Gearin' up for DC!

So, it is 12:45, and as usual, I have not quite got it together yet with my packing. I have to be at the airport in 4 hours, have spent most of today trying to pack one tiny carry-on suitcase full of 5 days worth of clothes (for rainy, cold weather I might add), kids medications, first aid kits, AND my bedding. Still crossing my fingers it will all fit (it will, no worries...but if I'm going to bring back any suveneirs, I better give away a few things to the homeless first to clear some room! :)

Random pictures from Easter that I finally transfered from my camera to computer tonight:



All year these kids have been doing fund raisers to go to DC. During this past month, they were split into 4 groups of 6 kids each, and told to plan their trip to DC. Interestingly enough, all 4 groups planned similar iteneraries. And...I have to admit I pushed a little for the places I haven't been yet with the group I am cheproning! It has been a lot of hard work, both on their part & our part, putting this trip together. I've never been to DC where I had to do the research & planning...I don't think I was ever even given a map when I went there my sr. year. This is totally a different experience for these kids, as they have familiarized themselves with the map, picked the places they will go, and planned their own iteneraries.

One of the challenges is that we are staying in a hostel that will provide us a small mattress to sleep on, but no bedding. Everyone is only allowed to bring 1 carry on suitcase, due to the new $15 per bag policy airlines have now for actually checking in luggage. $15 is no big deal...unless you're flying 27 people across the country and paying the bill! So, everyone has figured out how to put a sleeping bag (or in my case, a very flat flannel blanket) into a small suitcase. The kids were also taught how to use a sewing machine, and sewed their own pillows for the trip! I think the boys got more into it than the girls (y'know, moving parts and all. It's their introduction to what I'm sure will later become a love of power tools and heavy machinary :). One girl was sick the day we made them, so I quickly sewed one up, putting her initial on it to distinguish it from the sea of other white pillows she will find on the plane. Let me tell you--alllll the kids were impressed and think I'm the best sewer ever!!! (K...how do you spell sew-er, without making it look like a public waste disposal?!). All I could think was "haha, if only my mom could hear this, she would laugh!" My mom has amazing talent with a sewing machine, and tried to pass the skill on to me. The only thing I successfully made as a kid was...well,a pillow case! Whoda thunk that would come in handy?

Anyway, I ended up making 4 pillows for kids that left early. The pink one is actually mine, the others are for Meaghan, Bradley, & Nichol:
The shoes! I broke down and finally bought new tennis shoes. I only have 2 pair (I say only two bcause neithe of them really do the job well. One is a pair I let an obsessed-with-jogging boyfrend talk me into 8 years ago (look massively huge, giving me look like Mrs. BigFoot, and somehow the tongue makes the top of my foot go numb by halfway through the day of wearing them.), and the other pair is a 10 year old pair from my Jr. year of high school walking class. very comfy, but too short, definitely dorky looking, and not actually good for things like sports. So, I broke down, grabbed a gift card, and went to to an outlet mall. After trying on dozens of shoes in a few stores, I found these babies after a desperate cry for help in prayer! They're even pink!!! It's totally me :) I wore them all day Friday at school (and when I say all day, I'm referring to a 12 hour work day, then 4 hours of shopping afterwards), and the feet felt pretty good, all things considered. My feet felt like mission feet after actually--hard day of steady walking/standing put on them, but a good tired feeling :)

SO, I've got my official DC by foot shoes, bag is ALMOST packed, pillows are sewn...I'm almost ready to go! We'll be updating our class webpage with pictures while there: hopefully that works. If not...I guess the world will just have to wait for pics when we come back!

Other fun stuff this week: Sometimes, it's just fun to be "single" :) I had a good week this week being able to talk to a lot of friends, old and new. Went "hot-tubbing" the begining of the week (I was fully clothed. I think it has officially become a tradition after Knox-ballfield-water-events to go jump in a pool with my normal clothes on! We didthis last year too. Deja vu...). But it was a great opportunity to talk to friends. Tuesday was Visiting Teaching, and Wed I had a really nice dinner-date with a friend who has a head full of stories to keep me entertained :) (Funny part of the evening: not 30 seconds afer my date slipped off to the bathroom in our very quiet and about to close restaraunt, a man came up to me and announced I had a really nice smile, and he liked it! Seriously, who does that? He was gone before I could even mutter a proper thank you, I guess before my actual date came back? Maybe he just gives a compliment a day away. Whatever his reasoning, it was a fun surprise to the evening!) An old friend I went to school with since age 4, Marcus Moore, also hit me up on facebook, and I had a nice time catching up with where life has taken him. Always a favorite personality with everyone, he's now a TV reporter out in Kansas City, even made it on CNN a few weeks ago when he survived diving into a ditch for cover when a tornado suddenly turned on them in filming! Sarah Su from high-school also got in touch, making plans to "bump-in" to me in DC this upcoming week...I guess it's been 10 years since we did our own little trip there! This week just helped me remember what a true treasure it is to have friends. How lucky we are to have the technology to keep in touch!

All in all,it's just been a busy week, but one that's been enjoyed. It's been hard o concentrate on anything besides this DC trip coming together. I'm SOOOOOoooo excited for it :)

See you all next week! :)

Beth

Thoughts on a sick Day

I rarely get sick. I attribute this to my mom helping me build a strong immune system as a kid, or maybe just luck of the draw when blessings were handed out, but I honestly am always pretty healthy. Thus, when I actually come down with a fever for a day, once every other year, I take full advantage of the opportunity for down time!

Today was no exception. I actually woke up feeling terrible yesterday, but knew that if I called in sick, the kids would end up missing their fieldtrip. So I toughed it out, and sat there in the scorching 100 degree sun of AZ as they sang happy birthday down at Tempe Town Lakes. I came home and dived into bed, waking only 3 hours later to drag myself to the store for some meds & OJ.

I made an important decision last night in my delirious state-of-mind, standing in Basha's. I had a choice to make--Vitamin C drops, or OJ? Currently, as much as love OJ, I just won't buy it. Too expensive, disapears to quickly, and too much sugar. But when I'm sick? Oh yeah, the motherly instinct comes out and I pamper myself like crazy! I figured a glass of OJ has the same amount of Vita C as a drop does...costs about the same...and is MUCH more enjoyable! Thus I bought the most heavenly Orange Juice out there: Simply Orange with Mango. OH MY LANTA. I can testify that this drink alone has cured me! Not only for the amazing viatmins found within, but for the smile it puts on my face!! I sat there, relishing that mango in my mouth today, thinking back to the memories of becoming addicted to it in Brazil, and thought, 'Yep, God loves me! He sent me mangos :)"

As you can tell, days off are not that exciting (I'm contemplating the joys of Orange/Mango Juice all day...), but actually really enjoyed some other highlights. I finished reading this 11 page talk that my friend recommended. I bet the guy was a good missionary--after recommending it quite afew times, he finally got me to read it by saying we'd talk about it after tennis this week! I'm glad he convinced me though, it was a powerful talk that helped me more deeply understand, and appreciate, the Atonement. http://reperiendi.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/the-atonement-by-cleon-skousen/ . Big thanks to Rob for the article! I also heard a great talk from Sheri Dew, and listened to Gordon B. Hinckley's "Stand a Little Taller" (check it off the want to-do list :)

After that, a 3 hour nap, and half a bottle of Orange-Mango Heaven later, I found a few emails in my genealogy email (yes, I have a seperate email for this!). GREAT emails! Long story made short: For 5 years I have been working on a few families that frequently marry into my line from 200 years ago. A descendant of these families contacted me, offering further info & pictures. Today, I got the pictures. Putting a face with a name, and seeing them in a family unit, added a whole new level to the work. The love for genealogy work I've been given is truly one of the greatest blessings in my life, and days like today reminded me of that :)
Just so that I don't sound too relief-society presidentish with all of that (seriously--one guy thought I only listen to hymns all day. With blogs like this, I'd see why he'd think that. That's NOT the impression I'm going for here, those are just the bright points of my day. Funny how they all have to do with gospel principles huh? Gospel just makes people happy :), I'll have you know I also watched my fare share of mindless, though thoroughly entertaining, fashion-shows, sitcoms, and played a computer game. My laundry got done, blogs were read, news was checked, and a good amount of loafing happened :D

End result? Fever broken, cold is gone :)

Paisley & Parley P. Pratt: Life's Joys (at least this week :)

Two things stuck out to me today:

--Brad Paisley's new song: Then The man has done it again with making his wife--and every other woman in America--melt with a tender love song. I know other singers come up with this gushy garble, but Brad writes his own stuff--and uses his own young bride for inspiration. Just makes it so much more genuine. Seriously--have a listen! In my effort to find it online, I looked up all my favorite Paisley songs...also found below :) My #1 fave of his is "When I get Where I'm Goin" with Dolly Parton...and "He Didn't Have to Be" has always been a favorite...even before Brad was Brad.

--Trader Joe's Pomegranate Limeaide....mmmm! It's like putting pure happiness into your mouth :)

Other great things in life lately: Trip to see the fam in College Station! Easter is becoming one of my favorite holidays to celebrate. I loved the activities I got to do with David (Easter Egg decorating & hunt, stories, etc). Bluebonnets....SIGH, it's been 9 years since seeing them, and it did my heart good :)

I've run out of interesting magazines to read at lunch, and have started to read The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt. I've had reading the book on my to do list for the past 10 years, ever since hearing a friend's grandmother rave about the book (she was a descendent). So far, I'm loving it! It gets me thinking to the point of pondering, and is just a fun read! I like the look into that historical era too. Amazing the value system they had back then. How do we promote that in today's kids? How do we promote it with ourselves?

Alright...I can only put off doing taxes so long ;0) g'nite world!