Huge News!

All we did was ask for a placement math test to see if we could move Deirdre into Pre-Algebra. Well, we got that and more! Based on her Algebra I test score of 76%, her CORE test scores from last spring, and her IOWA test scores, the school recommended we move D into seventh grade. After much deliberation, we did just that on Thursday, August 28. She spent seven days in sixth grade!

So far, it is working. Based on her ability to finish a Pre-Algebra assignment during class that the rest of the students had been working on for two days, we are pretty confident we made the correct decision. She did the entire assignment in her head too, to the amazement of her classmates. She isn't too happy that she has to show her work in math, but hopefully math will get harder and she will have to show her work.

Soccer begins on Tuesday. We are all quite pleased with her coach. Last year was such a disaster. In Scouts we are trying to finish a bunch of badges, a Bronze project, and bridging requirements before September 30.

Every Saturday in September is devoted to Scouts. After Labor Day weekend, the next Saturday I have that currently isn't full is in October! And, I know that I will be packing D for CIMI on the first Saturday of October. We will have spent the night in SLC on the following Friday to pick her up from CIMI, so that Saturday is shot too. Looks like UEA weekend is currently open—six week from now. :)

We Did It!

Today is our 20th anniversary. We did absolutely nothing!!!! School has started and as usual it's the end of the month.

I remember when we lived in Chicago and raided the laundry jars for money to buy food at the end of August. With Jeff not getting paid from June until the end of September, money was extremely tight. At least now we have credit cards to help us when money is tight. Of course that's probably why money is tight today (as in the present).

We spent our anniversary making decisions about D's future (see above). At least it was family oriented.

I do have sad thoughts about Jane and Rich. This would have been 30 years for them last June. I always thought families were supposed to increase in size, not decrease.

Rich's birthday would be in a week or so—Sept. 5 and Jane's on Sept. 23. I really hate the month of September. Birthdays and death anniversaries abound. On the bright side, my parents will be celebrating 44 years of marriage on Sept. 19. My mother-in-law's birthday and brother-in-law's birthdays are also in September, the 26 and 30 respectively. Hard to believe that Jordan will be 19!

Well here's to hoping for twenty more years.

Gooseberry

We are back from our Gooseberry/Fishlake troop camping experience. We left Monday, Aug. 4 and returned on Wednesday, Aug. 6. The girls and I had fun and now they can bridge up to Cadettes. The other girls will move up too, but they won't have earned the bridging award. The girls rotated through several activities on Monday and Tuesday. I helped with the "Flower Pounding" class where they dyed fabric from pounding on fabric with flower petals taped on. They turned out for the most part much better than anyone can imagine. Sami's was the best and I am horribly jealous :). It rained off and on all of Tuesday, but when it was time for the skits and campfire the rain started coming down heavily so everything was moved to the barn.

This is on our last day outside the cabin the girls slept in. It was a messhall originally when the Forest Rangers lived at Gooseberry during the 20's to 50's.

With Samantha watching, Malynn, Sarah, and Deirdre teach the "Elephant Song" on Tuesday evening in the barn. All three girls had been to Camp Cloud Rim in July and learned it there.

This is the whole group on before everyone left on Wednesday. Deirdre is in the back third from the left; Samantha is in the middle; and Sarah is on the right side with the bright blue jacket.

PMS—7/23

I love that title! Last night I went to a PMS party at Erin's. We scrapbooked for hours. This is what I accomplished.

Several people wanted to know who the little girl in the pictures was. Boy was everyone surprised when I said "Deirdre." Of course the pictures are from nine years ago. I found them in a drawer in the laundry room. A strange place for pictures but they worked for what I was doing. Now only 11 1/2 years of scrapbooking to do.


Today I made this card for my former yearbook rep. She is getting married on Aug. 1 in the Salt Lake Temple. I am so happy for her. I don't have a "wedding set" of stamps, so I used my "Dreams and Dragons" set. I love that set and am so glad I won it on e-bay. The set is from 1996 and was re-issued in 2003 for the 15 anniversary. I could probably get rid of half my sets and just use this one over and over. I am sure Jeff would be thrilled.

front view

inside view (or at least part of it)
I used Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, WW, SU pastels for the dragon (the picture doesn't do it justice, it's a beautiful purple shade; the first picture shows the Pale Plum around the CB white)

I goofed on my sentiment. I hope they don't mind. I knew exactly what to write, but that isn't what I put.

More softball

The softball team won last night 15-3. They play tonight at 8:00 for the championship. The team may also be going to state playoffs. We find out on Tuesday.

Can you believe?

It is hard to believe that June is almost over. The Ephraim Lions Tournament is happening right now for the softball team. Jeff's team finished the regular season at 4-4. If the Mt. Pleasant Lions Tournament is added then the season becomes 5-6. Still more wins than the girls have seen in the last few years.
June has been a month of sickness. Kate had Bronchitis from the end of May through the beginning of June. Then the stomach flu or Rotovirus hit everyone the middle of June. Deirdre ended up not doing the second session of swimming lessons because of it. Although, she did pass all but the butterfly in her first session of level 5. She hasn't taken swimming lessons for at least two years, so a repeat of level 5 was necessary.
The girls in Kate's Girl Scout troop have picked their Bronze Award project: the Ephraim Softball complex. The Bronze Award is the highest award a junior girl scout can earn. The girls have to have the project completed before the end of September when they bridge up to the next level—Cadettes.
We need to add some pictures to this blog to make it more interesting. Well that is all for now. The next game in the Lions Tournament is Friday at 5:45.

School is OVER!!!

Deirdre and Kate are finished with school!!!
More people complimented Kate on her final yearbook than ever before. An irony in the making. It was certainly nice to hear no complaints about the book and to go out with a high. Her last book was the centennial and the 50 year edition. North Sanpete High School is 100 years old and 50 years ago Moroni and North Sanpete high schools combined into one school. Kate found the largest fun researching the beginnings of the school and why the school combined.
Deirdre brought home a huge amount of awards. She received the typical "Spelling", "Junior Genius", "Reading", and "Golden Sneaker". This year she also received IOWA Basics 90% in all areas. She should have received 99th percentile in all areas, but hey we can't have everything. She also received the "President's Education Awards Program" award. About 25% of her class received the award that was for academic excellence. The fifth grade teachers nominated members of the class for the award.
Now that school is over, the summer begins. Softball, swimming lessons, house cleaning, Scouts are all part of summer. It sometimes seems that summer is busier than the school year.

Braces!

Deirdre received her braces today. She has been excited to get rid of her retainer, but now her mouth hurts and she isn't quite sure about the change. Besides her mouth hurting, it feels funny without her retainer in it. But, the braces are only for 18 months; soon they will be off.

The school year winds slowly down. Everyone is ready for summer vacation, although the tasks in front of us are huge. We are moving four rooms of furniture and various items. D is moving to the basement; the "sitting room" is moving into D's room; the family room is becoming D's bedroom; and finally the downstairs guest room is moving upstairs into the "sitting room" and the guest room turns into my craft and sewing room. I would have had a craft and sewing room all along if the builder hadn't suggested moving the basement bathroom, because of the whole-house shut-off water valve, which has been used once in 14 years and it wasn't an emergency. We love builders (NOT) :(

Softball practice has started and games start the last week of May. The junior troop is looking for a Bronze award activity. It has been difficult to find a service project that will take about 15 hours and include the majority of the girls.

Tata!

Wow we have a blog

4/29
News flash!
Kate no longer is the yearbook adviser starting in August 2008! Hallaluh!!! This has been an interesting Spring here in Central Utah. One day we have 70 degree weather followed by snow.

Jeff is coaching the city-league softball team this summer. The first practice is tomorrow. There are 17 girls on the team with 4 sixth graders and the rest are 5th grade.

Kate just spent Friday and Saturday with her Junior Girl Scout troop at Trefoil Ranch in Provo Canyon. After a night of not sleeping very well, and standing almost all day teaching classes or serving meals, it was no wonder that her back froze up on Sunday. Between the back (which has been a problem for years) and her knee (which probably need surgery this summer), it's amazing that she actually gets out of bed each day.

Deirdre is busy with testing at school and learning the May Pole dance at school. Ephraim Elementary is one of the few in the area that still has a may pole dance for the fifth graders. She gets her braces on May 5 and ironically enough is looking forward to it. She is quite tired of the retainer that she has been wearing for the last year and looks forward to not having to deal with one for 18 months.

Less than four weeks and D and Kate are out of school! Yipee!! Jeff is on finals week right now and graduation is Saturday. Lucky duck!