Tired Thursday

I often forget to post on Thursdays. I go into my bed thinking I will but then I scroll through social media until I am asleep. It is hard to blog while asleep.

Anyway, I got nothing. It was a long day. Started at 6:10 ended at 10:30. I taught, I watched basketball film with my players, I had parent-teacher conferences, I avoided going to my office and chatted with a co-worker, I drove home, I cuddled and read to my kiddos, I meant to blog, I tried to watch The Good Place, and realized it was an hour and a half long being the finale and all, I slept.

Now. I shall go and conquer the last day of the week.

If you would like here is a plug for my friend’s cause. Help Sarah get hearing aids HERE.

You can read about it on this POST if you missed it.

Wisdom Within Wednesday

Have you ever finished a book and were both changed by it and also wanted to immediately read it again? That is what this book did for me.

Candace Cameron Bure is one of my favorite peeps. I follow her on Instagram and look forward to all her posts and stories. She is inspirational as a strong woman who works out and she also is inspirational as a woman of faith to me!

She is so much more than just DJ Tanner on Full House or as the girl who does all the Hallmark Movie! There are just not enough words to describe how cool she is and how much I just want to be her friend, even though it’s always weird when somebody is in the limelight and you feel like you know them like a friend.

Candace(I almost used Bure here but really we are fake friends and on a first name basis, just like me and Kelly(Clarkson)) really had found the one thing the world really needs to help change it for the better. Nope, it isn’t money, or less fossil fuels, although those things may have an impact. It’s kindness. When we are kind we can make all the difference in our own lives and the lives of others.

Now, I’m going to take advantage of not being rushed by a reading challenge to move onto the next book and actually reread this book right away and mark the crud out of it. I want to remember so many of the emotions I felt as reading it and also journal the tips I gained to better myself.

Now, it isn’t always easy to be kind and Candance mentioned a few times how she is still a work in progress, as we all are, but kindness is worth it. In fact, “kindness wins”!!!

I encourage you to go out today and do one small thing for somebody else. See how it feels. What change can it have on your own heart? Feel free to share this act in the comments along with how it made you feel. I’d love to hear from y’all.

You Bet I Will

You bet I will use one of my blogging days to help an amazing cause.

My good friend, Sarah, is experiencing hearing loss because of the autoimmune disease she has, Menieres.

I met Sarah in high school because we were both music nerds. She was in band. I was in orchestra. She is an amazing flutist, I was a mediocre bassist. She can do it all: sing and play a million instruments.  She also got a degree in music teaching and has helped many kids learn to play and enjoy music!

Her iTunes library has thousands of songs. To say that Sarah loves music is an understatement.

Here is the link to the gofundme that her family has started: Help Sarah. See, she just got new hearing aids and exclaimed that she didn’t know what she wasn’t hearing the first day she wore them. The saddest part is that her insurance won’t cover them and the payments are just too much to handle, so she has planned to just use the free trial month and then return them. That just breaks my heart. If you can, any amount helps, please donate. If you can’t that okay too, just share that page on social media. The more we share this story the more likely we will be able to get Sarah the money she needs to keep hearing as well as she deserves. Thanks so much in advance.

Love you Sarah!

Picture borrowed from Sarah’s Facebook!

Meter Monday: Fog

Fog

Thick as soup

Ya know like the pea kind

Less brothy

More chunk

Driving can be scary

Especially when others

Don’t use their lights 

Can’t imagine 

Thinking that flying 

In a helicopter 

Would be a better idea

Not even the police 

Or rescue choppers were up

Yet a basketball legend

And a private chopper

Filled with basketball enthusiasts 

Was up. 

Fog

Thick as soup

Driving an adventure

Flying…

Wait....What? No Coffee?

One of my true confessions last Tuesday was that I love coffee, but I don't drink it anymore, especially since joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints(back in 1995). 

There are lots of things that we, as church members, don't do that may make us a little peculiar, like abstaining from sex before marriage,  not drinking alcohol, not using tobacco, and not drinking black tea and coffee.

Most of the above abstaining comes from something we call The Word of Wisdom.  This revelation was given to Joseph Smith back in 1833.  During that time, lots of people were questioning both the use of alcohol and tobacco.  In fact, Joseph's wife, Emma, actually got Joseph thinking about the subject as she was tired of cleaning up tobacco spit from the floor where many of the early members of the church would meet.  Joseph sought guidance through prayer and received the 89th Section of The Doctrine of Covenants(which is a book of revelations given to Joseph Smith as well as a few of the other Prophets of our church through the years). 

In the 89th Section, it gives some guidance on many health concerns of the time.  Within the verses, it speaks of not drinking strong drink(alcohol), how tobacco is not for the belly but rather can be used on wounds(we actually have some in our house that we have used on bee stings for the kids), an urge to eat fruits and veggies with thanksgiving, use meat sparingly, that grain is good for the food of man, and that hot drinks are not for the belly. 

This is where the whole coffee thing comes from, hot drinks not being for the belly.  Over the years, leaders of the church have mentioned how herbal tea is okay, but coffee is still on the abstain list.  I think most of these things are to help us avoid addictions, like alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.  It really doesn't feel like restriction to me either.  It actually gives me freedom.   

By following this Word of Wisdom, church members are also given this promise:

“All saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them” Doctrine and Covenants 89: 18-21

Hopefully, this little description of The Word of Wisdom makes sense.  I often feel that part of these guidelines actually are to help us learn sacrifice as well.  It makes us different, and sometimes being different is difficult.  I do love coffee, like I have said, but part of this life, I feel, is training ourselves to master self.  Sometimes we need to sacrifice in order to be better, learn more and live well.  I truly believe that following this counsel makes people healthier.  If you would like to learn more, I found a great site here that explains it well.  There is even a study UCLA that shows Latter-Day Saints who live this principle actually are healthier and live longer lives. I like that idea. Living long and prospering is one of my life goals.

If you have any more questions about my faith, feel free to ask.  I am pretty open about it!

Something You May Not Know About Me

I am a hat fiend.  It may be because I am one of the least high maintenance women on the planet.  It could also be because I am lazy.  Either way, I am a hat girl.  I think I may have always been.  I do remember seeing lots of pictures of me as a kid with a big bonnet on my head.  That was because I was bald and have very pale skin.  It was either the bonnet or blisters.  I am glad my parents chose hats, and I am still choosing hats.  This is the one I am wearing today: 

I got it when I was at Fenway Park the summer before last.  Lots of times I am wearing a Dodgers hat.  Right now, I am really looking forward to baseball season. I do have a hat from every ballpark I have visited.  

My husband is a cool guy and doesn't care if I wear hats all the time or not.  One time when we are still dating he asked: "What's up with all the hats?"  I had them hanging on the wall of my last apartment and he was curious.  "Those are my hats," I answered, "I love hats."  He then asked, "Why don't you ever wear them?"  I told him that I was still trying to impress him.  He said I should just wear the hats.  So, here we are.  He even hung them all up for me with special hooks when we moved to this house.  I love my little display and they are so handy to grab when I want a specific one.

I guess I will always be a hat girl.  When Z was little she would always make me put a hat on if I didn't have one on when I came home from work.  She couldn't even recognize me.  I guess hats are just a part of who I am.

Flashback Friday

I have had lots of adventure in my life.  I continue to have adventure in my life.  This post isn't a post about not liking my life.  I love my life...but sometimes I mourn my single and spontaneous life.  If I wanted to go somewhere, I did.  If I wanted to buy something for me, I did.  It was definitely a bit different than my life now.  I had a little of this mourning a few weeks ago during Winter Break when one of my friends just decided one day to go to Mexico the next day.  What a life?

So, for this Flashback Friday an ode to my carefree, single adventures:

That one time I won tickets to a Colorado Rockies game.
My friend Kristi and I just up and went for the weekend.
We had free box seat tickets, all the food and drink we
wanted, free airfare, free hotel, and 100 dollars to spend!

That one time I met Melissa Peterman with my friend, Morgan!
She did a show at Wiseguys in Ogden and she was hilarious.
And she was nice enough to meet every single person that
was there that night and take pictures with us!

That one time I went to Vegas to see Kelly Clarkson.
My friends, Morgan and Lesley, were living there so it was heaven
to see them and also to see Kelly again!  I made lots of trips to Vegas
back then!

That one time I went to Chicago with my Uncle Jim
and his son, Adam.  We went to see the White Sox
the first day. And then we went to historic Wrigley
Field the next day.  I loved this trip.  Jim and I both
share a big love for baseball and both of us got a bit
misty eyed when we walked into Wrigley.  I may hate
the Cubs but I love that field and the baseball history
it symbolizes! (Above is me at the White Sox game,
below is me outside of Wrigley Field.)

That one time I went to London with my Aunt Cindy,
Uncle Dan, Mom, and Mom's friend, Ruth.  We ate all the
good food, including the best ice cream by The Tower of London.
We also met The Queen, okay, we actually just saw her in a parade
while she celebrated her birthday, but it was still cool.  I also was able to
head to Scotland for a week solo to visit my friend, Mary Beth and her
husband.  I loved seeing castles and eating fish and chips on the shore of
The Black Sea.  It was also an adventure driving with Mary Beth as she
reminded herself: "We drive on the left over here."

That one time I convinced my Mom to go to New York City
to see Kelly Clarkson perform in Central Park on The Today
Show.  Of course, we also saw the sights including the Statue Of
Liberty.  Three weeks before the event I told Mom about the concert
and she said: "Book tickets!" and gave me her credit card.  What
a fun spontaneous adventure my mom was willing to fund.  She was
also willing to get drenched in the rain as we watched Kelly Clarkson
in the downpour!

That one time we cruised over to Madeline Island across from
Bayfield, WI.  We just lived our best Wisconsin tourist lives.
What a hoot all the adventures I have had with my Sister, Andi
and Mom, Sue!

That one time Marla and I spent a week in California.  We loved
the beach, an Angels baseball game, and locking the rental car
keys in the car.  Just kidding, that last bit wasn't a favorite, but
it does make for a funny memory.  Marla has always been one of my
best vacation buddies.  I don't even know how many times she rode
with me from Wisconsin to Utah while I was single and carefree.

I have had many, many more adventures, like riding the Cable Cars all over San Francisco just because I love riding them, while my friends went to Alcatraz(I had already been twice), I also loved Russia and all the serious people who thought we were crazy.  Single and spontaneous was a great era.

And now, I am mom and wife and I do less spontaneous adventure, but all the cuddles and kisses are one hundred percent worth the sacrifice of spontaneity.

Thursday....What I’m Reading

This book is so cool. It answers 365 questions about astronomy that the author has received on his website “Tvr Astronomy Cafe” I’m learning things I never knew I wanted to know!

This book is amazing. I read it mostly while I am riding my exercise bike. It’s Christian based but really hits the head on what the world really needs: Kindness!!!! I love Candace Cameron Bure in the Hallmark movies she’s in, especially The Aurora Teagarden Series, but I am also loving getting to know her as a person while she encourages us all to be more kind. Great read so far.

I am also reading a young adult novel that is okay, I just haven’t been giving it much time because I feel extremely busy and tired these days!

What are y’all reading? I’m always looking to bulk up my to read list!

Wednesday Wisdom: 20 Tips for success

1. Don’t pee into the wind.
2. Look both ways before crossing the road.
3. Wear your seatbelt.
4. Eat your veggies.
5. Call your mom.
6. Sleep.
7. Listen to headphones at lower decibels.
8. Spread kindness. Not gossip.
9. Use your turn signal.
10. Merge right except to pass.
11. Find your passion.
12. Do what is right, even when nobody is watching.
13. Choose to be honest.
14. Eat dessert on occasion.
15. Say “I love you” when you actually do! See #13
16. Be a leader.
17. Cry.
18. Look for amazing sunsets.
19. Look for the good.
20. Be grateful.

True Confession Tuesday.

I loved coffee back in my Catholic days, but when I joined The Church of Jesus of Latter-Day Saints, I gave it up cold turkey. I shook for days which was a problem being a waitress. Bringing drinks to people could prove to be a little dangerous both for me and the customers! It was an adventure. 

I still love the smell of coffe. Sitting in Barnes and Noble while writing the other day, reminded me of just how much. I often linger in the coffee isle at the grocery store too, just for the free smells!  

I love that I have found a coffee alternative that is delicious. I add a bit of vanilla sweetener and milk to Crio Bru and I’m in heaven. It is one of my go tos in the winter. Sometimes you just need something warm to carry around. 

I do also enjoy tea, but Crio Bru is my favorite these days.  

Meter Monday

Amazing season for my Packers, even if the NFC Championship wasn't so good...here is my ode to the end of the season, in Haiku:

Go Pack Go!
Superbowl Sunday
Will not be quite as special
Always a Cheesehead.

Spiritual Song Sunday

I love music. All kinds of music. I don’t really have a whole lot of music that I hate, even though most rap does fall into the category of music I’d rather not listen to.

I am a church-goer. I feel that my faith helps me to deal with life problems and find hope in a world that often feels hopeless.

My Sunday meetings are filled with worship music. I love to sing hymns, but many times I don’t get through the song. See I have this disorder. It’s called “when I feel the Spirit, I ugly cry.” Obviously it isn’t an actual diagnosis, but I have diagnosed myself with it.

Spiritual music just makes me cry. Today we sang a hymn entitled: “In Humility, Our Savior.”  It’s a short song with only two verses, but it is packed with meaning.
These words of the first verse got me:
“Let me not forget, O Savior,
Thou didst bleed and die for me
When thy heart was stilled and broken
On the cross at Calvary.”

Oh did I cry. Just so you know, it’s really hard to continue singing while crying. So, I just sat and cried.  I did join in for the second verse only to again lose it with these words:
“Then when we have proven worthy
Of thy sacrifice divine
Lord, let us regain thy presence;
Let thy glory round us shine.”

What words of hope. How personal they are to me. To know my Savior bled and suffered for me personally, for all my shortcomings and heartbreaks. And then to one day truly be worthy of that sacrifice and be able to mingle with Jesus again is hope indeed!

Something You May Not Know About Me...

I may or may not be obsessed with Kelly Clarkson and her music.

I have seen her in concert 11 times.

The picture above is at her concert on The Today Show in Central Park in New York City. I told my mom she was doing a free show there about three week before it happened and Mom said to book plane tickets. I loved that trip to NYC. It rained that morning. In fact, we were all drenched. The cool part was that I think the rain deterred many people  from coming. I got like four rows away from her on stage. I think tickets for that run about $200 these days, and it was free that day. Great memories.

It is in my bucket list to meet Kelly. If you know her you should tell her that we could be best friends. Also, if you feel like nominating me for any of the categories on her talk show that would get me to her show and to meet her, feel free to fill out the information HERE

What celebs would you like to meet?

Fitness Friday!

 This week

I have always loved lifting weights, but this year I have been super motivated to do more of it. I do not lift heavy but I do lift lots of reps and I feel the burn. It is super convenient to have a Weight Conditioning class for my first hour of the day. I work right along side my students. . 

I have also lost about 15 pounds this school year. It isn’t exactly where I wanted to be by now but I am making progress. “Progress not Perfection!”

I have also given up Diet Coke. (I have probably talked about this a million times already. It’s a life changer.)Well, I am working on it. “Progress not perfection!” I drink it when I’m driving a van of smelly boys for hours. Like tonight as we drove from to play basketball in Fort Duchesne, Utah. It was also snowy and the wiper fluid was out in a treacherous canyon. I was okay with the boost...although it is starting to not taste as amazing as it used to. 

Do something for your health today. Make sure it is something you like so you will keep doing it. Remember, “progress not perfection!”

Deep Thought Thursday

The headline read "Train Vs. Pedestrian"

Sounds to me almost like a fight that you can't buy tickets to.  It also sounds ridiculous.  It was not train vs pedestrian.  Perhaps the headline should read "Pedestrian vs. Pedestrian" for those final moments must have been a very intense battle. 

I don't think anybody really wants to die.  I bet those last moments may have had many tinges of regret. 

I have thought about this all week because on my daily walk with coworkers there were just short of a dozen community service vehicles on scene to deal with this incident.  I saw the cop with the drone who had found what was left of the body.  I then saw the police and fire personal walking and searching and then huddling around what was probably the spot.  I cannot imagine and do not want to know what that mass looked like. The haunting image ingrained in those service people's minds now, an addition to all the trauma they deal with daily.

A quick out for that man is now on the memory of so many.  That quick out also caused havoc for travelers for most of that day.  It's almost aggravating to think about that stuff.  We say things like, "Why didn't he just pick a different place?," or "Didn't he think of all this after stuff?"  Nope, he definitely wasn't thinking about those things.  Those irrational last thoughts were probably pretty heavy.  I don't want to know them either.  I wish somebody could have changed his mind.  My sympathy even for a stranger is strong and in those moments hoping it wasn't one of "ours."

Last year a similar disruption in travel was on the busy thoroughfare between here and Salt Lake City.  I thought the same thoughts: "Why didn't he chose a different way, a way that wouldn't have made the morning commute so difficult for so many?"  Those thoughts came to a screaming halt when I discovered who it was, a former student.  The demons he carried strong too, and I only know a few of them. 

I hate thinking, "Is it one of ours?" after every incident like this.  If only the love and support of an army of people could help win this battle.  The one that seems so impossible at times.

Train vs. Pedestrian.

Wild Wednesday...

Wednesday was a whirlwind.

Crazy, busy, day.

I lifted weights, I ran, I taught, I laughed, I cried, I coached, I lost, I made a few players angry, I felt like quitting my second gig,  I ate a delicious salad, I got to know the youth of my church better, I snuggled not near enough with my littles, I saw my husband for about ten minutes total, I read two Pinkalicious books, I slept.

Whirlwind Wednesday. I’m thankful it’s now a new day.

To Be Or Not To Be...

A soda drinker?

Recently, I made a big change. I gave up soda. Okay, so I am on my way to being soda free. I have only had one soda since the 6th of January. Last Friday, I thought caffeine withdrawal may kill me. I felt like fainting and I was in charge of driving half of my basketball team from Salt Lake City to Provo. So, I had one at the glamorous McDonald’s stop. Again, I am about progression not perfection and I won’t be without soda always. I may drink it while out to eat or when visiting with friends or on special occasions but I am doing it. It isn’t easy, especially because I am tired all the time and I also have been sick for over a week. I’m still waiting for the whole “I can feel a difference and I feel better,” but I haven’t noticed yet thanks to my gross cold.

Anything you have chosen not to be lately?

Meter Monday

Here is a little poem I wrote today....it's Haiku actually....about the NCAA Football Championship between LSU and Clemson:

Championship game
The Tigers versus tigers
Purple or Orange?

And a little one I just came up with about a friend from Louisiana who was showing some serious LSU pride today:

It was a blur of purple and gold
sequined jacket and golden shoes almost blinding.
I thought you just needed to sparkle on the outside
because I knew you weren't really feeling sparkly on the inside.
But it was more than that today:
It's passion
It's rivalry
It's football
It's home.
May today be filled with shiny sparkle
just like you
walking poetry from head to toe.
Geaux Tigers!!!

Spiritual Thoughts...yes and no

 Sunday on this here blog is set aside for spiritual thoughts. This is a concept that works for all aspects of life:

Read that a few times and let it sink in.

We get to choose most things in our lives. In fact, life is basically a bunch of choices.

Now, I am not saying that things that happen to you are always based on choice. No, you do not choose to have depression. And you certainly didn’t choose to have your house start on fire last year(unless of course you did something careless like leave something on the stove or were playing with matches on the bedroom floor. Then, yes, in a way, you did choose for your house to burn down)

But you do get to choose how to react to each and every situation you find yourself in.

Do you choose to seek get help when you are facing mental health issues? Did you choose to buy fire insurance?

You, my friend, have a lot more control in your life than you think. Do not sit there and just be acted upon. Wake up and choose.

Now, I do like to say choose joy a lot. It is one of my mantras. Part of this has to do with your level of gratitude. Science has proven this lately. There is a study that proves those who write down three things daily that they are grateful for have lower levels of depression. In fact, when we are grateful, our brains get wired to look for more and more things that are going well in our lives. We actually get more grateful as we show gratitude. What?

To me that is something divine. It is a blessing from heaven and a caring Heavenly Father. It makes sense to me that He will bless me more as I am more and more aware of what He already blesses me with. It kinda almost hinges on that whole concept of eternity to me.  It makes sense to my brain.

If you don’t believe this, try it. Make a few minutes each day this week and  write down three things everyday that you are thankful for or that are going well in your life. I do this often in my journal and it really has made my outlook better. I also notice more and more things that are good in my life.

If you do take this little challenge, come back here and report how it went in the comments next Sunday. I triple dog dare you!

Something You May Not Know About Me.

Crying.  I hate it.  It messes up my mascara and it also makes me feel like I'm not as tough as I tell myself I am.

Seriously.  I am one tough cookie.  So much so, that after both my babies were born(via C-Section) the nurses would always ask me twice about my pain level.

Nurse: "On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst, what is your pain level."
Me: "Three"
Nurse:  "Are you sure?"

I would always think to myself.  No lady it is really at an 8 but I just don't want to burden you to give me another pill that will cost me an additional seven dollars. That's the going rate for ibuprofen these days, you know?

I have always had a high tolerance of pain.

I once broke my arm at a friends house when I was five years old.  We were really smart and thought jumping over a fence from the top of a slide was a good idea.  I was even more brilliant when I decided to try with an untied shoelace.  My friend's Mom had even pointed it out, but I didn't tie it.  It may or may not have been because I actually didn't know how to tie my shoe yet.

Anyway, I didn't tell my parents that I was hurting when I got home that night after riding my bike home.  I wondered why my right arm was feeling so silly with its pins and needles as I held the handle bars, but I never mentioned it to my parents.  My dad did ask me the next morning if anything was hurting and I think I said something like, "yeah my arms hurts a little bit." 

So, you get it.  I am tough.  I think I play the same games with my emotions.

But alas, I am a crier.  It usually comes when I am feeling spiritual.  I cannot get through church hymns without balling most Sundays.  But I also cry when I am exhausted, mad, or after tough stuff happens.

This happened earlier this week with the asthma attack a student had in class.  I was walking toward my friend's classroom afterward when she said: "Do you need a hug?"  I responded that I didn't because I would cry.  She then said: "It's okay to cry."  And then I was crying of course so I took her up on that hug.

I am slowly learning that it is perfectly okay to not be okay.  That is becoming one of my many mantras. 

So, I am a crier.  How about you?

To watch or not to watch?

This is a screenshot of my cable’s mobile app. I do not watch much tv these days. I just don’t have the time or attention span for it.

But....this show has my heart completely. If you have not given it a watch, you must drop everything you are doing this weekend and binge it.

The Good Place is in it’s final season. What the fork? I can’t believe it. It’s just so good I never want it to end. That is why I paused for a bit last night before hitting play. I know I only have a few episodes left. What will I do when it’s over? Will I survive?

I hit play and I loved every stinking minute of the twenty-two minutes of alternate reality.

Man. It’s good. So yes. Watch.

Technology Thursday.

I love to introduce my students to new technology in my classroom.

This gem is so cool:
To power on=open it
To power off=close it
To zoom in=move device closer
To zoom out=move device further away
You can also skip material by scrolling(or turning the page)

You are welcome for this classic but amazing technology introduction.

Teaching Matters

Sometimes teaching is hard. Sometimes I have to be nice. Sometimes I have to be a little less than nice. It’s a lot like how I have to be with my own kids. In fact, sometimes, in a lot of ways, teaching is like being a mom to a lot more kids than I actually birthed.

This is also why teaching matters. Some of my kids don’t have a lot of support at home. They come to look at me for guidance, direction, and support. Yeah, that doesn’t bring any pressure.

Yesterday, I played mom for about a half an hour while a student was suffering from a pretty intense asthma attack. It was scary. I didn’t know if I would have to call an ambulance or not kind of scary. Luckily, the student had an inhaler, but it took about five puffs to get them back to breathing semi-normally and enough to be able to talk. Scary. Draining. But I needed to be there to hold a student up while they were struggling. Struggling in this case to breathe, but each day I am hold kids up in some way or another as they struggle. Whether it is an in your face kind of physical struggle or an invisible struggle that causes them to lash out, be moody, or try to numb out by not participating, I have to be there to deal with that struggle. And I am saying it is not always easy and I do not always know what I need to do or be for them. And it is often, like yesterday, exhausting. But it matters.

I even slept much more than normal last night because my kid lost his first tooth and was actually excited to sleep, like the Tooth Fairy comes faster or something when you go to bed before dark. I rarely sleep more than seven hours and as I awoke this morning I am still tired. I want to dive under those covers for another few hours, but alas, I am about to get up and put on my “professional clothes” and again go to battle.

Battle for those who don’t have support. Battle for those who are anxious or depressed. Battle for those who are lonely. Battle for those who have lost their will to care about school. Battle for those who haven’t yet found their passion.

I’ll put that armor on again today, not because it is easy, but because it does indeed matter.

*If this has touched you in any way, reach out to a teacher today and say thank you!  To all my teacher friends...remember that those kids need you. Do all you need to in order to be ready each and every day for them. Armor yourself with faith, sleep, good food and all the other self care things you need. Thank you!!!

P-I-G

After practice today, one of my players challenged me to a game of PIG.  That means Pretty Intelligent Girl, Right?  Yeah, he didn't find that very funny either.  Another one of my players was watching, and I really liked how he said something along the lines of:  "Coach has a nice jump shot."  Earlier he had said: "You shoot like old school or something!"  I asked him what exactly that meant and he said, "Yeah like Larry Bird or Magic Johnson."  I then said to him, "Guess who I was watching play when I was younger?" 

Larry Bird was my hero.  I wanted to play like him.  I watched practically every game he played.  I would try to mimic him and play like him.  Of course, in my mind I was playing like him, but I am sure it was a lot more like just a normal kid with mediocre skills. 

I actually won the game of PIG today.  Does that mean he is a Pretty Intelligent Girl?  We were tied P-I for a long time, and then I took control.  Playing that game brought back a flood of memories about my basketball playing in the past.  

When that player said "Coach has a nice jump shot."  I thought about the countless hours I spent shooting the ball, and perfecting my shot.  I lived in bitter-cold Wisconsin and that didn't even stop me from going into the driveway and shooting, often times having to shovel off the court before doing so.  That though, is how I got that nice jump shot.  

I don't think kids realize how much it takes to perfect something, to make it become routine and second nature.  It takes hundreds of hours practicing.  

I thought of this earlier in the day too when a student in PE class wanted to give up while playing badminton for the first time.  Sometimes things are hard and we are tempted to stop.  By stopping though we guarantee that we will never become good at it.  That frustration isn't something that I necessarily can sympathize with because I really do feel I have a little bit of a gift when it comes to sport skills.  I'm not sure if I was actually born with that skill or if it has always just been my passion so I kept on repeating certain movements to get good at them.  I do feel that it may be a little bit of both though.  

How often do we give up on things because they become too difficult or challenging?  What if we took all the things that we struggle with and started to "shovel off the courts" of our lives and kept on shooting?

Maybe you struggle with patience, or kindness or sympathy?  What if you got your court cleared and played to be better at it?

Just a few thoughts as I went through my day.  And here is a little bit of a Throwback Tuesday for you...

I'm #15 going for the jump ball.  Probably 6th Grade at Lincoln School, Wausau, Wisconsin.

I drive past the old school most times I visit home.
I am not sure they still have this statue, which is one of my
fondest landmark memories of those hallways.

I spent hours playing.  Here I am on one of many recesses during my elementary days!

Meter Monday

I am a poet.  I said it.  I like to write poetry.  According to my mom, I am very good at it.  According to my poetry professor at Utah State, my poetry is worthy of lots of red pen marks.  Funny thing is that I let him convince me to quit writing poetry for over ten years.  I was young and didn't understand the value of feedback and editing. He happened to be a published poet, so at the time I just assumed I sucked.  And. I. Don't! I wonder what he really thought of my poetry.  Those red marks maybe meant he thought it could improve.  Mindset is everything, isn't it?

So, on Mondays I am going to share with you some of my poetry.  It may be new or old.  Here's one I wrote this week(and it is a work in progress and I now, after years of therapy(that therapy coming from being a member of The Central Utah Writing Project),  I realize writing is a process and really any piece of writing can still be edited.  If you have any suggestions about how to make it better, feel free to share it with me:

Sometimes You Need to Get Lost

My boots a percussion of steps
Crunch, crunch, crunch
Lead me through the falling snow
Wisp, wisp, wisp
To my favorite place to get "lost"
The literary goodness
Enhoused in Provo's hidden gem
Pioneer Book

Shelves stocked with treasure
I the miner who sorts
Organizing refuse from value
Thousands of books I'll never read
flanking the hundreds I will
A lottery is happening and there will be only one winner
I the crane in the crane game
must grab the chosen one
The one I will love or at least like

To read or not to read
That is the question
I open each carefully
Reading the opening sentence
Or a whole chapter
And I choose

Today it is teen fiction
But it won't always be
Thank goodness for weekly walks
And for thousands of choices
To become lost
And to find

All I Wanted for Christmas was....

This is the only thing I asked for, when Reuben asked me what I wanted for Christmas.

  

You may or may not know that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I have been since I was 18 years old and I still consider my choice to join my church the best one I have ever made.  (Of course there is another decision that is also very important and that was the choice to marry Reuben.  But that wouldn't even have ever happened without me first choosing to change churches.)

Each Sunday my congregation, or Ward(who happens to be the people in my neighborhood who are active members of the church because our church is organized geographically.), gathers at 9 a.m. for what we call Sacrament meeting.  Here we partake of the sacrament(commonly know as the water and the wine(but we use water)) and also we also listen to fellow members give talks about Gospel topics, testify of truth, pray and sing together. The second hour of our weekly meetings is either Sunday School, or Relief Society(Woman's Organization)/Elder's Quorum(Men's Organization. These meetings are set up in a classroom/discussion type of setting.  

Here is where my Christmas present comes in.  This year, we are reading The Book of Mormon and discussing it in Sunday School with one another.  I have been so excited for this, because this book as changed my life and when I found the journal edition of The Book of Mormon, I was even more excited.  Many of you learned yesterday that I have a horrible memory.  Well, having a space in the margins for me to jot down thoughts as I read really makes me learn and  remember more.  I also have a bible that has margins for journaling and it has been so fun this past year to read The New Testament again and be able to write my thoughts and inspirations as I read.  (Each year we read a different section of scripture.  Last year was New Testament, this year will be The Book of Mormon, next year will be The Doctrine and Covenants/The Pearl of Great Price, and the following year we will read The Old Testament, so every four years we repeat a section!)  Sure, I have read through these sections numerous times, but I learn something new and feel inspirations differently each time.  I guess that is because we experience different things in life so different passages hit us at different times.

For the first week we read the introductory part of The Book of Mormon.  My biggest question for myself is how can I be a better witness of Christ and his Gospel?  I'll let you know what the answer is as I keep reading.  But I have felt inspired to share my feelings about Jesus Christ more often.  So, here you are:  I do know that Christ walked on this planet.  I know that he willingly gave up his life for each of us to be able to gain forgiveness from our mistakes and shortcomings.  I know that he loves me and that he actually knows me.  He also made it possible for each of us to live again after this life.  The grave truly has no victory.  I, like the witnesses who left their witness not of seeing the golden plates that contained the writings of The Book of Mormon, also testify here that I do know The Book of Mormon is a true record.  It contains the fullness of The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  One of my favorite parts in the book is when Jesus appears to the people of ancient America and allows them to come one by one and feel the prints on his hands and feet.  I weep, as they did, when I read this record of a Savior that loves each and every one of his children/disciples.  If you haven't ever read this book, I invite you to give it a read.  But be careful, it may just change your life.

This post is part of my "Spiritual Sunday" posts.  Each Sunday I will write something spiritual. Feel free to ask any questions you may have about my faith or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  And may you have a very restful sabbath!

If you would like to learn a little more about The Book of Mormon, check out this video: A 60 Second Explanation of The Book of Mormon

Something You May Not Know About Me:

I have the memory of a gnat.  Of course I have never met a gnat and had the chance to really see how their memory was, but they are so tiny, I am sure they don't have a whole lot of brain space to remember stuff.

I am not so tiny, and my head isn't either...so what is my deal?

I think it is the amazing DNA I have been blessed with...

BLESSED?  Yep, I just said blessed. 

I think my ability to forget has often...

...allowed me to forgive, when I probably wouldn't have otherwise. And the cool thing is that I can             forgive others just as easily as I can forgive myself.
...helped me be less anxious, forgetting stressful stuff makes it less cumbersome, both before it                   happens(I forget appointments all the time) or after.
...left more space for important things in my brain, like all the school mascots I remember, random             singer facts(Lady Gaga is fluent in French), and the ability to drive in the snow.
...let me hide my own Easter basket.

That last one was just for fun.  It is also one of the jokes I used to tell my grandma , who suffered with Alzheimer's.  "Hey Grandma, what is the best thing about having Alzheimer's?"  "I don't know, sweetheart."  "You can hide your own Easter basket."  She would laugh every single time I told her that joke.  My dad didn't laugh once.

I have a friend who often brings up the fact that I don't remember stuff, I forget her name all the time.  Just kidding.  I remember.  I also remember how irritating it is for it to be brought up like it makes me less of a person.  I do not find my forgetfulness as a character flaw.  Sure, it can be annoying sometimes or embarrass me(like when I forget people's birthdays are in February and actually send them a birthday text in November) but I mostly see it as one of my talents. 

Now...what day is it?

I don't forget what day it is except during long breaks from work(Oh blessed Christmas Break) and during summer.

What is one of your "talents" that some may find as a weakness?

Books of 2019

I can hardly believe it either!  44 books in one year, and over 10,000 pages, that's crazy.  It used to be I could barely read one book in a year.  Crank was too long and my longest.  I did mention it yesterday.  The shortest book, Civil War Heroes was actually a coloring book.  On one page they would describe the hero and on the opposite you could color the hero.  I am not the biggest history fan, so a short US History book was a wise choice.  I did enjoy The Light Between Oceans.  Great story line and I could feel like I was on an abandoned island while reading this tale about a lighthouse keeper who gets himself and his family in a bit of a drama by not being 100% honest.  I can see how it is the most popular on my list.  I also loved reading my friend, Morgan's, book.  I am the only person I know on Goodreads who has read it.  It reminded me that perfection isn't possible, but we can strive to become more perfect through the grace of Christ.

Below are the pictures of all the books I have read.  The ones without pictures are: 

The Set Up Man by Nick Taylor

Wisconsin: The Story of the Badger State by Norman K. Risjord

Rocks and Minerals by DK Publishing

Thunder Mountain by Zane Grey

Here are my Top Five Books Read in 2019:

1. Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella- The way Kinsella packed in so many baseball stats and history stories just kept me wanting to read on.  I also love the whole idea of building a field in a cornfield.  Did you know MLB is actually doing it this next season?  Feel free to buy me a ticket for my birthday.

2.  A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa- This book was both eye opening and heart breaking.  I had read another book about N. Korea's propaganda and was intrigued to know more about a country that keeps its people under-educated and cut off from the rest of the world.  This is a tale of a man who gets trapped in North Korea through the choices of his father who is blinded by the promises of a better life back in his homeland and moves back from China.  The author struggles to feed his family and then eventually decides that getting to China is a better choice than remaining in North Korea.  His journey takes him miles through the wilderness and then through the Yalu River. I will not give away the ending, but really it is a heart breaking but wonderful read.

3.  Big Dead Dawg by Victoria Houston- Houston novels take place near Rhinelander, Wisconsin. My parents lived there for about eight years and my summers spent there were rich in fishing memories and made me love the area.  While reading these wonderfully written mysteries, I am taken back to that land and even to the rivers and lakes of Wisconsin(the three main characters are avid fishermen.). What a wonderful escape and mini-vacation to my homeland.

4.   Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.  I am a fan of anything that intertwines the story of September 11th and journeys to healing and this novel doesn't disappoint.  A young boy loses his father but solves a mystery that he finds in his father's closet that takes him on a journey through the city and toward healing.

5. All I Really Needed to Know I learned in Kindergarden by Robert Fulghum-This collection of mini memoir stories had me laughing and crying.  My heart was warmed by the life lessons Fulghum shares and I was often laughing out loud by his great humor.  I am excited to read It Was on Fire When I lay Down on It, which I got for free from our school's library purging.

 And Here are My Bottom Five Reads from 2019:

1.  It's How You Play the Game by Brian Kilmeade- I thought I would love a book filled with sport stories from all sorts of well known people, both athletes and famous people, but I think it was just a bit too much and a little too long.  It felt like it took me the longest to get through.

2. The Rough Riders by Theodore Roosevelt- I did love all of the patriotism here, but again history isn't always my favorite thing to read about. Cool story and it actually was an illustrated book so it had amazing pictures. But you really shouldn't read things for the pictures.

3. Think Like a Freak: by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner- I actually loved Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics by the same authors, but this one was a dud.  It could be because they just mainly answered questions from their readers and, of course, the third in a trilogy is often sub-par.

4. I Never Had It Made by Jackie Robinson- I love his story and April 15th, Jackie Robinson Day in baseball, where every professional player wears #42, makes me cry.  This book though toward the end becomes too much of a political statement and a little too whiny.  I think the editors could have helped by chopping the last few chapters.

5.  The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson.  Sanderson is a local hero here in Utah.  He is a good writer but I just am not the biggest sci-fi fan.  It is rare that this type of book gets me.  I do like the ideas and storyline, but maybe I just re-read it one too many times.

So, what books did you love last year?  Which ones did you hate?  Feel free to comment with your favs and not so favs either here or on social media.

I bet you want to know what I am currently reading too:

1.  Kind is the New Classy by Candace Cameron Bure

2.  Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

What you reading?  What is your next book?

I won't stop reading, I just am not pushing for 40 books this year!