry for you because you're not a part of this great thing. I don't very often brag, but I am constantly amazed by and grateful for the members of my family. Don't know what I did to deserve them but it was a good move on my part.

The first stop on this trip was a stop with Michelle in NJ. It was so much fun. As you can see, these kids are adorable! We did do fondue on Sunday (I didn't post that picture because the flash didn't go off and it turned out really yellow). Then Shellie & I stayed up talking, I loved it! Thanks Shell, Steve & crew!

On Monday I rented a car and drove to Palmyra--about 6 hours. The car I rented turned out to have been rented previously by some smokers (what a treat for me). I drove most of the way with my windows cracked. When it finally got too cold for that, I pulled over and bought a vanilla tree and opened the whole thing at once. It actually did a pretty good job of at least running neck 'n neck with the smoke smell.

While in Palmyra, I got to go the the Grandin Building (which I missed last time). I was kind-of wondering what could be there (I mean, didn't it all happen in the grove?). But the visitors' center there and the tour that they give is pretty great. If you're thinking of skipping this one, don't.

I decided that I needed a picture of Mom and Dad. I thought it turned out pretty good. I love spending time with them. Thanks for the time talking.

Early Thursday morning I was off again, driving another 5 1/2 hours to get to Arlo's. Don't worry, my driving was exceptionally safe. And I didn't even fall asleep! That's a pretty major accomplishment considering that there's no way I was over jet-lag by this time.

I sure do feel like it's too bad that I had such a short time in all of these places. I had such a great time! Arlo & I stayed up talking to the wee hours (one thing we're all pretty good at). As you can see the one day that I was in Poughkeepsie was Pirate day. And what a cute pirate we have here! Sorry that I didn't get any pictures of Tyler--he didn't get home from school before I left and I forgot to take pictures the night before.

They make such great friends!
I sure do love seeing my siblings (including in-laws) and their kids--although I do think that I look a bit like I've not had enough sleep--'member, this was a whirwind trip, I kind-of can't believe that I did as much as I did.
When I got back on Saturday I sure felt like now that I'd travelled for a week, I could sleep for the next week. No such luck.

New Year's Movie

2009-01-19T02:18:00.002-07:00

On New Year's Day I went to a movie with my one friend here. (She's from Thailand and her name is Dang.) We went to Australia. I was pretty excited as it was my first venture into the world of movies here in Denmark. I was mostly excited for that first whiff of popcorn as you walk into the theater. Alas, as we walked in, there was not whiff of popcorn buttery goodness--just coffee. It turns out that the foyer of the theater was more of a cafe than anything. Then, before we went into the theater there was this sign posted and I'm not sure but I think that it said, "Popcorn not allowed in the theater." My Danish isn't that great so, I could be wrong on that one. But once we got into the theater, I felt like we'd stepped back in time. There was a player piano at the front that was actually playing! Great way to set the mood. There were about 30 people at the 8:00 showing of the movie. And we had an intermission. I realize that this was probably because of the length of the movie--maybe someone that has seen it in the states could enlighten me--did you have an intermission? I thought those had gone out of style or become obsolete or something.

As far as the movie goes, I liked it. It had a similar feel of Gone with the Wind in that it didn't just have one plot line and end. When WWII started, there was kindof another story that imposed itself on the lives of the characters. Overall, I enjoyed it--you all know how much I love a good flick!

In with a Bang!

2009-01-01T02:57:00.005-07:00

Happy New Year! I know that it's kinda lame to take pictures of fireworks because they are so dang hard to take and so rarely turn out well but these are some of the results of early this morning/late last night. The Danes have a thing for big fireworks on New Year's. Everyone buys their own big rockets and sets them off. This first batch is of some of the ones we let off in our front yard.

This next batch aren't quite so impressive because I just couldn't get the timing right. But they are pictures of our surrounding horizon line. Most of them are from my bedroom window. They kept going off sporadically till maybe 2:30 or later. I don't know for sure because I was asleep.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T15:15:00.002-07:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas (since I will experience it first this year)! I sure do love and miss my family and friends. Being an ocean away sure does make you realize how much you miss when you're not there.

Also, just wanted to let you know that this Christmas will be a completely different story from last year which was spent watching seasons one and two of Bones (pretty much all day, every day). We (and by "we" I mean I) will be teaching the kids pretty much straight through the holidays. We are taking the day off tomorrow (Christmas Day) and New Year's day. But Angie and Scott want it that way so this is what we're doing.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Shake Down

2008-12-18T13:51:00.002-07:00

In my normal morning routine I wake up, shower, then read my scriptures before finishing the get-ready process. I leave about 30 minutes for scripture reading even though it rarely takes me that long to read. So, when I'm finished reading I take a mini-morning siesta (can you call it a siesta if it's in the morning?). Well, during my mini-morning siesta on Tuesday, there was this weird rocking/shaking. And then we come to find out that there was a 4.7 magnitude earthquake in Malmo, Sweden. Yeah, that's the first earthquake I've ever been in--or at least that I can remember feeling. Be glad that I'm not dead.

Thankful for Thanksgiving!

2008-11-24T06:19:00.002-07:00

I've been thinking that I really like Thanksgiving. What a great holiday, I mean, it started from two ethnically different groups of people celebrating the ways they helped each other out. Another great thing about this holiday is that there isn't a whole lot that the commercialization sector of society can do to ruin it. There's no stress over what to give someone or what you're getting (don't get me wrong, I love a good gift as much as the next gal but sometimes it can be too much) and the decorations aren't even that different from the Halloween ones (similar color schemes at least--unless you go way into the scary stuff). It's a whole holiday about eating good food, being with friends and family, and taking a moment to think about all the things/people/situations that you're grateful for. What could be more uplifting than that? Yup, this holiday is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I am a bit sad that I won't get to help my mom and sisters whip up a cooking frenzy the day before and the day of the feast--not to worry, I'm grateful for those memories, and am looking forward to having a great time this year! Since I won't see any of you on this gratifying day, let me know at least one thing you're thankful for in your comments.

First Snow in Denmark!

2008-11-21T04:30:00.001-07:00

Just so you know, it's snowing here. We've been listening to Christmas music for about two and a half weeks now.

Cruise Rundown

2008-11-19T07:11:00.015-07:00

So this is the post that you’ve all been waiting for. I know it’s a month after the fact but all I can say is sorry, and here it is. (Sorry it's so long, I tried to make it concise.)

Our first official stop was a small Greek island, Mykonos. I really didn’t have any desire to go swim on a beach (European beaches are a little too “open” for my tastes), but the Keetch kids were all about swimming so we went to the beach and I watched. The beach was pretty rocky and the water was kind-of cold. (This is not a picture of the beach where they swam, I just liked that the road/walkway was so close to the water.)

Then I walked around the town a bit and took this cool picture. Mykonos is the typical “Greek” city, with the whitewashed buildings and blue trim. Myriad walkways between houses and few streets.

Our second stop was Kusadasi, Turkey (said, kushadas'ie). While here we took a tour out to see the ruins at Ephesus. These were really some of my favorite ruins that we saw. It was truly incredible to think of all of the stuff that happened here. There are tons and tons of ruins, you could spend days exploring them all. We felt a bit gypped because our tour was only a few hours and we had to move on so quickly. I really enjoyed seeing the amphitheater where Paul preached and then later was taken before the tribunal when he was imprisoned.

This is in front of the facade of the Library.
One of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World (designated such by Alexander the Great) used to be here. The British now have the Temple of Artemis in their museum--but originally it was here.

The third stop was on the Greek isle of Rhodes. This is a truly medieval town with the outer walls and the fortress intact and in really great condition. A second Wonder of the World was here--the Colossus of Rhodes. It fell in an earthquake but it was said to stand at the mouth of the harbor. This was a great place to shop.

On Sunday September 28, we were in Cyprus. As everything was closed, I didn’t even go ashore but took this picture from the boat. Isn’t the water beautiful?

The fifth stop is another biggie--Egypt. Alexandria (where we docked) was the sight of the mighty Faros--the lighthouse that Alexander the Great built. But as most of the ancient Alexandria is now under water, the small sandy island that was the foundation of the lighthouse washed away soon after the lighthouse burned down. Actually, they have found remains of Cleopatra’s palace underwater and are currently beginning to build an underwater tunnel through which tourists can walk to see the palace. Of course, here we saw the pyramids (the Great Pyramid of Giza is another and the only standing Ancient Wonder). Yes, they are huge.

And amazingly the three famous ones are practically inside the city limits. There have been no restrictions put on where people can build so they’ve built almost right up to the “doorstep” of the pyramids. I felt like it was very sad here. Sometimes I think that we (by we I me that this is what I’ve done) let our idea of what Egypt was once like taint what we think it’s like now. That’s wrong--there are no vestiges of a great civilization now.

Next stop was Athens. We went on a tour to see the Parthenon. As you can see, they are still restoring it. Did you know that none of the columns are exactly the same? If they were, you couldn't tell that there were so many of them.

From the Parthenon, we saw Mars Hill, where Paul preached again. Yeah, it's the big rock with people all over it. On the right side of the picture, you can see the Agora, where the people would have gathered to listen to him preach.

What an amazing thing it is to see all of these great ruins of incredible civilizations still existing. And there would be more of the Parthenon left here if it wasn’t for one Lord (or maybe he was an Earl) Elgin who decided to take statues and pieces of the engravings back to England to decorate his garden. When he got back, he realized that he’d spent too much money and ended up selling them to the museum anyway. Boy, those British sure didn’t have much sense for preserving things for the country that owns them. We also got to see the Olympic stadium where the first modern Olympics were held. I’m not posting that picture because it wasn’t great as they were setting up for the opening celebration of MTV in Greece--Bono was coming.

Our second to last stop was Naples. We went on the tour of Pompeii. There is an amazing amount of artifacts still intact from this city because of the volcano in their backyard, Mt. Vesuvius. Knowing what kind of civilization they were in this ancient city made this day less “fun” for me.Token shot of the dead dog. Interesting that the people here died of asphyxiation from the gases and ash--they weren't burned. There would be nothing left if they were.

I liked the cross walks (stepping stones) in the streets. Notice the wheel ruts.

Our last tour was back in Rome. This was probably the worst of all the tours we went on. They really were just going through the motions. At the colosseum Scott wanted to go up to the second floor to get some pictures and the tour guides were really bugged with him--but he wasn’t going to leave a second time without seeing the upper level. Also, because it was a Sunday, the tour guides couldn’t take us into St. Peter’s Basilica (because they can’t be giving a tour on the sabbath in the Basilica)--this was fine, I thought, as long as they gave us a good spiel before letting us go in--but they didn’t. I did learn that all the “pictures” in the Basilica are actually mosaics. If you didn’t know this, you probably wouldn’t notice--I didn’t the first time I saw them.

Oh, we did see the Pope-mobile driving the Pope back to the Vatican--just a regular car with two little flags on the front.

So, that’s pretty much the two-cent version of the cruise--sorry that it took me so long.

Election Day Jitters

2008-11-04T14:23:00.002-07:00

Just so you all know, it really is not fun to know that I am hours and hours ahead of you--I don't really get to wait up through the night as election results come in. Since the east coast polls don't even close for another four hours--I think--and I'm going to bed. I guess I'll just have to watch the progress throughout the morning tomorrow.

I know, I know I'm way behind in my posts--they're coming, I promise--don't give up on me now.

Not Cruisin' Yet, But Close

2008-10-17T10:15:00.009-06:00

Be patient with me, I decided to blog about my cruise in several posts--chronological order, naturally. So the first stop was Rome. Actually we flew into Rome two days before the start of the cruise and saw some pretty cool stuff there. Our hotel was just a few blocks from the Vatican. It was way cool. Back up, as we drove through Rome, to our hotel, it just FELT like I was going to love it here. Maybe it was because it felt very similar to Lisbon. I don't know, but it was a good feeling. So, we got there on Sunday and went walking over to the Vatican . . . this is St. Peter's Basilica--I kept picturing parts of Angels and Demons and Da Vinci Code.
I know that some of you know about the Swiss Guard. Well it really is crazy that they still wear the "costumes" that Michelangelo designed.
And of course, there’s the Pieta.

We also went to the museum in St. Angelo’s Castle. It was pretty cool—a bunch of Egyptian artifacts. Mostly though I liked the round building. There’s a bunch of historical stuff that happened here, like the Pope took refuge here at one point but I don’t remember what Pope or when that was. Look it up if you want to know.

Doesn't this tunnel remind you a little of Mom & Dad's painting from Jerusalem?

Also, the Tiber River is pretty picturesque.

On day two we did the whole Roman ruins route. We saw the Coliseum,
the Roman Forum,
Palatine Hill,
etc., etc., etc. It was pretty cool, as we’ve been studying the Roman history with Eli particularly. He loved it when we saw the statue of Romulus & Remus with the wolf on Palatine Hill.

Day three was going to be more of day two stuff but I said that I wanted to see the Sistine Chapel. So, Angie and Scott decided to come along with me. First of all you “get” to walk through about a million other rooms, hallways, and chapels and I guess that it’s a good thing that you go through them first because once you see the Sistine Chapel everything else pales in comparison. It was truly amazing. I could seriously spend days in there just straining my neck to see that amazing ceiling. We couldn’t take pictures in there but I got a book. When I get home we can spend hours. It really is incredible to think of all the doctrine Michelangelo had to know to make his work so accurate. Later that day we got on the ship. We spent the next day at sea. My next installment will be on Mykonos, Greece, our first stop.

This is one of the pre-Sistine Chapel ceilings.

Cruisin' for a Bruisin'

2008-09-19T12:25:00.002-06:00

Okay, there's really nothing to do with "Bruisin'" in this post--it just rhymed with "Cruisin.'" I just wanted all to know that we will be flying to Italy this Sunday and then starting our cruise of the Med. on Tuesday. We're not really sure what the internet options will be, so I may be out of touch for a couple of weeks. I'll be sure to post when we get back!

Finally, A Social Life?

2008-09-14T13:50:00.002-06:00

So this week Institute started. I am registered for a class on Wednesdays that teaches Danish and a New Testament (the four Gospels) class on Thursday. The sister missionaries teach the Danish class and there were two Chinese girls in it with me. I think my biggest problem with this class is going to be that it's only once a week--I don't get enough practice and reinforcement. The Thursday class in taught in English by a man from England. He has a charming accent but the only other person in the class is a girl from Thailand. Don't get me wrong, Deng is great, she's in my ward so I already knew her--I just don't feel like there's a whole lot of socialization going on here. Oh well, I've only been once, right? It can only get better.

Also, I went to the temple last Friday with a group of older single adults. Afterward we went to one of the girls' apartments, ate and played games. Let me tell you that playing Pictionary in Danish opens an entirely new perspective to the game (especially when everyone else is guessing in Danish, and half of the cards are random references to Danish culture). It was fun but I feel a little bad for making them speak in English the whole time. Come to think of it though, they didn't. As soon as the discussion would get heated, they'd switch back to Danish, and I'd sit there, nodding, smiling, or making other appropriate facial gestures--and not getting any of it. I tell you that Danish is nothing like a romantic language. Just wait, when we get to Italy next week, I'll feel like I have a leg to stand on. Except that almost everyone here does actually speak English, whereas in Italy, they don't nor do they in Greece or Turkey or Egypt. Ah, the trials of travelling.

I know I had several run-on sentences, you'll just have to deal with it.

Feeling the Loss

2008-09-06T03:10:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to let you all know that I am aware that I've now missed the first week of season previews. I don't know if any of you can truly feel my pain. I've tried to watch them online but because of international laws & stuff, the shows can't be streamed to people out of the United States. (Daniel, I checked Hulu and they say they're working on it but no cigar as of yet.) I know that most of you have more of a life than me so you may think this is just my worldly nature coming out--but if a single girl doesn't have her shows, what has she got?

Some of you have asked if I've been homesick at all. Well let me tell you, there are times when I think, "What was I thinking? I know that I love being surrounded by my family. I loved the majority of the people that I worked with. I must be crazy." Especially now that Lynette and Anthony are back and Joey has his mission call, I'm realizing all that I'm missing and it hurts. So, mostly I try not to think of all that I'm missing (this doesn't mean that I don't want to know--that would really be worse). I don't really like to complain, so I probably won't write much about homesickness any more--also, it seems to make it worse or more real or something if I write about it. I just wanted you all to know that I miss being there (and "there" means "wherever you are") even though I am having a great time here.

Sightseeing Solo vs. Goin' with the Gang

2008-09-02T08:17:00.004-06:00

There’s been a lot of sightseeing around here. I can’t decide if I like going alone or going with a family of six (plus me makes seven) around Europe. Each has its pros and cons. Let me know which you think is better.

A few weeks ago I went to Helsingor castle. You may know it as Ellsinore from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It turns out that there really is some historical background for the story of Hamlet. Boy, people in the middle ages were somewhat crazy. One of the coolest parts of the castle is the dungeon.
This is the chapel, about the only part of the castle that wasn't ruined in a fire. And thus the only part which retains the original ornate carvings and decorations.
The dungeon is still intact and there is a Danish myth that Holger Danske, a Danish warrior, lies in sleep here until the Danes need him to fight for them. They've even made a statue of him down there. The fun thing about this trip was that I was by myself and could take as much time as I wanted to look at the different rooms/paintings/dungeons. Actually, I probably would have spent a little more time exploring the dungeons if someone else had been with me but alone, it was a bit eerie.
This is the view from the top of the castle.
Also, I listened to my iPod pretty much the entire time—this was pretty great but there just wasn’t anyone there to share the joke when “Play that Funky Music White Boy” came on as I was walking around this medieval Danish castle. I wonder if anyone noticed me chuckling to myself. Overall, it was a very satisfying day, although somewhat lonely.

Yes, this is the castle after which Walt Disney modeled Cinderella's castle. This last weekend we went down to the south of Germany (we=Scott, Angie, me, and the four kids).
Arlo, Kara, look! I stood on the same spot that you did—and just a few weeks after you were here.
We’ll have to talk about what you guys thought of the castles—they were pretty interesting. The whole story of the family who built them is pretty intriguing. And Neuschwanstein was only being built in the 1840s—it was never finished as the king, Ludwig II, was declared insane, taken to Munich, and died under questionable circumstances soon thereafter with his doctor.

We also went to Rothenburg (above). This town still has a wall that dates from the times of the Roman Empire. They also have some fun cobblestone streets and fun shops. Here you can see two of the gates out of the town, one upper and one lower.

We stayed in Regensburg—fun town (below). And there was a fair in town this weekend. We didn’t frequent it but there was a ride called the ‘Wilde Maus’ which looked a heck-of-a lot like the Wild Mouse at Lagoon—maybe they took the old one and donated it to the traveling fair in Germany. This is a picture of a street in Regensburg.
One of the hard things about traveling with seven people in Europe is that there isn’t very often a big enough table at restaurants. Europeans don’t frequently travel with kids (and when they do it's not four of them)--so people are often a little bugged when the kids are noisy or disruptive. The kids themselves don’t always enjoy everything that the adults want to spend time doing and seeing. And the somewhat cramped quarters in the car are another story entirely. I loved Germany. I think I'd like to go back and do some more exploring and sightseeing. It's so clean there, and people are very willing to help!

I’ve also found the cemetery here in Hellerup—I like to go there and read or just walk around. I am also enjoying Nutella (I know you can get this in the states but there’s something about being in Europe and enjoying it here that’s pretty great), I’ve found that there really aren’t lots of bakeries but I can buy some pretty great baguettes that freeze well and warm up well. Oh, and I’ve found some cheese that I like—I think that it’s Havarti but I could be wrong, my Danish is a bit weak. Dad, don't worry, I'm all scheduled to go to institute when it starts next week, I'll let you know how that is (never fear, there is an English class for international students).

Irish Intrigue

2008-08-13T10:37:00.003-06:00

So one of the exciting things about living next to a bunch of foreign embassies is that sometimes you get unexplained policemen standing in your yard watching the Irish Embassy across the street for half the day and then the whole street gets cordoned off (is that how you spell that word?). We don't know why all this happened today but we think it may be some kind of bomb threat. My question is, who has it out for the Irish? And why the embassy in Denmark? I don't know of any particularly strong anti-Irish feeling here in Denmark but I have been a little out of touch with the Danes, my so-called finger isn't exactly on the pulse of the community here. To add more unanswered questions to the pot, the blocking-of-the-street was all ended by 5:45 this evening and now no one is around. So, although this makes great food for the imagination (maybe the next Bourne movie will take place in the Irish Embassy in Denmark), it really doesn't make us, as across-the-street neighbors, feel completely safe. Don't worry, I'll let you know if there's any more international intrigue--even if I don't have any idea what's really happening.

Homeschool Anyone?

2008-08-09T00:21:00.003-06:00

Alright, let's get this out. I've not been a real supporter of homeschool in the past. There are some things that the home just can't provide for kids. That said, if you ever find yourself in the situation where homeschooling is the only option, this would be the way to go. Buy a program--a "year in a box" type--that provides the entire curriculum and daily lesson plans for each grade level of student that you have. Also, if at all possible, hire someone else to do the actual teaching for you. I will be free after this school year if any of you are interested!

Now for the particulars. On Monday of this week we started our "school." I find that teaching this way has its challenges as well as some bonuses. On the down side--coordinating everyone's activities is rather difficult. Especially with Emma, the Kindergartener. Her activities and instruction needs the teacher almost the entire time. So it's hard for the kids, when they finish one task, to wait for me while I finish up with someone else.

The oldest, McKenna, is totally self-motivated. The 6th grade curriculum can be mostly self-taught and she is willing and ready to teach herself everything. In her case, I'm just there as a facilitator and cheerleader. Well except for math. That one will require more actual instruction especially as we get past the review concepts.

Next is Eli, he's bright (4th grade). He has some holes in his education because of their moving around. He wants to learn and know everything. The hard part is that if I'm not giving 100% attention to him, he tends to slack-off and daydream, instead of actually get his work finished. Of the materials that we received, his math is the only part that hasn't yet arrived. Maybe that's a good thing, because for the last two days of the week I had to sit with him individually while we finished all of his subjects--everyone else got done before him because of his tendancy to daydream and become distracted by what the others were working on.

Saeleigh, the 2nd grader, is a tender-hearted, enthusiastic learner. She is excited to be learning and wants to always do well. This is a great trait, except for when she doesn't do well--then she cries. We're working on that. It may be an ongoing instructional opportunity.

Mostly, I'm having a great time. And as the week went by, I felt myself falling into more of a rhythm--being able to juggle the different levels and contents better. I like the scriptedness of the lessons--especially for the first few weeks, but I have a feeling that as I get more comfortable with the program, I'll improvise and add my own style in more often.

Safari, Star, and Amusement Parks And Other Stuff

2008-08-06T06:55:00.019-06:00

Warning: This is a long post! Imagine how long it took me to compose it and post all these pictures.

Safari

We've been to two Safari parks now. The first one was built on this old estate that a family donated for the purpose. Throughout the park there are these really beautiful old buildings. This park was cool because you could drive through the areas where the animals were roaming free. So this means that rhinos, zebras, giraffes and camels came up pretty close to the car. There were no lions or elephants here but there were tigers. I might skip the tigers on another trip to this park as it took FOR-EV-ER (said Sandlotesque) to get through this small portion of the park.

This first one is actually the family house, just outside the entrance to the park--they still live there, c'mon, wouldn't you?

Just one of the cool buildings inside the park.

The second Safari park was more like a big zoo. You had to drive between the different areas and then you got out of your car to go look at the different animal pens. There were elephants and lions here but the lions didn't do anything exciting. They do have the largest rodent here it's called a Capybara and is naturally found in South America. Although this park had more variety in the animals, it was more fun to feel like we were on a real safari at the first park.

We sat and watched the camels for quite a while. They are funny. They kept barking at and biting each other.

Star

There is a pretty neat park in Copenhagen that is shaped like a star. Actually it isn't really called the Star Park, and it didn't originate as a park. Its real name is Kastellet (Citadel), but we call it the Star Park for obvious reasons. It started out as a fortress to defend Copenhagen. Its defenses were first tested by the Swedes when they attacked in 1658 and they failed miserably. Needless to say, they were strengthened and are now used as military offices. The buildings in the center were also used as the Danish headquarters for the Nazis during WWII. Now it has a walking path around the outside, then a moat encircling the star. There is a bridge across the moat to get to the center where the old fort buildings are located.

I really wanted to find this park because I knew there was an old windmill here.

Across the moat from the Star Park is the only real Anglican Church in Denmark. There are only two Anglican congregations in Denmark but the second one rents a building somewhere outside of Copenhagen. One of the cool things about this building is that everything was in English! Of course, they had the information in Danish and German too but it’s great to know that it originated in English. The stained-glass windows in this church were phenomenal.

Just around the corner from the church is this fountain. The woman is the Scandinavian goddess, Gefion. The legend is that the king of Sweden told Gefion that she could have all the land that she could plough in one night. So, she turned her four sons into oxen, harnessed them to a plow, and began to plough. When the morning came, she took the chunk of land that she’d covered and threw it into the ocean. This land then became Zealand (the large island that Copenhagen is on) and left a large lake (Lake Vanern) in Sweden that is roughly the same size and shape as Zealand.

Just down the waterfront, is the famous statue of the Little Mermaid. This is Denmark’s best-known monument. Hans Christian Anderson, the author, is, of course, from Denmark.

These are some young men that were playing beer bottles in the street in Copenhagen. We heard them play “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid and “I’m Walking on Sunshine.” It was totally amazing to watch how coordinated they were with their blowing. Between songs, they changed out which bottles they blew for the next one. What would that life be like?

Amusement

I know you’ve all be waiting for this one—LEGOLAND! A truly Danish commodity that we all know and love! Really, the coolest thing about this amusement park was the decorations. Everything was made out of Legos. Here are some pictures of MiniLand and some of the other creations. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t—anything’s possible with Legos!

I hope that you can see the detail in these!

This is H.C. Anderson (lifesize).
This is a countryside in the Netherlands built of Legos.
This is a replica of the queen's castle in Copenhagen--go and look at my picture a few posts ago--pretty right on.
Compare this to the picture on Arlo's post.

Other

As we were driving between some of the following cites, we came across this funny yard art. Actually in the adjacent field, there were some more cattle. We were wondering if the farmer or his wife got bored or just needed an artistic outlet.

On our trip to LegoLand, we also visited some other cities in Denmark. Jelling had this really cool church that had an amazing cemetery. It really is a shame that our cemeteries aren’t this groomed. Also on either side of the church there is a large mound. Under one, archaeologists found a stone ship. Under the other, there was a burial chamber but no tomb or remains. They did find the remains of Gorm, the Old under the church. He was the first king of Denmark. Originally he was under the mound, but his son, Harald I (Bluetooth) converted to Christianity soon after becoming king and moved his father’s remains as an act of piety. There are also these old runic stones outside the church. The one has the first mention of Denmark in a written record (ancient runes), this one is called Denmark’s baptism certificate. The second has the oldest representation of Christ in Scandinavia (abt. 983 B.C.).

The city of Ribe is the oldest city in Denmark and is super beautiful. It has this amazing medieval feel with half-timbered houses and cool streets—we loved this town—I may be going back.

This next one has an example of the medieval fire codes (notice the ladder and hook--not quite sure what the hook is for, but if I was in a fire I'm sure I could come up with some use for it).

The costal town of Esbjerg is more recent but it has these interesting statues looking out to sea. They were built in 1995 for the city’s centennial and we thought they’re kind- of cool. As you can see this was a pretty windy day (somewhat chilly).

The next post will be about the first week of teaching. Coming soon.

Debit Card Woes, Yard Work & The Bomb Squad

2008-07-24T02:07:00.003-06:00

In my last post I forgot to tell the story of my Debit card. So on Friday night (July 18) Scott and I biked down to the nearest ATM to get some money out of the bank. I put my debit card in and after choosing English, I keyed in my pin. Then it took me to the screen that has predetermined amounts for you to take out. I selected one and waited. Suddenly the screen said that my card had been cancelled. I was somewhat shocked and waited for it to come out. . . it didn't. The printed receipt said the same thing--my card was cancelled. I still am not quite sure why. I didn't get the pin wrong--I've had the same one ever since I got the card. Luckily we are eight hours ahead of Salt Lake, so I could still call the bank that night. They couldn't tell me why either. My closest guess as to why my card was cancelled is that I didn't notify my bank that I was going to be in Denmark on and off for a year--except that I did tell them when I requested a rush on my new card (my old one was set to expire in July). Apparently, they needed some other kind of notification than that. So anyway, on Monday I went in to the bank here and showed my passport and they gave me back my card, letting me know that it was still cancelled. After emailing a note to the bank with a scanned handwritten note questing a reinstatement of my card, I'm still waiting for notification that I can use my card. Luckily, Scott loaned me some money till I can get this cleared up. The other Americans here tell me that it's just Denmark's way of welcoming me. Um, okay.

I also wanted to let Mom and especially Dad know that the Keetches have put me to work helping clean up their yard on Saturday. I know you never thought I had it in me (especially considering the state of the yard at home). We spent pretty much all day trimming, cutting back, hauling and getting rid of blackberry plants. Has anyone ever tried to cut back a blackberry plant? They are vicious. I have all kinds of scratches up and down my arms to prove it. I would've taken a picture but I know there are some tender eyes that might see this. Anyway, I wouldn't ever recommend planting blackberries in any space that you want to keep groomed.

Late Saturday night, the doorbell rang. Scott, Angie and I were all thinking, "Who could that be?" It turns out that it was the police. They told Scott that we should all stay in the house as they had found an unexploded bomb in the garden. Scott looked out the window and there was a special bomb squad truck (we assume it was the bomb squad because none of us are actually proficient in Danish) and everything. About a half hour later, another knock on the door let us know that they were done. They brought a handful of jacket-less softball wadding to Scott as the "bomb." Apparently here in Denmark they have ball shaped fireworks that everyone uses on New Year's. Somebody had seen this ball in our garden and had called the police, thinking that it was one of these large fireworks or a bomb. The funny thing is that the ball was in a part of the yard that was not visible from the street. So, who is wandering around our yard and then calling the police on us? And why aren't they in trouble for making a false accusation and trespassing? Obviously, I'm not in Kansas, Utah, or any of the fifty United States anymore.

Amalienborg Slot, Canal Tour, and Glass Blowing

2008-07-22T12:24:00.004-06:00

So, last week on Thursday and Friday we did some fun things. First, we went to the Queen's castle, Amalienborg Slot. This is one of the four house sections. In between the housing sections, there are archways which make the plaza into an octogonal shape. The Danish monarchy is the oldest in the world (a fact of which Danes are proud) and the present queen, Margrethe II, has been on the throne since 1972.

This is a view of one of the arch sections and if you look closely, you can see one guard and the little red guard shacks where they store their heavy coats.
We waited FOREVER for the changing of the guard. They do it every day at noon. When the queen is in residence, the royal band accompanies the changing of the guard. There was no band. Anyways, the first thing that happened was that about six guards came out of the guard room and stood in the square for about ten minutes while we were wondering if that was all that was going to happen.
Then, some guards came around the corner into the plaza (about twelve of them). Apparently they go marching down one of the streets in Copenhagen--that's why we had to wait for so long.
After some manuevering, the two groups of soldiers stood and faced eachother, like this.
Then about six of the soldiers from the group on the left started marching to the other side of the plaza. From our viewpoint, we couldn't see anything so again, we began to wonder if that was it. Maybe the two groups of guards were just going to continue to stare at eachother for the rest of the day--how should we know? Actually, the group that had left went around to the three actually stationed guards, inspected their little shacks and made a switcheroo--aliviating the guard on duty. However, we didn't realize this for another 10 minutes or so till they got back around to where we could see them. Just imagine if there had been as many guards on duty as there were shacks--at least 16 from what I can remember--it would've taken half the day to change the guards!

This next set of pictures is from our canal tour and walking around the city. The city of Copenhagen has a bunch of canals that king Christian IV (I think) built during his reign. First is a royal naval dock--isn't the crown on the top of the building cool?
This is the shot of the marble church that I took from the canal boat. Between the fountain and the church is the plaza of the Amalienborg Slot.
This is a picture of the most photographed street (canalway) in Copenhagen. It's called Nyhavn (pronounced: newhoun). Aren't they cool-looking buildings? They're super old and at one time this with the brothel/drunken sailor district of the city. Now it's much more respectable and clean.
This is the Marmorkirken (marble church). It's one of the largest dome churches in Europe.
This is one of the lighthouse boats that used to patrol the harbor and canals. Now it's a houseboat. There are many houseboats along the canals--how fun would it be to live in a houseboat in Europe?

The previous pictures were all taken on Thursday, the following is what we did on Friday. We went to the Holme Gaarde Glassworks visitors' center. And we got to blow our own glass! This first one is of the official glass blower giving me instructions. The oven behind me is full of melted glass.
If you look carefully, you can see the orange glow of my future glass pitcher (the size of a regular glass--perfect for butter syrup).

And there I am, blowing my glass! I'm an artisan! This is truly a cool thing.
Here I'm shaping the pour spout of my pitcher (so that it will pour).
I think it would be super cool to be able to work with a medium like glass. As we watched them shape different sized vases and bowls, it was amazing. Personally, I think that I'd be liable to burn my hands off--so it's not really a great choice of profession for me.

Some of you have asked how church was on Sunday. Interesting. They provided earphones and translation into English for the English-speaking members in the congregation. The translator sat at the front with a microphone that was linked straight to our headsets. Then, Scott taught sunday school in English (since he doesn't speak Danish) and for Relief Society we were in the over-flow of the chapel and had a translator again. The sister that translated for us then was very obliging to give us a bit of a commentary when the teacher went off on a tangent, explaining that she must have had a bad experience and is bitter for some reason. As for singing, I started out singing the words in English--with my small hymnbook. But then in Relief Society, I happened to be sitting next to the translator, who is also the choir director, and she informed me that if I'm going to be here for a year, I should start learning to sing in Danish and I should join the ward choir (Lynette, are you so proactive in recruiting choir members?). Overall it was great--the language is totally not a romantic language, which makes it totally not easy for me to learn. The pronounciations are completely counterintuitive. But, we'll work on it.

My New Digs

2008-07-15T09:55:00.005-06:00

I know you've all been anxiously awaiting this post that lets you know a little of my new environs. This is the view out my window, I wake up to it every morning. Just so you know the sun goes down here about 10:00 pm and comes up around 3:30 am. They tell me that I missed the really long daylight hours. Apparently during the winter you can watch as the sun barely rises above the horizon and then sinks in about three hours.

So, this is the front of our house. It's pretty good size with the two upper floors and a full basement.

Here is the front door.

This is a shot of my bedroom from the doorway--yes it's pretty small, but that alright because I left most of my stuff at home anyway.

This is my bed, or you might say the other half of the bedroom.

And this is just a picture of a water-bottle that I bought in Frankfurt. The story is this. I realized that I forget some things about being in Europe after I bought it. In European mineral water the main mineral they add is carbon--that's right it's carbonized. As I was buying it this slipped my mind and I was able to take about three sips before I dumped out the carbonized water and filled it from the drinking fountain.

This is the street on which we live--pretty isn't it?

And we are lucky enough to have three embassies on our street. First, the Iraqi Embassy.

Next, the Irish Embassy.

And third, the Bulgarian Embassy. I've been told that the bulgarians throw some pretty wild parties--I'll let you know on that one.

This is the pretty, stately house across the street from ours. I love the old architecture here!

So, this gives a little glimpse of my life here in Denmark. The kids are great and Angie and Scott are very nice. I won't start teaching until the test results come back and the materials get here. Contrary to what I've told several people we won't be going to Greece--I know I live a rough life!

Travelling

2008-07-14T06:40:00.002-06:00

Saturday and Sunday are a blur to me now. Pretty much it was just one long day of getting on, sitting on and getting off of planes (with waiting in airports in between). Although I was supposed to go through Chicago and then Amsterdam, when I got to the airport in Salt Lake, they informed me that all the flights in and out of Chicago on Saturday were having major delays and I wouldn't make my connection to Amsterdam. So, they changed my whole travel plan and I ended up flying to Denver, then to Washington D.C., then to Frankfurt, Germany and finally to Copenhagen. That one extra leg made it seem lots longer to me and I ended up travelling for about 24 hours total. I got to Copenhagen at 6:15 Sunday night. My layover in Germany was five hours--that was probably the worst part because by that time I was totally and completely worn out and more than anxious to be done flying. But these are some fun pictures of the chocolate bar I bought in the airport in Frankfurt and me eating the chocolate! (Aren't you all jealous?)

Skirt-Sewing Fiend

2008-07-11T10:09:00.003-06:00

So, for the last week and a half I've been sewing up a storm. I've made five skirts (plus four of my already existing skirts) to take with me on my adventures in Denmark. Here are some pictures. I don't know if you can tell, but the pink one and the striped one have a little extra ruffle on the bottom. The rest are just the regular straight A-line skirts. Obviously the black one is long.

So, it's kind-of crazy to try to condense my whole life into two suitcases and a carry-on. But I've made a valiant effort and if I've forgotten anything at this point, it might be just too late. One of the hardest parts is considering the fact that I have to be a girl for all seasons--yep, that means big coats, boots, and swimsuits too! And although some of you may disagree, this is definitely different than packing for a mission--I have to take a whole lot more than just missionary clothes--I'm a regular person this time. Dad will be glad to know that I've narrowed the number of shoes down to just nine pairs. I know that sounds like a lot but it's really not when you consider Sunday shoes and regular shoes and boots and sandals and you have to have brown and black of almost all of these.

I'm also having a bit of a dilemma leaving all of my books and movies, but that's a whole other story--how am I ever going to do without them?

Update #5

2008-06-27T14:50:00.005-06:00

So this is the last one, I think. These are some pretty cute pictures of my visit to see the twins!

Roxanne

Veronica

Sad Jane

Happy Jane

So I have a ton more pictures but won't post them unless I get specific requests. I will be leaving the country for Denmark on July 12 (that's a Saturday). I'm getting pretty excited and now I just have to focus that excited energy enough to pack.

Update #4

2008-06-27T14:43:00.003-06:00

These are some pictures of my graduation day--May 3. I'm the one with the red galoshes!

Look, I've been hooded!

Update #3

2008-06-27T12:34:00.003-06:00

This is the last set from Arkansas. Aren't these kids totally cute!

I know this one is sideways but doesn't it look like he's having the time of his life?

And just look at him start to crawl.

I think I can say that Silas is one of the happiest babies around.

Update #2

2008-06-27T12:14:00.005-06:00

Continued . . .
After the ward egg hunt, Rebekah and I planned a scavenger hunt for the kids. The prize at the end was a croquet set. We had a rousing game of croquet in the backyard.

Update #1

2008-06-27T12:07:00.003-06:00

So I know that I've been excessively lax in my blogging so, here's a series of update blogs--mostly to post all of the cool pictures that I've taken in the last several months.

First of all we have the Bills--this trip was over Easter Sunday Weekend.

This is Phebe during the Easter Egg Hunt. The Pictures of Sadie and Isaac follow.

And, of course we can't forget Silas, Shawn and Bekah!

Visiting the Bruderers

2008-02-18T22:18:00.004-07:00

So, I had a great time in Las Vegas with Michelle, Steve, Sally, Adri and Weston. Here are some of the pictures I took.

I have a lot more, let me know if you want some. Isn't he such a cute little guy?

2008-02-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

Typical Joey, Striking a pose.

Look how cute!

Daniel & Sara Jeanne

. . . and Diane & Carrie (look how hot that leopard print is!).

These pictures are from Mom & Dad's last Sunday in Utah . . . sorry that it took me so long to get them up. And it's a bit funny that this is the only picture that I actually took of these two.

2008-02-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

Look at these crazy kids! Can you tell what a fun time we have when we're together?

2008-01-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

So, we've had a pretty busy couple of months here. Lynette's married, we've moved and Mom and Dad leave on Monday. Not to mention the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Many of you were here for some of if not all of those events. But here's a rundown anyway.

I'll start with the move. We thought that we'd have the weekend of the 1st of December to move but we found out at 7:30 on the night of the 29th (of November) that we had to be out of the house by 3:00 on the 30th. So, Dad called our home teachers and we had about twenty Elders from the ward at the old house till about 11:00 helping us move. That sure was a crazy weekend. We weren't sure we'd get it done but it ended up being a great thing as there happened to be our first huge snow storm on Saturday. So we were moved but skiwhampus and toasty warm during the storm!

Next, we had Lynette's wedding on the 15th of December. We officially had two months to prepare since she got engaged on the 15th of October. But we had great luck in finding a dress, finding a decorator, and getting the whole family here in time for her sealing! It was an amazing day, and so much fun to have everyone here. And now we have a great new member of the family, I think that Anthony's transition has been and will continue to be relatively painless.

Next, we had another party for Mom and Dad's mission address on the 30th. They both did a wonderful job speaking and we had a great time seeing some extended family again.

And then we had some great fun with those that were here for Christmas and New Year's. We threw a very successful (even if I do say so myself) surprise friend-party for Daniel. Really, it was Mom's idea, because Daniel was prone to complain that he'd never had a friend-party during his growing up years. With the help of his wife, he had no idea and it was a total smash!

Finally, we get to get prepared for Mom and Dad to leave on Monday (January 14). We're not quite sure what we'll do without them. They sure will do well and I know that they'll just have a blast. We found out today that the existing director won't even be there by the time that our parents arrive. Mom & Dad will just have to figure it out on their own--I guess.

I'm sorry if this entry sounds a little bit devoid of personality but I feel like many of you were around for much of this and I didn't want to belabor the issues.

Right now I'm back to teaching my sixth graders, my class of 32 is quite a handful. I will start up on my master's degree classes on Friday. And I have already set a date to see the first of my season ticket shows at Hale Center - "Send me a Tenor" - next Tuesday!

Summer Time and the Living is Easy!

2007-07-03T22:26:00.000-06:00

So I really have had some weeks of down time but now I'm back at the books after a week of being an EFY counselor for the Ogden area. This was my first experience ever attending EFY in my whole life. It was very fun to work with the youth. Our company won the Spunity (combo of spirit and unity--the overall best award you can get!) award and we really did have a great group of kids. The amazing thing is that it was all them. We gave them a couple of ideas but they were the ones that really got into having a good time and getting excited about being there. As for me, I loved the working with the kids but I don't think I quite fit in with the majority of the counselors. They all seemed so young--not just in age but in maturity.

This week I'm working on another class for my masters degree: Creativity. It's pretty interesting and I like the content but it sure is a lot to pack into one week. Because of the holiday tomorrow we are going from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm so that we don't have to attend on Saturday, so it's crazy busy and super long days. Next week I have another one-weeker on cognition and brain functionality (I think), should be fun!

Just wanted you all to know that I'm a pisces (that's the two fish). This means that I am patient, empathetic, adaptable, affected by my surroundings, popular, instinctual, not bookish, sensitive, reflexive, idealistic, and capable of incredible deeds. I know you're all thinking that this is me to a "T" and you're right, what can I say? (ha, ha, ha!) Have a great 4th of July!

Show Tune Saturday Night!

2007-04-21T22:04:00.000-06:00

Some weekends you're just glad to be able to sit at home and listen to Show Tune Saturday Night! What a great program we have here in Utah. They just play show and musical songs from 8:00 till midnight. I just heard "Modern Major General" from Pirates of Penzance. It's pretty fun to sing along with the ones I know and to learn about new shows too. This week was somewhat stressful for no particular reason, so it's great to just have a weekend to relax and not go to work!

New Car, New Ward, Class Play

2007-04-14T11:29:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures of my new car! It's a 2006 Saturn Ion III. It has 23000 miles, leather interior, sunroof (not that I need it), spoiler (not that I need that either), automatic windows, transmission and mirrors, cruise control, etc. I got it on Thursday, April 12th, and so far, I just love it! I don't know if you can tell, but Dad has the yard looking amazingly beautiful!

I have also made the decision to attend a Single Adult Ward in Salt Lake. I know, it's a big step. There is a little bit of a process to getting into the ward officially. You have to attend for four weeks (to prove that you're active and not a ward-hopper). The bishop seems to be pretty firm on making sure that the members of the ward are stable and reliable. I feel o-kay about going to this ward but it's kind of hard to be the new girl again.

And for my last piece of news, we performed our play this week. It was not without some mistakes, but I was so proud of my students. All of them except one and a half had all their lines memorized! The parents loved it and the other students/teachers in the school thought it was great too! One thing that I really kind of liked about the way we did it was the costumes. I had them all wear black and then they had colored sashes. It was an easy way to make sure that everyone had costumes that fit and looked uniform. Also, I can use the sashes for next year weather I do 12th Night again or choose to do another one. And, although it was super stressful (I don't think that I got a full night's rest all week), it was totally rewarding!

Quiz

2007-03-28T17:17:00.000-06:00

Just for fun...let's compare where we all live by answering a brief survey:

1. Price of gas today: $2.39/gallon

2. Temperature today: 39 degrees at 5:18 p.m.

3. Sacrament meeting topics today (this week): Fast & Testimony Meeting - all over the board

4. Biggest news story of the last month: Shooter at Trolley Square.

5. What your kids are doing/did for 100 days of school: I didn't do anything with my 6th graders, does that make me a bad teacher?

6. Restaurants indigenous to your locale: Café Rio, Nielsen's, Pace's, The Mandarin

7. Top 3 attractions near you that people would be interested in visiting: Bountiful Temple, Lagoon? General Conference, to go to Niensen's, to go to Pace's, to go to the Mandarin and of course to visit me!

8. Closest temple: Bountiful, 5 minutes.

9. Distance from your house to where you attend church: abt. 3 blocks.

10. Number of different denominations you pass on the way to church: at least 0.

11. How long have you lived in the house where you live? 2 years.

12. The team everyone roots for in my city is: The Jazz?

13. The number of visitors that could sleep comfortably at your home if they were to visit: At least 6 in real beds with others on floors, in toddler beds an pack 'n plays, on couches or air matresses.

14. Distance between you and the next closest relative: about two feet, Lynette's sitting in the glider and I'm in the eastern most Laz-y-boy in the living room.

Sixth Graders do Learn

2007-03-24T11:34:00.000-06:00

So, I'm here and I don't know how often I'll post but hopefully as often as I have something to say. I love reading the stories about my nieces and nephews.

I'm a sixth-grade teacher and this is a cute story that happened the other day. We are in the middle of putting on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and are practicing and memorizing lines every day. One day towards the end of the day there were a few papers and a pen left on the floor and I asked, "Who's papers are those?"

One student answered, "Alas, those are not my papers!" in a plaintive voice.

I laughed and said, "Did you just say, 'Alas, those are not my papers!'?"

He said, "Yes, I did!" then we all laughed and continued cleaning up the classroom to go home. I guess that they really do internalize some of the things they're taught.