You know what bugs me?

Extreme Couponing.  It just puts me in a bad mood.  Something about it makes me want to punch those people in the face.  (I'm not a puncher either)  It seems sort of dishonest to me.  Like the extreme couponer is taking advantage of the business.  I'm all for home storage, but 300 containers of deodorant or 1000 bottles (yes, 1000) of body wash?  Really?

Am I just jealous?

Timing Is Everything!

Last Friday I had a very nice surprise.

I had just checked my teacher mailbox at school to find

a card addressed to me.

The first thing I noticed was the return address because...

it was MINE!

At first I thought that maybe Mel Rae had sent me a little love note!  

NOPE!

After much thinking a wracking my brain about why I had sent myself a card, 

I remembered that on my last CITES training in Park City, we each wrote a note to ourselves.

At the time, I thought it was a very weird activity.  

BUT...

I'm here to tell you that it was one of the coolest things I've experienced.

WHY??

Well, on a personal note, I have been struggling lately.  I'm feeling sluggish, chubby (Ha!).  I'm feeling really down on myself and exhausted since the first day of school.  In short, I've been having

a pity party for one that is going on way too long.

I need to change.

I need to pull it together.

Surprisingly...my little card that someone at the meeting

had held onto since May, might just have me on my way.

Timing really is everything.

Oh...and I mailed myself a dollar for the day which will buy

exactly two cans of Diet Coke.

Eat, Drink, and Be Married! (The Wedding Luncheon!)

Right after the marriage at the temple and all of the photography going on,  we had

a very hungry bunch of people. 

Thank goodness for our dear Abbie who brought her camera and

was able to get some fabulous shots at the luncheon.  

Thanks so much Abbie!

We had arranged to have a luncheon "under the Sullivan treehouse" 

(that's the actual wording from the invite!)

It was absolutely beautiful!

We simply took several quilts, set up about four tables with a few chairs...for 

us "old" folks, but mostly we sat on the quilts, to eat lovely boxed lunches from

Apple Spice Junction and...wait for it...

Diet Cokes with Sonic pebbled ice  all around!

Perfection.

My favorite part of the luncheon (aside from the whole reason we were there...Melissa and Danny!) was my ever present and helpful daughters, Erika, Erin, 

Abbie, and Melissa who took over the simple decorations of over 100

pennant bunting flags.  (I sewed the last one at 1:00 am the morning of!)  We couldn't have had a beautiful looking luncheon without them jumping in to help.

Thank you.  I love you all for keeping me sane.

Danny's dad, Brian, gave a remarkable blessing on the food.  He asked for 

blessings to be on the new couple as they started their new life together.  

It was memorable and very sweet.

So, here you go again: more pictures to make you feel like you were there.

Maybe you were!

Hopefully you will feel like you were...if you weren't. (weirdo!)

Before

After

It really was magical.

Oh boy!

We love our friends.

I love these pictures of the happy couple
swinging and having fun.
They looked so happy and that made ME happy.
Aren't they adorable??

This is a repost of my three girls.
Priceless!

Proof that I was there.
:)

"A Place of Love and Beauty" (Wedding: Part 1)

Melissa and Danny

Married for time and all eternity

August 13, 2011

Oh what a day!  My oldest daughter wed Danny Sullivan in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.  We worked and slaved over every detail of this wedding.  We giggled sometimes.  Sometimes we cried.  Often the color I picked for something was "off" and I fretted.  More often than not, our ideas were spot on.  The outcome was beautiful and amazing. (which will be forthcoming)  Everyone said so.  It was happy and special and lots of fun.

However, honestly, all of the preparations, the reception, the luncheon in between all pale in comparison to the wonderful, eternal, marriage ceremony.  Only the closest of friends and family are allowed to witness the union.  I know that the rest of the world may have a hard time with this aspect of our religion.  I am always astounded at those who truly understand about the sacredness of a person's beliefs and allows them to practice without persecution.  Just know that (as the title says) the temple is a place of LOVE and Beauty.  Only marvelous and joyous things take place there.  And this was definitely one of them.

As a mother, I cannot properly express the feelings I had to see my lovely daughter sitting in the sealing (marriage) room ready to become a wife.  I remember sitting beside her and looking around the room at those in attendance that meant so much to me in my life.  People who have supported me through so many things and now were there to support me as my Melissa was married.  People I truly love like:  My sweet youngest daughter, Erika and her stalwart and true husband Tyler.  My heart might as well have exploded in my chest looking at them and knowing how much they loved their sister Melissa.  

There was Terry, my strong rock of a husband who let me into his life to love his children who were also there:  Spencer and Erin and Abbie.  I love them as my own.  And knowing that his daughter, Melissa would be waiting outside the temple doors to meet us made me smile as well.  It was nice to see Terry's sister Becky who is in very poor health accompanied by his niece Liz.  Terry's family has always been such a supportive family to us.

Then there were my friends and family:  Kathe and Fred Torgerson, my best friend who bought me both my dress AND shoes for the wedding!  But, more than that, she has been a true sister to me.  I love her.  There was Brian, my brother and his wife Sarah (my sister) who came from Calgary, Canada to support my little family.  Their daughter Adrianne and their son Brant with wife Ariel were there as well.  I adore my family.

Then, as I continued my perusal of the room, I saw Melissa's friends who were instrumental friends who worked together with Melissa to remain "good" girls throughout their growing pains.  Lindey and Corbin, Ali and Warner.  Thanks for loving Melissa.  

Then there was Danny's family.  I looked at them and realized that they were the backbone of my new son-in-laws life.  They helped build his strength and love and respect he shows my daughter.  Linda and Brian and Danny's grandpa that I can't remember his name right now but love.  I felt so thankful for the way they raised their son and know she is in good hands for the rest of her life.

The ceremony was beautiful.  I cried.  But, if you know me, that isn't surprising.  I am including, oh I don't know, maybe 1000 pictures for my readers to look at at their leisure.  I just couldn't pare it down any more than I could.  So, enjoy.  But, be forewarned that there are lots of them.  

•Audrie peeking through the temple doors.
•The happy couple.
•Terry with Milo and Eli.
•Beauty

•Erika and Melissa
•Terry and Melissa
•The Groom
•The Bride

So beautiful and happy.

All of the children.
(I made those yellow dresses by the way!)

This collage cracks me up.  I mean, who wouldn't want to hug the bride?
So, beginning at the top left and going clockwise:  Olivia, Melissa, Kathe,
Sarah, Erin, Linda hugging Danny,  Mallory B., Melissa (yet ANOTHER one.  This one
will be Mel Rae's new sister-in-law!), Ian, Sean, Abbie, Mia, Daddio, Erika, me,
Isabel hugging Eloise,
WHEW!

The Littles in the Front:  Eli, Milo, Isabel, Olivia, Audrie, and Lyla.
The Center Row:  Grandpa Reynolds, Linday, Melissa, baby Collin, Sean, Brian, Mia
Brant, Adrianne, Ariel, Erika and baby Eloise, Danny, Melissa, Moi, Terry, Abbie, Elizabeth, Becky,
Erin and Keeler, Spencer, Melissa, Kathe and Fred.
Back Row:  Ian, Conner, Tyler, Richie, Corbin, Lindey with baby Nora, Mallory B., Ali, Warner.

My offspring (sort of):
Me, Terry, Melissa, Danny, Erika, Tyler and Eloise.

Terry's offspring mixed with my offspring makes one HUGE lovely and perfect family.
Oh how I love each and every one of them.
Front littles (again):  Eloise, Milo, Isabel (M and I are twins), Keeler, Olivia, Audrie, Eli,  and Lyla.
(Olivia and Lyla are twins as well!)
Back row:  Tyler, Erika, Spencer, Erin, Me, Danny, Melissa, Terry, Melissa, Abbie

Danny's, and now Melissa's, sweet family:
Brian, Ian, Mia, Danny, Melissa, Sean, Melissa with baby Collin, and Linda


Such an amazing morning.  I could live it over and over again.

Still Waiting...

I'm still waiting for the "official" pictures from the wedding and also for the

"okay" from Melissa to post them.

(for a sneak peak, go to Abbie's blog!  shhhh....don't tell Melissa)

So, while I wait, I am going to do a picture purge.

Or as Erika calls it "a photo dump" 

of some of the pictures that have been hanging around on my phone and maybe a

couple of other places as well.

A man and his dog!
or
A dog and his man!

These are the lovely ladies I work with everyday.  My fellow first grade teachers:
Melissa and Frankie
(of course I had to stand by the little teeny tiny long and lean lady!  I love her still...even if she is skinny!)

www.solesundae.com
My second life!

I had no place to put little Ellee when she fell asleep.
So, I used the little play doll bed my daddy made for me when I was four years old.
My name is even carved in the side...by me...with a sharp knife...don't tell mom.

One of the many DIY wedding projects I made during the Summer.

Foot cream anyone??
www.solesundae.com

Shopping with my BFF, Kathe.

Eloise is three months old!

I reeeeeaaallllly need these shoes!

Trust

I've been thinking a lot about TRUST lately.  I'm sure it has something  everything to do with the start of a new school year.  It is no secret that our first grade classes are bursting at the seams.  We have never had more than 20 children in each first grade class in over 14 years.  But, given the educational budget of today, we are now sporting over 26!  That is too many, but, that is a whole different post that I'll tackle some other day...maybe.

So, back to this trust thing.  Every now and then, I have a huge epiphany.  Today it came while reading "Purple, Green, and Yellow" (by Robert Munsch) aloud to the class.  I was hit with this thought of "Oh my heck (it was actually something else but, I never say swears on this here blog...hee!) I am in charge of 26 little six-year-old children!  How in the world do their parents allow them to be in MY care for six and a half hours each day?"  (I'm sure you are wondering how I can read and think about something else at the same time.  Let's just say...it's one of my talents.  Don't ask how it happens.  It just does.  The end.)


Think about it.  For most of these children, it is the first time their parents have even heard of Mrs. Anderson.  For others, they have "heard" of me but have no experience with me.  And then there are those who have siblings who have been with me in years past.  (I'm NOT talking about those who's parents I may have taught...I'm just not going there!)  And it gives me pause to wonder how these parents trust me with their most prized possessions.  Their babies.

They trust that I will not only teach their children everything the state core tells me that I must but they trust me to:

•     keep their child safe
•     make sure their child gets food and water
•     take care of minor scrapes and bruises (which I always doctor using a band-aid with a kiss on top.)
•     dry tears
•     tie shoes
•     listen...to EVERYTHING!!
•     teach their child to READ!

The list goes on, and on, and on.  My point, though, is not to say "Oh me, oh my.  Look at me.  My job is so hard aren't I great??"  No, my point is, I can't believe that parents put their trust in me to care for their children.  If something were to happen during school hours where there would be a delay before parents could reach us, it is left to me to keep the children safe.  To calm their fears.  To dry their tears.  To hold them.  To keep them.  To love them.

And so, to those parents who may read this little blog, who may have children entrusted to my care, please know that I vow to do my best to be everything you want me to be in your absence.  I know how difficult it is to trust your precious little souls to someone else.  I hope you won't be disappointed.









...I simply can't make a post without a picture...I tried.  So, here you go.  A picture that has nothing to do with this post.  I just like it!  :)

This is a picture of our sweet Isabel with Eloise.
They are little soul mates/cousins.
I love this picture.

My Girls

Aren't I lucky??