San Diego

I can't complain about being gone from my classroom for two days when I got to go to San Diego for a conference.  A team of five went down for a Common Core ELA conference.  It was a fast trip:  We headed down Monday night after work and then came home Wednesday night after two full days of conference and planning.  We were all tired.  (But it was worth it!)

The conference was very good and we learned a ton.  I have pages and pages of notes.  All grade levels were represented and we came up with a number of action plans for our district as we look at Professional Development for the next couple of years.  We are excited to share what we know and improve the knowledge at each grade level.

We enjoyed two fabulous lunches and a great dinner while we were there and spent a lot of time walking around where we could.  The conference was in downtown San Diego and we loved walking the waterfront, seeing the boats and military ships.  The meals we had were so wonderful.  And of course, we loved each other's company.
 

I had a good time catching up on some reading for enjoyment on the plane, being in a new place (even if it was quick) and engaging in some great conversation about new learning.

Blurry.....but this is the White River crew with our presenter!

Enjoying every moment! 

Arenacross

Saturday night we were lucky enough to get two free tickets and four pit passes to the Arenacross at the Tacoma Dome.  (Thank you Sebastian!)  So we purchased two more tickets and had a great family night!

The pit passes allowed us in to walk the track, which was very cool.  The riders were all out signing autographs so the boys got a few of those.  The best part was running the track and heading up the big jumps and then running down the other side.  We did a few laps and both boys were sweaty and tired!

They got to sit in the bulldozer and that was a big hit, too.

We all had a snack of kettle corn (my favorite!) and shared a pretzel.  The best part was the Gatorade dad bought.

Running the track.
Gatorade.

It really is all about the little things.

The racing was good and Colson liked the crashes!  We all had a good time watching and rooting on whoever we wanted.  Colson fell asleep before the last couple of main events.  It was definitely passed his bedtime!  But do you think he slept in the next day?  Not too much.  Up about 6:30 am!

We all enjoyed the evening and had a lot of fun!

Enjoying every moment.

My (School) Kiddos

When you spend 6 1/2 hours a day with a group of students, they become 'your kids' very quickly.  At this time of year, we are like family and they are like brother and sister.  They are each unique, quirky, silly and annoying...all rolled into one.  I am the same.  That is why we get along so well!

This week was very busy at school.  We had three days of SBAC (state) testing and everyone is tired! They all worked hard and did a good job.  I am proud of them!  I have a big art project planned for tomorrow morning.  They deserve it!

The excitement for the week was when Ava stopped by for a surprise visit!  What a treat for us and it was just what the class needed.  We talked and shared with Ava about all of the "news" that's been going on in each other's lives....Christian just became a big brother again. Jackson went on a surprise trip to Disneyland. JJ crashed and banged up his knee.  Ava shared about looking at puppies and reading books.  I love that they talk and share and nothing comes up about chemo or cancer or hospitals!

The kids working hard on thier SBAC tests.   This was just the ELA (English Language Arts) tests which encompasses reading, writing and listening.  Math is coming next month.

We took a lot of breaks during testing...they just needed and wanted to get up and moving.  We played thumb wars, arm wrestled, played tag outside, played silly games in the room and ate a lot of snacks.  You have to make three full days of testing bearable.  I also handed out smarties, gum, tictacs and mints while testing.

Enjoying every moment!

Arizona Pictures

Here are some more pictures from our week here in Arizona.

So good for the soul to just relax and be together.

Walking down the arroyo.  We did this (or rode bikes) quite a few times!

Hello walking feet!  

Pool.  Sun.  Lounge Chair.  Book.  What more could a girl ask for?!

Ice cream!  We all enjoyed a yummy cone!

A motorcycle ride to wash the bike.  The Arizona weather is amazing!

An impromptu picture of Colson and I while on a walk one morning. 

The boys enjoyed some fun while at Easter brunch.  

Cannon relaxing a bit.

We took the boys to miniature golf one day.  It was much harder than they thought and they each had more than one melt down!

Hanging out in the hot tub one evening.

The boys and grandma checking out things on her phone!

Chris and I stopped at a cool restaurant on our way back from Sedona.  It was in Superstition, just outside of Apache Junction.  The walls were entirely covered in $1 bills! 

Chris took mom for a ride...her first time!  It took a bit of coaxing, but she's glad she went!

We've got a good game a cards going on here!

Colson checking out the saguaro cactus!

Enjoying every moment.

Swimming

Swim.
Twice a day.
Every day.

That is what the boys did and they wouldn't have it any other way.

Cannon has become a little fish, swimming from one end to the other, diving for things on the bottom, jumping off the side, doing hand stands, and pulling Colson everywhere on the floatie.

Last year, Colson spent most of his pool time sitting on the steps playing with water toys.  This year was a 180 degree change.  He was in the water all of the time, hanging on to the edge and kicking, splashing and blowing bubbles.  He spent a lot of time floating on the floatie or on the noodle.  He learned to swim on his own with the noodle, kicking and paddling his arms.  We have to keep an close eye on him because he will swim right into the deep end on his own!

We have enjoyed the laid back, relaxed days of this vacation....watching the boys play, enjoying the sun and taking advantage of the little things that mean the most!

Enjoying every moment.

Hello Sedona

Chris and I were blessed with time to take an overnight trip up to Sedona.  Chris rode his motorcycle down and we wanted to take advantage of that!  Sedona is a place we had never been and wanted to see the beauty of the red rocks.

It was a trip well worth it!  There is nothing like seeing the red rocks in person and the pictures don't do the beautiful scenery justice.

We went up Tuesday and stayed at a hotel in Oak Creek, right before Sedona.  We had a nice dinner and a short walk before heading back to the room.  The next morning, we got up early and headed out to explore. We stopped a few times to take pictures, did some hiking, and explored many roads as we took in Chimney Rock, Cathedral Rock, Coffee Pot Rock, Bell Rock and many more.

Our big adventure was the hike up to Cathedral Rock.  We traversed some steep rocks that made me a bit nervous, but it was well worth it.

We are already talking about going back next year and taking the boys to do some hiking and take a jeep tour!

So. Much. Fun.

Enjoying every moment.