What a Week!

This has been one of "those" weeks. 


Diana has had a bad week.  She nearly passed out at school, and found that her blood sugars were down to 50.  Yipe!  Her colleagues panicked and fed her too much sugar, which sent them up to 300.  Double yipe!  Gotta get that girl to carry glucose tables!  She took the rest of the day off and went right in to the doctor.  Found out that the cause was a severe sinus infection.  She's on meds now (some pretty heavy duty ones), and is doing much better.  Pretty scary though!


Bailee had her presentation in science, and had to dress to the nines for it.  I'm sorry, I think that her teacher was out-of-line on this one.  I have no problem with asking the kids to dress up, but saying that only a fancy dress (no skirts or simple dresses) will be acceptable isn't right.  Especially when she allowed the boys to wear "nice jeans."  I guess if we thought that kind of inequality was a thing of the past, we were wrong.  Boo!  The worst part was that one student took over 30 minutes for their presentation and there was no time for her to present.  Maddening.  She looked pretty though.

Bailee also had a FULL week of dance.  Busy girl.  She spent her allowance for the month in one fell swoop on Saturday.  She had her nails done.  She is such a girly girl sometimes.

Those are crushed sea shells on the end.  Who would have thought?  Bai also came to work with me last night.  She (and her friend Mary) modeled a few items so I could add the photos to the studio/shop website.

This has been one hectic week for me as well.  My stupid, it's always something, van had to go into the shop for $800 worth of work.  Ouch! That meant we were down to one vehicle for four days.  Pretty crazy trying to get everyone where they needed to be.

 At school, we had some of the teachers come in on Wednesday from the junior high to observe how we differentiate instruction.  I'm used to being observed, but you still feel a little stress

ed --- are you doing what they came to see?   My principal and our head teacher also told me they want me to apply for this state award for math/science teachers.  I find that kind of thing embarrassing.  It also looks like it's going to be a LOT of work.  I also don't think I have a chance in the world of winning.  I'll do it though.  Our school needs the money.

On a personal note, found out that two more people I know have been diagnosed with cancer.  One is already beyond medical help.  Also, one of our first year teachers found out that her unborn baby has a tumor in its lung ... and that it is starting to send tendrils toward the heart.  She goes down to Salt Lake this coming week for tests on the child's viability.  If they can, the doctors will take the baby and operate immediately.  If that isn't possible, they will try to operate in utero.  Poor girl!  She's not only frantic that she will lose her baby, she's terrified that she will lose her job because of the new state laws which stripped teachers of all our rights.  So sad.  I also found out that one of my old college roommates is having more health problems.  She's had a terrible year health-wise, and I am really worried about her.  Seems like everyone you meet is being absolutely hammered by problems these days.  It's easy to get discouraged, but I'm going to keep chanting my new mantra:



You only fail if you give up!

All we can really do is just keep walking forward through these troubling times.  I also read a quote on Pinterest the other day that said:

It will all be okay in the end.  If it is not okay, then it is not the end.

I'm holding that thought close too.  I'm thankful that we're all relatively healthy, happy, and that we have a wonderful little girl that is the center of our world.  She keeps us smiling - that's for sure.

Now, to end with a funny story about Mom.  Last week she came upstairs with some frozen food.  She walked up behind the rocking chair in the living room and started talking to Bailee's giant bear which was sitting there about the food.  We were all staring at her ... this is where Diana USED to have her chair, and it was obvious that she thought she was talking to Diana.  A simple mistake, right?  However, when she walked around to the front of the chair and shoved the food in the bear's face and demanded to know why it wasn't answering her ... well, that's when we lost it.  Too funny!  We sure needed the laugh at the moment.  Thanks Mom!

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A Sad Goodbye

Today we attended the funeral for our friend, Mike.  The tribute his family shared was truly beautiful.  There were lots of tears, but there was also lots of laughter.  Mike was a wonderful man, and I will always remember him with a smile on his face, his eyes lit up with mischief.  I'm so glad that this part of his personality was honored.

We're going to miss him.

In Memoriam

Mike, right before shaving his head during chemotherapy.

Our dear friend, Mike Thompson, passed away this afternoon.

He has been a part of our family for so long, that I cannot imagine going on without him.  I will miss so many things about him.  Mostly, I will miss the big bear hugs he always gave us when he left, saying -

"I love  you ladies so much."

We love you too Mike.  I hope you know how much.  

Time Passages

Mike's son and daughter-in-law, Nadine, and Mike.

Right now our lives are centered on the final days of our friend Mike's life.  His battle with cancer took a horrible turn a few weeks ago.  We went from his being pronounced cancer free at the Huntsman Center in Utah in late October to hospice in late December.  The word "cruel" comes to mind, but it doesn't express the depth of anger any of us feel.  You really do feel "sucker punched."

Over the ten years we've known him, Mike has become a member of our family.   He is so very much like my dad that he just seemed to "fit in" the moment he walked in the door.  We love him dearly, and saying goodbye has been beyond hard. I cannot imagine living life without him.  Just the thought sends tears streaming down my face.  

I cannot believe how fast this has progressed.  Mike was sitting in his lift chair only a week ago, watching BYU play football and celebrating his wedding anniversary.  By Monday, he was bedridden.  That's the day that we went to see him.  Holding his hand, I knew that he was saying goodbye.  I will never forget how he took Bailee's hand and spoke with her.  I don't think she realized that he was saying goodbye, or that in those few precious moments he was leaving with her his hopes for her life. 


He felt so badly that he had missed The Nutcracker.  I had hoped that the DVD would arrive in time for him to see it, but I doubt he will be able to.  He is spending most of his time sleeping.  The hospice workers are doing their best to keep him pain free.  He isn't really able to speak now.  The end is very close.


I am thankful for having Mike in our lives.  He is leaving behind so many precious memories.  He will live in our hearts until we are reunited with him.  I guess that is what makes heaven - heaven.  No more goodbyes.  So ... I won't say goodbye to Mike.  I won't.  If we get the chance for one last time together, I have promised myself that my last words to him will be - "I love you Mike, and I'll see you later."

Such a Crazy Life

Life is crazy. Really crazy. I have been one really terrible blogger as well. My only excuse? Too little time. School is killing me this year with all its demands. I'm still doing lesson plans and common core standard alignment for the fifth grade, but I am also tackling the following:

• one of the more difficult classes I've had
• developing Math Teaching Initiative lessons
• teaching science to the entire fifth grade
• teaching the advanced math/language arts intervention group
• working on the reading committee

I also took on a second job at The Dance Shop. It's owned by the woman who runs Studio One (where Bailee dances). I've learned alot. I work Friday and Saturday nights. It helps pay for dance. I also keep really busy with the studio. We just finished The Nutcracker, and I was involved with costuming, props, and as a dresser. Studio One put on five different shows this year, four of which were for elementary students in Idaho Falls (over 5000 students).

This photo of Aleks, Mary, and Bailee (taken in between performances) really says it all. We were TIRED out.

The holidays found us worn out and sick. Diana came down with the stomach flu on Christmas Eve. Bailee and I came down with colds right after Christmas. Not much fun!

The older girls at Studio One were asked to perform at the Snake River Animal Shelter New Year's Gala. It was quite an experience for Bailee. It was really her first look at how the more affluent folks live. lol Her friend Aleks lent her a semi-formal dress, and as you can see - she's becoming quite a beautiful young lady.