Amy is playing...softball?

Friday, March 27, 2009

So--I signed up to play softball on a city league team with people in my ward. It should be interesting, because I have never played softball for real before...I don't know if I am any good.

I can catch the ball, I can throw sort of, and I can bat--not so well...

My friend Doug and I went and picked up gear for me so I can be ready to play. I now am the proud owner of a mitt, a softball, and cleats.

Then we went to the batting cages. Fun! I actually hit a good percentage of the balls--just not very well.

Me with the bat--it was the Cyclone!

We played catch with my new mitt after as well. Time to break it in.

If anyone else wants to play catch--give me a call! I need practice. We'll see how this goes...

Dear Parent #1

As I go from day to day teaching--I have instances of things I see that I wish not to repeat as a parent. So--I'm creating this section called, "Dear Parents, " to help me remember some of the crazy things not to do as a parent someday...if I get there...

BTW--This isn't me trying to become an expert on parenting--this is me just watching other people's mistakes and hoping I can learn from them--although I can bet you I will make a ton of my own!

I have been pondering all day about an issue I have at school this year involving one of my students. This student is a sweet girl and I'm guessing watches and listens to her parents very closely. The current status of the economy has hit a lot of people and families really hard out here and I know several people who are out of employment. Each day though, we'll call her Josie (*changed for safety of student and me...) comes to school and updates myself and the class on her family's current economic status. The first one I remember was, "All I have in my lunch today is a sandwich because my dad lost his job and we are eating our food storage." (Partially not true that all she had was the sandwich--we have snack recess everyday, and she eats a good portion of her lunch then...)

The other day it was, "We can't buy these pictures because my dad has lost his job, but he said he'll take some of me for free."

But, every day--I hear something about her families situation and that they can't buy things or her dad still hasn't found work. Josie is 7 years old and this is causing her concern. So much that she carries it all day at school. And it worries her.

As a parent, I hope that I can worry about my finances in an appropriate manner so my child doesn't become paranoid about it--easier said than done, I know. But, sometimes I wonder if parents really know what their students tell me at school. And sometimes I wonder--how concerned should I be...I can pray for them!

For Fun!

On Monday last week, I got to do something fun! Don't worry--I've been making time for it here and there...

But, my friend Courtney, from high school, is in Guys and Dolls out in Magna--and I think anyone who wants to go see it should!

My friend Bryant and I went with my friend Bekki from high school and her husband Joel. We had a good time and even had front row seats.

I hadn't seen Bekki for years--so it was fun to catch up and talk. It was great to be with old friends!

Bryant sucking a lemon...

Bekki and her husband Joel

Courtney (Miss Adelaide), me, and Bekki

Thanks for the fun, girls! Let's play again sometime soon!

BTW--the show is playing til the end of the month! It was fun to watch! I'd say go see it!

Photo of the Week!

This photo is one I took this last week. I have been going through one of the hardest things I have ever done before in my life right now and I was with a friend who has taught me this object lesson many times. This object lesson involves one nail, and balancing all the other nails on it. It is hard to do unless you have the nails all together--so this lesson can have a variety of meanings based on what you need at the time.

My friend told me though that this lesson was only able to have 8 nails balance on the center nail. When he had worked on it with his ward, they were only able to balance 8 of them. The package had 14 nails altogether. I looked at him and said, I bet I can do it.

Tada!
It just goes to show that I can make an even better object lesson out of this...

Sometimes--we think we can handle all that we can and that there is no more room for us to do anymore. But, with Christ as our balance in the middle and putting trust and faith in him along with works, we can add anything that our Heavenly Father has for us to do in our lives, and it will still balance. As long as we put Christ in the center...

I can make it one more week...even if it means locking me in a hotel room, and just working like crazy--I only have the one more week...

With God--all things are possible--I just have to do my part to keep it together!

Photo of the week!

This is my life right now--this box! Ugh! It is my boards box--I have to start packing it in the near future...


Everything that I am working on has to go inside this box and it will be mailed back to the National Boards people...and it has to be in a certain order all labeled properly and a lot of extra things...




I am thinking I look happier in this pic than I really am...
I have to keep reminding myself there is a purpose in all this--I'm not just crazy--and it has worked out for some reason...God knows what He is doing with me...we hope!

I'm celebrating when it's all done though! Yay! Two more weeks of this stuff for now...

Other pictures of Idaho...

I had fun watching the sky Saturday in Idaho--I love the sky there...it's so dynamic! The mountains don't steal from the color--and you can see STARS there! I love it!

Here's two more I took!

Photo of the Week!

Sorry! I'm a day late! But--I have an excuse--I was in Idaho--and that's where I got my photo!


This is a view from my parents' back yard. This barn belongs to their neighbor. I think my favorite feature is the clouds in the sky though--Idaho has the most beautiful sunsets--well--lots of places do--but I love my Idaho sunsets! And this wasn't even the glory moment!

It Lives!

So--I took it out of rice today--and the Nano lives! Craziness...who'd a thunk it! Only thing is it doesn't light up like it used too--it's kinda dark now...

So--if you wash your electronic devices--I've learned two things--

1. if it is battery opperated, remove it quickly...and don't push any power buttons!
This could short circuit it!
2. Let it dry for a week or so--the nano I let sit in a jar of rice because rice absorbs. Do NOT--I repeat--NOT--put it in the oven or blow dry it...that can short circuit it too!

Just some tips to help ya out if you ever need it!

Song of the week or so...

I changed my song today--I love Matt Nathanson! He relaxes me. I think this is my favorite song ever right now...well--I have lots of favorite songs. But if you looked at my iTunes play list under most played--he's in at number 1!

So--Come on Get Higher...

A Special Meeting With Elder Hales

How lucky my stake was today to get to go and have Elder Hales speak to us! I think I learned some profound things that are good to know--especially in these days. Probably things I already knew, but should definitely pay attention to.

It wasn't stake conference, just a meeting for us since we are having a temple that will be dedicated in the next few weeks in our mists...

I took this today after the special meeting.

Elder Hales spoke about reality today. He told us that the prophets have predicted where we are for at least a decade. They have warned us and warned us about being ready. Things like staying out of debt and being prepared were their messages. Elder Hales today told us that it will get worse before it gets better. But--he gave wise counsel to parents today.

He told children and parents some interesting things. To husbands, he said a sign of loving your wife and children is to be able to say "We can't afford it." He also said to the children that you should honor your parents and when they say no--don't fight them on it. He also said something he likes to remember is that a billionaire doesn't have one second more to his day than anyone else--we all have the same amount of time.

One of my favorite things he said today though was that we need to use the temple as our foundation right now to help us in this time of trial. The temple will bring us peace and clarity of mind.

I also liked one more thing he said--Learn to live within your means, but most importantly, learn to be happy living in those means.

Good counsel I think...I'm happy being poor!

My New iPod

Well--so Amy had a dumb moment a couple days ago...

I was washing my whites--my whites of all things...and didn't realize that my hoodie was in it...

And in my hoodie--it was a white one--was my iPod nano...

My first thought was "At least it wasn't my cell phone this time!" (Yes...I have done that to my cell phone before...it lived though after a week of letting it dry--had a little stress, yes, but it lived...has now been replaced...)

So, now my iPod nano sits in a jar of rice because Henry thinks the rice will absorb the water out of it...so we shall see...

In the meantime--I wanted a new iPod anyway...so we got one. Here's the happy moment--this one has 120G compared to my 4G on my old one...


Yeah for technology! Now I can continue to go to the gym and work out to my running playlist! Let's just pray I don't wash this one...at least it is heavy enough that I think I will recgonize it in a pocket!

Photo of the Week!

Well--I tried to capture the moon with Venus tonight--and I decided my camera didn't do too bad considering what camera I have...

My friend Jason is going to try tomorrow to see if he can catch it better...he has a nicer camera...



So--enjoy Venus and the moon...