Saturday, January 30, 2010

wedded bliss smedded bliss

So in the past month 3 couples have gotten engaged and on face book several friends are celebrating 9 or 10 years of wedded bliss to their "bff's"; whatever that means. I have only had a few really good guy friend and so hearing "married to my best friend" my mind envisions them with some girl. YUCKO

I know I am being bitter and a bit jealous or resentful but enough already! Then someone else on FB was saying how hard it was to have a snow day with a kid in the house always calling out "mommy" I would gladly trade places; to hear a sweet little voice ascribe that title to me.

I am looking at what I don't have instead of what I do (which is a lot!!) but somedays it-the things I don't have and want - seem to get smacked in my face one too many times and then it eeeks its way down to my heart and crumbles it.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Haiku

My 7th graders wrote this with me in our world geo class on Friday. I will post a pic of the picture we were using to write this

golden long brick bridge
emperors big white palace
blue sky tiny moon

I will also post pic of my 6th graders prohibition posters they made.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Happy Birthday DAD!!

I just wanted to give a shout out to him. He has brought so many wonderful experiences into my life. I get my adventurous side from him. He loves to go to new places and watch people to get a feel for a place. On family vacations, I would stay up late at night with him while he was driving and look at the maps of where we had been and where we were going.

So many times I have been teaching about a place and I can teach about it so much better because he has taken us there. Like when we were talking about immigration in the early 1900’s. How the immigrants passed by the Statue of Liberty. I was able to show them pictures of me as a little girl there and as an adult. It was so fun and the kids loved it too and had tons of questions. Especially teaching here in Alaska where few of the kids have been “outside” it has been wonderful to show them pictures of the country.

The Alamo is another place I have got to teach about where I have been. Again it is because of my dad that I was able to go there and spend Spring Break in San Antonio. It was amazing; all because he had to drop off a car in Laredo, Texas.

He is so giving and wants everyone to love what he loves; weather it is music or traveling or eating. He wants to share it with us. I am grateful for that too. That makes me so much more willing to give and share. Material things have never been important to him he is always willing to give monetarily to others who are in need.

He has taken us to lots of places. There are only 7 states I have not been to with him. A short list of my favorite places Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, The Avenue of the Giants, and Niagara Falls.

He has also provided us with a great example of entrepreneur skills. He has always found work or made work. He has a lot of faith in risking things to get what he wants. He can build anything. I am confident of that. By owning land and farming he gave us that wonderful experience of hard farm work.

He has never let failure or set back get him down. He is a great example to me for going after things I want and that you only get one chance to live so why not drive through Death Valley, or get that ring that you really want, or spend an extra hour stopping by to see people you care about. He loves my mom which is one of the best things he has given or shown us. He loves the gospel and spent a lot of time trying to impart his spiritual wisdom to us. He is quirky and “John McKinney” in everyway but that is how we like him and we wouldn’t know what to do without him.

I hope he has a great day today! I love you dad. I know we have many more experience to have together. Some suggestions lets cross the Atlantic on a Mediterranean cruise or do a train tour of Europe.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

latest adventure--back to school

Yup I am taking on online sped masters class. I am Phoenix! --ha It started today. I hope that all goes well. I need to take it to keep working at my school. I am keeping all my doors open for next year.

I haven't yet decided where I will end up next year but I am pretty sure it will not be here in AK. I love it here: the beauty ,the institute, the friends, the people, my job -as trying as it can be sometimes, the snow, the cooler weather, the sunshine in the summer, the wildlife, the town and all it offers, Alaska native art,....if I could slide Alaska into the Gulf of Mexico where cartographers usually put it and then it would be easy to get home to see those precious little nieces and nephews of mine. I am looking at Memphis, St. Louis, Fayettville. We shall see.

Been a busy week. Yesterday I fed the missionaries yummy fajitas and taught FHE on the Christlike attribute of knowledge, went to the Lusac Library to pick up an old Disney Revolutionary War film called the Swamp Fox. I swear I ran all day long. It was good though.

Saturday night I took my Papakristo (my friend and colleague daughters) girls to see the Fantastic Mr. Fox, it was pretty funny. Those girls keep me cracked up. The youngest is 3 and in the theatre she finished her popcorn and yells really loud Ms. Katie I finished my "Cock-corn I want more cockcorn" I busted up laughing. She is so funny. She will make a song out of anything.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

back to the black darkness of winter

I am back in the wintery tundra of the north. It is so gorgeous here and I will always love that part of Alaska. I had a wonderful time being home for the holidays with all of my siblings. This was Eldon's last Christmas home before he leaves for his mission. Man I cannot believe how time flies!

I got in late Friday night and it is always an adjustment back to a quiet empty apartment after spending the holidays around all the family. Saturday I ran some errands like getting food back in the house and was feeling useless here. No babies to change, hold, or feed. No dishes to do or lunch to make or errands to run for someone else. Just when I was revealing in my seperation and being bummed I got a call asking me to play the piano at a baptism. I was able to go with some tweaking of the hymns being played. It was great and a great way to start of the New Year at a baptism. I was able to share my testimony of the restoration at the baptism as well and to thank Bro. Frisks parents for raising the type of kid that would be open to the gospel. Afterward they came and thanked me for my words. It was nice to be useful.

School has been really good since I have been back. The kids have been good and there has not been so many of them yet. I have several in a detention facility and mental health facilities. I miss them and hope they can return to our classrooms soon. I know they miss us too. I wish they all had a good home life with some support. Breaks my heart.