Tag I'm it!

Some of the jobs I've had: I worked in the shoe department at Mervyn's (boy did I buy a lot of shoes then), employee at Blimpies (sucked), I wore the ugly purple suit and worked at the Cineplex Odion Movie Theaters. The outfit was horrid, like Barney or something, I worked at TCBY, I was a waitress/hostess at JB's (now THAT was fun working the 6:00 pm to 2:00 am shift), a violin teacher for 10 years, and NOW a 5th grade school teacher.
Favorite reads: Well honestly, in the past 4 years, not much except school text books, but I love Jane Eyre, The Work and the Glory Series, as well as anything by Mary Higgins Clark.
Favorite things to do: Putting on my pajamas and CHILLING with my family, eating in bed, going to a good movie, going out on my weekly date with Jeff on Friday nights, watching my incredible children play soccer, camping, going to pageants, plays, and being with favorite friends.
Places I've lived: Charleston, SC, Orem, Utah, PG, Utah, and Lehi, Utah
Favorite things to eat: Beets, chocolate, a pork burrito from Cafe Rio, and most importantly, anything that I can eat out and not make (just kidding, NOT SEAFOOD!)
Places I'd rather be: NOT at school teaching 31 students. JK. Probably laying on the beach with a strawberry daquiri in my hand (virgin of course).
Words I like the sound of: "Mom, you are the coolest mom ever!" Goodnight, Good morning, My husband's voice, and my kids laughing (I know that isn't a word).
Now I'm tagging Becca and Janelle!!!

Happy Halloween

Well it has taken me long enough to get a new post up. I am sorry. I will try to be better. Here are the halloween pics. The boys sure had fun, and so did I as Queen Amadalla. The kids enjoyed trick or treating while Logan was off to his first "Co-ed" Halloween party. I can't believe it. Hayden and Garrett decided they were finished trick or treating by about 7:15. I was THRILLED. They came home and went next door to watch movies until 9:30. Jeff and I were HOME ALONE. It was strange. It is the beginning signs that our kids are growing up. It makes me sad, but it was so fun to go around with the boys while they ran from door to door. The weather was beautiful as well.

Trip to Park City for Logan's Birthday

Our family took a little getaway to Park City to spend the night in a nice hotel and shop at the outlets for Logan's birthday. It was so much fun to swim in the pool and hang out together as a family. I am so busy lately, it was refreshing to just chill and bond with the kids! Hayden had a soccer game until 7:00 pm on Thursday night, so we loaded up the car and headed up after that! My sweet wonderful first born turned 14 on Friday!!!!! I have shed many tears and feel so thankful that he is part of our family and the joy he is each and every day in all of our lives. He is such a wonderful son and I am very blessed. It is hard to believe that he will graduate High School in 4 years and be on a mission in 5! I marvel at all he has already accomplished and continues to accomplish every day. He is the perfect example of what a son should be. Okay enough....we took up his presents and he got some "clothes" and a cool belt. He also got an awesome soccer ball from Hayden and a rifle nerf gun from Garrett. We swam, ate, laughed, and shopped. Then after a late night with his friends who decorated his bedroom with three layers of confetti (errrrrr) we cut and ate a Cold Stone Cookies and Cream ice cream cake. YUMMY! It was a very fun and memorable birthday I think. I sure loved it!

Nana and Grampa's visit

Nana and grandpa came to visit in September before they went to Lake Powell. We were so glad to be able to visit and get together with them. They came to the boys' soccer games and we were able to hang out with our cousins as well. We also got the priviledge of having grandpa's sister, my Aunt Judy and my cousin Debbie to come and visit as well. It was good to see them. We love family and feel so grateful to have so much family so close. The Lord has blessed us with so much.

A day in Jeff's life

I have yet to take the oppurtunity to share on the Cottlelifes blog site, and thought some of you may want to know what it is like to be the spouse of a school teacher. As many of you know with my job I have the oppurtunity to work from home quite a bit. I do spend time traveling and working in SLC. I'd say on average I work two weeks of the month at home. During those two weeks, with Camille now teaching, I'm not sure what takes more of my time during the day; my job, or the laundry, house cleaning, picking up the kids, running the kids to soccer practices, etc. It is quite the balancing act.

Camille is doing a wonderful job as a school teacher. On most nights she'll sit on the bed and grade homework all while talking and telling all sorts of events that happended that day at school. The funniest one to date was early one morning before school started, a parent of one of her students, was in the classroom. She had a stern look about her and wanted to know why her son wasn't bringing home any homework. Camille listened and responded with a list of the homework items the students are assigned each night, then she asked the student, "Johnnie can you explain to your mother why she hasn't seen your Math homework? She is suppose to be signing it off everyday?" Camille than pulled out the reading log he had turned in for August. The reading log is to be signed everyday by the parent. The reading log had signatures on it, but when the mother saw this she said, "I didn't sign that!". The student was caught and he knew it. Funny thing is school didn't start until August 20th yet the reading log was signed from Aug 1 all the way thru the 31st.
The best part of that whole experience was the manner in which Camille handled it. Knowing Camille for 15+ years when someone approaches her in a confrontational manner, which at the begining the students mother did, she'll usually respond by matching or exceeding the emotion, but in this case she approached the situation from a logical perspective keeping her emotions in tact.

This year has been an exciting year for me because Logan (our oldest) is now able to hunt. I love to hunt, been doing it since I was 14. We've been archery hunting and more recently Muzzleloader hunting. During the archery hunt we saw some nice bucks, shot at some, thought we'd shot one but really didn't. I've taken Logan out as much as his schedule (school, soccer) will allow and have gone out some on my own. Having never muzzleloader hunted before I decided last week to get up the canyon by myself and happened to come across this buck.







No complaints here....Life is Good.

I have made it a month and a half

I have actually treaded through 6 weeks of school. It is hard to believe how fast time flies. I know many of you want pictures, and I am planning on taking my camera to school on Monday and getting some pictures of my classroom as well as some pictures of my students. Is that bad to post pictures of my students? I don't want to get fired or anything. I would love to show you how cute my room is. I am quite proud of it actually. I am getting in my groove and even jump roped with some of my students at recess. Who would have thought. I guess I like them enough to show them attention even when I don't have too! I guess I am starting to enjoy it a little more than the last month. YUCK! It was not very fun, but I am seeing the connection I am making and their smiles on their faces when they "get it" in Math. THAT IS THE REASON I TEACH. It was fun however to receive my first pay-check! Yippee! I will post pictures very soon. Check back.

Starting my Fourth Week

I really cannot believe I have made it three weeks and will be starting my fourth week on Monday. I really love it. It is extremely hard, but I still believe going to school in Heber and then driving up to Park City every day for 4 months through the winter WAS MUCH WORST. I think it gets a little easier every day, and I want so badly to touch each of my students in a way where it reaches deep in their souls. I try to make my class a "safe" place to be, and with 7 resource kids, two Special Ed. students, and 31 students total, I really have quite a lot on my plate. I will keep you informed as the weeks go by. I appreciate all of your words of encouragement and love. I love all of you!!!