El Fin

I am finished. Done. Complete. Terminada. I couldn't be happier. Teaching 6th grade is tough, rewarding, but tough. On days like these, I remember that teaching definitely has it's ups. One of my students, Miguel, came up to me after school to say goodbye. He started getting choked up, and with tears rolling down his face said, "I've never had a teacher who's done so much for me and who has believed in me so much. Thanks." It's not good having the pregnancy hormones, because I lost it.

On the last day of school we have a dance festival where each grade level performs for the parents. Here are our 6th graders performing. Although I am bias, I have to say that they were the best...

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They were good huh?

Fun Run 5K

Every year our school does a 5K race with the community. I personally don't think the words "fun" and "run" should go together. There were 483 runners, including kids, parents, staff and community members. My students look forward to it every year, because they all want to beat me. A couple of them did this year...they are way too fast. That day I let them know I was 4 months pregnant and that they let an older pregnant woman beat them. Suckers. I got first place for adult woman.

The gunshot fires and this is what it looks like. Scary for the photographer huh?



A few boys would sprint, then walk, and as soon as I caught up, they'd sprint again. They just would not let me pass them. At least I kept them going...



After I finish the race, I always go back and chase my students who are walking to the finish line. This is my student Christian. He came in 475...so boy did I chase him at the end.



6th grade boys, growing, going through puberty...some of them will be so good looking in the future.



At the end they were smiling...during the race, not so many smiles.



The other 6th grade teacher and I think these two should marry because their babies would be gorgeous!! He is handsome and she has very green/blue eyes.



5 more school days and counting...

So Much to be Happy About...

This past weekend was such an eventful one, one definitely to smile about and remember. First off, our family came from all over the nation for two very important events. My Jeffrey has graduated from BYU! Wuhoo. I am so proud of my hunk. We are not finished with school yet...on to grad school and PHD. I have yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sorry, Jeffrey. Anyway, we had family from Virginia, Oregon, California, Texas and Utah here. Jeff's family is incredible. They are constantly setting great examples for the both of us and we love spending time with them.

My little sis, Ashley, also went through the temple for her mission. We are sad to see her leave for the summer...who else will we watch Biggest Loser with? Seriously, sad. But we are super excited for her to go on her mission so we can send her long, boring letters about our lives.

Baby Eden with Uncle Jeff


Jeffrey with his parents and grandma Ruth


Oh how we love the Wrights. You are not allowed to leave Utah until we leave, deal? This is Jeff's older sister, Kelli.


Another thing that happened this weekend was one of my best friends wedding. Mari Serrao is now Mari Oto. I absolutely love weddings. Everything about them...meeting up with old friends, dressing up, seeing the beautiful bride glowing, remembering my own wedding, and eating delicious stuff that you didn't have to make. What's not to like? I wish Jeffrey could have gone with me, but since family was here, he was off the hook. Mari looked perfect. Happy, beautiful, and confident. They way a bride should look.



Introducing Richard and Mari Oto






I was very happy when my favorite little girl walked in with Eva.


Jeffrey and I love weekends like this where we remember what life is all about. Family, friends, and happiness. Thanks for everyone who came to share these special moments with us!

Mari's Bridal Shower

There is a blog post coming about my Virginia trip...but before my trip, I threw a shower for one of my best friends, Mari. She is getting married next Saturday (graduation weekend). It was a shower with only 8 of her close friends (she had a bigger one with other friends, but ours was more intimate). Here are a few pictures of the shower.



Mari's fiance's name is Richard. I found these napkins at Michaels...thanks Mom for the tips!



Our theme was "Girls Night In." We all dressed up like we were going out on the town and had a nice sit down dinner with fancy drinks. Her wedding colors are green (pear and sprouts) and white.



I love excuses to throw parties...so if you ever have an excuse, let me know and I will throw you a party.

Should I quit?

I have to say that I do brag about the privileges of being a teacher (you know, paid summers off, gifts on every holiday, kids think you're a god, blah blah blah). I seldom vent (except to my poor hubby) on my blog about the disadvantages of being a teacher. Here is how my week has been (names have been changed, of course):

Monday:
1. Dorey didn't show up, but mom frantically came in about her daughter cutting herself and rebelling
2. Meeting with the psychologist about her
3. Todd mouthed off at the P.E. teacher, received a month lunch detention. He wanted suspension.
4. Ana and Melissa are bullying Jessica (pushing, kicking, and stealing her things)
5. Email from P.E. teacher saying my class was too disrespectful and she doesn't want them back in her class

Tuesday:
1. Kids + deciding to misbehave and disrespect my student teacher = Mrs. Crane's wrath

Wednesday:
1. My class has library time with the librarian at 9:00 (first thing in the morning). During that time, the Vice Principal rushed into my class telling me to go to the library because the librarian was about to quit (of course because of the disrespect of my students).
2. Consequence of misbehavior: lunch with Mrs. Crane. All my students had to take their lunch trays to my class (yes, take up my lunch time so I didn't get one), eat, then put their heads down.
3. Vice Principal informed me that the music teacher, P.E. teacher, and the librarian will not tolerate my kids anymore (I don't blame them) and that they would be sent to our i-class (intervention-class for misbehaved students) from now on.

It's only Wednesday and I don't know what else is in store for me...Spring Break, could you come faster?

San Diego Trip

Jeff and I got to go visit my family in San Diego over President's Day weekend. We had a few reasons to go down: Dad's 50th birthday party, Alec's blessing, meet Enzo, be with the family, get away from Provo, and eat good Mexican food. Jeff and I stayed at a different place every night. The first night, we were at Melody's house, where she had a bowl of candy ready for my Jeffrey.

Meet Alec. My beautiful Aunt Mary had a baby boy and we finally got to meet him! He has darn good hair, he also only cried when he was hungry. That's how my babies will be. It was love at first sight.



Meet Enzo. This is my latest nephew. My bro, Hector, and his wifey, Porcia, just had their second baby and he was precious. Seriously, mixed babies are gorgeous! He smelled so good.



Our first day there, we went to the Mormon Battalion in Old Town. We went with my mom, sisters, Zelayas and Nana. This is a picture of my cousins, Audrey and Zoe. They've grown up so fast.






This is Noah, trying on pioneer gear.



The next day, we went to beautiful Mexico for my dad's 50th birthday. This is a picture Jeff took at the hotel that the party was at. I miss the ocean scenery.



My dad is the good-looking, not so old, man at the right. He had no idea we were throwing him a big party. He thought we were just having a BBQ at his house. Little did he know what we had up our sleeves. Mariachi, DJ, dinner, dancing. It was great.



After the party, all the kids stayed at my dad's beach house. In the morning, my step-mom made us a home-made mexican breakfast: beans and chilaquiles. Soooo good. Jeff's still not used to eating beans for breakfast. This is what the upper deck/roof looks like.



On Sunday was Valentines Day. When we got home from church, my mom had decorated the house with Valentines stuff. Jeff was really excited when he saw the platters of desserts on the table. He licked a few so no one would eat them, and hid a few too.





Our trip was a breath of fresh air. 80 degrees the whole time we were there, not a cloud in the sky. I love my family and I'm so grateful to be close to all my sisters, and even closer to my mom. Going home is the best.

Letting it All Out

"Sometimes when I feel like killing someone, I do a little trick to calm myself down. I'll go over to the persons house and ring the doorbell. When the person comes to the door, I'm gone, but you know what I've left on the porch? A jack-o-lantern with a knife stuck in the side of it's head with a note that says "You." After that I usually feel a lot better, and no harm done." -Jack Handey's Deep Thoughts.

This time it was a snowman. We were bored. Our friend's were bored. Two couples who are bored can do a lot of harm.

No one could spot us with Jeff's camouflage hat, and Eliot's non-shining light in the middle of his forehead. We were one with nature.





I didn't want to touch the snow (duh), so the boys were in charge of putting the big snow balls together. Heather did a good job putting the head together. Thanks for touching the snow Heather.



This is what the final product looked like. Scary huh? We blocked their entrance. Yes, that's a knife coming out of his head. And blood.





I hope the people we did this to don't check my blog...





I know we should probably do better things with our time...but we don't have kids yet, so we like to act like them.