What's Up?!

It seems like everyone's been in a blogging slump lately...including me. I can't seem to put my finger on the problem, but it's kind of been the last thing on my mind...

But for a quick update of the past couple of weeks:

Maddie and Wills finished up at Challenger. I must say, I cried knowing it was the end of Challenger for Maddie and never really started for Will! The Orem Challenger is moving up to Traverse Mountain (a good 20 minute drive each way). I would be spending a good 2 1/2 hours of my day in the car...no thank you! However, I am sad to see Maddie leave Challenger. She has made some wonderful friends and has received an EXCELLENT education. I have her enrolled in the Accelerated Learning Class at Foothill Elementary in Orem. And I met with the teacher a month ago and the 5th grade curriculm is what she did in 4th grade at Challenger. I'm not quite sure how 5th grade is going to go for her. It's really weighing heavily on my mind-I'm sure it will all work out. As for Will-he's just excitied to be going to Kindergarten!

The school year ended with lots of festivities, The Family Picnic, A class party for Maddie in Highland, Field Day and Maddie spending her last day of school at home in bed with Strep Throat-bummer! She tried going to Field Day, but after a couple of hours, she begged me to take her home.

The Family Picnic at Scera Park

A couple of moms in Maddie's class hosted a party in Highland at their swim and tennis club one day after school. They had so much fun. Mrs. Johnson came and the class presented her with a wonderful gift. They ate, swam, played karaoke and had a great time playing! What great memories they made.



And you know Summer has started if you have a little boy and he's playing T-Ball!

Challenger Knight

Maddie was made a Knight of Challenger on January 31, 2008. Each month, one child from each class is nominated and presented at the Spirit Assembly. Her teacher, Mrs. Johnson was saying that Maddie exemplifies all the Challenger values and that she is a THINKER. And because she is able to think about things and situations in many different ways, she has an amazing sense of humor---quite a dry wit. (She really is quite funny).

Maddie is such a great student in both her grades and comportment. She is friends with everyone and is well liked by all her classmates. Challenger has been such a wonderful experience for Maddie. She has received an invaluable education that I hope will carry her through all her school years.

What a Day!

Today was one of those days where you have so much to do, it's hard to know where to start and you wonder if it's really all going to get done (the worst is when it carries into the next day-which mine will!)

I offered to help with the ward party tomorrow night by putting together a live nativity with the primary children. What was I thinking? Of course, I waited until the last minute and have been scrambling around trying to gather children, props and costumes-UGH! So I fretted and stewed all day about this task. I actually woke up wondering how I was going to accomplish this task. I also have to decorate a table and make a salad for the party!

I am decorating a friend's house for the holidays (something I do each year). But it was on the busiest day ever. I went over in the morning to do it, but she wasn't home and had told me she might not be home but the code to her garage was
- - - - . Of course, I forgot it. I tried her on her cell phone, but had to leave a message. I knew I couldn't really go anywhere because I would soon be leaving for Maddie's school program! And also, if she called, I wanted to be able to run right over! She didn't get back to me until it was about time for me to leave for the program-totally my fault. I should have written her garage code down! Anyway, the block of time I had set aside to do this was now gone-YIKES...when was I going to get this done?

Maddie's Winter Program was great! Grandma and Grandpa came to watch. She is so beautiful! Isn't she just wonderful! I love her so much and I am so proud of her.




Mrs Johnson-Maddie's wonderful, amazing teacher!

I brought Maddie home after her program, took her to Activity Days (she didn't want to go, another story,) but went anyway and had a fun time. It was a babysitting activity so Will actually got to go and I had the hour and a half I needed to get Bonita's house done! Yipee for Activity Days! I picked them up at 5:00, ran to Harmons because I had to take rolls to our Neighborhood Christmas Party and also get something for the kids for dinner (chicken drumsticks-YUCK!), then picked up the babysitter, ran in the house, tried to make myself presentable for a party, wrapped the white elephant gifts and ran next door to enjoy myself for a couple of hours! WHEW!

The party was over by 8:30 (the party is getting shorter and shorter each year!) So, since we had a babysitter, Bob and I decided we'd go to a movie and went to see Dan In Real Life. I absolutely cracked up. And Bob was laughing so hard-I rarely hear him laugh like that-(Seinfeld will do it) and it's one of my favorite things about him. He has such a great laugh and when he laughs hard, you know he means it! Go to see that movie-it's great!

reminds me of this below....is this not the funniest thing ever!

I'm going to bed now, knowing I will dream about that darn nativity! HELP ME...I have poop stomach!

School Pictures

The school pictures arrived today. I think they turned out great! In person they are even better. This is just a picture I took of their pictures.

William looks so happy...because he is! He is growing up so fast. He doesn't look like a little toddler boy anymore (he never really did). He looks like he should be in kindergarten, not preschool! He is so curious about everything. He's a smart child and he's quite a ladies man!

I can't believe how old and grown up Maddie looks. She is so beautiful. She is becoming a young woman and I am so happy and proud to be her mother. She amazes me with her talents and skills and her confidence.

The Lesson Columbus Taught Us

Columbus by Joaquin Miller

BEHIND him lay the gray Azores,
Behind the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of shores,
Before him only shoreless seas.
The good mate said: "Now we must pray,
For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Admiral, speak, what shall I say?"
"Why, say, 'Sail on! sail on! and on!'"

"My men grow mutinous day by day;
My men grow ghastly wan and weak."
The stout mate thought of home; a spray
Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.
"What shall I say, brave Admiral, say,
If we sight naught but seas at dawn?"
"Why, you shall say at break of day,
'Sail on! sail on! and on!"

They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,
Until at last the blanched mate said:
"Why, now not even God would know
Should I and all my men fall dead.
These very winds forget their way,
For God from these dead seas is gone.
Now speak, brave Admiral, speak and say"--
He said, "Sail on! sail on! and on!"

They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the mate:
"This mad sea shows his teeth tonight.
He curls his lip, he lies in wait,
With lifted teeth, as if to bite!
Brave Admiral, say but one good word:
What shall we do when hope is gone!"
The words leapt like a leaping sword:
"Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!"

Then pale and worn, he kept his deck,
And peered through darkness. Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a speck--
A light! a light! at last a light!
It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!
It grew to be Time's burst of dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that world
Its grandest lesson: "On! sail on!"

I read this poem this morning and for some reason it really struck an emotion in me. I could feel the sorrow and despair of the mate and the hope and determination of Columbus! Reading the poem outloud brings it all to life. What a great lesson this poem has for us and what a great lesson Columbus taught us: never give up on your dreams and your hopes,

endure to the end...SAIL ON!

Each week in school, Maddie memorizes a new poem. And this is the poem for this week (they actually have 2 weeks for this one considering the length). They recite their poems each Thursday in front of the class. Maddie has been memorizing a poem a week since Kindergarten! That's a lot of poetry. Every April, they have a Speech Festival-needless to say, Maddie really shines! We are so proud of her and her accomplishments. She does so well in school and is a conscientious student. I am so grateful Maddie has been able to attend Challenger.

Maddie in front of her school...Challenger.