Got a new bishopric today

Our old Bishop Duane Jess and his counselors Mark Brousseau and Boyd Roberts were released and our neighbor David LeCheminant was put in as Bishop with Paul Metcalf ( who incidentally lives on the other side of the LeCheminants) as 1st C and Boyd Roberts as 2nd C. The Jess's found a house in the 29th ward (that meets in our bldg) so are selling theirs and moving. Can't believe it's been 5 yrs already! Garn says we'll have to really watch what we do since we'll have 2 of the bishopric members on our street! ( What do we do anyway?) Garn and I are thinking that Mark will probably be called as the new Young Men's Pres since John Solomon was put in the High Council last week. We'll see.....

GLAD THAT'S OVER!

Just finished the R-ball Tourney and won but I picked up a bug and was weak and shaky the whole time. I didn't eat anything this morning but still was in the bathroom all morning before the match. Garn was sick too last night with the same thing. I hope it's only a 12 or 24 hr thing cuz I feel like crap and could hardly get my breath in the stifling hot court.

UPDATE

I was lucky enough to win my R-ball games last night so today I play in the finals. I still had the steri strips on my incision so Garn encouraged me to pull them off even though the Dr said to wait til they come off on their own. The ones that came off easily were in the area where the skin had closed off. The ones that I had to force off still had a gap in the skin. I found some steri strip tape in our medicine supply box so I reapplied the strips where the skin was not quite closed yet. Next time I think I'll heed Drs. orders!

1ST WEEK OF SCHOOL IS OVER...

I didn't start til Tue so I worked today but normally I'll have Fri off. That's good! I'm exhausted just testing and trying to move students around to get them in the correct classes for tutoring. A few got lost and I had to track them down. Switching one student's class is like watching dominoes. One class change requires 10 more!

I feel sorry for the refugees. One family had their father and 3 siblings killed in their country's war and the rest moved from country to country til they arrived here and then the mother dies and the older sibling is trying to raise her 4 plus 8 of her siblings! They have nothing. I feel so sorry for them and so blessed to be where I am and have what I need. I'm doing all I can to ease their entry into school but they face an uphill battle just to survive.

In other news, I play my 2nd r-ball match tonight. I won my 1st on Wed and have another Sat at 2pm. We'll see.....

BACK TO SCHOOL

Fall will soon look like this in Utah We had a 2 1/2 hr mtg with our new director over ESL and he seems to be great. There is another director that will be traveling to the schools to help us out and 2 tutors who will travel too. A lot of people thought I had retired completely but I just retired from early morning spanish not ESL tutoring. I'm actually working more hrs at RJH now and there's lots to do! I have to make sure all the ESL kids are grouped together in the same English classes according to grade so I can work with them and I'm trying to get all the ESL kids grouped in the same Science and History classes so I can work with them too. I spent most of my day tracking down new move-ins so they can be tested. It's been a full day!

I start my r-ball tourney tomorrow night. Last night I played in a co-ed league and had 4 games to 21. It was exhausting but fun.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANDY!

Some things about Mandy:

She's very generous

She's sensitive to other's feelings

She makes great choc chip cookies ( I'd ask you for the recipe but they wouldn't turn out like yours so I'm just eating the choc chips you left!)

She's very creative

She puts 110% into all the projects she does

She's great at exercising and can keep up with the instructor even when it's 100 outside with 85% humidity. ( I still haven't recovered from that outdoor class!)

She reads to her children and makes sure they have lots of books

She'll try going to new places in a new state

She tries new recipes

She'll go shopping with me even though she doesn't really enjoy shopping. (where did that come from?)

She's given me 3 grdaughters so I'll always have someone to shop with

She loves her family

She loves the gospel and teaches it to her children

She's a great friend

She friendships new people to her area

She supports her husband in all his endeavors

She's a great soccer player

She's also great at basketball

She supports her kids in school and sports and dance and drama

She supports her friends

She loves getting together with the whole family and will travel long distances to do so

I wish I could be there with her today but hope she knows my heart is there!

I hope your day is wonderful! I love you!

Our new frog fountain

Garn put in a new fence and gate this summer and landscaped the open area that was left. I think his frog fountain is so cute! I told him Sadie would love it since she has real frogs in her acquarium at home!

In other news I got my bandages and steri strips and stiches out today but the Dr put new steri strips back on. I was so tired of tub bathing for 3 wks that I'm going to shower even with the strips on! I'll cover them or something. The biopsies revealed both growths were squamous cell carcinoma but he got it all so now I'm cancer free!

Now, I've got to seriously start back to exercising! Too much laziness this summer! I start back to tutoring next Tue and shortly after R ball starts back up. Yay!

HAPPY 11TH MASON!

Some things about Mason:

1 He's friendly

2 He's helpful

3 He earned all the pins for Webelos

4 He loves to read (me too)

5 He loves to play board games (me too)

6 He loves water parks (me too)

7 He has a cheerful and pleasant personality

8 He loves the Harry Potter books and movies (me too)

9 He does well in school

10 He works hard. He even had a job at the snack shack at the ball park this summer!

11 He loves his Grandma Woodall!

Have a great birthday today Mason!! We love you!

The previous post was to say aFter.....

AGTER 3 WEEKS HAYLIE AND I ARRIVE IN McKINNEY, TEXAS

When we arrived home on Sat. Aug. 8 to Mandy's house in McKinney this was how my room was fixed up! Pink is my favorite color so Mandy did it up well! The gift container had wonderful shampoo and conditioner and pink soap. (There was more pink liquid soap in my bathroom) Also there was a tissue packet and my favorite floss picks. (I only buy a certain silk kind) It was a wonderful welcome.

I spent a week in McKinney and the next day on Sun I went to Primary where Mandy was doing the sharing times on Temples. She's really clever and for the senior Primary she had a concentration game with a picture revealed underneath when the matches were made. It was really fun and interesting and the kids and teachers loved it! That night Mandy and Jon had a BBQ to welcome Haylie home and three families came with lots of food and 3 desserts (2 of which were chocolate). We played games and all 12 of the kids were involved in a pinata that Haylie had made in Utah while with Jon's family camping. She had it stuffed with lots of candy.

Mon. Mandy and I went to her exercise class held at the church. It was just what I needed. Tue. Mandy and Sadie went to Sadie's middle school orientation where she got her schedule and locker. That night we went to Enrichment and it was wonderful! They had a potluck dinner with lots of great food. (I thought Mandy's taco soup was the best) Then we had 3 classes :one on nutrition and fitness, taught by the exercise teacher that we went to on Mon. morn. and a scripture reading talk that was short but very effective and then a lady that has a website on cleaning your house in 30 sec. and 15 min. intervals which was also excellent. Mandy introduced me to a lady from South Africa that's investigating the church. A lovely lady who Mandy's friendshipped. Wed. back to exercise class but this time the instructor held it outside in 100 degree weather with 85% humidity. I thought I was going to die! Some ladies left earlier but Mandy and I stuck it out. I couldn't do all the running and sprinting but Mandy kept right up with the instructor. That evening we travelled south about an hour and 15 min to a man made harbor called Rock Wall Harbor which was absolutely beautiful with a lighthouse and sailboats and catamaran cruises and cute little shops. They had a splash park that came on every 1/2 hr and stayed on for 12 min. which the kids loved! Mandy's friend Kiersten and her 4 kids met us there and they all played until dark. We didn't get home til 11pm but it was worth it! They even had a Rocky Mtn Choc Factory there where I got a caramel apple and the lady that sold it to me was from Layton! The kids got ice cream at Cold Stone before heading home. I forgot my camera but Mandy said she'd send me copies of her pics. Thur. it was back to exercise class and it was no wonder that a lot fewer women showed! But the class was Pilates and I totally enjoyed it, even though my abs let me know I've neglected them all summer!
Fri morning I bade Mandy and the kids farewell and headed for home after 2 weeks visiting Seattle and McKinney. It was sad to leave but good to get home. Garn said it was really lonely while I was gone and I missed him too. Now one week to get ready for my tutoring job at Riverview JR. High which I really love! This year I hope to work my 19 hrs. in 4 days and have Fri off like Garn.

Vashon Island and the ferry

Isn't Collin the cutest little boy? And Marin's hair is picture perfect. Wish I could say the same for me. Inside the upstairs room on the ferry. What a cutie!

Collecting seashells on the Island. Haylie found some beautiful ones.

On the ferry to Vashon Island from Seattle Inside the ferry

Outside the ferry

The wind was blowing!

Haylie down below her muppet having it perform. She did great!

Thank you Marin for telling me how to rotate the pictures!!

Haylie at the Muppet exhibit in Seattle. She's getting ready to have her muppet perform to a song at the piano.

Haylie standing on the doorstep of Sesame Street. A huge
3 story tower of instuments at the Jimmey Hendrix exhibit in a huge building that houses the Muppet's exhibit and many others.

The Space Needle the right way!

More Seattle.......

Haylie pointing out the Space Needle. Tried to rotate the pic. but no such luck

The Troll under the bridge on Troll Ave. in Seattle. Haylie's climbing on the right

Statues at the Locks

A boat going thru the Locks

OUR WEEK IN SEATTLE

At the locks in Seattle watching the boats go through

At the famous Pike's Place Market where we bought souvenirs

Haylie was not sure she wanted to stand next to the Monk Fish at the market but was brave!

We finally found a letterbox after searching in vain at another location

Haylie was chased by a big St Bernard before finding the letterbox and I think she was still scared! Boy can that girl run!

And so it goes...

Today is Haylie's last Sat in Utah so we're going to her favorite place: Gardner Village! She just loves to shop there!

The antibiotics hurt my stomach. 3 a day is 2 too many! Mon we leave for Seattle where apparently it's hotter than here! Glad we're in the basement of Marin and Jr's house!