Every season

 Every place we live, and every season of life we pass through, has its up side. 

Florida is beautiful. After dinner tonight Rob asked if I wanted to swim. Normally I don’t (usually I only want to go swimming with the kids) but I didn’t bring work home (for a change) and dinner was easy (left over salad) so I said yes. We swam and then sat on the lanai and listened to the sounds of evening as the sky grew dark. It was peaceful and nice.

It’ll be super weird when it’s just the two of us, we have never had that as I brought my own ready made family when we got married.  The only one kid at home stage is already so strange; and she’s always busy. I can’t imagine. 

Sunday

We had really great speakers at church today. Bro and Sister Hill, who are new, spoke about personal revelation. They both gave interesting and relevant talks. We had a visiting area authority (Elder Amato) and they gave him some time at the end. He was amazing. The power in the room was palpable and I loved his talk. He spoke about how God is a god of miracles. He said 4 years ago he was at work and got a call from Elder Ballard asking him and his wife to be mission President in Lima. He does not speak (did not speak) Spanish. Now he does. Anyway he talked about the miracles he saw on the mission. The spirit was palpable. We also sang “I’ll go where you want me to go”, I thought of Ethan serving in SLC and how happy Heavenly Father is with him going on a mission and going wherever He asks.
He quoted President Nelson “obedience brings success, exact obedience brings miracles”. I loved that. We have definitely seen miracles in our lives haven’t we? 
Me, Andrea, Yoho all surviving cancer. 
Anna living and getting her colon out and then after being married 10 years finally having Joneaux. Do you remember that miracle story? Sierra. Definitely miracle category. Also I had hospital room miracles while she was healing…and other miracles when the spirit has taught me and I have learned important lessons throughout my life. Looking for the miracles in our lives is so important. The Lord wants us to treasure up the experiences we have and to let them strengthen us.
I am in Moroni (again) and just finished reading about the destruction of the jaredites, I thought how we are living in parallel times. If only the people had remembered their God and all He did for them. If only we will. 

 Rob likes our cats. They also like him so that works out. 

Work goes well. Here’s three of my students enjoying some alternative seating. I try to have lots of rewards for good behavior and alternative seats is one of them. 

I have had a lot of kids out of class this week. One class period had 3 kids in it! Covid is a nightmare. I don’t know when or how it will end but I am praying that it does. 

Covid, Afghanistan, Hurricane Ida, the top of the list but just the tip of the iceberg of challenges we are facing. I’m grateful for an eternal perspective.

Yesterday Grace spent the day at UCF at an All State clinic. 

Tonight I tried to make Cafe Rio salad. It didn’t taste like it at all, it was good but not the same. We also brought it to a lady in our ward who has Covid. Maybe she won’t taste it🤣or maybe she’s never had the original so there’s that!

Firsts

Dani started her program today!! I’m so excited for her! She has a long drive on Tuesday and Thursday each week so we got to have a nice chat on her way home. 

Yesterday I got to spend some time chatting with this guy, which I also loved. Pretty much any time I spend with any of the kids I love. 

Sawyer started his new job this week. Day one was great! and that bodes well for things to come. It’s hard to know what you want to do and I’m excited he has this opportunity to work with a vet and see if that’s the right track for him! (Also Today Ezra got a haircut and he didn’t want to:( ..poor boy)

4th period I had 17 kids out. Thank you Covid & contact tracing. So crazy!

Our weekend was good, as weekends are. 
 

Game night

I was really looking forward to the first game of the season. I love to hear the band and it was amazing to get our first peek at the new show. 

Also it’s a fun activity to go to. We have lots of band parent friends and staff member friends to say hi to. By half time the sun is setting and the weather cools down a little. The next 3 months will be all band all the time and by the end I’ll be glad it’s done (If history repeats Grace will not be glad she loves it all) but for now our enthusiasm is fresh and we had a fun night!

Rob mostly works from home now, going into the office only when he has to and I am gone all the time. This is a 180 flip for us! He is much more cautious about Covid than I am, although we are both immunized and I wear the mask at work and in public unless I’m outside. I think he does too. We have now known a lot of people who have been sick, some very very sick and we’ve known of people who have died. I would say this definitely qualifies as fulfillment of prophesy. Plagues and all that. We watch carefully for the day of gladness when Jesus will come again. Of course I don’t know when it will be but I our world is in turmoil and I can not wait.

In other world news 🇦🇫 Afghanistan is a huge mess. I feel so sad for those people who are now living a nightmare. I also feel so bad for the troops who have spent so much time and shed so much blood there and now it’s for naught. I pray for peace in our world, I don’t think there is much chance of it happening until the Prince of Peace returns but I’m going to keep praying. It’s all I can do, and I don’t know the mind and will of the Lord, or His timing and maybe we can have a season of peace ahead of us. 

Today Grace has a lesson, we are going to Ethan Cole’s baptism, the cats are in charge of the laundry 🧺 (lol I wish!), we have a trip to Costco to make, some lesson planning to do and then maybe a date night. 

 

Busy days

 

First day of middle school for our big girl Tatum! Also today is her 12th birthday! So exciting!

The night before school dinner. These munchkins are the best!

Ezra and Hannah are so sweet. 

For mutual we had a combined activity. We were going to play human battleship in the gym but it turns out that the Horizon West Ward is also using the building on Wednesday nights (we thought they had Tuesday), and also planned to use the gym. So we moved to a nearby park and swapped out the tennis-ball torpedos to water balloons. It turned out to be even more fun. A couple little boys were at the park with their mom and came to ask if they could play. We said yes and they had a blast! Kristina and the Bishop (our two sickies) ended up chatting with her and gave her a Book of Mormon. 

After the activity Lettie and Grace came here to swim. 

I used to be a big time waster. But since teaching full time I have definitely turned over a new leaf (since I have no choice).

Today I barely wasted a minute. I got up, showered, got ready to go to work and left.  (6:45-7:15). I drove through Dunkin and got a pumpkin muffin and strawberry refresher. 

While I drove and ate I listened to the BOM. I am enjoying hearing it read aloud this way. I haven’t listened to it before and it’s a different perspective. (7:15-8:20). Then heigh ho heigh ho. Work work work. (8:20-4:10). On the drive home I listened to Crenshaw. 

Once home I made dinner, ate with Rob and Grace, cleaned the kitchen, filled up 264 water balloons (one popped), went to mutual, came home and showered (again…life in Florida is sweaty), made dinner for tomorrow so Grace can cook it and eat before practice tomorrow and we can eat after we get home from work. (I don’t normally do that FYI, but she wanted chicken enchiladas so …). Lastly laundry and finally time to waste! Gilmore Girls until 10.

Rob and Grace are also very busy. Since I have started working Rob has started doing some laundry, cleaning the kitchen almost every night, and he’s been doing more cooking. He’s always been our griller, but he’s been branching out to new things recently. Grace is extremely busy. As are all highschoolers. One thing that is different for Grace is she wakes herself up for seminary. The other five kids I woke them up all through high school. I don’t know how it happened but this year I didn’t get up, and she did. Now she listens for her alarm and gets up every morning on her own. This saves me a lot of time in the morning; although I miss seeing her cute face I think it’s good. She’s got band and her animals to take care of, she’s in the class presidency at church and leadership at band, she also has lots of friends. I am happy for her that she gets to go to the same high school throughout (probably). Jenna, Hannah and Ethan didn’t, they all moved before their jr year to a new state and that was really hard. 

Well anyway. There you have it.  

Fastest weekend ever

 Grace and her friends. When you are in band most of your social life revolves around the band. There is also a lot of band drama. It’s exhausting hearing about it, I guess that’s part of high school. 

Saturday Grace and I went to her clarinet lesson, then she went to Madi’s house because Madi got a new puppy. He’s one of Lincoln’s half brothers (same mom) and looks just like Linc did when he was brand new.

Today she helped me with stuff for work. I was grateful for the help. 

Here’s Lincoln helping with her pain. He’s a good dog. She’s a brave girl.

Today is Hannah’s birthday! She is 22. She got called into the primary presidency today so she’s starting a new year and a new calling all at once!

Sawyer got her an above ground pool! Which is the sweetest gift! I was excited for her. She and Ezra will enjoy it:) Tami and Bryan both have birthdays this week too. They got together with family tonight and had three cakes and a BBQ.

Rob and I subbed in Sunday School today. It was fun to teach together. 

Sierra and Chris went to Bear Lake today with his family for their family vacation. She had a big decision to make. The plastic surgeon wants to operate on her thumb. It doesn’t move and she want to take a tendon from her foot and put it in her hand. Sierra doesn’t want another surgery, doesn’t want a skin graft and doesn’t want to have a numb foot, Dr Meecham said she would have. She also doesn’t want to have a thumb that doesn’t move. So I don’t know. I think if it was me I’d want to fix them thumb. 

I’m looking forward to pday tomorrow. I hope he’s doing great. I wish I could make Spain open open open. 

Argh, the joys of life.

Made it

9:30 pm on Friday night feels like midnight after a week of not sleeping! Teaching is just as exhausting as I remembered. Only now it’s harder because 

A) I’m old

B) 6th grade is harder to grade and plan for than 1st and

C) so many accommodations, testing requirements and so much tech to learn. 

I’m going to be working all weekend to get ready for next week. Hopefully I’ll get better at it. 

It’s challenging and I’m trying to figure out how to reach everyone. I have kids who are homeless, and a couple who speak 0 English. Some with autism and learning disabilities. Some who hate school and some who don’t. Some who are bright and kind and eager and some who pretend to sleep or stare at the ceiling to avoid doing something hard. There are a few with alternative pronouns and one boy who said his pronoun of choice was “Russian attack helicopter” (he’s a clown and not too excited to be there…but he also tucks in all the chairs and says “see you tomorrow Ms Utzinger” when he walks out of class. It’s only been one week and I’m just starting to see who they are, and to see how ill equipped I am to teach them. 

🙏🏼

One of Ethan’s companions posted on Facebook. It was fun to see a middle of the week peek at my boy. He’s in a hard place and doing hard work. 

In my scripture reading this morning I was in Helaman reading about Nephi and Lehi preaching repentance to the people, and the indescribable joy that was theirs  when they came unto Christ. It made me so glad for Elder Utzinger, and so happy that he is willing to walk in the fire for what he believes. As I read I was pondering how crazy it was that the people so quickly forgot how blessed they were, and from where those blessings came and returned to pride. Our own day is so heartbreaking with the struggles and sins we each have. Sad stories are not hard to find, and sadly neither are ones of sin and darkness. It’s easy to become discouraged and important to remain hopeful and faithful. 

 

These two! I can’t even with the cuteness! Their chickens laid the first egg yesterday! I was delighted to get a phone call from them to share the happy news! (I also got to witness the dropping and breaking of said egg on the way to the kitchen)

It’s not a secret anymore so I can say Ruby and Cora are going to be big sisters!!!!!!!💕💕💕

For YW on Wednesday we had a back to school feast. I really wanted to have a special night for the girls to feel celebrated and to share with them how they are here now for a divine purpose. Bro Hinton spoke to them after dinner and then I shared the story of Esther and how she was sent “for such a time as this”. These girls are daughters of God and sent here for this day too. We gave them crowns to wear for the evening and then to take with them as a little reminder. I hope they know I am in their corner, and much more importantly that God is. 

Only a few girls came, but I was happy for each one that did. 

Grace. is back to school and back to seminary. She is driving and doing band and walking Kraytos and hanging out with friends. It’s a busy season. 

Last night Rob and I went to the temple (finally! Hallelujah!) it was closed for so long and I’m so glad it’s open again! 🤞🤞🤞 that it stays that way.

The 6th grade reading list goes well. Since school has started  I worked my way through:

Small Spaces, which I loved! It’s very M Night Shymalan creepy and will be the perfect October read out loud!

Crenshaw, 2 thumbs up.

Brown Girl Dreaming, good but not great. 

Spacecase, loved it! 

Out of my Mind, I liked it a lot but it was sad. 

And next on my list is Blended.

The next two weeks we are going to be focusing on expository writing. (Something to look forward to).

And with that a little English teacher humor for posterity. 

Lastly, the view from the office this morning. (Strawberry coconut refresher is yumm-o!)

Pre-K - 11th (insert shocked and sad emoji)

 Grace went to pre- k at Leonardtown Elementary. She loved it and enjoyed riding the bus. Mrs Hornbuckle was her teachers para and Mrs Reams her teacher.

She also went to Leonardtown in kindergarten.

1st grade (this was my favorite house BTW, and favorite place to live).

2nd grade.

And 3rd.

For fourth grade she tested into the STEM program and went to Lexington Park Elementary.

5th grade we moved to CA and were living in a hotel when school started. She went to Rancho Vista Elementary.

6th grade was Hillview Middle School.

And 7th.

Then we moved to Fl and were homelessly living in a hotel when she started 8th grade at Bridgewater Middle School.

9th was the start of high school and she went to Windermere High.

Sophomore year.

Junior year.

And with any luck she will graduate from the same high school that she started!

Back to School Eve

 

The weekend went pretty quickly. Saturday Grace had Claw day, where the upcoming freshmen got to come to school and get a tour and get their ID and a pep rally and lunch. She was a volunteer. She’s working on her bright future hours, which is super important to do if you think you will attend a florida university. Rob and I did chores and went to lunch. After Claw day Grace and I went back to school shopping and after that we made dinner and I worked on Kenzie’s “babymaker” (the proposal reference).

Sunday we had church, ward council, a presidency meeting, a seminary kick off meeting, and Will Stroud’s farewell. It was a busy day.

Today was full of meeting and prepping and happy news after all last week feeling like I was not going to get the hang of all the Ed Tech I made a breakthrough and today got a lot done and I think it will be fine. Hopefully I’ll get better and better and teaching will go well. I am looking forward to it. 

Like all things there are pros and cons.

Con: longish commute (30-40 min). Pro: it goes quickly since I’ve been listening to books. Right now I am “reading” Small Spaces and it is creepy and perfect for an October read. Since I am doing first chapter Fridays I will definitely be using this as one of our read alouds.

Con: Ethan called during the day and everyone got to talk to him but I only had 5 minutes :(. No Pro.

Pro: $$.  …well more like $. Con: I’m gone a lot.

Pro: It’s meaningful and I am excited to meet the kids. Con: I miss being at the school with Grace.

Old job pro: I came, I worked, I went home. Easy breezy. 

New job: it’s on your mind all the time. I knew that was how teaching is. It consumes you and takes all the time you will give it. The good news is Grace is big and can drive and go where she needs to go, and I can still focus on her (enough, I hope). It was definitely harder when the girls were small and they came to school with me and needed all the things kids need. BUT 2 weeks at Christmas and 2 months in the summer plus other breaks is pretty sweet!!

Life with two cats

I had my first meet the teacher night and it was really good. The students I met were so sweet and nervous. The first year of middle school is a big deal!

Grace came and helped me get things done in my room today. 

The other teachers have been so kind and taken time to teach me the programs and stuff I’ll need to use. That’s been the most stressful part actually and I am still learning but I’m getting better!

 Taco’s brother finally accepted him.

Classroom preparation

So it’s been three long days of classroom set up, learning programs, looking at curriculum, and going to meetings. Tomorrow will be even longer, it’s meet the teacher night and we will be there from 8:45am to 8pm. 

It’s been good so far, of course we haven’t had students yet. I am disappointed that we don’t get to do very much reading, which just seems wrong for a language arts class. But again we haven’t really started so I’m reserving judgement. In the meantime I have been reading through the 6th grade list of suggested books and so far they’ve been great. I read “Out of My Mind”, which I liked but it was sad. And now I’m reading “SpaceCase” which is funny and interesting. (By read I mean listening to an audio book.) I listen to and from work and the time goes quickly. It’s about these people who live at a NASA moon colony and there is a murder there of one of the top scientists. Only two 12 year old kids think it was foul play. I actually am looking forward to the drive tomorrow so I can find out what happens next.

 We got our family pictures back. They turned out nicely and I am glad to have them. It’s fun to have an ever growing family!

Last night for YW Julie Hinton came and taught a class on time management. She did a great job and the girls who can enjoyed it and learned a lot. We don’t have a very good turn out most of the time.  Last night we had 5 girls. Hopefully it will pick up since this is the last week of summer.

Bishop Cole has had Covid. He was sick for 2 weeks and really felt terrible and missed work and everything. His whole family got it at the same time. Katty’s parents live with them and they were hospitalized. Well, he barely got better when he had a horrible pain in his back and shoulder and it turned out that he had blood clots in his lungs and double pneumonia, as a complication of Covid. He was in the hospital for that. We fasted and prayed for him & his family, as did many people in the ward. 

Now he is home and recovering. His prognosis is good but that was quite a scare. We have had several families with Covid this past month. 

I am really sad it’s still here and having an uptick in cases. The disease is a bad one and lots of  people are really suffering and some even dying from it; just as bad are the social and economic consequences of how it’s being handled.

I talked with Sierra yesterday. She sounds good and reports that she’s feeling good. What a blessing. I still pray for her every night, one with thanks to God for sparing her and secondly asking for her continued recovery and protection. The power of prayer in our lives is real. I know it and I am grateful for it.