Early Evening Seminary

It's been a tough couple of months for Perrysburg Seminary. The winter's not even half over yet and we've already battled fog, sleet, ice, and snow. Driving is an adventure! In order to keep these young, inexperienced drivers safe (I include myself in this group), I've had to cancel seminary 1/2 a dozen times. And, we're about to add 2 more snow days tomorrow and Wednesday. Ugh!

Fortunately my students are WONDERFUL and they agreed to meet last Sunday for "Early Evening Seminary". We had a Mexican food potluck and a 2-hour catch-up lesson. It was cRaZy and LOUD and totally fun! Plus, they brought the food.

 In early morning seminary I've not had to deal with the typical classroom management concerns that other teachers of youth experience. At 6:00 am, teenagers aren't generally chatty. What a difference 12 hours of wakefulness makes! These kids have never asked so many questions!

 No one could have accused us of being reverent either, despite our Sunday dress.

What a bunch of jokesters!

 You would think that we would have blown through several sections of The Doctrine and Covenants in a 

2-hour lesson. Not so. We finished the last half of D&C 76. That's it. Oh! And we did a goofy rendition of our scripture mastery chant. I got it on video, but I'll spare you.

I want you to come back to my blog.

 We're already planning our next "early evening seminary" lesson and potluck dinner.

We're thinking Italian, or maybe Thai food...

 ...but no sugar!

Before and After

I've always been a sucker for a makeover. Those before and after shots get me every time!

As I surveyed my pigsty of a home this morning, I realized I needed an extreme makeover: home edition

Adrian Monk would be proud of this sink cleaning job, don't you think?

Ugh. Laundry. The piles triple in size over the winter.

That's the first time I've seen that counter top in a long while.

My bedroom hamper threw up a few days ago.

All better!

Trash is a "blue" job at my house.

But, I couldn't wait any longer for my boys to get home.

An unmade bed gives you permission to crawl back in later.

This bed only permits freshly showered patrons after 10:30 pm. 

I lead a glamorous life, no?

Imagination Station

On MLK Day we tried out our new family pass to Imagination Station.

One of our favorite attractions was the BOYO (human yo-yo).

 It took some getting used to, but even Emma figured out how to BOYO.
What lovely form!

 Daddy and Emma constructed an earthquake-safe tower
that stayed together despite their rigorous testing.

 Jacob made a new friend named Gizmo. 

Emma Janie discovered the science behind an arch
and created a bridge with foam blocks. 

 Jake stuck with Duplos...Classic.

 Ever the problem-solver, Daddy spent quite a while figuring out
how to construct a paper bridge that would hold multiple blocks. He succeeded!

 Emma found the wind tunnel and practiced her
Magnum and Blue Steel poses for the camera.

 She also learned a little about how airplanes work too.

 Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away...we took some cheesy pictures in the Hubble Space Exhibit.

Check out this freakishly long icicle! It was a cold, cold day outside. 

It's a good thing we had something fun to do indoors in the great city of Toledo! 

Dog-Gone

Last Wednesday, January the 12th, Ariel came into our lives. A short week later, she was gone.

We took this beautiful golden retriever into our home expecting that we would prepare her for her role as an assistance dog. Our plan failed.

Ariel and Shelby did not become fast friends. Shelby, our only dog for 13 & 1/2 years, wanted to maintain her status as boss. She saw Ariel as a threat and continually put the "newer model" in her place. As Ariel became more confident however, she abandoned her submissive stance. Fighting ensued. Blood spilled. Piddle leaked on the carpet.

Oh! How we adored Ariel! She was so gentle and loving with the kids.

Playing ball, getting groomed, and going on walks were some of her favorite activities.

When you gave her a hug, she hugged you back. When you stroked her fur, she placed a thankful paw on your leg. When she napped at your feet, she snored.

We will definitely try fostering an assistance dog again...

...once Shelby is no longer with us.

Best wishes in your new home Ariel!

Our Baby Turns 11

If you could go to any restaurant for your birthday, where would you go? Emma's choice: Boston Market. Their mac-n-cheese "attracts her like a magnet" she says. Who could argue with the birthday girl?

In lieu of a ruckus party, we ate out as a family and took Emma on a shopping spree.

It's called pushing the easy button.

Emma has developed a fondness for all things Aeropostale, so we spent a great portion of the evening following her around the store.

Jake was an obliging big brother. He even got a few items for himself. The kicker for him though, is that he must earn his clothes by performing manual labor. First job: scoop the frozen dog poop in the back yard.

After Emmy wore us out with shopping, we drove home to enjoy a chocolate mint ice cream cake made by Daddy. This version was even better than the one he made for my birthday back in November.

Emma didn't make a wish, because she said it had already come true. She always wanted a hundred bucks to spend on herself.

HaPpY bIrThDaY MiSs eMmA!

Hello, Goodbye.

Hello, 2011. You seem quite promising so far. I expect you'll bring some changes – you just have that look about you. So far, you've motivated me to purge some of the contents of my basement storage, welcome a new addition to the family, and turn my attention back to places hot and dry.

The Purging
Not long after Christmas, I got an itch to reclaim the storage room in our basement. The season had created a space that was no longer maneuverable. As I started shuffling boxes, I realized that I could free up vast amounts of space by whittling down my teaching stuff. I casually mentioned my thoughts to Rick, but he didn't push me. He respected my attachment to file folder games and phonogram cards. He probably thought I wouldn't go through with it.
First, I focused on the dozens of file crates containing lesson plans, work samples, and laminated "cutesifications". The task was overwhelming and emotional. So much effort had gone into this stuff, but it was silly to keep something I didn't expect to use again. Besides, I still had all my computer files and access to the Internet if I developed a need for fact family worksheets. I kept anything I might possibly use for a church calling, and recycled or donated the rest.
Then, there were the books. I'm sure I had hundreds of them, maybe thousands, all carefully filed by subject. I created a pile that covered ¼ of my basement floor. The kids found it entertaining to get Shelby to jump over the mounds. I found it enjoyable picking 200 or so favorites and lining my shelves with them. I'll have grandkids someday, right?
The part of this process that actually felt good was passing on the books, games, activities, etc. to sisters in my ward. I sent out a mass e-mail and a dozen or so families came to take it away. It eased the pain of parting with the stuff knowing that it was going to be used (and maybe even loved) by someone else.
A New Addition
No, I'm not pregnant. My youngest child turns eleven in two days. A new baby would be insane! We are, however, getting a golden retriever tomorrow through Assistance Dogs of America. We've been thinking about fostering a dog for a couple of years, and it's finally coming together. Now if it would stop snowing long enough for me to go pick her up…
Ariel is our foster dog's name. She's about a year old and already knows some basic commands. We'll provide her with love, exercise, socialization, and some more training. I will have to work with her every day, taking her on outings and helping her understand the difference between "work" time and "play" time. We're so excited and hopeful that this will be a good experience. Pictures to come soon…
Hello AZ, Goodbye OH?
We've lived in Ohio for 2 ½ years. I am just now getting homesick for Arizona.
Don't get me wrong. Perrysburg is great! I love my neighborhood, my ward, and my friends at the Y. The changing seasons are fun too. Fall and spring are gorgeous here! Living in a smaller city has a lot of great advantages too like no traffic, strong family values, and low crime.
Despite all the good, I really miss my family out west. I also miss mountains, sunshine, and the "dry heat". Everything has changed so much since we left though; I'm not sure where we'd go. Everyone in my immediate family has moved. Most of Rick's family has moved as well. Where do we belong?
I assumed Jacob and Emma would be so firmly entrenched in Perrysburg that they wouldn't want to move once Rick's residency ends in 2012. I was wrong. Even with their great friends and school opportunities here in P-town, they STILL want to go back to AZ. Rick too. I'm the only one on the fence about it.
Stay tuned to hear more about our ever-changing plans…

That Can’t Have Been 15 Years……

When I was in High School, I met a hottie! It was an exciting time. We dated and fell in love. When I went on my mission, she waited. Once home, there was no fighting destiny. I married that girl and we started a life together. I don’t know how it is possible, but she has only gotten better looking through the years. She has grown into a strong woman and exemplary mother. She is a teacher both in and out of the home. She loves her children and her dog. She has a kind heart and warm smile. She inspires those around her and makes others excel. I have been blessed to call her my wife for the past 15 years and look forward to forever with her. She has followed and supported me through both good and bad times. She encouraged my dreams and has even trekked across the country in pursuit of my training. I love her more today than I have ever. She is my wife. She is my best friend. She is my Audrey.