Happiness is ...

I feel that happiness comes to us when we accept who we are with no reservations.

If I want an instant lift in my mood, I watch the movie Penelope. I tried to introduce it to my grade 7 students today. Didn't go over well but now I am energized, feeling content and happy as I look ahead to 4 1/2 hours of parent teacher conferences. Whenever I watch this movie I feel recommitted to learning to love myself. If you haven't seen the movie I highly recommend it. (And I will admit I would LOVE her wardrobe.)

Flashback

This morning was our motivational assembly. It is in conjunction with the chocolate and magazine fundraiser. A couple of professional BMX riders (both have gone to the X Games plus been featured on various tv shows), an announcer and music person put on a 30 minutes BMX trick show in our school gym. A few minutes into the show I felt like I had gone back in time to my childhood. I was listening to songs like "Eye of the Tiger" and watching moves that I had seen on my favourite childhood movie, "RAD." A great morning after a not so great night. It makes me want to go home and watch some 80's movies.

Abigail Jane Peck

I am an aunt again!

I love being an aunt! It is the best!

And this time I am close enough to get to see her right away. I can't wait for my work day to be over and go hold her!

She is 7lbs 6oz and 20 1/2 inches long.

Don't know how long labour was since Nic texted me at 6:45am and told me they were at the hospital. I don't know if he waited until he knew I would be at my carpool or if that is when they got there.

Yeah!!!!

A Little Green Card

I just got home from work and grabbed my mail on the way into my house. I found a third "Welcome to the United States" letter promising that I should hear from them within 30 days. Its the third one in a week. I was laughing about it as I opened the next letter that was coming from Texas with no return name above the address. Inside I found a pamphlet for new immigrants and my very own GREEN CARD!!!! Yep pretty much everything on the card is in different shade of green but now I can officially stay in the country, work, pay taxes, etc etc until 2020. The best thing is that it means that we can start the process of purchasing our FIRST house. Yippee!

A mother's work is never done. Enjoy!

Family Pictures

My wonderful sister Rita took our family pictures on Tuesday. They turned out SOOOOO good. Emily and Collin didn't always cooperate but we still got cute pictures so who cares! Next time I know not to choose a park that has swings and a slide at it. The fall colours were gorgeous and I loved having all the leaves on the ground for us to play in. The train tracks and park were a perfect place. The trees are planted along a triangle piece of land so it lends some fun background imagery. Click Here to go to facebook where I posted the pictures. It is a public page so you don't have to have an account. Enjoy!

Craters of the Moon Field trip

I had never been to or knew much about Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho when I found out the 8th grade class was going. I was able to go along with 8 other adults and our 120 students. It was nice to get to know two of the school's science teachers on the 2 hour bus ride each way. I learned alot about the fascinating earth science features that naturally happen in Idaho. Luckily it wasn't too hot of a day with a light breeze. The forecast had predicted rain so I was glad that they were wrong. The first thing we did after the ranger talked to us about the rules was climb a cinder cone. A complete hill formed from the ash falling from the volcano vent over 2000 years ago. Totally awesome. The rock/ash was sparkly. I didn't expect that. The climb was rather steep and I discovered that not only am I out of shape but my body has still not completely acclimated here. The top of the hill is 7000 above sea level. My lungs were burning! But the view was incredible. To look out and actually see the black hardened lava. (Can't remember the name of it. Guess I should have paid more attention) I could just imagine what it looked like red and glowing, how it flowed etc. It was really neat to see how certain areas must have had a high enough elevation because there will be a small green island of grass in the sea of black. We then climbed up to two vents. Lots of climbing but so worth it. My legs were BURNING. I love that feeling. :) The students were really good only a few yahoos who were of course from my homeroom. But no accidents even when they were running down the hillsides. I wish I had brought my camera. We then headed over to the caves. Everyone brought sweaters, hats and flashlights. My brother in law had kindly lent me 3 flashlights which I ended up lending out two to girls who did not have flashlights that worked. :) Gotta love 8th graders. We hiked Indian Cave first which was really neat. The caves are acutal lava tubes! Some have collapsed over time. There aren't many you can climb in now because of this happening. We then went in boy scout caves. One went into a large cavern that one end had collapsed making it so you had to go back in the entrance. The other cave you had to slither down into and the only way out was on your stomach crawing. I ended up going back up the entrance because the students were taking so long I was getting claustraphobic. And I'm a coward. :) The last cave is Beauty and it is a simple large cave you walk in and out of. We ended up going back into the Boy Scout cavern so that the Earth Science teacher could tell them a ghost story about the place in the pitch dark. I was trying not to laugh but couldn't help it when he reached the end. He told them that the wind you may feel in the tunnels is from the spirits of the three dead boy scouts and could they feel it. While it was quiet a drop of water and small pebble from the ceiling fell on the neck of one of the girls. She screamed. It was so funny! It was a long day, (8:30am-5:30pm) but well worth it. It makes me want to return with my kids. But maybe not until they are a little older. I wouldn't want them falling over an edge and getting hurt. I highly recommend it to everyone!

One of Those Days

Have you ever had one of those days? You know the one where everything goes wrong no matter how prepared you are and all you can do is laugh or cry. I'm choosing laughing today.

I woke this morning late so I quickly showered and got dressed in the clothes I laid out last night for my field trip to Craters of the Moon. I get makeup on and hair done. Breakfast eaten. Then I realize that Nic doesn't usually work Friday's and I need to get to my carpool. The kids and Landon are still sleeping. I text Nic and he says that he will drive me even though he doesn't work until the afternoon. Landon wakes up to tell me he has decided to go on the overnight trip with his brothers which means he is leaving at 1:30pm. I'm not getting home until 6pm because of travel for the field trip. I quickly text Rita (its 6:30am) and ask if she can take my kids from 1:30 till 6. She texts back yes. Then Nic texts me and says that he is just going to drop off the truck and I can keep it until Landon gets back. (Have I told you my sister and brother in law are saints?) I then realize that Collin had my house and truck key at Rita's house and I don't know where they are. Landon took them from him not knowing they were mine and thought he left them on the piano. I call Nic he was about to get into his truck. He says he will take a look around. I look around my house. No keys. Nic shows up at 6:45. I drive him back to his house. He gives me his truck key because he couldn't find the key either. I run into my house grab my previously packed bag, kiss Emily and Landon and make Landon promise to leave his house key at Rita's so I can get back into my house. I call Melisa and let her know I will be arriving 5 minutes late for carpool. As I am getting out of the truck I realize my healthy, packed last night, lunch is sitting in my fridge. Too late to go and get it. Melisa says that she will take me to the grocery store in American Falls to pick up some food. Half way here I realize that I left my cell phone in the Explorer. I get to the grocery store and realize I have 5 dollars to buy lunch. I haven't been in town or off work at times I can get a bank card for our bank account. I spend $4.58 on tuna fish and crackers snack pack, an apple, a fiber bar, and a pudding snack pack. I get to school, realize I left my school keys in my purse at home and it is only 7:44 am. What does the rest of the day have in store.

Deer and Big Blessings

Since my sister has already posted about this on facebook I figured I better get this on the blog. I have the best sister and brother in law on earth. Seriously, I do. Nic lends me his Explorer when it is my turn to carpool to work. My car is rather small and that way Landon still has a vehicle. Nic either carpools with his brother or I drop him off. I know, a saint. Since I am away Friday on a field trip, and Friday is my day to drive the carpool, I offered to drive Wednesday. This morning I picked everyone up at Petsmart, our meeting place, at 6:55 am and off we went. It is still dark and so headlights are on, etc. We got onto the freeway and I quickly sped up to 80 mph. We were chatting about stopping off at American Falls Break for Breakfast and pick up one of the cute pink insulated lunch sacks they were giving away. (Break for Breakfast is for women to raise awareness about Breast Cancer. You drive up, stop, they hand you literature, a pen and a lunch sack with milk, yogurt, muffin and a banana, then you drive off.) We were maybe 2 miles up the freeway when suddenly a deer jumped into the freeway, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE EXPLORER. There was nothing I could do. I hit the deers butt with my front drivers side bumper. I felt a jolt, and a bump bump under my vehicle. I thought the wheels were handling weird as I calmly pulled over to the side of the road. I didn't swerve, slam on my brakes or anything. Just pulled over. I felt at peace. A little wired but not freaking out. I got out of my vehicle and I could smell blood and singed fur. I walked around the vehicle expecting to find a dead deer, nothing. I then got down on my knees to look under the vehicle, nothing. I turned and looked up the road, nothing. My co worker Melisa got out of the vehicle on the cell phone with her husband. I told her I couldn't see anything wrong. She didn't believe me. She walked around the vehicle and admitted that there was no damage and no deer. We got back in the vehicle and found our other coworker Marilana on the phone with her significant other. She couldn't believe there was no damage. We were worried that the explorer might not drive well because they had felt the thump and weird pull of the wheels as well. I tentatively pulled out onto the freeway and slowly excelerated. Nothing wrong. Except my hazards had still not turned on. Melisa called Idaho State Police to let them know about the deer and where the accident had occured. They said they would go look for the deer so they could put it out of its misery. We sat in silence for a minute and then Marilana said, "Well we braked but I didn't get any meat for my breakfast." That was enough to make us all laugh and joke the next 20 minutes on the drive out to American Falls. We braked for breakfast at the park, got our really cute bags and then headed off to work. As I made the last turn to work my hazards came on. It made me laugh. I called Rita as I got out of the vehicle. The first thing I said was, "Did you know that it takes more than 15 minutes for your hazards to come on?" She paused and asked, "Why did you have my hazard lights on?" I laughed and told her the story. She had Nic's dad drive over from Aberdeen to check the vehicle out and he gave the car and clean bill of health. As we drove back to Pocatello at 4:15pm we looked for any sign of the deer. Nothing. I told Melisa that I was glad that they were in the vehicle with me so that I knew I hadn't imagined it. She laughed and said that it would be pretty hard for the three of us to have the same hallucination. I have been thanking the Lord all day for our safe arrival. If I had driven my car it would have been another ending, I am sure of it. The deer was quite large. I could see his head and eye clearly from my elevated position in the Explorer. I am grateful for the loving care of my Heavenly Father today.

**As I side note: The bags were so cute that Marilana and I went back through the line so that we could pick two up for her daughters and one for my sister. They are pink with pink circle trim. On the pocked it says, "Fight like a girl!" They even gave us a tiny stuffed pink boxing glove key chain that says the same thing.**

Pictures from the Cabin

Since I am sitting at my mother in laws computer I can post a couple of pictures she took when we were up at the cabin for Landon's birthday. Enjoy!

Mel took Emily and Collin out for a ride on the four wheeler. They LOVED it!

The kids loved running around the yard!

It is always so much fun to go to the cabin!