President...

I had to document that Derrek was voted in as Seminary President for this semester at school. That means that he will be in charge of leading the opening exercises (or getting others to do it), and basically being the "voice" for the students and leading the students who attend Seminary at Snow Canyon High. I am sure there is more to it than that, or maybe not...I don't know. We didn't really have Seminary presidents when I was in Seminary. Derrek said that he has 3 church callings right now. He works with the Special Needs group every week (he is paired up with a boy that has down-syndrome and helps by being his "buddy" during youth activites), he is first assistant to the Bishop in the Young Men's in his ward and then Seminary President. Welcome to working in the church! I have two callings right now...Relief Society and Girls Camp. I love that we have opportunities to give of ourselves that we would normally not get to have. I love that it challenges me with interacting with different people and different "jobs" that I didn't think I could ever do. I am apprehensive, now, as I prepare for this week as I meet the 40 girls I will be working with at Girls Camp as 1st year YCL's (youth leaders). Yep...40! There are two other women with me (thank Heaven!) and I actually am just an assistant...I'm glad I'm not "in charge", but I'm more than willing to help :). It will be fun. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I love Girls' camp and the things I gained from it. I still have friends that I keep in contact with, whom I only saw and knew from Girls' camp. I see them every year at Women's Conference (we have lunch together one of the days).

Calvin attended an open house for the Tech school here. He has decided to attend and is leaning toward auto repair (I think I mentioned that last week). Scott went with him, and I am so grateful that he didn't have to work, because I think Calvin needed Scott to go more than me. We tried to get Alec to go, but he didn't want to, and then today he said "I should have gone". Maybe we'll make another trip over there for him. They have a lot of programs. Scott was able to talk to Calvin about career choices and things that would help provide for a family better than others and choices that he needs to think about. We also reminded him, that if he makes one choice and doesn't like it, that he hasn't done any damage and can change it a lot easier now than later.

I started my second class this week. I am taking Child Development. I figure I better know this or I'm in trouble. Hopefully it will be an easy class for me. I am really liking Statistics, so far. I get excited because I actually understand it. I like and understand organizing the data and how it tries to answer the questions. It's funny to me, though, because I will take a quiz, expecting to not do very well, but answering the questions as they make sense to me and I either miss one or two. I laugh because I guess it makes sense to me! Who knew?!? I am also proud of myself because I have been more disciplined and make myself "go to school".

Calvin has been out looking for a job. He tried the "Doughnut Peddler", but they are not hiring. It takes all the guts in the world for him to go out and ask and do, and then getting rejected takes him a couple days to re-coup and then he goes back out. Alec isn't quite there yet. I know he will be...he is just different.

Well, all in all...everything is the same. We are healthy and doing good.

Don't know what to call this...

First of all, before I forget, we get to go see "Kid History" here in Mesa. They are premiering their 8th video at the high school down the street from us (Mountain View). Our friends got us tickets because we got them hooked on it. So, we are going with a few of our friends from our ward. Very excited. If you haven't heard of "Kid History", check them out on YouTube and #6 is my absolute favorite. We get to meet the cast, watch #8, see out-takes, etc. It should be fun...in MARCH! So, we have to wait a little while, but something to look forward to.

Okay, now for the week...

Monday night for family night, I had the activity. I get so tired of not doing things that I like to do, so I was in the mood to play with my craft stuff...especially my pipe cleaners. I don't know why, but I was just wanting to do something silly. The boys looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was! I have played plenty of their "capture the flag" games and so forth, so it was time they got to play with my craft stuff. So I printed of some helps on how to make people or what-not and here is what they did (they didn't use my instructions, but that's fine...we had fun! That's what matters!).

This Alec's monkey (we were calling it "Sandy Squirrel") hanging from the light fixture (with a twig in it's grasp).

This is Dallen's multicolored dinosaur

This is Ashton's person that has turned Ninja

And these are Calvin's Ninja's that he gave to Dallen and Ashton as bookmarks!

I did a "Brittany Spears" looking figure and I was singing "Oops I did it again" and Ashton, while smashing her sang "hit me baby one more time". We laughed...it was funny. Scott actually didn't finish a person because he was on call and had to take a call.

All week, Ashton has been having to stay after school for EDP, which is a forced homework hour if you didn't turn in your assignment during one of your classes. He doesn't get home until 5:30 pm when he goes and by then, getting him to do any other homework is almost pointless! He was there Monday-Thursday! Every night I say "Do you have any homework?" and they will either say "yes" and do it, or "no". Ashton would say "yes" and then not do it! So, Thursday night, I said, "I know you have homework...get it out and start working". He had 4 pages of math (front and back...so 8 pages!) of math homework he hasn't been turning in. I just looked at him and said "page one". He finished two pages that night and then got up early the next morning (by force) and did page 3. Then he had 10 minutes left before he had to catch the bus. I said, "I'd rather take you and you do your homework, than you make the bus and you have to stay another day at EDP". So, he managed to get another page done and was able to finish the rest at school. He had a test that day, too...thank goodness he did his homework! He came home on Friday at his normal time of 4:15 and said "wow, it's seems like I'm home so early"...I thought that was funny. It's amazing what happens when you do your homework!

Ashton also did his pre-ACT testing and got a 100% in the reading category. He was excited about that. So, we praised that, and ignored the math and science :).

I got a new calling at church today. I will no longer be doing Primary Singing Chorister. I am so sad. Today was hard. I couldn't think about it because I seriously was almost in tears a couple of times. They sang me my favorite song, "Army of Helaman" (that's the shorter title). One boy came and gave me a hug and said he was going to really miss me! It was so sweet. I really love that calling. It's funny because about 15 minutes before I was called, I had just finished organizing my Primary binder. I mean...really organized it. I had told Scott a couple weeks ago that I felt that I wasn't going to be in this calling much longer. I said I felt a change in the air, kind of feeling. So, it wasn't a surprise. Anyway, so, I am now 2nd counselor in the Relief Society. I am over the Relief Society Meetings during the week, among other things. I have never had that responsibility, and I know I am crafty, but coming up with the ideas is a lot...I know, though, that there is already an amazing committee in place and the things they have done already, well, let's just say they look like they just popped off a Pinterest page (those that do Pinterest know

what I mean!). I'm excited. It will be fun. I really don't care where I am placed. I haven't found a calling that I don't enjoy.

Yesterday I got to go on a REALLY FUN tour of Old Town Scottsdale with my friend/visiting teacher, Kristy Duncan. And...I found out that it was her birthday yesterday, too. I really enjoy being around Kristy. We have a lot in common and have learned a lot of the same life lessons. Her kids live in St. George with their dad and her oldest is a Senior at Desert Hills High. When she comes for the month by her self (sometimes that happens), we end up talking for like 3 hours! I love it! This is a cruddy picture of us, but we literally were losing our group and had to like run across the street that was about to let the traffic go! We were just standing weird.

Anyway, so she had signed up for a food tour of Old Town Scottsdale and wanted to know if I wanted to go with her because her husband couldn't. I was all over it...food...yes! I had never been down there. It was so busy, but very energetic. We tried all sorts of foods. We had hamburger sliders with green chilies, real potato chips with hot sauce and blue cheese, or a pico/shrimp salsa, we tasted all sorts of balsamic vinegars and olive oils (we went back there after the tour to taste all the other ones we wanted to try!), we didn't taste the wine, but interesting to learn about, we then had a "cowboy salad" and it was amazing, and then we had vanilla ice cream, while everyone else had "spiked" ice cream (ice cream made with alcohol). We met others from Mesa (literally across the other side of Power Road from us) and a couple from Washington DC. Our tour guide was very good at her job and made the tour very enjoyable. It was fun getting to know everyone. It lasted about 3 hours and then Kristy and I headed for the oil/vinegar store. The lady was mixing all things to try together.

She did a Raspberry vinegar with a lemony oil and it tasted exactly like Raspberry Lemonade! It was so good. Who would have thought? They had an oil with a pepper from Tunisia. I had to try that one. I can't remember what it was called, but it was spicy and yummy!. The vinegars were my favorite. It was hard to imagine that the oils were okay to just drink...I mean, who just drinks oil (okay, I know there are people out there, but it just seems wrong!). It was a really good day. Then we just chilled out with the boys that night. Calvin and Alec were mad because we kicked them off the Xbox (they were playing Halo with Derrek and friends in St. George...Derrek said that was really fun). We watched Kung Fu Panda 2. Cute movie.

Everything else is going good. Calvin and Alec had planning this last week to kind of see what classes they need to take and where they want to go. Calvin is thinking of maybe do a tech school and going into auto body repair. He is going to see the school counselor this week to see how that will work with the classes he needs to take (and Seminary). Alec realized that he could just go to school for half a day next year and then maybe work in the afternoon/evenings. That would be good for him. He didn't see any tech school stuff that he wanted to try and isn't really sure what he wants to be when he grows up :).

One last thing I had to show...LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THIS LEMON! Dallen was so gracious to be our model with the normal size lemon, the freak-of-nature lemon and his head!

Who knew lemons could grow that big? I didn't. It was fun to play with, though (and for those of you who think my house is clean all the time...that is cereal on the table from the morning!). Well, here's to another week :).

Three down, two to go!

It's official! Calvin is now the third teen driver we have! He got his license this week and he is SO happy and feels very free. It's nice having two errand boys, and two cars! So, when Scott and I are too tired, and there are things that need to be done, they are more than willing to drive kids around, pick up groceries, etc. Ashton has informed me that I have 1 1/2 years until he can get his permit, and so that means I have a little break. THANK HEAVEN for the break! I really didn't know I had control issues until I got in the car with my teen drivers. I have never understood how it was no big deal for Scott to get in the car with them and run up on curbs and other things and not go crazy on them (like I do!). Of course, he wasn't able to go around with them as much as I was (lucky me), so it fell mostly on my shoulders. So, needless to say, I am grateful for the break that we are having :).

We are finally back into the swing of things...just to have a holiday on Monday. I forget that this is the time of year where they seem out of school more than they are in school. At least that's how it was in Utah. The boys are excited for a day off, and I'm glad, too. They are good kids and I like being around them :).

We just found out that Derrek and Lexi are going to drive down to see us during Spring Break...and we have the same Spring Break as they do. It will be fun. Thanks to Lexi's parents!

Derrek has already contracted "senioritis". He is ready to be done with high school. I just keep telling him "only four more months". We aren't sure if he is staying in St. George, after school gets out. It will depend on whether or not he has a job and is able to save money for his mission. If he does, then he'll stay. He put in his "two-week" notice to McDonald's, because they weren't scheduling him (it was a lot of things combined to where they didn't schedule him). Anyway, he was tired of working there, and so now he's applying other places. Hopefully something will come his way. I know he really wants to stay in St. George after he graduates.

We just found out that we get to go see the Tabernacle Choir here in Phoenix in February! Someone in our ward found out that it has been a dream of mine for the kids to hear them live (and Scott has never heard them live, either), and they bought us tickets! I'm excited, and so grateful. What a treat. I don't know how it will be compared to the Tabernacle in SLC or the Conference center. Having them that close and personal is an experience. I am hoping that it will be just as good. Either way, I'm sure it will. The funny thing is, that as I sit here and think about it, I started to wonder what Cub Scout or Scouting achievement this event could be counted toward! Ugh! I have been with boys too long!

Speaking of which...we had a funny conversation the other day. It was about "box tops". Someone had thrown one in the trash. In this house...it's a sin :). I then realized that Dallen is going to be leaving elementary school and will I still be collecting box tops? I realized that I am not sure I can just stop collecting them. I have gotten so good at spotting them. We turned in over 600 so far this year and have another full bag that we'll turn in soon. I realized that I've been diligent in collecting them since we lived in Las Vegas, which has been about 10 years! How do you just stop after 10 years? Alec suggested that I throw away every other one. I almost had a panic attack just thinking about it. I don't know...it will be a huge adjustment. It was a good laugh, anyway. We'll see how it goes after May :).

Scott goes back to school this week. He is ready for the break from working! Just a few more months and then he is done with being a student :). He has a newspaper article about his receiving the nationwide scholarship (one of two people who received it!). I will post it when it comes out. We are so grateful and excited that he got it. We couldn't have done it without Bunker's help, and Scott's good grades.