One hill conquered and a mountain to go..

One hill conquered and a mountain to go...I'm so ecstatic to be done with my NES tests. I'm grateful to have a job lined up. Those are hills on my journey. I have 43 teaching credits that I need to complete. That's like 3 semesters worth of college classes that I need to complete while I am working FULL time. Currently I am taking one online class. It's an 8 week course crammed full. I have to write a discussion essay, a cited paper and take a test, EACH week. Bleh! To say I am overwhelmed and discouraged would be accurate.

Recently Lindsey and I were talking about personal definitions of success. I think mine is progress. I feel successful when I'm moving forward and improving. This class is definitely making me move...I hope in a forward direction 😅

Victory for Lesley Jane!

The little girl inside of me who struggled with learning disabilities and attention issues got a huge victory on May 19th. I remember  sitting in school as a kid and hearing my teacher explain something and my inner voice would say "Lesley focus I think this is going to be important just try to listen to the end." Inevitably my thoughts would shift and I would hear Christopher Cross's song "Sailing" and I would be out to sea...I sailed many oceans especially in math class. I scrapped my way through school and college and earned a Communication degree. After 10 years of teaching preschool at my home I felt impressed to shift course slightly and teach in school. This required me to pass two subject tests. One test heavily concentrated in algebra and geometry. Covid required my preschool to close and allowed me time to hit the books. The Lord loves effort and he magnifies our efforts when we ask and try. Thankfully my kids are wicked smart and helpful and managed to tutor their mom with patience.

The night before the test I took a practice test. I finished 20 minutes over the time allotted and I got a D...I was so incredibly discouraged. Many tears were shed. I figured I didn't have the luxury to take my time on the test. I had less than 2 minutes on each question. So if it wasn't coming I just had to make an educated guess. I literally left for the test in tears.

During the test I didn't feel panicked, I worked on the problems and just went for it.  I finished 20 minutes early.  I thought now what?! Do I go over every answer? I went back to the first two questions reviewed and changed the answers. I was mentally drained. Then I prayed, "Lord is it enough?" And I felt the impression, yes it's enough. I felt like He was saying it's enough because you failed and no amount of reviewing will help. I was at peace with that answer and turned in my test.  Thankfully the results were almost immediate.I passed the test!!! I couldn't even make it to the elevator before I started to cry😭 I called Benjamin bawling.

The week before the test the Come Follow Me scripture study was on the two Nephite groups that had been delivered from  basically enslavement. I love those chapters. I had prayed for deliverance but was also praying that I would be ok if things didn't go my way. So grateful I was delivered. I can't remember a time I studied more. I haven't been in school for 20 years, when did I get old enough to say that?

  The Lord magnified my efforts and I passed both tests! The English /Social Studies test was the week earlier. I passed that with with minimal worries.

 I will now be a kindergarten teacher at a STEM school. Before I got hired I had interviewed with two other schools. Interviewing is so vulnerable. Grateful that search is over.

I love teaching because I love kids. I know that our greatest weaknesses are tied to our greatest strengths. My learning disabilities made me a hustler. Those early disabilities make me appreciate the kid who struggles to sit still but can organize an inclusive game at recess.

Mother's day 2020

It was a perfectly great mother's day! I woke up to breakfast in bed. Holman went to the store and got me my favorite "chocolate soup", sausage, scrambled eggs with bacon and pancakes with a dyed batter message.

Holman inlisted Parkin's help in bringing up the breakfast. It was so yummy!!

Benjamin and I went for our Sunday walk after breakfast. The weather was perfect 👌

Bella (and her roommate Hailie) made this beautiful card and got me Coke zero and peanut butter cups.

Adrianna made me this adorable card.

Parkin made me this coaster with my favorite desert bloom, creasote. 

Olivia slaved away and made a delicious meal. Chicken cheesey dish, rice, rolls, asparagus, apples and fruit dip. It was awesome!!

Benjamin got Eegee's the night before for dessert. He also got me flower bushes for the front yard. I love them!

We took gifts over to Barbara's and chatted with the Howe family for awhile. We all enjoyed the visit.

Later we had my parents over and gave mom gifts then. We also played a card game. 

I am so blessed to have such amazing family. It really was a golden day.

Parkin Joshua becomes a teenager!! May 3rd 🎈🎉🎂

This year I wanted to throw Parkin a big birthday party since he was becoming a teen. But with the quarantine orders to stay at home that was not in the cards. Adrianna and I woke up early and heart attacked his bedroom door with messages of love and admiration that we have for him. Since it was fast Sunday there wasn't a breakfast or lunch but Parkin got to pick our dinner. We made homemade bread bowls, roast beef, mashed potatoes and a caesar salad. Both sets of grandparents came and some uncles and aunts too it was great to celebrate one of the coolest teenagers you'll ever get a chance to meet. Parkin is so loving and caring he doesn't complain and he's happy to be around. A perfect example of Parkin's  awesomeness is how he saved Holman. The boys set up a pulley system in the living room and Holman was being hoisted up by his cousin Jared.  Jared kind of let go of the rope and Holman was flying down to the ground in Parkin immediately without thinking lunged for and grabbed the rope as fast as he could. Parkin was yanked up in the air and didn't worry about his own safety just wanted to make sure his brother was okay. Holman landed safely. This story describes Parkin to a T. We love you Parkin 💕 I'm so grateful you were born into our family. You are smart, funny, loving and cute to boot ♥️


Parkin comes up to me and says, " look at what Holman did"...son there is no way you were upset by this since the lines are straight 😂

Parkin got a Dollar bill oragami book from my parents. He promptly made a bow tie

Prom despite the pandemic!

Seniors all over the United States have had to get creative with fulfilling their last year in school bucket list. Melissa and Josh Clark were awesome parents and created a Senior Prom for Morgan. Morgan's prom date was Jordan Waldbilig another senior, and family friend. My kids love their cousin and Olivia was excited to get to wear her prom dress. Bella wore a previous prom dress and Holman combed his hair 😁

The Clark's went all out. They had a theme  "Blue Bayou" The dinner had several courses of yuminess. They ate, talked and danced the night away.

Nothing like young love... Bella's roommate Halie (which we love) met a guy on Mutual, they really hit it off so he came for a visit. We did church and posed by the temple. Luke dressed up again for church, what a pooch.

75 masks!!

This week has been all about the masks! Olivia's friend started a charity organization to help hospital workers receive masks. Olivia signed up to do a batch. She made 52 masks! The fabric is autoclave meaning it can be reused and sanitized. it was quite the team effort Olivia and I could not have done it without Nana's help! She has a great sewing machine and she's also very willing and helpful!!

I signed up to do masks for our missionaries. it was a totally different pattern than Olivia's mess a little more complicated and a lot more time-consuming Nana and i made 16. Later we also made 7 more masks for the family. We really got the hang of it and I wish those would have been the ones I donated cuz they looked a lot better.

Nana put the sewing machine in the family room so we could watch TV eat munchies and so our hearts out!! 

Also notable this week is that Adrianna made the family dinner! She made scrambled eggs pancakes and fried sausage. It was delicious and very helpful!

Benjamin made Anna a "balcony" outside her window. She loves it and was quite impressed with Benjamin skills.

It was such a long long quaranteen week... Each day has been like a week. I read today that somebody has said in regards to this Covid19 quarantine "hey we're all in the same boat" but the article talked about how we're not all in the same boat we're all in the same storm. That every boat is different. Some people are really struggling financially right now, struggling for food and their basic necessities. Some have lost their jobs (me!). Some have felt the ultimate loss, that of a loved one. Some people who live alone feel completely alone because they can't go out and visit people. As far as this quarantine has gone I feel very grateful for my boat, for the many blessings that we have. Those blessings have made this storm bearable. I hope the masks help lighten someone else's boat. I have a friend who's family has made over 400 masks...400 she's basically building boats!

Easter covid19 style

Today was Easter Sunday. It was unlike any other Easter we have experienced. Over a month ago, I was asked to give the Easter talk in church.  I thought I would be giving a talk to a congregation of 200 plus people instead it was a congregation of 8 people. Crazy time. We had a great sacrament meeting. Olivia, Parkin and Adrianna did a musical number, Gethsemane. My talk was interactive with video clips and lots of discussion. I love having sacrament meeting at home. I think the hardest part is how fast the sacrament goes, normally I can offer a sizeable prayer between the blessings but with so few people there is not a lot of pondering time. next week we're going to try to really pause between each blessing so that there is more time to repent and offer thanks for  our blessings. 

It was  hard not having our typical Easter festivities with both sides of the family. Easter is a favorite Holiday, little pressure and usually several low key gatherings. I went really low key with Easter baskets, meaning I couldn't find the baskets. I didn't buy extra gifts, just a candy assortment, that I put in ziplocks. I thought I would get a lot of push back but I didn't any! I was grateful and so were they. What a relief. After church we cut out and prepted 104 masks that are going to medical professionals and missionaries in our area. It was quite the assembly line. We thought it was a great way to honor the Savior with serving our brothers and sisters.

After dinner we had a fire and snores not a typically Easter desert but lovely all the same.