My Journal

 Michael and I still aren't feeling great but I made it through the day just fine and I think I am starting to feel a little better...my voice doesn't sound so good though. After school had a hand full of lessons and listened to Alden play lots of beautiful music on the piano. I love it when he plays and I got to help the girls with their homework. Good full day.

 Michael and I both did not feel well which made for a rough morning but we both made it to seminary and through our lesson. One sad thing for me was Luis reached out saying that he can't come to seminary any more. I will try to reach out more this next week when we feel a little better to see if we can change his mind or if they need anything. School was a nice low key day. I started the Consumer math. I am really excited about it and think it will be really good for everyone. I will continue to teach algebraic principles as well so that they hopefully get both. In the evening we had our orchestra concert at the nursing home on Santa Fe . The kids all played really well. I thought it sounded good!

 Church was wonderful as always. It will take some getting used to conducting and starting relief society...I am sure it will be normal one day. I really feel like I have no idea what I am doing but that's what callings are all about, learning. It was ward conference so we met with the stake for just a bit after church. I didn't stay much longer after that but went home. It was nice to just have a few hours at home and then the girls and I went to a craft night at Lauren's mom's house. She is one of my piano students a mom with a girl about Roslyn's age. We learned about felting, a type of craft where you bind felt together doing different methods. I made a little candle and the girls each made something as well. It was a nice evening but I started to feel like I might be coming down with something by the end of it.

 In the morning was the stake relief society activity with classes and lunch. I really enjoyed the classes. I went to one on internet safety (mostly on keeping kids safe online), spoon theory, fall craft, quilting, and my own special class working on things in a side room on my own for a bit. It was a nice morning. I was home for just a few minutes and then took Benson and Evan to basketball. It is really nice that they are on the same team this year. We are hoping to get our basketball hoop soon, so that they can practice more. Michael did the first cyber security competition with the boys and I think that went well. It was a full but wonderful day.

 We woke up and made pancakes for Maebryn's birthday and then headed out to go to Friday school. Friday school went well. We left after lunch and then went to a few parks for Maebryn's birthday and I also went to deliver a couple of birthday things from the Relief Society. It was the perfect day to go to the park. Once home we did birthday dinner and cake so that we could go to the trunk or treat. We successfully pulled off dressing up as all of the characters from Winnie the Pooh.

 School was full but good. I have been trying to finish grading all of the test and continue with the new lessons. After school was tutoring then to track and to gymnastics. At gymnastics they said that Roslyn is ready to advance. I will have her stay for the next few weeks and then I might bump her up. It has been fun to see the girls learn and progress in gymnastics. At night we got the presents and decorations up for Maebryn's birthday. Calvin is running as the school's class president and one of the students is making posters and stickers for him with his picture on them.

 I was suppose to go into Michael's work for an interview but got held back and grabbed Maebryn at the last minute because all of the kids were going to activities. We ended up leaving too late for the interview so I dropped off a couple of birthday things for people in Relief Society and then went home and got Maebryn ready for bed and had some nice one on one time with her.

 School is going well. We took our first test in a number of the classes, it took much longer then I thought but overall I think people are doing fairly well. It feels good to have things printed and ready for the next few days. After school I took Calvin and Blake to track and then had one lesson. In the evening Sister McMurtry came over and we went over ministering. It was a good day.

 School was great! I finally am feeling like I am on top of things. I have grades up to date and homework printed off for the next week. I still haven't finished going through the closets but I am getting there. After school I went to two more sisters homes and then had our regular afternoon of lessons and orchestra. In the evening it just felt like we had more time and things weren't as crazy as they have been. I jumped on the trampoline with the kids, practiced bikes with the girls and then we played apples to apples with the three youngest that were home. It was a nice evening.

 I didn't have any meetings in the morning. It was nice just being home with the kids. After church I had my first presidency meeting. I need to reach out to Kathryn and see how she is doing because I could tell she is having a hard time. Afterwards I went to the homes of a number of the sisters that have birthday's this month. Came home in time to go visit Robyn who I have been meaning to visit for some time and go for a walk with the family. It was a good Sabbath day.

 Slept in and then went to the bishop storehouse and grocery shopping. I came home to yummy muffins made by Michael and the boys. Michael did cyber with the older kids and I worked on planting a couple of oak trees by our pickleball court. Then we went and got our pictures taken. It was a wonderful day! So many little blessings throughout the day. In the evening played pickleball as a family.

 I slept in today and then went for a run. It was a nice morning, I need to start waking up earlier so that I can get more done on Friday mornings but it was nice to sleep in. Friday school was great. I did orchestra and then helped with homework hub, it was a nice day. I was going to do birthday lunch but the power went out at Michael's work so he sent everyone home early. We'll do birthday lunch a different week. It made it so we had extra time. Michael and I went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse then got some things done around at our home. It was a nice day and evening.

 Seminary went well, school was wonderful. I now have two prep periods so that is really helpful. I really think I will be able to get on top of everything...really I am but I would like to have assignments ready two weeks out and I want to finish cleaning up my classroom so I know everything that I have and when and how I can use them. After school we had Crosby, Blake, Valor, and Reagan come play which was fun. It is fun to have so many come over and play. I do love a full house. I then dropped the girls off at gymnastics and Calvin and Blake off at track. It then poured down rain, which was much needed. Today is the one day that my 4:00 dinner doesn't really work as I tutor right after school and then I leave with the kids...but the rest of the week it did.

 Seminary went well. I taught a lesson on fasting and their was this great idea to take an empty plate and put on it all the negative thoughts feelings we sometimes have with fasting or service. Then we flipped the plate over, like flipping our views and ideas to see it with a new light. And read Isaiah 58:3-8 or so where it list the reasons for fasting and how we can do those thing and then on the outside rim they wrote all of the blessings. I thought it was a good way to look at it. School went well, I was able to get some things done and then came home to tutor Lelia and then had a few lessons. The younger three left during my last lesson to go to the Primary program practice. As soon as I was done with my lesson I went to Lisa's to go over activities in RS. I was on empty and had been for a while so I went straight after to gas up and then to Jodi's to learn how to submit welfare info for families. I was on a zoom call for school at the exact same time, so it was a little c...

 School went well. Calvin helps me with a student that I have that is a little difficult the last period and it works out great. I have found most kids really are good kids but that they sometimes can't handle certain situations, that is this child. He wants to be the class clown and by the last period of the day he is so wound up he literally can't function but he does just fine on his own. Our 4:00 dinner worked again. We had sandwiches and even though we had people here everyone was able to eat and I got Calvin off to track. Lessons were late but a good day.

 School went well. I had the high school take a test so that was good to see where they really were at. It was a pretty regular Monday with lessons and orchestra. On Sunday I sat down and thought about each day and when we could actually eat dinner and found 4pm was the perfect time each night. So we did it and it worked out perfectly! We'll see how it goes the rest of the week. We got a spacer for Benson so these are the before pictures. If it works it would be a huge blessing and miracle.

 Today I was officially called as the RS president. I always think these days are interesting because of all of the comments of congratulations or condolences but at the same time if no one said anything, then it would also be awkward. I'm glad to be done with that part. The other thing that will be interesting will be conducting in RS on Sunday. I haven't been in RS for so long but it will all work out. I am grateful to be working with so many wonderful women. Sunday was a full day as I went to ward council and then church, break the fast, meeting with Frances and then I ran to a sisters house. It was a good day though. I really don't think RS president will be too bad but time will tell.

 Michael and I went to the temple in the morning and then to town talk. We had all of the rest of the afternoon at home to get things done at home and to make dinner for the missionaries. We had 5 sisters which was great. It was a good and productive day. We got the faucet outside fixed, cleaned out a cupboard and got dinner ready for the missionaries.

 The kids all wanted to stay home from Friday school except Maebryn. She will often say, "Mom, I don't want you to be alone" I love that I have my little companion to be with me. I got to do the store today so that was fun. I would just bring people out and help them buy the things they wanted. I also was able to still do orchestra and the kids are getting better. I am hoping that they will be ready for the concert on November 9th. Before school we had sausage and biscuits for Benson's birthday and then after I went to Dominos to get pizza for lunch. For dinner we had tostadas and Michael made a very yummy chocolate chip cookie dough cake. Michael and I interviewed a lady for the optician position in the afternoon and it went well, we hired her on the spot.

 Today at school we ended up combining two class periods which gave me all the time I needed to catch up on printing things for the beginning of next week. I also gave a really nice family a tour. It was a good day. After school we brought Blake home to take him to track. He is such a good and nice kid. I took the girls to gymnastics and Calvin and Blake to track and then I went to Fort Worth to go to the viewing of Karli's dad. It was a good full day. I got to listen to Atomic Habits on the way home. I really am wanting to clean up a couple of our systems to have things more clean.  

 No seminary but Benson wanted to wait until Friday to celebrate his birthday. School was good, I got a couple of the things done that I needed to as I had an open period as one of the students wasn't at school. After school Alden and I went to get the van at honda where we took it over to the church  because I didn't want to drive it very far until we got the piece installed on it. Big miracle- the Honda guy let me know that there was someone to who said that sometimes it had to do with the v-tech system. Anyways we installed a $20 item that was super easy to install and it seems like it will fix the otherwise $5,000-$10,000 problem. Such a huge blessing. In the afternoon we had some lessons, Myra Martinez came over to visit and Michael and I fixed the car.

In the morning the cement people we here to start on the new cement for our pickle ball court. We don't have seminary this week but for not having seminary I sure have felt tired. Today was full as I ended up having people in my room when I normally would have time to work on things. After school the Chambers came and played, we had lessons, and I took Calvin to practice, and then came home for more lessons in the evening.

 Fall Break so no seminary which has been nice to get a little more sleep and to be here with the kids in the morning but I do think seminary helps me start the day. I got a little more frustrated with the kids at school today. I have a couple that are using AI and it is really starting to show and is getting frustrating knowing how to manage it. They won't own up to it and cheat in other ways but I can't prove it so it's hard to know how to handle it other then to talk to them about it which I have done. Today I spent more time trying to figure out the situation with our van...calling mechanics trying to get quotes...I called Honda a couple of times seeing if it could be something else and letting them know that in the end I couldn't get the van today. On the last call the mechanic said to go look into the v-tech system, which is exactly what I needed, it is a possible solution that will only cost us a about $20 much better then the 5-10 thousand dollars we have been q...

 Woke up and made breakfast casserole and Michael got enchiladas ready for later on. It was fun to be able to visit with Jon and Meghan and to have their family at our house. We visited then watched conference. Maria Erwin brought her dog during the first session of Conference of which the kids were excited about.  After conference we had enchiladas for lunch and berry cobbler. Everything was very yummy. We then waved Jon and Meghan off and watched the second session of General Conference. I went in and out of sleep during this one so I will definitely need to listen again. In the evening I was going to give and investigator a ride home from the church and was supposed to have a meeting for work but everything cancelled which made for a nice low key evening at home with the family.

 I took the van to Honda first thing in the morning then I ran to the grocery store. When I got home it was time for General Conference to start, it started right at the time we heard back from the dealership which said we might just need to replace our whole engine. I started calling around places to get quotes and things. I felt at peace like everything would work out but couldn't figure out how or why. I also looked into new vehicles but quickly realized that was too expensive. Between conferences the boys got ready to head to the BYU football game. Once they left the girls and I cleaned up the kitchen and around the house and then watched conference. It was wonderful. We then snuggled on my bed and watched the Greatest Showman together. I do enjoy that show.  I then worked on sewing a dress while I listened to the first session of conference again. It was a wonderful day. The boys got home late at night and then Jon and Meghan came a little after them.

 Friday School was canceled!! This was such a nice blessing. Amanda hadn't been feeling well and with the rain it made a good reason to be able to cancel Friday school. With Jon and Meghan coming I was going up to make the guest room and found mouse droppings...lots of them in the closet with popcorn Kernels. We decided to wash everything that was in that closet and throw away some things. It actually felt nice to clean out that closet and the closet downstairs in the guestroom. I still have a little bit to clean out but overall it's fairly cleaned out. We worked on that and our regular Friday cleaning and passing off of poem and scripture. We then went to Cartright park with the Astons. We were going to go camping but didn't because of the rain and health things the Astons had so we went for a little hike and then they came to our house, had dinner and made a fire for smores,  and sang songs with our ukulele. It was a good day the only down side was our van check engine li...

 We canceled seminary today because of the rain, we had a lot of rain which was causing some flooding. Due to the hard rain we thought it be best not to have the high school students driving in it. It was a rainy day throughout the day which made for a more laid back kind of day. The kids all do seem to react to the weather as I think we all do to some extent. After school I tutored Lelia and then took the girls to gymnastics and Calvin to track. It was a nice day.

 On these days us teachers have time to sit and visit and we were discussing how the kindergarten class is a little small...only has 3 students so we have to combine often. We discussed grouping classes but that wasn't going to work out well. We did end up deciding to move Maebryn into the Kindergarten class, which I am excited about because she will enjoy school more in that group. I didn't have as many lessons today which was nice but did end up on the phone for a bit figuring out classes. I think we just about have everyone where they need to be.

 School is going well, I think I finally have a nice rhythm and I am starting to get everything organized. I am almost done copying the marcy math that one of the teachers gave me to use. It has been great for the one student that uses it. Today I didn't have any lessons so I had some down time for a minute and then took Calvin to track and was able to get some things done while I waited for him. Things really are very good and I have felt very blessed. I feel as though I have all the levels of the classes and students figured out well.

 School went really well. I really enjoy Monday and Wednesday as they are very laid back kind of days. I come home and have a little bit of time before lessons and then have orchestra which I am enjoying and I think we are actually going to get our music learned in time! Advanced is sounding fairly good and beginner is really starting to understand. We still have a few weeks so I am hoping that we get there in the next couple. Blessing is the simpleness of the day and I was able to get the nursing home set up in one phone call, which was amazing.

 Today was a full but wonderful day. We did family scripture and Come Follow Me early in the morning so that Michael and I could go to Hudson Oaks ward where we listened to Ashton do her mission farwell. I also heard Capri play the harp and Aris sing. I think I might want to learn at least the basics of the harp.  Afterwards I stayed for ward council and then we had church taught Primary and then snuck into relief society. After church I sat in temple prep with Frances and then went to Maria Erwin's and then hurried off to be there for Calvin's patriarchal blessing. Patriarchal blessings are such neat things, I am so grateful that I could be there for my kids. It is so rewarding to hear the blessings from our Heavenly Father poured down upon them. I am always proud of them but these moments are extra special.

 I took Benson to a track and field Civil Air Patrol meeting in the morning. Then I went grocery shopping and had some time at home. In the later afternoon Calvin and I went to Footloose. It was really good and I was glad that we went. It was fun to talk about the messages that we got out of the show. Calvin drove all the way there and the way home so it was some good driving practice. We had a nice evening together having hamburgers. The kids tried on their Halloween costumes, I am going to be prepared this year.