Today is the first day of school in the school district my kids will someday attend. I used to teach at the nearest high school by my house. As I have driven by this week and seen all the other teachers' cars parked outside the school, I have pondered being replaceable.
When you finish a phase in your life, do you ever wonder how life there will ever go on without you? I remember when I graduated from high school thinking that it was so weird that my teachers would continue to teach the next year without me or my friends there. Choir performances and competitions would go on without me. School dances would continue to be a busy social event, even though I wasn't there.
The same feelings come to me as I have moved a couple of times in my married life. My landlords easily found new tenants, and the bishops of our former wards found new people to fulfill our church callings. Life somehow goes on without me there.
I loved the years I spent teaching, but now I get sort of sad when I think that students come and go every year, and my former coworkers keep right on teaching year after year without sparing a thought for me. (Well, I still keep in touch with a couple of coworkers, and they claim to miss me sometimes. Ha ha.) It is sad to me that I was replaced so easily.
All of this makes me appreciate the roles in my life where I am NOT replaceable: my roles as wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
A Gripe
To Facebook or not to Facebook...
A couple of nights ago I went to a wedding reception for a high school friend and ran into several other high school friends there. I had about four different people ask me why I'm not on Facebook. In fact, a different friend who is getting married soon admitted that he only sent invitations to high school friends who sent him their addresses when he asked for them via a Facebook message or post, or whatever it is called (that's an example of how much I know about Facebook).
Then the last straw hit last night when we found out that Alan's cousin (whom he is very close to) got engaged a WEEK AGO and instead of calling Alan (or anyone else) to tell the good news, he posted the announcement on Facebook. We found out from the grapevine since we do not have Facebook accounts.
Am I really that weird for not wanting to be on Facebook? I think that I already spend enough time blogging, reading other blogs, and looking at other things on the internet that I don't want to add another addicting program to my life. I would only waste even more time! But I really hate how impersonal people have gotten lately because of all this new technology. Is it really that hard to make a personal phone call or send a personal email (or even a mass email!) when something exciting happens in your life? One of Alan's brother's announced his engagement on a family blog and then texted everyone to check the blog. Even his siblings found out this way. (We have all given him a hard time about this.) I mean, come on, people. It's okay to post exciting news on Facebook or a blog to let all of your not-so-close friends find out, but please be more considerate of family members and close friends!
Am I way out in left field, or does anyone agree with me?
A couple of nights ago I went to a wedding reception for a high school friend and ran into several other high school friends there. I had about four different people ask me why I'm not on Facebook. In fact, a different friend who is getting married soon admitted that he only sent invitations to high school friends who sent him their addresses when he asked for them via a Facebook message or post, or whatever it is called (that's an example of how much I know about Facebook).
Then the last straw hit last night when we found out that Alan's cousin (whom he is very close to) got engaged a WEEK AGO and instead of calling Alan (or anyone else) to tell the good news, he posted the announcement on Facebook. We found out from the grapevine since we do not have Facebook accounts.
Am I really that weird for not wanting to be on Facebook? I think that I already spend enough time blogging, reading other blogs, and looking at other things on the internet that I don't want to add another addicting program to my life. I would only waste even more time! But I really hate how impersonal people have gotten lately because of all this new technology. Is it really that hard to make a personal phone call or send a personal email (or even a mass email!) when something exciting happens in your life? One of Alan's brother's announced his engagement on a family blog and then texted everyone to check the blog. Even his siblings found out this way. (We have all given him a hard time about this.) I mean, come on, people. It's okay to post exciting news on Facebook or a blog to let all of your not-so-close friends find out, but please be more considerate of family members and close friends!
Am I way out in left field, or does anyone agree with me?
Monday, August 10, 2009
Our Little Rascal
Jared certainly keeps us on our toes.
Yesterday I played the organ in church, and Jared came up on the stand to see me when Sacrament Meeting was over and I was just playing postlude.
Well, at the end of church, Alan went to nursery to get Jared (I was still in Relief Society). Alan turned his back on Jared for 10 seconds to talk to someone in the hall, and Jared took off to come find me. Once Alan realized Jared was missing, he went into panic mode and looked everywhere for him: was he outside in the parking lot? Nope. Did he go back to nursery? Nope. Alan finally peeked into another ward's sacrament meeting to see if Jared was there. A couple of people figured that Alan was looking for a lost little boy, so they motioned Alan over to the foyer on the other side of the chapel. Alan shut the door to the chapel and then ran over to the other side of the church. A man was holding Jared and asking him, "Where's your mommy?" When Alan got there, the man told Alan that Jared had wandered into this other ward's sacrament meeting and walked all the way up on the stand by the bishopric before someone scooped him up and took him out to the foyer. We figure that Jared was looking for his mommy up by the organ! Smart kid. I'm so glad that we are new to this area and no one knows who we are and whose little boy that was that was wandering around.
I told this story to my mom this morning, and she said that my oldest brother did the exact same thing when he was about Jared's age. My parents found him sitting on the lap of the bishop of another ward!! Like uncle, like nephew, I guess. . .
Yesterday I played the organ in church, and Jared came up on the stand to see me when Sacrament Meeting was over and I was just playing postlude.
Well, at the end of church, Alan went to nursery to get Jared (I was still in Relief Society). Alan turned his back on Jared for 10 seconds to talk to someone in the hall, and Jared took off to come find me. Once Alan realized Jared was missing, he went into panic mode and looked everywhere for him: was he outside in the parking lot? Nope. Did he go back to nursery? Nope. Alan finally peeked into another ward's sacrament meeting to see if Jared was there. A couple of people figured that Alan was looking for a lost little boy, so they motioned Alan over to the foyer on the other side of the chapel. Alan shut the door to the chapel and then ran over to the other side of the church. A man was holding Jared and asking him, "Where's your mommy?" When Alan got there, the man told Alan that Jared had wandered into this other ward's sacrament meeting and walked all the way up on the stand by the bishopric before someone scooped him up and took him out to the foyer. We figure that Jared was looking for his mommy up by the organ! Smart kid. I'm so glad that we are new to this area and no one knows who we are and whose little boy that was that was wandering around.
I told this story to my mom this morning, and she said that my oldest brother did the exact same thing when he was about Jared's age. My parents found him sitting on the lap of the bishop of another ward!! Like uncle, like nephew, I guess. . .
Monday, August 3, 2009
Bear Lake
Last week we got back from a vacation to Paris, Idaho, the little town where my sister-in-law grew up. We went up some canyons, visited Minnetonka Cave, toured the Paris Tabernacle, and spent a day at Bear Lake. It was a perfect getaway for our family.
Jared and Grandma venture into the lake
Jared and his cousin
The entire clan at Minnetonka Cave (well, we are actually missing two)
Inside the cave
Jared "playing" Bingo with his cousins. He kept saying "I love Bingo!" although he really had no idea.
Jared and Grandma venture into the lake
Jared and his cousin
The entire clan at Minnetonka Cave (well, we are actually missing two)
Inside the cave
Jared "playing" Bingo with his cousins. He kept saying "I love Bingo!" although he really had no idea.Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Yearbook Photos
Alan's sister Amanda created these pictures of Alan from a website called Yearbookyourself.com. I think I will be wasting a bunch of time on this website in the near future.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Jared Loves Videos
This is mostly so Jared can have easy access to this video that he loves to watch.
Monday, July 20, 2009
I just love birthdays!
We had a wonderful little birthday party for Jared. We started out by having a yummy dinner with both sets of grandparents. Then we invited Jared's Stout aunts and uncles over for dessert and present opening. This little boy got spoiled!
opening presents
Jared's grandparents and Stout aunts and uncles. I love how Jared is a blur in the middle of the picture.
Jared's new toy lawn mower. He LOVES it.
Ok, I have to brag about this Elmo cake that Alan and I made. I'm not usually a creative or crafty person, but we are rather proud of how this cake turned out. The red is frosting (not licorice), the nose is a plastic Easter egg, and the eyes are powdered mini donuts with Junior mints. Jared loved it; he is still asking every day to see the Elmo cake (it doesn't exist anymore).
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