Sunday, May 24, 2009
Addition
The last picture was cut off. I didn't want the mom's who decorated so nicely to feel slighted, so here it is again. Thanks again to my wonderful moms!
Chautauqua Time
We just finished our biggest project of the year in 3rd grade. In the year 2,000 I started this project and had intended it to be on a much smaller scale than it is now. However, through the years it has become the signature project for 3rd grade. Starting about February, I introduce the children to many famous characters. I tell them why they have become famous and then I let the children pick their character. After they choose their person, they start reading about the person and learning why this person has been remembered throughout history. Each teacher in 3rd grade participates with their class. We talk about the difference between a celebrity and a hero. We want the children to understand what qualities makes their character a hero.
We teach the children three songs about heroes and making the world a better place. After the children study and learn about their character they then begin to write a biography of their person but they do it in 1st person. At the end of their written report and their presentation, they step out of character and tell three characteristics that their character has that has made them a hero and give examples from the person's life to prove it.
After months of studying, and writing they are then to stand up and present in costume the life of this person. This year, as it is every year, I am amazed at how well these children perform, and how much they memorize. This last Tuesday, the 19th, we dressed in costume and presented out Chautauquas for the 2nd grade classes. The next day, on Wednesday, the parents were invited to come and listen to our presentations. After the performance, the whole 3rd grade has a luncheon. Each child brings a dish of food to share with the rest of the grade level. We always have plenty of food to eat and the children have a great time.
Here is a list of the characters and their presenters: Henry Ford portrayed by Jake Schlaf, Abraham Lincoln by Porter Abbott, Davy Crockett by Kyle Benson, Eleanor Roosevelt by Aria Messer, Betsy Ross by Aubrey Waite, Walt Disney by Carson Zobrist, Paul Revere by Vance Carson, Rosa Parks by Cheyenne Sullivan, Anne Frank by Shelbi Walker, Pocahontas by Mackenzie Ruff, Florence Nightingale by Sierra Harding, Benjamin Franklin by Justin Henderson, Thomas Edison by McKay Raban, Laura Ingalls Wilder by Emma Thompson, Amelia Earhart by Kessa Evans, Sacagawea by Sara Goodrich, George Washington by Tanner Johnson, Milton Hershey by Nathan Hicks, and Annie Oakley by Jesse Doty.
We have two group pictures to show off the whole group. I thought they turned out so cute. The last picture was a picture of my door. When I arrived at school, I was greeted by this cute door decoration. Thanks to all my wonderful parents for all they've done for me this year. I really don't think I would have had a life without them.
We teach the children three songs about heroes and making the world a better place. After the children study and learn about their character they then begin to write a biography of their person but they do it in 1st person. At the end of their written report and their presentation, they step out of character and tell three characteristics that their character has that has made them a hero and give examples from the person's life to prove it.After months of studying, and writing they are then to stand up and present in costume the life of this person. This year, as it is every year, I am amazed at how well these children perform, and how much they memorize. This last Tuesday, the 19th, we dressed in costume and presented out Chautauquas for the 2nd grade classes. The next day, on Wednesday, the parents were invited to come and listen to our presentations. After the performance, the whole 3rd grade has a luncheon. Each child brings a dish of food to share with the rest of the grade level. We always have plenty of food to eat and the children have a great time.
Here is a list of the characters and their presenters: Henry Ford portrayed by Jake Schlaf, Abraham Lincoln by Porter Abbott, Davy Crockett by Kyle Benson, Eleanor Roosevelt by Aria Messer, Betsy Ross by Aubrey Waite, Walt Disney by Carson Zobrist, Paul Revere by Vance Carson, Rosa Parks by Cheyenne Sullivan, Anne Frank by Shelbi Walker, Pocahontas by Mackenzie Ruff, Florence Nightingale by Sierra Harding, Benjamin Franklin by Justin Henderson, Thomas Edison by McKay Raban, Laura Ingalls Wilder by Emma Thompson, Amelia Earhart by Kessa Evans, Sacagawea by Sara Goodrich, George Washington by Tanner Johnson, Milton Hershey by Nathan Hicks, and Annie Oakley by Jesse Doty.
We have two group pictures to show off the whole group. I thought they turned out so cute. The last picture was a picture of my door. When I arrived at school, I was greeted by this cute door decoration. Thanks to all my wonderful parents for all they've done for me this year. I really don't think I would have had a life without them.Our Greatest News Ever
We would like to announce our newest grandchild. Meet Alexis Paige Bartle. As you can see, she is the cutest little girl ever. We are so excited to have our first granddaughter. We think she is just precious! We can hardly wait to see her. She was born on the day we left for our girl's retreat. Heidi had a wonderful, and easy delivery. I guess I shouldn't say easy, because I wasn't the one giving birth, but it was relatively easy compared to most. The boys were happy to get a sweet little sister.
Gavin, seems so little so us, but now he'll be a big brother along with Zachary and Tyler. We don't know exactly how he feels but he's definately clinging to his mom right now. They do look cute together though.
Here are a few more shots of Lexi. We do love her name.
What a cute smile.
Gavin, seems so little so us, but now he'll be a big brother along with Zachary and Tyler. We don't know exactly how he feels but he's definately clinging to his mom right now. They do look cute together though.Here are a few more shots of Lexi. We do love her name.
What a cute smile.
A Fun Weekend
On the week of May 16th through the 18th, Heidi and I had a girl's retreat. I had a flex day from school and if I didn't use it by this week I would lose it, so we decided to take a little trip. Some friends of our, the Mulcocks, offered to let us use their cabin in Beaver Mountain. As you can see it was a beautiful
cabin in a beautiful setting. The weather was perfect and it was peaceful and relaxing. Going to the mountains just does something to soothe my soul. We practically had the whole mountains to ourselves. We only saw a couple of people the whole weekend except when we went down to Beaver. We slept, played games and watched movies. It was great.
Their cabin was decorated with the fishing and hunting decor, as you can see on the walls. It did give a cabin feel for sure. The cabin was spacious and beautifully decorated.
Since we weren't going to be home Duane decided to stay in Provo. He had a lot of work to do, so working on Friday helped him catch up some. On Sunday he decided to come down and spend the afternoon with us. Everything would have been great except for one thing. We couldn't get cell service on the mountain, we only had a home phone. Duane tried to call us to get the final directions one more time. We hadn't gotten home from church so when he called we didn't answer. I had given him directions but he missed seeing the sign to the road. After a while I started getting concerned because he was overdue. Finally the phone rang and it was Duane. Somehow he got his cell phone to work, and he called to say he was lost and stuck in the snow. I asked him where and he said he didn't know. I didn't think very clearly and just hung up and thought we would search some dirt roads off the main road. However, when we started to look we realized it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. There were tons of dirt roads off the main road. So we decided to go back to the cabin and pray that we could get hold of him on his cell phone again. We prayed and tried again. Luckily we did get him and he gave us some more information which helped us at least get a sense of direction as to which way to look. To make a long story short, we finally located him about 3 miles farther up the mountain. We know that the Lord blessed us and helped us find him. He was stranded in snow but a man had also found him and was trying to get him out. When we arrived he still hadn't succeeded but the man left and went to a ski lodge where he knew they had some cables and borrowed them without asking, went back and got Duane unstuck and then returned the cables back to the lodge. We were just glad that everything turned out O.K.
They had a very large swing outside the cabin. It took my whole armspan to reach the ropes but it was fun. You could swing and get the beautiful view of the lake and the forest below. All in all, it was a fun weekend. Duane made it back to Provo Sunday night and everything turned out great.
cabin in a beautiful setting. The weather was perfect and it was peaceful and relaxing. Going to the mountains just does something to soothe my soul. We practically had the whole mountains to ourselves. We only saw a couple of people the whole weekend except when we went down to Beaver. We slept, played games and watched movies. It was great.Their cabin was decorated with the fishing and hunting decor, as you can see on the walls. It did give a cabin feel for sure. The cabin was spacious and beautifully decorated.
Since we weren't going to be home Duane decided to stay in Provo. He had a lot of work to do, so working on Friday helped him catch up some. On Sunday he decided to come down and spend the afternoon with us. Everything would have been great except for one thing. We couldn't get cell service on the mountain, we only had a home phone. Duane tried to call us to get the final directions one more time. We hadn't gotten home from church so when he called we didn't answer. I had given him directions but he missed seeing the sign to the road. After a while I started getting concerned because he was overdue. Finally the phone rang and it was Duane. Somehow he got his cell phone to work, and he called to say he was lost and stuck in the snow. I asked him where and he said he didn't know. I didn't think very clearly and just hung up and thought we would search some dirt roads off the main road. However, when we started to look we realized it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. There were tons of dirt roads off the main road. So we decided to go back to the cabin and pray that we could get hold of him on his cell phone again. We prayed and tried again. Luckily we did get him and he gave us some more information which helped us at least get a sense of direction as to which way to look. To make a long story short, we finally located him about 3 miles farther up the mountain. We know that the Lord blessed us and helped us find him. He was stranded in snow but a man had also found him and was trying to get him out. When we arrived he still hadn't succeeded but the man left and went to a ski lodge where he knew they had some cables and borrowed them without asking, went back and got Duane unstuck and then returned the cables back to the lodge. We were just glad that everything turned out O.K.
They had a very large swing outside the cabin. It took my whole armspan to reach the ropes but it was fun. You could swing and get the beautiful view of the lake and the forest below. All in all, it was a fun weekend. Duane made it back to Provo Sunday night and everything turned out great.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Happy Mother's Day
In honor of our beautiful mother I'd like to do a little spotlight on her. Not everyone is blessed with such a wonderful mother as I have been. My mother is and always has been my best friend. She's the kind of mother that would do anything for anyone, especially me. Ever since I can remember, my mother has always given service to anyone and everyone. I have so many memories of her going to others and helping them out in whatever way they needed help. She was always taking in food, giving them rides to places, teaching, or whatever was needed. 
My mom has always taught me to do what's right. She's lived the gospel and been the perfect example for me. She's always serving in the church in one capacity or another. She has had many callings of leadership and has had many callings as a teacher. She served for many years as the Relief Society president and counselor in serveral wards. She served as stake primary president
for years in Las Vegas as well. One of her most favorite things to do is work in the temple. She attends serveral times each week. Mom has served on several missions which she's enjoyed as well.
Mom has always been a wonderful mom but she's also been a favorite grandma to lots and lots of grandchildren and great grandchildren. She's been the one in the family to bring unity and togetherness by planning fun family reunions, and just paying attention and remembering all her family individually.
Mom also has been a wonderful sister to lots of brothers and sisters as well. Mom is the one in the family who remembers our ancestors and tries to make sure all the temple work is done and histories are written.
When her birthday comes around it's easy to see the affect she's had on others because she gets so many birthday cards from friends and family. Her friends tell me often how much they love my mother.
We want you to know mom that you all loved by all. We hope you have a Happy Mother's Day.
My mom has always taught me to do what's right. She's lived the gospel and been the perfect example for me. She's always serving in the church in one capacity or another. She has had many callings of leadership and has had many callings as a teacher. She served for many years as the Relief Society president and counselor in serveral wards. She served as stake primary president
for years in Las Vegas as well. One of her most favorite things to do is work in the temple. She attends serveral times each week. Mom has served on several missions which she's enjoyed as well.Mom has always been a wonderful mom but she's also been a favorite grandma to lots and lots of grandchildren and great grandchildren. She's been the one in the family to bring unity and togetherness by planning fun family reunions, and just paying attention and remembering all her family individually.Mom also has been a wonderful sister to lots of brothers and sisters as well. Mom is the one in the family who remembers our ancestors and tries to make sure all the temple work is done and histories are written.
When her birthday comes around it's easy to see the affect she's had on others because she gets so many birthday cards from friends and family. Her friends tell me often how much they love my mother.
We want you to know mom that you all loved by all. We hope you have a Happy Mother's Day.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Happy Birthday Heidi
May Day 2009
Well May Day arrived once again. Last Friday night, May 1st, we had our annual May Day Dance. This has been a tradition in this valley since before my mother was in school. Various people through the years have tried to get rid of this deep tradition but those of us who believe in tradition keep fighting for it to stay. The 3rd grade does a traditional square dance to the tune of Cotton Eyed Joe. The children love doing this dance and get good at it very quickly. We just started teaching it to them after spring break. They learned it in what equaled about two weeks of practices.
Here you can see them doing a do-si-do. My class is the front square and the one behind them. The entire 3rd grade does the dance together.
That evening it was quite windy before the dance but when it came time to start the wind calmed down and it turned out to be a beautiful evening. The crowd was huge and I think everyone had a great time.
I've been the caller for this dance ever since we've been doing this particular dance, which has been several years. I think I could call this dance in my sleep.
Well now another May Day has passed. We put it away for another year.
Here you can see them doing a do-si-do. My class is the front square and the one behind them. The entire 3rd grade does the dance together.
That evening it was quite windy before the dance but when it came time to start the wind calmed down and it turned out to be a beautiful evening. The crowd was huge and I think everyone had a great time.
I've been the caller for this dance ever since we've been doing this particular dance, which has been several years. I think I could call this dance in my sleep. Well now another May Day has passed. We put it away for another year.
The Backyard continued
I'm still taking you on a tour of my beautiful yard. Every year we enjoy baskets full of delicious grapes from our grape arbor. For those who aren't familiar with our arched arbor, it is beautiful when the leaves are out in the summer. You can also see our pomegranate tree on the right. It definately needs a little (big) trim but in the fall we really are loaded with delicious pomegranates which we make juice and our special "Pomepeno" jelly to give to friends and neighbors. Everyone really loves the flavor and begs for more.
You can see our onions are doing well. The last couple of years we've harvested enough onions to last through the winter months. I just finished off the last of them in February. They are so delicious and everyone wants some. It's so nice when you need an onion to just go to the (Bartle store) and get an onion.
More garden shots. Here you can see onions, cabbages, and tomatoes.
We really enjoy our patio with our barbeque. We use it a lot. It's so nice to sit out on the patio and swing and enjoy the cool weather. Soon it will be too hot to enjoy so we're enjoying it for now. Please call if you want to come barbeque with us. We'd love to have you over for dinner.
You can see our onions are doing well. The last couple of years we've harvested enough onions to last through the winter months. I just finished off the last of them in February. They are so delicious and everyone wants some. It's so nice when you need an onion to just go to the (Bartle store) and get an onion.More garden shots. Here you can see onions, cabbages, and tomatoes.
We really enjoy our patio with our barbeque. We use it a lot. It's so nice to sit out on the patio and swing and enjoy the cool weather. Soon it will be too hot to enjoy so we're enjoying it for now. Please call if you want to come barbeque with us. We'd love to have you over for dinner.
My Beautiful Yard
Now is the time of year when I most love my yard. We replanted our front lawn this spring and it came up beautifully. It's been a long while since our lawn has looked this beautiful. The yard does like the warm but not HOT weather. Everything looks so fresh and new. Here are a few pictures of our yard so you can enjoy it like we do. Our beautiful front lawn!
My star jasmine is in full bloom and smells heavenly when you walk by. The flowers are blooming nicely now too.
More of the front yard. You can see my lemon tree
at the far end. I even have lemons
starting to grow.
A view of my lovely garden. My tomatoes are doing great! I even have tomatoes on the vine. Now I'm just waiting for the first one to turn red. As you can see my peach tree on the left is so weighted down with hundred of peaches that a branch broke off. Between the wind and the weight it just couldn't hold up. I've already picked hundreds of little peaches off to lighten the load.
My star jasmine is in full bloom and smells heavenly when you walk by. The flowers are blooming nicely now too.
More of the front yard. You can see my lemon tree
at the far end. I even have lemons
starting to grow.
A view of my lovely garden. My tomatoes are doing great! I even have tomatoes on the vine. Now I'm just waiting for the first one to turn red. As you can see my peach tree on the left is so weighted down with hundred of peaches that a branch broke off. Between the wind and the weight it just couldn't hold up. I've already picked hundreds of little peaches off to lighten the load.
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