Memorable MondayJosh's kindergarten days

Since Josh just finished his last day at Porter, I remembered his kindergarten days. He was my first kid to start kindergarten and I was nervous. It was hard to send Josh to kindergarten and I worried about him for the 3 hours he was there. He had afternoon kindergarten and there were some kids in his class that he knew. The class had a gingerbread hunt to become familiar with their new school. It's so fun to remember that time when he in kindergarten when he heads off to Junior High. I wish I could stop time and enjoy my kids at the stage a little longer. Josh is such a great kid and I enjoy talking to him. He's really smart and will enjoy the challenges of Junior High. He's so excited to have band every day and wishes to play more than just the clarinet.

Josh in kindergarten - he looks so young

Last Days of School

The last day of school kept my kids very busy with different school events.


Josh, Dani, and Angela all had field trips the last few days of school. Josh and Dani went to the IMAX, while Angela went bowling with her classmates. They all enjoyed their field trips. Angela brought home a bowling pin with her classmates autographs.

Josh attended his 6th grade promotion officially became a 7th grader. His teachers called his name and he gave him a nice certificate and he walked across the stage just like he watched his dad do the week before. He was very honored to walk across and shake the hands of the 6th grade teachers. He was on the honor roll again this quarter and he did a great job.

Josh on the last day of elementary school.

At the awards ceremony, Josh and Dani were recognized for being in the band and in the student council. Josh and Dani went to school early very day to eat breakfast and attend student council on most Fridays. When they were being honored, they stood next to each other and I couldn't have been prouder as their mom. Josh earned the media center, science, and social studies award. Dani earned the reading award and a certificate for participating in a month long PE event. Dani earned a straight A's this quarter. Good Job Dani!

Josh and Dani being recognized as student council members. I love this pic even if it's blurry! Dani earned a reading award. She is always reading a book.

Angela had an awards ceremony in her class. She earned the 'Most Improved Handwriting' award. Her handwriting has improved so much over the past 3 years and Angela is proud of the papers she has written. Angela also received her promotion to 4th grade certificate. Angela is attending her home school next year which is just around the corner. Because she is in the special ed program, the school district could transport her to and from school if I wanted the service. I decided that I would enjoy picking Angela up from school with her sister. So after 6.5 years, the bus will not stop at our house to pick up Angela and take her to school or bring her home. She has had some fabulous bus drivers and I thank them for their service.

Angela's last bus ride for a few years.

Memorable MondayEarning Bachelor's Degrees

Both Jim and I are ASU Alumni and watching him graduate this week reminded me of the time that both Jim and I earned our Bachelor's degrees and the feelings we felt on those days. I graduated from ASU in December of 1994 from the college of education. Jim and I were starting to date seriously while I was student teaching. Jim came with my parents to my convocation which made me more excited and nervous. I sat with the other graduates and though about Jim most of the time. Soon, it was my time to cross the platform and shake hands with some of my professors and be recognized for my hard work. I remembered feeling such a great accomplishment as I accomplished a goal since I had during my youth. The best part of the night though was driving home with Jim. The very next day, I attended the university commencement. I remember that day a little more clearly because Jim didn't come. Funny how that works. Jim proposed to me in January and we were married in March.

A couple of years after I graduated, Jim earned his Bachelor's degree. Jim served a two year mission in Philadelphia which put him a couple years behind me. Five months before Jim graduated, Josh was born and his company hired him as a full-time computer programmer. Jim graduated with honors from the college of business. It was so awesome to attend his convocation and commencement to honor his achievements. It was fun for both of us to graduate at ASU and we often saw each other in the institute building, or in the same institute class.

Jim's Convocation

Jim had his college convocation this morning. My parents, my kids, and I sat together at the ASU basketball arena for the his convocation. When we watched Jim march in the procession with the other Master graduates, it hit me that he is finally graduating. It was so neat to see him march with his classmates and to watch my children during the ceremony. We watched Jim cross the platform and being recognized was the highlight of the ceremony. There were 700 graduates earning their master's degree which made the ceremony long, but the kids were very good and I'm so glad that they came to the ceremony. After the convocation, we took the kids and toured a little bit of ASU. Jim showed the kids the classroom where he spent most of his time at ASU. I wanted the kids to tour the campus and see what a college looks like. I miss those days at ASU and wanted to show the school off.

ASU Graduation

Jim graduated from ASU this week. He received his Master's Degree in Information Management from the college of business. It was a one year intense program and spent 16 hours at ASU for instruction time and many more during homework with his group. He worked very hard at school while working full time. He was a very busy man and made a lot of sacrifices to get this degree. He did very well and maintained a 3.4 grade point average. We are so proud of him.

On Wednesday, the university had their commencement where President Obama was the guest speaker. When Jim told me that a guy named Barrack was going to speak at his graduation, I thought that Jim wants me to think it's the president but it's really a classmate. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that it was President Obama coming to speak at the ASU commencement. I don't agree with Obama politically, but I wanted to go and see him speak and bring Josh and Dani along. We had to arrive at the Sun Devil stadium early so everyone (71,000 graduates and guests) could get through security. It was a hot day and we had to ditch our water at the security entrance. We had to buy water once we entered the stadium to keep cool. The water cost &5.50 - &6.00 a bottle - crazy! We found our seats in the shade and began our 4 hour wait until the graduation started. I was so glad that I brought Josh and Dani with me to keep me company. Jim's parents came a couple of hours later and his dad bought us a lot of goodies, which was our dinner. ASU put on a little show for us while we waited. It was great show which ended with Alice Cooper singing the school is out song. It was ironic because most of the graduates had a final the very next day, including Jim. The university had their commencement early to accommodate Pres. Obama. We saw Air Force One fly over the stadium. We knew when he arrived when we saw the snipers and a tad bit of his motorcade. His speech was very inspiring and not too political - my kind of speech. It was so awesome to be there that day. They didn't get him and honorary degree which caused a lot of controversy but was gracious in his speech about it. He stayed to shake hands with the 250 graduates who earned their doctoral degree and those kids who earned the scholarship in his name. The kids had a great time, but were anxious to go home after Obama's speech. I made them wait until they officially graduated Jim and then we left. It was a great ceremony!

Jim and the kids before the big event

Alice Cooper singing with his son's band. His son attends ASU.

Some of the graduates. They waited until they were in shade before they put on their robes because of the heat. It was an awesome site to see.

Here is Jim with a couple of classmates. They did a lot of group activities, so his classmates became good friends.

Here is a picture of Air Force One flying over the stadium. The airport is very close to ASU, so we watched the sky for any signs of his plane. The upper seats got a real good view as it flew by.

I had to get a picture of the snipers. We watched them and knew that the president would be arriving soon.

Here are a couple of good pics of the President. These two pictures were taken my camera, so you tell we had a good view of him, except when he was speaking. The podium was blocked by the speakers, so I had to take a picture of him on the teletron.

Jim sat with the business college instead of the graduate college. They had better seats and sat in the shade longer, so they choose to sit there. Who could blame them? When the ASU president asked the Master's candidates to stand, there were only 4 in the section, which makes for great pictures for me.

We got to celebrate with Jim 6 hours later. We seperated shortly after passing through security and met up with him after the ceremony. It was so great to see him!

We went home using the light rail. We were able to get good seats and saw Grandma and Grandpa at the next stop. Dani gave up her seat to Grandma and sat on her lap. The light rail was so busy and we were so lucky to run into Grandma and Grandpa who left before us. They waited until President's motorcade to go by and open up the light rail to get on. Since the light rail runs right next to the stadium, they closed it until the President left. It was awesome that we ran into them.

Memorable Monday My babies

On Mother's Day, I often think of the first few moments I had with of each of my kid shortly after their birth. It was such a great bonding time for Jim and I. We waited several hours after each birth to call our parents. I know that they must have hated that, but it was such a special time for me. Here are some pictures of my kids.

Josh and I

Dani and I

Angela and I

Emily and I

Mother's Day

Jim and the kids made breakfast for me. The older two kids wanted to serve my breakfast in bed, while the younger two wanted me to come in the kitchen to see the big surprise they were making. My kids cooked a yummy breakfast and I went back to bed to eat it. Next year, I want to eat breakfast with the family. I enjoy being a mother and try to be the best mom on Mother's Day. Jim was asked to speak on Mother's Day and did such a great job. He has a wonderful testimony and I love to hear it. My girls sang in Sacrament Meeting and did an amazing job. They continued to sing for me during the next speaker. It was a sweet moment for me.

Here I am on Mother's Day. My precious kids and I. This picture was taken on Easter.

Mother's Day is a great time for us to honor our own mothers. Jim and I have sweet moms who would do anything for us. They continue to bless our lives and we appreciate them. They have done so much for us and we consider them angels.

Here is a picture of my mom this past summer. We went camping in Southern Utah with the whole family. Her kids are spread apart between two states and loves it when the whole family gets together.

Here a picture of my mom and I. This picture was taken just before my graduation from MCC. I was so excited to earn my Associates. My parents helped my get started in college after we moved to Arizona 6 months after I graduated high school. Those years were hard for me and my mom. I struggled to find myself and discover what I wanted in life. My mom struggled with her health. We worked together to get past those difficult years.

Here is a picture of Jim's mom and grandma. I love them both dearly as they have accepted me as a daughter and granddaughter. It's so wonderful to spend time with the both of them. Jim has a great relationship with his mother and spoke very highly of her during his talk.

Here is a cute pictures of Jim's mom helping her grand kids get ready for the Easter hunt. She loves to spend time with her grandchildren. She has great activities for them to do and loves to hang out with them.

Music Recitals

Dani and Angela both have had music recitals this week. They have worked really hard this past year and it was wonderful to hear and see them perform.

Angela had her recital on Thursday evening. Angela is in a wonderful program called "Let's Play Music". It's a great program that teaches music theory by singing, playing bells, and listening to classical music. It's a three year program and Angela has finished her first year. Angela loves to sing the songs, play the auto harp and bells, and participate in the puppet show. The kids use puppets and recognize patterns that they hear while listening to classic music. It was so neat to see Angela perform the songs that she worked so hard on. There was one song in particular that Angela was very proud of performing. Angela thought "Old Paint" was a very sad song and were burst into tears every time she sang it at class and at home. Angela and I stopped singing it at home at Angela's request. The class played the "Old Paint" on the bells since it has the same chord throughout the song. Angela played the song wonderfully without any tears. Angela has such tender feelings when she sings and doesn't really like the minor songs. Congratulations Angela on finishing the first level of "Let's Play Music".

Dani had her piano recital on Saturday. She has been working on her recital piece for several months. She really liked the song and we heard her play it often. I love to Dani playing the in our home. Dani quickly finding the songs that she likes and practices them more than the other songs. She prefers the quick fast songs that are easy to memorize. I think most kids do. Dani has started to write some songs on her own. She is quickly learning more music theory as she create her songs. She sits at the piano and plucks the notes away until she's happy with the song. I have to remind her that there are certain number of beats to a measure and then she goes back to the piano and works on the piece again. Dani has taken piano for two years and is learning quickly. We are so proud of her and her accomplishments.

Memorable MondayVisiting Teaching

The Relief Society in our ward is planning their annual Visiting Teaching Conference. I remember when I was a Young Adult in my parent's ward and had an awesome companion who taught me how to be a visiting teacher. I still remember that experience and am grateful for my sweet companion who was patient with my crazy schedule. We had the opportunity of visiting some wonderful women in our ward. We visited three sisters who had different lives and challenges and taught me so much during our visits. I made some great friendships with those three sisters that I wouldn't have made outside of visiting teaching. I hope that I can be a great visiting teacher like that companion that took the time to teach me.

End-of-Year School Events

Battle of the Books

Dani joined the Battle of the Books this year. The students form groups of two or three and answer questions about four books the team was asked to read. They had three battles during the school year and as a team they did very well. As a group, they read 12 books and Dani read most of them. Congratulations Dani!

• The Cay by Theodore Taylor
• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
• Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
• There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Lois Sachar
• From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
• Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
• On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
• The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
• When Hilter Stole Pink Rabbit by J. Kerr

Band Concert

Josh and Dani had their band concert this week, Josh's last in Elementary school. Josh and Dani have a great music teacher and they both love to go to band. The 5th graders and 6th graders play a few songs separately and then the played the last song as a group ensemble. It was awesome to hear all the students play. After the concert, we talked with Mr. Q, the junior high band teacher, and get excited for the years to come. I love that my kids want to continue playing instruments and performing in a band.

AZ Science Center

I went with Dani's class to the Arizona Science Center. It's such an awesome place for kids to learn about science. There are so many hands on and fun activities for the kids to do. They don't realize that they are learning science while playing. We spent a few hours enjoying the exhibits and then we headed into the planetarium. The kids had such a great time at the science center.

Spring Fling

We went to Angela's school to see all the artwork that the students did. It was amazing to see the students showing off their artwork to their parents. Angela made a great snake with torn paper. It was a fun event to attend and will be the last one at Roosevelt. It was a special night.