Practicum Love!

As you may know, I started my practical experience at Orchard Hills Elementary in Santaquin. It has been such a different experience in 5th grade than last semester in 2nd. It's a combination of things. Of course, the kids are older, can do more things, and are way way easier to manage. Another stark difference is my teacher is 25 instead of 50+. Stephanie teaches like we have been taught to, because she is a recent BYU graduate herself. She's so organized, and gives me all sorts of resources to use in lessons. She's way flexible with letting me do lessons at a good pace and style. She eats with the other teachers during lunch. She can actually hear me when I talk to her. =) My carpool of girls is way cool too. We have a great time driving and talking during lunch. Our CFA is way cute and nice and helpful. She gave us a tour of the school the first day, and made us way turned around, but that couldn't be helped. She scrapbooked some steno pads for us the first day, and they are so so cute. I love how the schoolday is planned out, organized, and pretty much step by step. It makes the day go way fast, and I love it. I have way more assignments than last semester, but I'm way more organized, and that gives me a lot of confidence. I think this practicum is going to be GREAT!

An Ode to Mom

Yesterday in Relief Society, we had a lesson on Elder Bednar's talk about the three things you can do to strengthen the home, the first of which was expressing love. All of a sudden, I couldn't get my mommy out of my head, and I knew I had to tell her I loved her. So Ma, this one's for you!

I have a lot of favorite things about my mommy, and a lot of examples I can site of how I know she loves me.

She would always get up with us for seminary. She wasn't always the most coherent, but hey, I wasn't either.

she loves a good party! Get out the food, get the music bumpin', you know you know.

I love those times when we're talking and being silly, and our conversation deteriorates into inaudible laughter. You know it's good when you don't know what anyone's saying anymore.

She knows... somehow Mom always knew what boy I liked, when something was wrong, when I needed to skip a day of school... I never figured out how she did it.

She made us lunch, not just in elementary school, but that stint in high school where we could go get our lunch from mom and actually eat something delicious and healthy, rather than a fruit roll up and some cookies I would have inevitably packed for myself. She didn't have to, but she did anyways.

My mom knows how to get in there and get things done. Hard work is definitely something I admire about her.

She's nice. Everyone at school knew Mrs. Chatfield, and how awesome she was. She made treats for the drama kids, could talk about issues going on at school, oh, and this...

She gives great advice. I didn't always take it, but that was always a bad idea. She would take the problem, and deal with it. No judgements, always an outpouring of love.

She's smokin' HOT!

She thinks Daddy is cute, to this very day. I am obligated as their child to say eeeew, but I think it's really sweet. I want to say that to my husband after 25 years of marriage.

She keeps a great journal, something I want to emulate.

Disney Land is always more magical when Mom is there, even if she doesn't go on all the rides.

She can appreciate a night of Mr. Darcy and brownie mix.

If you have any favorite qualities that I didn't put down (because there are plenty that I just didn't have space for) feel free to share.

Mom, I love you so much. I'm glad I got to have a great mom like you! Thanks for doing my wedding, thanks for encouraging me through school, thanks for being a wonderful example to me. I hope you can feel my hugs all the way from Utah!