Rotary Cup 2023

We enjoyed the Rotary Cup this year, (The SW SC football game).  But it was for the company not the football.  SW played terribly.  Also this was bad news for me, as I made a wager with my coworker, our PE teacher.  If SC won, I have to lead PE warm-ups this week.  If SW won, he had to do Read a loud for my class. Guess who's leading PE warm-ups this week?  ME!  Haha.  

Lockwood's son had an amazing game, tons of yards, tackles, and even scored a touchdown.  He really supported his dad in winning this bet! 

Libby Update

 Libby is having a great school year!  And also a hard one.  I guess that's how it goes.  What's great is her school work.  She wants a car.  We told her that the requirement was no missing assignments.  She told me that was "impossible," that no one turns in all their work.  (Apparently she forgot that I'm a teacher.  And I actually know for a fact that most of my students turn in all their work.)

Anyway, she's actually living that reality.  She has had one or two late assignments, but despite having harder classes, she's getting them in!  I'm so proud of her.

Swimming is also going well.  While she claims to really not like it, she is getting better each meet.  I think she's had a PR in basically every meet.  Last week she swam the 200 free again (she swam that event in the first meet and her cap fell off...).  She dropped 14 seconds off that original time and got the "big drop" award for the week.  She rocked the meet this week with some big PRs too.

JV champs this week.  I'm really excited to see them rock it.

The hardest part is that she's been taking an XR (extended release) ADHD med for a couple of years.  Then, without warning, it was no longer available.  So we had to switch to a short acting med.  This transition has not been smooth.  Lots of emotional ups and downs.  (Just when we thought we'd leveled out--emotions spiked again.) We're working on tweaking the dose but yeah.  That's been tough.  

We won't let her hang out with Andrew without a parent at home.  That's something she's not a fan of either.  So we're trying to navigate that.  This week they tried a work around and he came and hung out on the trampoline with her while no one was home.  Yeah...sort of bending the rule...We weren't excited about that. 

SW Fall Concert & Sarah's Solo

 There is a long term sub for Sarah's choir this semster.  I'm not sure if it was her, the musicians, or the fact that I just read Life in Five Senses so I was super tuned into the magic of the music.  But the choir sounded great (as did the bands/orchestras).  Despite her cold, Sarah sounded great in her solo (duet and quartet really I guess.) 

Seminary Update

 Okay, I really love teaching seminary.  Our schedule of alternating days has made it feel so manageable.  I do Tues & Thurs and my co-teacher does Mon & Wed.  2 lessons a week is just enough.  I feel like I get to connect with the kids well in this way.  We are also just having fun! 

Here are some of the fun things we've done over the past couple of weeks.  (Wish I had taken more pics of their good work).

We wrote a Second Coming Story: I'm putting the link and trying to embed.  We'll see which works.

The Second Coming is Coming

Click to read this book, made with Book Creator

read.bookcreator.com

https://read.bookcreator.com/PYXmGnR2u6T1wYJFNH5ZoWPj7rD2/6U6ik_avSMucZbUGMqD2PA

On another day, we built paper towers, to talk about how Christ can be our strength.  Sarah asked the key question as we were building.  (They had paper only.)  She asked, "Can't we just have some scotch tape?"  (YES!  The Savior is like the scotch tape.  We call him in and he can support and strengthen us.  He can stabilize us through our challenges.) 

I feel so thankful to be teaching seminary right now. 

7th Grade Benny

 So far Ben is loving 7th grade...except for a few things.  He has some big issues with new rules at school.  They can't eat outside.  They can't use their phones except for during lunch.  Like at all.  Not even in the halls.  (I love this btw).  And, he's really struggling to get his contacts in.  (We are still in the trial phase, and he keeps dropping them, getting a little something on them, then getting them in and the STING!).  He really needs them for football, and they'll be helpful for wrestling too.  But boy, it is a challenge.

This week he managed to wear them all day on Wed.  But then he only played like one play in the 5th quarter before he got tackled hard and sat out the rest of the game.  I wasn't there or I would have made him get back in there.  But anyway, too many things going on. 

I had to get Sarah to her concert and Derek had a game too.

His battle wounds I guess? 

Yes!  He actually got them in! 

Sarah's Birthday!

 Sarah turned 15!  And she got a cold for her birthday.  A nasty one that has lingered all week.  But she managed to have a lot of fun during her birthday week anyway. 

I finally remembered to buy the official Homecoming pics! 

She had a birthday brunch with her friends. 

They went to the Goodwill outlet bins, but they didn't find much, so I drove them to Target instead. 

At Target she found the Kenough shirt she's been wanting Ben to get.  She got matchy matchy for her and Ben. They wore them for the family birthday party. 

This week she also went to the Taylor Swift Eras movie with her friend Amelia (who is also going to wrestle!)

We also witnessed the slaughter of SW by SC at the Rotary cup game.  It was bad. 31-7. 

I love that these two are friends. 

Brunch with friends (not sure why these are so out of order...)

Look at those dahlias from my yard!  So lovely!  

She also had a swim meet where she PRed in both her races I think.  Unfortunately, SC beat SW in the swim meet as well I'm pretty sure.  But we'll get em in wrestling!

Sarah is going to take Driver's Ed over Christmas break.  I can't believe how old she's getting!  She's rocking HS, Seminary, and friend life right now.  I'm super proud of her. 

Baptismpalooza!

 I'm currently writing in Utah.  Ben and I flew down Utah for the baptisms of 2 of my nephews and a niece.  It's been so nice to be here with family.  

I'm so proud of the these cute kiddos for making the choice to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized.

We started with a Chuck-A-Rama lunch! 

So much fun hanging out with Devin & Davey

I got to play hairdresser.  (I'm sure Rachel wasn't super pleased with the boys' haircuts--I'm still an amateur --but I nailed Aria's braids!)

A stickup! 

All the grandkids who made it to the baptism (all but Libby and Sarah)

Davey ready to party after the baptism

The boys slept one night out in the trailer. 

The baptism crew.  James worked really hard to be brave enough to put his head under the water.  He wore googles and dunked himself with his dad's hand on his back.  It was so beautiful! 

Brad with his dad & Devin

Luke and Davey at the baptism

Aria's temple pics

She reminds me of Rachel so much in this pic 

Off to the temple. 

We had a tooth loss this weekend too! 

Some fun building! 

We fly home this afternoon.  It's been a lovely weekend.  There wasn't a sub for my class on Friday--so who knows what I'm coming back into.  Haha.  We'll see! 

HOCO 2023

 I was sad to be out of town for Homecoming this year. But the girls seem to have had a great time and took some pictures.  I hope I'll have more to add soon. 

Derek down on the field coaching at the game.  He's the C team coach, so he doesn't help out much during Varsity games, but he enjoys the sideline view. 

Fun @ the game in the stands...most of Sarah's friends are in the band.  So she sits up near them with her other friends who aren't. 

Libby in her class color--BLACK

Dance time!