End of June wrap up

I got to spend some time with Bishop Welch on a date to see Dirty Dancing the Broadway show.   My Eccles theatre season tickets have been wonderful.  I'm looking forward to next years shows already.

Wayne is really committed to the YSA's and his calling. He is an excellent Bishop.    He cares and is proactive in helping the YSA's understand God's love for them and how God works.  It's been 6 months of working in this ward and it really feels like a mission because we are so out of our home ward.   It's been such a supreme blessing for all of us, but we really look back and know that a big part of this calling has been for Laila.  She has even said this.  I love it when you say something over and over to your child and they finally parrot it back to you as their own original idea.  Like Laila said,  "Having good friends is really important."   How many times have I said this to her, but  now it's her idea.  YAY!    Laila came in from a drive around with some friends and actually told me that she was sticking up for the church and that she believes in God and is happy to go to church even at 9:00 on a Sunday.  Huge blessing to hear her say this. Last year we were 180 degrees away from this.  I get that there will still be challenging days ahead, but having Wayne as a Bishop and being so involved with Laila in this ward is heaven sent.  

Holly once again was a "star" in her Friend to Friend production.  This was a musical review show and she participated in Newsies, a tangled song, Jungle Book, and Trashing the camp, and a princess too.  It was really darling.  I'm amazed at how much practicing she does and how well she knows her choreography and words to the songs.  She is "all in" and it shows.   Special thanks to Shelley Davies who does this as an act of love two times a year.

I was in San Antonio, Texas for Teacher technology meetings at the end of June.  I loved this conference especially the Keynote and closing speakers.  Jennie Maguire spoke on we all have stories and we  need to hear and share them...also we have the power to change our story.  Reshma Saujani..who created Girls who Code to empower girls to stay involved in the tech industry.  Both break through stereotypes and have wonderful  messages for the future of education.  Made me proud to be a teacher.  It's great going with my teacher friends.  I work with some amazing women.  Annett Eiting is a great team leader for the grade school.  I also got to be with Summer Johnson, Tara Criddle and Meghan Johnston.   We saw the Alamo and went to the River walk  and the Pearl District.   We ate great Mexican food and made it through the humidity and heat together.   We did get locked out of our hotel for a time because there was a fire in an adjoining restaurant and we couldn't get into our evacuated Marriott for 4 hours.  It was an experience.  And.....we "escaped the Bus!"  There is a bus that has an escape room where you have 25 minutes to work as a team and work different technology to solve puzzles that then gets yo a key to unlock boxes that have letters that you have to organize to form the answer to the riddle and escape the bus.   Well... I had done this last year, but we did not escape....this year it was a different escape room with different tasks, and you would think a different end riddle...but NO.... it was the same end answer... Keys 2 B Gr8..... well, no one remembered this answer from last year except me...so I became the hero when I solved the puzzle in record time.  The bus workers were all amazed with our skill and knowledge and I didn't have the heart to tell them I just had a good memory from last year.  It was pretty FUNNY.

Utah Online Teachers at the Alamo

Laila put on a Cake Wars with her squad friends:  Cole Wardle, Katelyn Pattison and Cort Richards.  They broke into teams and had celebrity judges Truman and Lexi be the judges.  KP and Cole won for best looking cake and Cort and Laila for best tasting.  My kitchen looked like a war zone when they got done.   I basically hid out up in my bedroom til it was cleaned so I wouldn't go crazy on them.    Happy that Laila has a Squad to play with. 

Wayne finally convinced ALF to sit on his motorcyle.  This has been years in the making.  The bike isn't even on...no engine, nothing...just sit on the seat.  Alfie has been so hesitant.  He would say, "No thanks, I'm fine"  when asked if he wanted to sit on papa's motorcycle.  It took a full year for Alf just to look at Papa's motorcycle.  For a boy who loves cars soooo much...he is not in to this motorcycle AT ALL.

Monson and Lexi moved into their first home in Spanish Fork, Utah.  It has been an ordeal, but it all came to a close on June 30, and they moved in July 1st.  So exciting for them. We are grateful for Packer Morley, Liz Bentley and Liz Cole's help.    The house is an A frame-cottage style in Sunset Park subdivision, to the west of Spanish Fork High School.  4 bedrooms, 2 baths.   This is about 25 minutes from Monson's work at Thanksgiving Point.  Lexi is happy to be down their in a small town, yet still have some family (the Poulter side)  close by.   Monson shaved his Kris Kringle red beard off before the move so he could make a good first impression with the new wardies.  He said it's hard enough being a ginger, but atleast they will know I'm active...and then...funny fact...he had atleast 10 ward members show up to help him move in and 6 of them had flaming red hair!!!    Lexi is great at making friends so Ishe will reach out and have new people and a new calling in no time but...she has been so pregnant sick though...that might make it a bit harder these first few months.

The June Sunsets did not disappoint.   Such beauty shooting up from the Lake into Bountiful.  We are blessed with amazing sunsets.  I love walking on Bountiful Boulevard after 8:30 pm and seeing all the glory.  I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world...