The Engagement Progresses

Erik and Alicia continue to move toward their marriage on June 23.  One of the monumental steps was getting engagement pictures done this month.  They look darling,and we were so excited to view the pictures on Mother's Day.  Here are a few of my favorites:

 

Young love!

The Many Faces of Maris May

Maris May has fallen in love with dance.  She has become a girly-girl who loves pink and everything princess.  She told her Grandma Hess her shirt was ugly because it wasn't pink. She twirls, she bounces, she shimmies and she sways.  She is the ultimate dancer. Here she is as a munchkin in her dance studio's performance of "The Wizard of Oz."

Girly-girl as she might be, this princess also loves T-ball.  With her pink mitt, she stands side by side with her mom or dad at shortstop ready to catch any balls that might come her way.

 

These are a few of the faces of Maris May.

Nine Days Left

This week I had one of those moments that remind me why I teach.  The three fifth grade teachers have been doing 30 minute rotations where we each teach an overview of a topic that we just haven't gotten to this year.  Tuesday we covered Cattle Drives, Inventions, and Votes for Women--all in 90 minutes!

Thursday it was time for another rotation so I asked the class to get ready for Social Studies. Most of the class applauded.  I was absolutely stunned, and asked, "Do you like Social Studies?"  Several said, "We LOVE learning about history!  It was one of the best moments I've ever had in my teaching career.  I taught about the Vietnam War with a smile on my face. 

There are nine days of school left until summer vacation, and I'm experiencing my usual feelings of "Hold On!  You can hold on!"  This is the nicest class I've ever taught, (and I've taught some really nice classes) but they're ready for summer, and so am I.  We're working hard, and we're having a lot of fun, but it is almost time to say goodbye.  My students have grown up, and they are ready to be the big-shot sixth graders at the school.  Some will come and visit me next year.  Some will move away, and I may never see them again.  Partings are a bittersweet part of being a teacher.

I can feel my pantry calling to me.  Clean me, it says.  I need some organization in here.  My kitchen floor is moaning to be mopped.  I keep saying, "Nine more days.  Hold on for nine more days."  Only the wedding, the weeding, and the laundry can't wait.  Wedding duties continue.  Invitations arrived this week, and it's time to address them.  I can't wait.  Weeding isn't quite as fun and fulfilling, but whenever the rain stops, I rush out to weed my wilderness.  Will the grass ever stop growing in the flower beds? 

Nine more days of school.  Hold on.  You can hold on.

Business, Baseball, and Beauty

We've had all sorts of fun this week.  Monday Alan and I went to the Gateway where my fifth graders helped run Junior Achievement City.  The fifth grade classes at our school had been learning about financial literacy and how to run a business for five weeks.  Monday was the day to put all their learning into action!  Alan helped five of my students run Zions Bank, and I walked around telling students how well they were doing. And they were doing well!  Each student had a binder that told their responsibilities, and they followed their instructions--and worked like crazy all day.  What a great experience!


Tuesday we went to one of our favorite activities--a T-ball game.  Camden and Maris are on the same team!  This year, Camden smiled during his game--a first.  Maris, with her pink mitt, smiled through the whole game--except when she cried a few times.  Highlights:  Camden hit a ball out of the infield, and Maris knew which pink bat was the best choice to hit balls out of the park.

Thursday we helped Alicia move things from her apartment.  Finals over at last!

Much more fun was our time on Saturday.  We visited the reception decorator and decided on white tablecloths with yellow overlays on the tables.  Alicia's using GREEN roses for flowers.  Her bouquet will use yellow green and blue flowers.  I think it will all be very pretty.

Next we went to Macy's and Alicia enjoyed a makeover and turned out looking very stunning.

  The beginning.

 The middle.

 

The finished product!

 

Beautiful Alicia :)

Pre Easter Brunch

 Today we had a pre-Easter brunch.  Brian, Brandy, Camden, and Maris came, as well as Eric and Alicia.  We didn't think Alicia would be able to get away, since finals begin tomorrow.

 

The festivities began by bestowing bunny hats on Camden and Maris who immediately  found the frosting bowl and finished it off, decorating their cute Yankees shirts in the process.

We had a quick Easter egg hunt, then ate brunch: Baha Bites, Sausage, French Toast, and Cinnamon Rolls.  Camden and Maris made quick work of the food and were ready for games.  They entertained themselves while we ate by bringing much of the toy room into the family room.

 

After brunch, Grandpa told the Easter story while Erik and Alicia prepared the dye to decorate eggs.  Camden was quite interested in the idea of us living again.  He seemed to think that was a great idea.

We decorated some beautiful eggs.  As you can see, Brian and Brandy were really into the decorating. :)

 

 Maris was excited about her chocolate bunny.

 Grandpa, Camden and Maris tried out their new bubble wands even though it was raining outside

 

This was a game of Carry the Egg in the Spoon.  We had a minor altercation because Maris thought she had to hop and so we started over.  Camden didn't think it was fair to stop, and the game came to an unhappy conclusion.

I took a moment to try on my dress for Alicia's wedding.

We even took time to play a trio of "The Mickey Mouse Song."  Camden was doing a terrific job on one glissando after another.  We did more pounding than singing, but there was a lot of spirit.

 

It was a fun party.  Being a grandparent is so much fun! (I like our children and their spouses, too.)

A Change is as Good as a Rest

Alan and I have enjoyed Spring Break this week.  We've had the best of all worlds throughout our week's activities.  Monday we visited Brian's family and enjoyed pizza and Monopoly. Thursday we had lunch with Brian at Costa Vida.

You've never really played Monopoly until you've played it with a six-year-old and four-year-old competitor.  Camden got so excited, we frequently heard his "I'm about to conquer the world" laugh.  Poor Maris landed in jail several times and finally burst into tears.  Her heart was somewhat mended when she got a "Get out of Jail Free" card.  We had to end the game at 9 p.m. (much to Alan and Brandy's dismay), so Camden and Maris could go to bed. Camden was declared winner of the night--a true Monopoly champion.

Then, Alan's favorite, we worked and worked in the yard Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  We were so sore on Wednesday, we could hardly walk.  It has been snowing since Thursday afternoon, and I'm quite sure Alan prayed fervently for the snow to come to stop the yard work. But look below--a day lily flower bed with no weeds, and daffodils who have been crushed by the snow, but refuse to be defeated.

 Erik's dad is preparing a wedding video for Erik and Alicia's wedding, so we enjoyed a trip down memory lane as we picked out pictures to include in the video. We reminisced about vacations and milestones in our family life.

How time flies!

Each day I worked several hours a day on Alicia and Erik's quilt.  I only have three more strips to finish, so I can sew the whole thing together.  It's getting close, and is going to be so pretty!  Here is one section.

Another exciting event thanks to blessed, blessed Skype!  We got to share in Emmaline rolling over--and over--and over.  It was so kind of her to accommodate her faraway grandparents and do the rolling while we were on Skype watching her.

Friday, Alicia and I went on the Great Bridal Shoe Hunt.  Alicia had some pretty strict criteria for shoes--no open toe, no sandals, high heels.  I wasn't sure we would ever find the perfect shoe.  But. . . after three hours hard work. . . Alicia found a pair of shoes she loves.  The heels are high, the shoe is sparkly, the toe is closed and pointed.  Hopefully she won't be hobbling after wearing them all day on June 23.  Mission accomplished!

We've worked hard; we've played hard; we've watched four movies to help me pass the time while I am ironing quilt pieces.  We've eaten Costa Vida sweet pork burrito, Papa Murphy's Hawaiian pizza, Imperial Dragon lemon chicken, and Panda Express honey walnut shrimp.  It's time to quit the fast food, open my school bag that has five sets of papers that need to be corrected, and get ready to go back to school.  It has been a great week.  A change really is as good as a rest.

 

Goodbye March!

I'm not sorry to see March leave.  It's my least favorite month of the year. Some people hate January, but I  love the fresh feeling of a new year "with no mistakes in it, yet" as Anne of Green Gables would say.  I still like the beauty of the snowstorms and the white against the blue sky.

I don't even mind winter extending into February because it's a cheerful month centered around Valentines Day.  Who can dislike a month filled with hearts and chocolates?

March, however, is a tease.  The weather grows warm, and I grow hopeful that spring is around the corner. Then BAM! the temperatures sink back into the thirties. I grow tired of days that include spring, summer,and winter all thrown into a twenty-four hour period.  We often have a rainstorm, a snowstorm and shirtsleeve weather all in one day.  It seems that April Fools Day really belongs in March.

Wait!  Daffodils blooming on the south side of the house.  Maybe March isn't such a horrible month after all!