New School Year 2010-2011

Well, it's official . . . summer is over and school is back in session. We had a great summer with lots of visits to family and friends that were both rewarding and heart warming. As the school year begins I am somewhat concerned about the direction that education is headed in. No one seems to care how well our children learn or what quality of education they are receiving. It's so frustrating to me. I love my job but with all the budget cuts in special programs, I don't know how long I will be able to continue to work with these kids the way I have for the past fourteen years. With having to see students at least three class periods each day and for a minimum of one hundred and twenty minutes each day, scheduling has become a nightmare and we have classes with twenty students in them and classes with only one student in them. It's so crazy and totally frustrating.

After lunch today I mentioned to one of our lunch ladies that I wished I was back in kindergarten when we got to take our blankies and lay on the floor while our teacher read us a story. Some of us would fall asleep and others would just listen and relax to her soothing voice. She told me she remembered having those little flower shaped cookies way back in the 50's. I asked her if they were shortbread cookies and she said they were. I told her she wasn't that much older than I was and that I went to kindergarten in 1962 so I remember those little shortbread cookies too. Such a silly thing to remember!

We had a little chuckle and as I wandered back to my classroom I recalled my kindergarten and first grade years. Thanks to Shelley Burt I have a great class picture from kindergarten. She brought it to our class reunion this summer but it was too late to put in the video I had made. I didn't even remember having the picture taken but I love it.

If we could only return to those simpler days. The days when no one worried about letting your kids walk home from school or if they were a little bit late getting home. It just meant that they had stopped off somewhere along the way to kick a rock along the curb or pick some innocent gardener's beautiful flowers. Now days, we give our kids cell phones so that we can always know where they are and track them if they are late, or heaven forbid, get lost.

We've come along way in the past fifty years or so. Technology has made things easier but also more complicated. Politicians have only seemed to blur the issues or destroyed them completely. It makes a person wonder where or when these things will ever be resolved but we all just keep on doing what we're doing and doing it the best we know how.

I'm going to make this year count. I want the students I work with to know that I care about their education and about them as a person. Some days that's not easy, but it will be written in my daily lesson plan from now on. Better input equals better output, right? I sure hope so!

High School 35 Year Class Reunion

Our class reunion was so much fun, Cheryl Harker Carrier was in charge of it and she did an awesome job. We met on Friday night and decorated the float we would be riding in the parade on Saturday morning. It was like time had stood still as classmates arrived at the meeting place. Then we all drove out to the Draper farm and laughed together until we cried.

I had all of my school pictures grades one thru six and that brought back lots of memories.

One of the highlights for me was when Jenny, my best friend in high school, arrived. We hugged and hugged and didn't want to let go and as we talked it was as if we had only been apart for twenty minutes rather than twenty years.

That night we had a really nice dinner at the high school where we got to visit some more. We had a great dinner and then watched the forty-five minute video I had made of old high school memories. It was a lot of work but so worth it in the end. I made one for each one of the graduates, it was just a really rewarding night all around.

Leaving that night, Jenny and I promised to stay in touch and told each other how much we loved our memories and appreciated the friendship, the strength and the support we had been to each other throughout our high school years. It was a very heart warming weekend. As you can tell we had a great time!

School's Out for Summer!

May finally ended and since school got out on the last day of May, Bob and I headed to Canada on June 1st just the two of us.




Pam was planning a joint Missionary Homecoming for Josh and a Missionary Farewell for Jonathon the first Sunday in June so that gave us a great reason to travel north for a week or so.


Bob and I left around noon and headed for Missoula, Montana. Not the usual way we go north but we decided to take our time and enjoy the trip. We headed up to Salmon, Idaho and over the Lost Trail Pass. It was a beautiful drive and as neither of us had ever been that way before, we had a really enjoyable ride. It was a warm sunny day until we reached the top of the pass, then we ran into a little rain.

We had discussed stopping and soaking in the hot pools along the way but when we pulled in to the one we had picked out, it was raining and the place looked pretty run down. We decided the hotel we were staying at in Missoula had a hot tub so we kept on going and arrived there around 5:00.

We checked in to the Hawthorn Suites Hotel and went down to sit in the hot tub. We were the only ones there and had a great time just relaxing and enjoying each others company. When we were totally comfortable we went upstairs to our room, showered and got ready to go find something to eat.

Since there was a basketball play-off game on we decided to get our meal to go and went back to our room and ate while we watched the game. It was so nice to do what we wanted, when we wanted to without any time schedule to have to keep up with. The next morning we got up and went down and soaked in the hot tub again and again, we were the only ones there. Then we went upstairs, showered, got all ready and went downstairs for breakfast. The hotel served a great little buffet breakfast and then since we didn't have to check out until 11:00 we went back upstairs where I had a nap while Bob watched some old movie. We checked out, picked up some KFC to have dinner with my dad and headed to Cardston to see my parents.

It was only about a five hour drive and we got there in good time. We ate dinner and visited with dad and then left to go to the Care Center to visit with my mom.

It was hard to see her the way she was. She has fallen several times and so for her safety, they have put her in a wheel chair. She gets around pretty good in it but my dad says she'll probably never come home again since she is so reliant on that chair.

You could tell that it saddens him somewhat. He knows that she will never live at home again but I could tell he didn't like having the option of taking her out for the day taken away from him. It's so hard to watch your parents grow older. Actually, not so much my dad but definitely true of my mom. My dad looks better than I have seen him look in ages. I think the responsibility of caring for mom and administering her medications for her was a lot for him to handle. He seems much more relaxed and looks years younger than he did last summer. He even keeps the house up as well, if not better, than mom ever did. It's always such a joy to visit the home I grew up in. (Although sleeping in the same bed I grew up in and on the same mattress I slept on is not always a joy. It makes my back hurt!)

Mom kept the conversation light. I think she's learned what generic questions she needs to ask to make it seem like she remembers more than she does. Bless her heart, it has got to be so hard for her. When we went to see her again the next day, she had forgotten that we had been there the day before. She thought we had just arrived, it's almost easier to agree with her than try to explain it all to her again. I just love and admire her so much.

We stayed overnight with dad Sunday night and on Monday, after visiting with mom again, we headed up to Calgary to spend the week with Cyndi and Kevin. On our way through Fort McCloud we decided to stop at the Provincial Park, Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump.








All the years we've been going to Calgary, we've never taken the time to stop there. It was AMAZING! We started out in the museum with a 15 minute video about the history behind the jump. Then we went up to the 6th floor and started the tour down to the 1st floor again.

We were only going to be there for a half an hour or so, at least that's what we had planned on and that was what I told Cyndi. Little did we know!









After what seemed like 30 or 40 minutes, Bob turned to me and asked me if I knew what time it was. I had no idea. He said we had been there for three hours and it was almost 5:00. I felt terrible because when Cyndi asked us if we could be there in time for supper we had told her we would be. Since Fort McCloud is a good two hours from Calgary, it was certain we wouldn't be.









When we finally arrived at Cyndi and Kevin's we found that they had been holding supper for us and had grilled steaks and ribs. We felt terrible but the food was still amazing as always. Cyndi is an awesome cook!

We so enjoyed just hanging out and relaxing with them and their family for the rest of the week. I know they always worry that we're going to get bored or something but I'm telling you, staying with them in their beautiful new home and with Cyndi's amazing meals, it's better than a 5 star resort, and the company is so much better too. We had an incredible time.

Sunday was a beautiful day and Pam and Ryan had to be so very proud of their boys as they both did amazing jobs in sacrament meeting. We had dinner and a little open house at the McKenzie Lake Clubhouse. It was so nice and we had a great time visiting with all of our extended family as well.

Monday morning came and we had to head for home. It's always sad to see a vacation end but it's also great to be home again. I missed our kids and our grandkids. They are so much fun and I love spending time with them.

I finally talked Bob into buying a Water Slide. We found it at Toys R Us and it's 10 ft. high and 18 ft. long with a little pool at the bottom that the kids slide into. We set it up last week and the kids had a blast in it. I'll post some picture of them in it as soon as I get a chance to.

What Can I Say?

Okay, so it's the 7th of July and I haven't written anything since March. I don't even have a good excuse. I am having a fabulous summer though so with all due respect, I need to post some of the things I've been up to.

First of all, I'd better go back to February 2nd. The day our sweet little Elsie Lane was born.

Brittany was due the end of January and although I'm sure it seemed hard for her to go past her due date, she didn't gain very much and was so tiny with little Elsie that it didn't seem like she was over at all.

Bob and I went down to Salt Lake after school one night and as we were pulling into the parking lot of their apartment complex Brittany called to see where we were. I told her we were just pulling in and when we were finally inside, visiting on the couch, I noticed that she would be quiet every so often. I asked her if she was okay and confronted her on the fact that I thought she was having labor pains. She admitted that she was and that she had been having them pretty much all day long. She said she was glad we were there because she felt certain that when Adam got home from work they would be on their way to the hospital. She said she was so glad that we came when we did instead of waiting another day or two. I was certainly glad too.

Adam got home and they got ready and headed to the hospital. Andie had warmed up to Bob and me nicely and didn't seem to mind staying with us when her parents left. I gave them strict instructions to keep us posted on how things were progressing and Adam promised he would call when they knew anything.

He called around 9:00 and said that she was dilating and progressing nicely so we should go to bed and he would call us in the morning if not sooner. So we did. Andie was a jewel and went right to sleep and slept in until around 9:00. Since Adam had called us earlier in the morning with the news of a beautiful baby girl born in the early hours of the morning, we got ready before Andie woke up so we were ready to go to the hospital when Andie was awake and fed.

True to his word, Adam was holding his beautiful baby girl when we got there. Because of all the threat of the H1N1 flu virus, little Andie wasn't allowed to go in to see her mom or her new baby sister so we didn't stay very long. We went and took Andie to have some lunch and then took her home for a nap. Adam came home to shower and spend some time with Andie so Bob and I went back to the hospital for a quick visit and a chance to hold little Elsie Lane.

Even Papa Bob got in on the baby holding action and didn't look so pained when he got to hold her. He actually looked like he was enjoying himself, which he later admitted.

Brittany's folks arrived the next day and Bob and I headed home. We both had to go to work on Monday so even though it was hard to leave, we promised to return as soon as possible.

Elsie looked just like Andie when she was born but as she has grown she has developed her own beautiful look. I have to admit that she looks more like Adam and the rest of my babies did when they were born. She is such a sweetheart and Andie just loves her. I don't know what I'd do without my Utah girls. They hold a special place in Gramma Dori's heart, as all my grandkiddies do!

Said I Would . . . but I Didn't!

I said I was going to update my blog today but unfortunately I ran out of time again. I really am so far behind here that I've got to take some time to post a few things. Being that it's St. Patrick's Day, Amy has gone out with some friends so I had Alie tonight and she wasn't very happy about getting left home so I took her and went out to visit Brooke and Kennedy while Treyson and Kade were at wrestling practice. Now she's in bed asleep and I'm exhausted. I promise to write tomorrow . . . I have so much to catch up on. Later!

Christmas Cookies

It's been a great holiday season and as it is slowly coming to a close it's fun to look back and reminisce about the fun things that we were able to do as a family. One of the things that we did was make Christmas cookies. Of course it was supposed to be all of the grandchildren coming to decorate gingerbread men and sugar cookies, but Brooke and Kade and their kids were late. Not just a few minutes late but try about three hours late. Oh well, that's Brooke!










Cyndi and Jamon's kids arrived on time and we had so much fun. Lauren and Camryn set right in to decorating the gingermen and the stars and everything else we had made. I think even little Griffen had a blast.

Alie was so much fun and thoroughly enjoyed herself while consuming spoonful after spoonful of frosting. I even have the pictures to prove it. You can tell, because she still had the frosting on her face when I took them. We had so much fun all together! Even the mess was fun to clean up . . . Now you know that we truly did have a great time!

Treyson and Kennedy got there a little, rather a lot, later but we still had an incredible time. They took right to frosting and decorating and I have to admit that they turned out awesome.

I also wanted to have them all over to make a Christmas present for their parents but we just ran out of time before Christmas Eve. I had seen these cute little picture frames that looked easy enough but none of us could find enough time to get them done. I guess we'll save that project for next year.

Merry Christmas

Where has the year gone? 2010 is fast approaching and Christmas will be here, ready or not, in just more than a week. Again we are thankful for the blessings that have been ours and the love that has been shown to us. A special thank you to those of you who have influenced us and touched our hearts this past year. We love you guys!

Brooke and Kade and their family are doing well. Kade has taken over running the farm for his dad and loves it. Brooke continues to substitute teach and take care of their family. We are blessed that they live close enough to enjoy them and their beautiful children on a regular basis. They are such a blessing in our lives.

Cyndi and Jamon are still in Blackfoot and doing well. Cyndi continues to work at The Villa doing nails which she enjoys. Jamon graduated from Idaho State University this past spring and continues to put a lot of time into his job at the radio station on campus. We are very proud of them and their beautiful family. It's always a joy to have them around.

Adam and Brittany are still living in Salt Lake with Adam attending the Art Institute of Salt Lake City. He's doing incredibly well and should graduate within the next year. He also works full time at AT&T Mobile so Brittany can stay home and take care of little Andie Mae. They are going to have a new baby girl the end of January and we are all very excited about that. Although we don't get to see them very often, we love the time we get to spend with them.

Amy and Alie are still living with us and we love having them close. Amy is doing well and substitute teaches to fill her time. Alie is as incredible as ever. She goes to preschool at the elementary school two mornings a week and to Hippo Therapy three afternoons a week. She is making good progress with her cochlear implant but is still not crazy about it. She makes more and more progress everyday. We are grateful for all of those who work so diligently with her and love her like we do. It is a challenge but we love it and we've learned to just take things one day at a time.

Bob and I are doing great. Bob is still at the site and as busy as ever. I'm still teaching 6th grade at the Blackfoot 6th Grade School and loving what I do. The older we get the more we seem to enjoy spending time together. It's a little crazy but totally awesome!

At this holiday season we feel blessed to have you, our friends and family, in our lives and want you all to know how much we love and appreciate you and your examples. We pray that this Christmas season will be joyous and your New Year filled with love and peace. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving 2009

I can't believe that it's been two months since I posted anything here on my blog. I've become a facebook junkie and as a result I have really neglected my blog which really is my first love. This is definitely the easiest way to keep a journal. Problem is . . . you have to write in it too.

Thanksgiving came and went and what a great time we had. Bob and I traveled to Calgary and visited with family there. We stayed at Cyndi and Kevin's even though Cyndi was in Hawaii with Kandice furnishing the new condo. Kevin and Brett took good care of us and were great hosts. Thanks to them for that. Their new house is going to be amazing. They always do such a great job when they build or remodel. I can't wait to see the finished product.

One evening while Kevin was at a dinner meeting we went to dinner with Pam, Cherri and Mike. We had a great time at Smugglers and laughed until I thought I was gonna be sick! I sure love my family. Someone once asked me if I'm close with all my sisters and brother and I'm so happy that I can say that they are more than my family, they are my very best friends.

Then we went down to Cardston to surprise my dad and spend his 80th birthday with him. He was surprised and we spend four great days with him and my mom.

Mom is living in the Care Center at the hospital and is finally settling in. She has a wonderful roommate finally and now she worries, not of not being able to leave and stay at home again, but rather how long she will be gone when we check her out because she doesn't want her roommate to get lonely. I am so grateful that she is happy there. It was so, so hard for my dad to take care of her and they both look better than I've seen them look in a really long time. We did check her out everyday, and everyday she was thrilled and surprised that we were there. It's hard to see her not remembering things from one minute to the next but at least she always recognized me this time which was nice.

I gave my dad a DVD with a slide show of his life from his birth to this latest great-grand child and also a scrapbook with most of the pictures (all 487 of them) in it. I thought it would be easier for my mom to look at and it was but about every half an hour she would notice it again and ask what it was and where it came from. Somethings are easier for her but this wasn't one of them. Cherri and Pam and their families came down from Calgary on Friday for dad's birthday and we cooked our Thanksgiving turkey to celebrate with them. It was so nice to have that many of us together. I have such a great time when I am home.

It was hard to say goodbye and I think I cried till we were well across the border. Every time I say goodbye to either one of my parents could be the last time I do. I hugged my mother a long, long time and kissed her check again and again. I told her how much I love her and watched her carefully as she put on her coat and went out the door with my dad to go back to the care center. I know that I need to embed those memories deep into my soul so that I can find comfort in it when the time comes that I need it. A teacher at school was saying just the other day that her birthday is on Saturday and she had to hurry and order her mother some flowers. I asked her why she was sending her mother flowers on HER birthday instead of her mother sending her some. She said she always does and has for many, many years because if it wasn't for her mother, she wouldn't be here. I thought that was such a neat idea and it made me sad that my birthday isn't until April so I could do that for my mom too. Then I realized you don't need a special occasion to tell someone how you feel. Everyday is the day to tell them you love them.

My dad stood in the kitchen window waving goodbye as we drove away the next morning. That is also a memory I mentally and emotionally put right here in my heart so it too is easy to recall. I just couldn't hug him enough before we left. He is such an amazing man. I remember when I was in high school and college and my mom would always tell my sisters and me that we should look for a man just like our dad when we look for a husband and that we should be so lucky to find a man exactly like our dad. When you're sixteen or even twenty, you don't think of that but I am so grateful. When my dad first met Bob he turned to my mom and told her that he had known that young man before and that they were very good friends. How blessed I am! I love you dad, thank you for all you do!