Back to School

Most of you know by now but I made the jump back into the classroom. What a journey it has been so far! About a week before school started, my principal found out that they could hire another teacher and I volunteered for the job. I soon found out that I would be teaching a 3rd and 4th grade split class and had just two days to through a classroom together. With the help of many wonderful people, I was able to do just that!

I have 8 fourth graders and 15 third graders. They keep me busy. They are extremely high spirited and full of energy. There is never a dull moment. We have had our share of trials and I have shed more than my fair share of tears. Am I crazy? Some people would say that and I would agree at times. However, I know that this is where I am supposed to be. I know that I can make a difference in the lives of these 22 kiddos. It is a day by day journey and one that will have a great reward at the end!

Girls Camp

Several months ago I was called to be the camp director in my ward. At the time, I was okay with this. Camp fell the week after I finished teaching CORE and I felt it was something that I could do. I only knew one of the YW in the ward (because I was her 6th grade teacher) and that worried me a bit.

Summer became very busy with teaching and I didn't put a lot of thought into camp. There was very little communication from the ward leaders about camp and that made things frustrating as well. I was beginning to wonder if I could quit a church calling.

Camp came last week and I gave it all that I could considering the circumstances. It was a wonderful experience. The stake used the theme: Oh the Places You'll Go (Dr. Seuss) and focused on integrity. They had planned some wonderful activities for us to participate in.

We went to Lake Lyman in the Uintas. There is a girls camp up there owned by the 11 stakes in Layton. It took us about 3 hours to get there but it was beautiful. It is nice to get away in the mountains and to be able to feel the spirit.

I went to camp with a bit of a chip on my shoulder but came home humbled, amazed and having my testimony strengthened.

Here is a slide show of pictures from camp if you are interested in looking at them:
http://www.slide.com/r/QWp_fw-T6D-agp145fhShjxe5XjFLbnf?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

My Future Husband...

While we were teaching CORE in Cedar City, I was able to spend some time with the Penrod family. I was teaching with Holly and Sam and the boys were staying with her. One night we went to dinner and Jefferson (Jeffie) asked me when I was getting married. I watched the blood drain from his mother's face. I told him that I was just waiting for the right person to come along. He informed me that he was taken (by Emma, the next door neighbor) just I could have Max, his little brother.

Here are Jefferson and Max...

CORE Academy

This summer I took on a job working for the State Office of Education teaching CORE Academy. I started working on lesson plans back in Oct/Nov and just finished teaching last week. I had meetings once a month through the beginning of June and then taught for 5 weeks throughout the summer. It made those five weeks VERY long but I really enjoyed teaching.

I taught second grade...which is something that I have never taught. I loved it! I worked with some amazing people and this is an experience that I will always remember. I am not sure if I would do it again, but I am glad that I did it this year!

Stubbed It!

Last Monday as I was getting ready for the day, I stubbed my toe on a corner in the bathroom. As those of you who has stubbed your toes know...it hurts. In fact, this one started to bleed. I knew that I had done a number on it. I babied it throughout the day because it was killing me. Here is what it looked like the next day...



It was pretty sore for a couple of days and there are times even now, a week later, when I bump it and it still hurts.

Memorial Day 2010

On the Saturday night before Memorial Day, the Rees side of my immediate family all gathered at my house for a little get-together. Heather and Drew were down from Idaho, Tyler and Tiff came with their kids, Amanda was there with Kristian and Addi, Dallin, Mom and me. If I counted correctly, there were 19 people. What a group!!

We enjoyed playing in the street since I don't have a yard large enough to entertain that many people...especially all of the kids that need space to play. There was bike riding, baseball, chasing, and just about any other activity we could throw in there.
Here are a few pictures of our little get-together. Thanks everyone for a great time!

My first bike ride

For a long time I have admired my friend Lisa for her ability to ride a bike. Yes, I know how to ride a bike but the extent of my bike riding was around the block every once in a while. Over the past two years, I have been able to support her as she rode in the Little Red Riding Hood bike ride in Cache County. I found myself saying that there was no way that I would ever be able to do what she does.

Well, with that is the back of my mind, I started talking with another friend about the race. Michelle is a math coach along with me and she had signed up for the race was was really encouraging me to do so as well. I let time slip and didn't get signed up but that didn't stop Michelle from finding me a registration to purchase.


My longest ride prior to the race was 24 miles and that was four days prior. On June 5, 2010, I participated in the LRRH ride and rode 33 miles with Michelle. It was a beautiful day and wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. In fact, I loved it.

Lisa and her sister, Laurie, rode a tandum bike and did 58 miles. We spent some time together that day. I rode up and back with them.


I am proud of myself for riding in this ride. It is something that I know I will do again in the future and next time I will go a little further!

Home Repair Frustrations...

Okay, this post is a venting post. My last post about this was posted at the end of March and I am still not finished with getting my kitchen back together. The cabinets took a week or so and were put in over Spring Break. The guy who was fixing the holes in the sheet rock came a week and a half after the cabinet man. I was stood up by the painters and the flooring people (twice). The painters came and were finished in about 20 minutes. I am still waiting for the flooring people to come.

My blood boils when I think about how ridiculous all of this is. There is no way that any of this should have taken this long. I guess that I should have been a squeakier wheel throughout the entire process. Maybe I just needed to enlist the help of a male to make phone calls (any takers...because I know so many of you are reading this blog!) and get things done. I am not impressed nor remotely pleased with how this has been handled. HOPEFULLY, the floor with be fixed and this entire mess will be behind me soon!

A new color...

Over Spring Break...yes I am very slow in posting this...I completed a little home improvement project in my bedroom. For a while I have wanted to paint a couple of the walls a different color and even had the color picked out for about 2 months. I was waiting for a break from school to be able to get it done. My mom came down a day to help and Lisa and Avery also joined in on the fun. Anyway, we cranked it out in a day and here is the finished project!

Women's Conference

I was able to attend Women's Conference this year with my mother and my friend Lisa. We headed to Provo early Thursday (April 29) morning and were in the Marriott Center by about 8:15 a.m. The first session started at 9:00. After the general morning session, in which Sister Julie Beck was the speaker, there were three break-out sessions. We were back in the Marriott Center for the general afternoon session that started at 3:45 p.m. We repeated the same process on Friday.

I took it upon myself to get the hotel and boy did I ever choose a winner. I booked through Travesty, I mean Travelocity and the name of the hotel on-line was not even close to the name in real life. In fact, the name on the business card I picked up was colored over with a sharpie marker. What are they hiding that they don't want people to know about? The room was big and we were there for only one night...Lots of memories and laughter will come from thinking of this 4-star rodent motel.

Women's Conference is a great place to be to gain strength from other righteous women of the church. It is a little like General Conference for women by women. All of the sessions are wonderful which makes you feel bad that you are not able to get to them all. You come away from there feeling a little more empowered to be a better person, to try a little harder as a wife, mother, sister, friend and neighbor. You regain the eternal perspective that may not be in the forefront of your mind.

Thanks mom and Lisa for a wonderful Women's Conference. I hope to be able to go again next year!

Grandma Jan Gets Pretties!!!

While we were sitting in the Friday morning session of Women's Conference, my mother leaned over and told me that she wanted to get her ears pierced. She has had them done before but has not worn earrings for a very long time. When we finished our day, we headed to the South Town Mall to get the deed done. She was so brave! She didn't even make a sound. I never really asked her if she was nervous to get them done...I hope she likes being about to wear earrings again!!

Screws, Water, and Repairs...Oh My!!!

On Thursday evening, I noticed that there was some discoloring of the foot kick on my cabinets. This is the small piece of wood between the bottom cabinet and the floor. The discoloring went from my fridge to where the cabinets bend in the corner. As I looked closer, I could tell that this discoloring was actually water. I looked as best as I could near the fridge to see if there happened to be a leak in the fridge. I ended up pulling the fridge out and finding a huge puddle of water under the fridge and much more water damage than I had expected.

I cleaned up the mess and turned the water off to the fridge thinking that the fridge was the problem. I went to a movie with Dallin and when I came home I had another puddle of water. I then knew that it was more that a problem with the fridge. I noticed that by pulling out the fridge, I had put a couple of holes in my kitchen floor. This about put me over the edge. I tried to control my frustration and tears...turned off the water in the house...and went to bed.

The following day, I contacted the people who built my house and they came out to find the problem. After two hours and cutting holes in the wall, they determined that the sheet-rockers had nicked the drainage pipe with screws...three to be exact. The holes were just enough to let small amounts of water leak...and over time...cause larger problems.

This picture shows the holes cut in the wall trying to find the leak. You can see the water that has started to soak into the cabinets.

This picture shows the water damage to the floor board from behind the fridge. The dark brown color is the water that had soaked into the board.

This is a picture of the drain pipe that was damaged. This is actually the new pipe. They replaced a piece about the size of what you see in the picture.

It is now Monday and I am waiting on phone calls from people to come and fix the mess that this water has caused. I hope to be back to new by the end of the week.

Memories

Yesterday was the 20th anniversay of dad's death. I hadn't really thought about it much throughout the day until I attended Avery's baptism. I sat a few rows behind Avery and Mark and watched them throughout the talks. Watching Avery's excitement and how she was interacting with her dad made me think about my baptism day and what my interaction with my dad was like. I don't remember a lot about my baptism...but I couldn't help but picture my dad and I being much like Mark and Avery!

This week has been a little rough at times but it has been good to be reminded of my dad and all that he means to me.

BYU vs. UTAH

Dallin and I were able to go to the BYU/UTAH basketball gave at the U this past week. We had a great time. We met for dinner at Litza's Pizza and then headed up to the game. It wasn't much of a game (poor Utes) but we had a good time. I sure miss spending time with Dallin. Thanks for letting your big sister take you out now and then. I love you Dallin!

20 Years...

This week, March 6th, will be the 20th anniversary of dad’s passing. In memory of my dad, I want to share some information about him in hopes that those who read this will gain a greater appreciation for the man I am lucky enough to call my dad.

The forth son of Jospeh Elliott Thackeray Rees and Thelma Jaques Rees was born on March 1, 1950. They named this son Hal Royal Rees. Hal was one of six boys. Grandma Thelma told a story once of bring the boys home from Morgan when one of them lit a firecracker off in the car. She pulled the car right over and made them all walk the rest of the way home.

Growing up there were four boys in the little room which used to be Grandma's sewing room. Two sets of bunk beds were in there and the boy paired off..."Big Kids" (Paul and Roger) and "Little Kids" (Scott and Hal). Because they were termed as such, Scott and Hal formed a strong relationship, one that Uncle Scott says was the strongest of all of the boys.

There are many stories from dad's growing up that can be shared about chores on the ranch, hauling hay, and hunting. Dad always had a soft spot in his heart for the ranch and would spend many Saturdays up there helping Uncle Scott with the chores. The ranch holds memories for me as well...learning to drive the truck while feeding the cows, playing for hours in the barn, watering the fields at Doug's. Good memories from the ranch where dad grew up.

Dad was always a big sports person. I know I got my love of sports from him. He was very kind to others. He had a strong testimony of the gospel and was not afraid to share that with other people. Thank you dad, and mom, for planting the seeds of my testimony when I was young!

Dad loved to play the piano. He was a very talented piano player. We had an old player piano and he would put a roll into it an pump away. I remember thinking that he was the greatest piano player in the world...he could make such beautiful music and not even touch the keys with his hands. Two of his favorite songs were The Entertainer and Baby Elephant Walk.
I can’t believe that it has been 20 years since dad has been gone. There is not a lot that I remember about that time in life, all of the details surrounding dad’s illness and death, but there are some things that are still very clear in my mind, even after 20 years. I remember the day that dad died. I was sitting in Driver’s Ed. I heard the intercom at the school beep and somehow I knew it was for me. I was up and out of the class before they even finished the announcement. When I reached the office, Aunt Jill was there to get me. I remember asking her how dad was doing and she said that he was already gone. We then headed over to the elementary school and pulled Amanda out of class. When we arrived at home, there was a lot of family already there and plans were starting to be made for the funeral.
One of my fondest memories of the final days/weeks with my dad happened at State Basketball in 1990. There was a story written and printed in the New Era in 1991 that shared what happened on that day at State Basketball. Here is a link to the New Era for you to view that story if you would like to. That is a memory I have with my dad that I owe to a very dear friend and a memory that will always be a treasure in my heart!
LDS.org - New Era Article - A True Champion

I can't help but wonder what kind of relationship I would have with my dad if he were still here today. I see the relationship that my friends have with their fathers and wonder if mine would be much the same. I know that Grandpa Hal would love each one of his grandchildren very much and that he would spend time teaching them so many things! I am grateful for the time that I did get with my dad, even though I know I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have. He has left behind a great legacy, children who love and appreciate each other and who are doing their best to always remember Grandpa Hal.

Happy Birthday Dad! I love you and miss you!

Celebrating Grandpa Hal's 60th Birthday!

Last night, we got together to celebrate Grandpa Hal’s 60th birthday. My dad was born on March 1, 1950. Grandma and Grandpa Great (Francis) were nice enough to host our rowdy party. Grandma Jan, Aunt Jodi, Uncle Dallin, Tyler and his family, and Amanda and her family were all there. We enjoyed time together as kids, grandchildren, cousins…enjoyed a great meal in which everyone helped put together. We called Heather and her girls on the phone and we all sang “Happy Birthday” to Grandpa Hal at the same time. We had chocolate cake and milk as well as root beer floats for desserts, two of dad’s favorites. These are treats that have become a family tradition which we not only enjoy just at this time of year but throughout the year as well. We finished the night by watching a family video that was created back in 1997.

This is a picture of us singing "Happy Birthday" to Grandpa Hal. Grandma Jan is holding the phone so that Heather and her girls could be a part of the singing.

Here is a picture of Uncle Dallin with the grandkids that were there. We sure missed Kara, Aubree, Braelyn and Hallie!

Chocolate cake in milk or a root beer float? How do you choose? You don't! You just have both...especially when we are celebrating Grandpa Hal. These were two of his favorites and I don't think there is a March 1st that passes without having one or the other...or BOTH!

Tyler is good about carrying on certain family traditions with his kids. This is one of them. This is something that Grandpa Hal did with each of his kids and I am sure he would have done it with all of the grandkids.

Card Party

This post is a little out of order but I still wanted to get it posted. A couple of weeks ago, I had some friends over for a card party. We ordered lunch and then got right to work. We all picked up a card magazine, someone stated a page number and we had to use that page as the inspriation for our cards. Page 53 was pretty good to us! There were only a few complaints about this method but it ended up being a lot of fun. Thanks for a great time girls!

A new toy...

Well, it isn't really all that new. I purchased myself a mixer on the day after Thanksgiving sale at Wal-Mart. It was a great deal and I had been thinking of getting a mixer for a while. I don't usually spend a great deal of money on myself and this mixer was kind of a random purchase. It had been in my garage...yes, the same garage the gives me anxiety...since I purchased it. Well, in the midst of my organizational rampage this weekend, I opened the mixer. It is a nice fixture on my counter and I hope that I will be able to report on the use of it sometime in the near future.

Decorating

Did I mention that I have been in my house 8 months? Did I also mention that I have not hung very many things around the house as far as decorations go? It honestly took me 2-3 months to put the first nail hole in the walls. Well, in the midst of organizing this weekend, I put a few things up on the walls. Here are a few pitures of what I did. Nothing huge, but something!


This is hanging in my entry-way hall just before entering the living room.


This picture also hangs in the hallway but across from the garage door.


I have had this mirror for a while. I love it and it finally hangs on the big wall across from my couch in the living room. I need to find someone who will do some vinyl for me know!

Organization

I have been in my house for 8 months now and I am finally getting a few things organized. On Saturday, I spent the better part of the morning cleaning out a few closets and finding things that needed a home at the DI.

One of the biggest thorns in my side about my house is the amount of stuff I have in my garage. Since I left the classroom last year, I have had to store all of my school stuff in boxes and bins in my garage. I don't know that I am ready to get rid of it yet, just in case. However, I get anxiety every time I pull into the garage becuase of all the stuff.


On Monday, Mark Lowe (Lisa's husband) came over and built shelves in the garage. He worked all day. I know that it was a big undertaking for him and probably not the way he wanted to spend his day off. The shelves are GREAT! I love them! Thank you Mark (and Lisa) for helping me get the shelves in my garage.


While Mark was working on those, I worked inside. I made a huge mess in the house in an effort to get a few things organized. I turned my spare bedroom into a workout room...just in case anyone wants to come workout! I organized things in my computer room. It feels good to have gone through things even though there is more to do!

This is my computer room after the organizing. Can you even imagine what it looked like before?


My workout room...open for business!


A closet...organized...AHHHHH!