Time flies when you are having.....

Braces off... Tiffany now after 4 years of orthodontic work now has a beautiful smile. Calla just got her braces on, and looks really cute. Next post, I will show the new brace face!!




Prom 2010. Tiffany was asked by JJ Holcomb to the prom. He called us and asked if she had a date and then a few minutes later came over and stuffed her truck cab full of balloons. Inside some of the balloons were words that asked her to the prom. The five couples all went to Carrabas Italian Restaurant for dinner.

This is the Mafia pose!

Tiffany and JJ

Tiffany in her dress!

Northern Arizona University Graduation. Here I am walking into the ceremony to receive my masters degree in education. I didn't think I would be emotional but I was. I got a little teary eyed as we were walking on. I can't believe that my 2 years of hard work is finally over!! I graduated Summa Cum Laude getting a 4.0!

Here I am being hooded. This was very exciting for me! I never thought that I would want a master's degree. I have thought of the different things that I now can do with my degree. I can teach at Junior College or Community College, something that I think I would really enjoy! With my Reading Endorsement I could exclusively teach reading in the elementary schools as a specialist. Time will tell. For right now, I am perfectly happy teaching 1st graders how to read, write, and tell time!
This is my colleague, Maria Martinez, she teaches in my building, along with a couple other girls who have also been working on their master's degrees with me. Maria and I pushed ourselves this last semester and doubled up on classes so that we could graduate in May instead of December. It was so fun to graduate with a friend!!!
While doing my master's degree, I met some other teachers who became dear friends of mine, Jenny and Dawn (2nd from right and far right). They also pushed themselves to finish early with Maria and I. We had several classes together, and would often have stress meetings in the parking lot after class. It is so nice to be able to study, work hard, and have friends who are feeling the same stresses as you!

Things do come in 3's....

The saying is that things always come in 3's....and it's usually bad things right? Well I have 3 good things that have happened to us recently.

#1 Graduation:
Yes! I am officially counting down the days to MY graduation. This is the reason, I have been absent from bloggy land for the last nine weeks. I decided that the short term sacrifice of taking 2 graduate classes together would have long term benefits; mainly not attending graduate school this summer. Because of this, I found out recently, that I can walk on May 7th rather than wait until December. I am very excited about getting to walk in the graduation ceremony! It's even more fun, because I am graduating with a couple of friends who have been completing their master's degrees too. In addition I am graduating Summa Cum Laude! Something that I am really proud of, because I have studied so hard.


#2 Braces off!!

T finally got her braces off after 4 LONG years! She has a beautiful smile now. (Her sister is now starting the orthodontic process)


#3 T Got a Job!



T finally got a job! (isn't that sad, that I would be excited about that) She is working part time at a make and take pizza restaurant that recently opened up near our home. She works about 15 hours a week. She has always been good about saving, and buying things that she wants with her babysitting money. SO now she has started her college fund! Also, now that she is driving, she realizes that driving has it's privileges and it's disadvantages. She is contributing by putting gasoline in the truck, since she drives to high school, and likes to cart her friends to the mall. Hopefully, she will also help with a small portion of the insurance fund, since the rates went up after her rear end collision! (another post at another time)

Sentimental Saturday...A Few of my Favorite things!

Today, I am sort of sentimental and thought I would share a few of my favorite things. I hope at the end, that you will share your favorite things on your blogs. I got this idea from
http://circlecliffviews.blogspot.com

My most favorite thing! My best friend of 20 years:

He has been my rock and support! He is an excellent cook. He cooks more than I do! He always makes me laugh. He goes to the gym with me! He has always encouraged me to try new things and I always appreciate his honest opinion.

My 3 girls:

All 3 of my girls, are talented, smart, and very different. My oldest is very organized, a leader, and very talented with scrapbooking and crafts. She used to play the flute. She is very laid back, and is a jeans and pony tail girl! She has beautiful penmanship.

My next daughter, is a talented cheerleader and dancer! She is a 4.0 student, and loves to read! (Thank-you Mr. Case, her 4th grade teacher). C is honest and straight forward. She gets that from her dad. She plays first violin in the 8th grade orchestra and loves to write stories.

My youngest, the ballerina. She is starting to like reading, after many years of making her:) She is an excellent swimmer and diver! M is good at school and has made the honor roll 2 quarters in a row. She is very emotional, and sensitive to others' needs. (She gets that from her mom). She is a friend to everyone!

I love Disneyland! It truly is the happiest place on Earth.

Where else can you be goofy and unwind with your favorite people in the world?

Lake Powell my paradise in the desert!

I love the down time I get at Lake Powell. I usually just sit and read a book! Here my 3 girls sitting in the sun! When we go to the lake, we ski, explore, and fish. (see previous posts)

I love the desert in the spring!

When I moved to the desert from the Northwest 5 years ago, I thought it would be sandy, brown, and filled with cactus! Well there are cactus, but year round the desert is beautiful. My favorite time is in the spring, when the whole desert is in bloom with wild flowers. I also love the sunsets in the desert!



I love the smell of campfire, I love sitting around the campfire relaxing and staying warm. Smores aren't to bad either.

I love Sonic diet coke with lime!

December Highlights...

Did Thanksgiving just end?? Because it seems like December was a blur! First of all an apology to anyone who reads my blog and did not get a Christmas letter or card this year. Please don't feel bad, because I didn't get the letter written....yet! It may come, it may never come! Life is just busy, as you can all relate.

In the first week of December....

C and M played the violin and sang with the school choir at the town Christmas tree lighting. It was nice to feel the small town spirit, even if it was in Arizona and there wasn't any snow. After the tree lighting, and the girls performance, the girls and I went to McDonalds and had dinner. (Calla's choice)

The next day, C marched in the Christmas parade with the Junior High School cheerleading squad.

They marched to "All I want for Christmas is You..." by Mariah Carey It was the first time in the 5 years that we have lived here, that we went to the Christmas parade. It was really fun and it made you proud to be part of our small but yet growing city!

In the Second week of December....

Mike had to cook for 500 for the church breakfast with Santa. I stayed home and worked on my take home final, did my report cards, and lesson plans.

In third week of December...

M played the cutest elf in the fourth grade musical. I had to sew her costume. Thank goodness her elf costume was easy and finals were over!!

In the fourth week of December, came Christmas Vacation!

M making Christmas cookies

I hosted Christmas Eve dinner at my house, and we had Mike's sister and my nephew, and Nana and Papa. We had the traditional clam chowder in bread bowls, and then we loaded up the car and went to see the loop of lights. After seeing the lights, we came home and read the story of Jesus from Luke, and then had baby Jesus' birthday cake.

This is the tree on Christmas morning. The girls held out until 6:30 which was pretty good. (the next day the slept in until 8:00 go figure!)

I was really excited this year, because Mike had suggested things he wanted for Christmas, and I got everything he suggested, and I even surprised him with a giant tool chest from Sears! (except...I got him a larger version of the one he already had! Darn it! I thought I bought the lower section. He took it back)

Santa brought T some scrapbooking stuff. She is really crafty and talented when it comes to things like that, and maybe she will stop using my stuff:) She also got some shirts and jeans.

C's list this year consisted of contacts, a cell phone, and clothes. She was a little disappointed to realize that mom and dad were serious when they said that she doesn't get a cell phone until she can drive! She did get a 3 prong curling iron, a flat iron, and clothes. (other wish list items) C is into zebra print, so Santa brought her a zebra flat iron, zebra purse, wallet and jewelry.

I got clothes, an ipod, so that I can listen to music when I run at they gym, and jewelry.

M played Santa this year, and passed the presents when it was your turn for the present. She asked Santa for a Skateboard, and DS games.

Santa gave our family a nice surprise this year, (even one that I didn't know about). He brought our family a Wii and a Wii fit for me! It was a really nice Christmas, and I am sad to see the season end. It's too bad that the weeks leading up to Christmas are so busy! The girls are growing up so fast and soon Mike and I will be celebrating differently, and the girls will be making their own traditions; Until then, I cherish the small things that we do to make the holidays and the birth of our Saviour so special! After the presents were opened, and the wrapping paper scattered about. We charged the Wii, Mike made breakfast for us (another tradition) and then I went back to bed! Late that afternoon we went to Mike's parents for Christmas dinner and relaxed with the family. We then came home and played bowling on the Wii.

(here are the neighbor girls and C playing hulu hoop the day after Christmas)

Fall Frolicing.....

Nothing is better than playing in the leaves, especially with cousins that you don't see that often.

Climbing Grandpa's apple tree to help harvest the apples.

Climbing on the shed to reach the highest branches.

We took a day and visited Jensen Historical Farm in Cache Valley, Utah. Here are the cousins all posing on the hay. Being in the fall leaves, pumpkin patches, and cool brisk air, really had me missing the 4 seasons.

The kids loved jumping off the tall hay bales into the straw. They were doing flips. I think this was their favorite part. (above is Calla and below is my niece Bailey)

We all tried the slide.

(above my brother Dave, below my nephew Ryan)

We all tried flinging the gourds. Sometimes it took team work, to get the pumpkin

to fly far.

You can't go to the farm without seeing animals. Here Avery is riding the ponies.

It was so fun to visit Utah and see family. The kids love seeing their cousins. When they are together, it is like no time has passed. They all get along so well. I just wished that there wasn't so many miles between.

A Brain Break or Road Trip?? Part 1

The fabulous the thing about "modified year round school" is that we get these little Brain Breaks every nine weeks. For our break this time we headed north to visit family and honor my dad on his retirement, it was a quick trip...2 days in the car, 2 days in Utah. Here are some things that we saw on the 13 hour drive....(it is hard to pass the time in the car)

A view of Lake Powell.

My favorite part of the trip. The Virgin River, with the red rock mountains in the background.

An indian hogan.

Sleeping children, somehow make the road trip even Nicer!

"Excuses are like feet...."

Okay, I orginally was going to give you a bunch of excuses of why I have fallen out of 'bloggy land.' From tissue paper state flag projects to an 11 page research paper, or farm town and face book; I decided after catching up on all of your blogs, and quoting Rex from Toy Story,

"I have guilt... " Excuses are like feet they all stink!!

I have missed my bloggy friends, believe it or not!

I have missed a friend who has lost 50 lbs,

another has lost a loved one,

another has written a book,

another started student teaching,

one is on vacation in Disney,

and another had a rock thrown through her master bed room window in the middle of the night!

I have missed Chanelle's Thrify Thursdays and my neices and nephews running a 5k for school.

I promise to not let time be to long before you hear from me soon. We are on fall break now, and I am off to paint base boards! (gotta love year round school)