New Years in Texas!

Well I finally made to Wichita Falls.  Despite a cancelled flight on the 29th, a 1/2 night sleep in a hotel with a taxi drive to the airport costing $10, I was on my way.  I actually could have walked the short distance from the hotel to the airport, but that probably would have been asking for trouble.
Before and during both of the flights, I was very vigilant.  This means I stared and listened into as many conversations as possible, making sure there were no terrorists thinking of boarding my plane.  There were a couple of interesting guys waiting for the Dallas flight, but after I gave them the hairy eyeball, they quickly lost all thought of any bad behavior.
I'm taking a lot of pictures, but I don't know if they'll get on this blog because I forgot my USB cable. Maybe Jesse and Erin can find something for me.
They still had a bit of snow in Wichita Falls, so Jacob and Lauryn went outside to show me.

Merry Christmas!!!

I think this blog is going to be a two or three parter.  I don't have all the pictures, yet, and I'm hoping for some from Erin, Becca and Jenny.  Ben, if you can take a picture of yourself somewhere near a Christmas tree, or just you with some thing Christmas-y near you, I'd love for you to send it to me so I can put it in one of the blogs.

This first part should speak for itself...yep, Adam with his new blankie, and a for real gun (ya gotta love the guys!)  I guess if you're living in one of highest ranked cities for crime, or kidnapping, or one of those ugly things, you've got to be able to protect yourself.

Just got a family pic from Jenny and Adam.  I hope it's ok to blog their Christmas picture.  So far both Jenny and Adam's home in New Hampshire,  Erin and Jesse's in Texas,  Summer and Tyler's in Northern Utah, and Mariah and Jeremy's in Cedar City have snow!  Where's ours?

Here's a couple from Texas.

Here's Mandy and Mariah with Kevin and Katie.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Just got up, took my shower, now I'm off to do my last minute shopping.  Bill wanted to go over to the club to swim and sit in the hot tub, but I didn't think I'd have enough time for that; maybe on Saturday, just to relieve the tension/stress.  I think I'll take my camera with me today, and shoot some pictures.  I'm not sure what of, but I'll find something.
Well, I'm back, and hopefully for good.  I ran to WalMart to get the chili and chips for our traditional tamale Christmas Eve dinner.  Kind of weird, though, since it's only going to be Bill, Mandy and I.
Here's a few pictures of our walk to Sister Fletcher's house to deliver her gift.


 



As per the custom in our neighborhood, everyone gives gifts of food, hot chocolate, etc.  This was an interesting gift of what I like to call "the brain" (food).  Doesn't it look like a brain?

Visiting my Mother

Well, school ended for Christmas break, and Bill drove me right down to the Las Vegas airport to have a quick visit with my mom, Becca and Noah, Ben, and my brothers.  I've been here almost two days and don't tell Bill this, but it's been raining every minute!
Rebeccah's house (new) is very pretty, and she decorated it well.  I stayed Friday night with Becca and it was fun with her and Noah; I just wish we had more time.  Ben drove me over to mom's Saturday morning and stayed a while.  I think he's coming over today, not sure, though.  I also think Kathy is coming today (I didn't rent a car this time), and mom and I are going over to Bill and Lois' tonight (I think).  Boy, there's a lot to do, but not a lot of time.  For some reason I feel like I was "beamed up" and out of my life as I knew it, and will be returning so soon; it just feels kind of weird.  Nothing to be too concerned about, though.
I'm trying to get mom to use the computer, again, but as we all know, the computer is so dang daunting.  We'll see...

Christmas Break!

Oh boy, it is here at last. The last day before Christmas Break. It's also my long morning (two preps back to back) which to those of you who don't know, I don't teach until after lunch!  The classroom across from me is having and all day Wassail Party (Hot cider, reminiscent of jolly ol' England).  I got my cup of spiced hot cidar, and combine that with the pepsi and fudge I have on my desk, I don't think I'll even be teaching my afternoon classes. 
It's kind of funny how things are really realaxed this time of year:  you don't really hate all the kids, you may or may not be willing to pass that one annoying, slacker kid (just think, a D-, instead of an F), and the continual loop of the Christmas movie you're showing so you can  get those wonderful English essays graded, doesn't seem all that bad after all.  "It's snowing, Bert, It's snowing!"

Finals!

It's that time of year when students are fasting, praying, and doing pretty much anything they can to get through this dreaded week of finals.  Even my high school students are having finals.  Oh, I do love giving them (obviously not taking them :).  This is the time I sit at my desk and reflect upon those things that I need to this time of year.  I hope the kids do well (I'm not really all that bad), since I worry whether or not they "got" the material well enough to actually pass.  I've already scored a few tests, and some did quite well, while some did poorly.  This is when I wonder whether I taught them well enough, but I know there are many students who don't read the novel, and try to just get by. I love books, so I don't get it when they don't read!!!
My college class finals are really a bear.  They have four parts to it.  Grammar, vocabulary, comprehensive, and that dreaded essay that they have to write in class next Monday.  Oh, fun.

Our lights are up!

I think this is the first year we have had our lights up so soon after Thanksgiving.  My goal was to put them up over Thanksgiving weekend, but that didn't happen.  I came home from school yesterday, and found Mandy and Bill putting up the lights on the roof!  I was soooo happy.  I went inside and immediately put the lights on the tree and Mandy helped me with the rest of the decorations that needed to be put up in the house.  Thank you Mandy and Bill!  I'm going to try to get some pictures of the house and put them on the blog Saturday.
Things always go fast this time of the year.  I still have gifts to wrap and send off, three birthdays to take care of, and the most enjoyable of all, grade my 10th grader's persuasive essays.  Ho-hum.