A Month of Updates

Wow! I've had a lot going on in the past month so it's time to recap! Back at the end of July I made a trip to Dallas, Texas for Mary Kay Seminar. It was an incredible experience! I love my business! I worked really hard all summer and had a lot of success with it. As I teach this year my goal is to keep sprinklilng it into my life consistently. Really, everything about seminar was amazing and I loved being in Texas for a few days. It was awesome!

In a last minute decision, I got to go to Redfish Lake this year with my family. It happened to fall on the same week that Justin went to Seattle for his brother's bachelor party so I went to Idaho by myself. I LOVED hanging out with Mom and Dad and Keaton all week. It was like old times! Redfish Lake was so fun. I enjoyed seeing my brothers and sisters and hanging out with my nieces and nephews. It rained off and on the whole week we were there, but we made the most of it. We still had our late-night campfires. I went on a bike ride with Hart, Jory, Brynn, Braden, and Keaton that was my favorite part of the trip. We went to the dredge near a ghost town that I can't remember the name of and hit the hot pots on the Salmon River.

almost...

We left Redfish on a Thursday and I spent the remainder of the week in Arco. My parents had their temple assignment on Friday, and Dad sealed one of our best friends Dallas Taylor to his bride that day. Everyone said that Dad did such a great job! Keaton and I got to hang out all day while they were gone. We watched The Impossible, rode four wheelers and collected fossils, and drove out to Craters of the Moon and did a huge bike ride out there. My bike was stuck in 5th gear so I had to walk on the horrible uphill part while Keaton chugged along in 1st gear: curses! But it was really fun and we went through Indian Tunnel. They are paranoid about a fungus spreading in caves across the U.S. so Keaton went through barefoot (his shoes didn't qualify to enter #rulefollower). The following night we went to Dallas's reception and saw a bunch of old high school friends which was fun! I flew home Sunday evening. I am so grateful to Trisha for letting me borrow her car that whole week so I didn't have to rent a car. Thank you gracious family!

Indian Tunnel

Putting his shoes back on...

We found a natural arch up Rocky

Fossils everywhere! I had a hard time choosing...

Last week I started at my school with getting my classroom ready and going to meetings. There are a few new surprises! I am no longer teaching 7th grade at all which means no Earth Science...so the girl who graduated to teach Earth Science isn't teaching it! I'm strictly teaching 8th grade Physical Science. I have mixed feelings about it but the majority of them are positive. I will have more of my previous students, I will only have one prep, and I have THREE accelerated classes out of five so that's amazing. Some VERY last minute decisions were made and we now have a completely new administration! New principal, assistant principal, two new deans of students, and there are rumors that there will be more changes. School starts TOMORROW. Crazy people...my week was extremely stressful but I'm ready to get in the classroom in front of my students doing what I do best and that is TEACH.

This is what my classroom bulletin board looked like when I got in....that green was unbearable!

The updated bulletin board!

My rocks and fossils finally have a home.

I hauled my rocks from Idaho in these rocks. When I picked it up from checked baggage it had the new brown tape on it. TSA "randomly" inspected it...yeah right. I don't blame them: it does look like a bomb!

I got to teach today in Relief Society. That lesson was for me! It was Elder Bednar's talk "Bear Up Their Burdens With Ease" and wow has my load been multiplied with my new teaching responsibilities! But I know that because of the atonement of Christ we can all do anything great and accomplish whatever it is in this world we want to accomplish! I had two amazing opportunities to share the gospel with four different people this week and it is amazing to see them learn for themselves that this gospel is true! I know it's true and I'm so grateful I have the promise of eternal life with my eternal family #becauseofHim. Until next time!