Back to School: BYU!!!

Back to school for Janelle and Bryton at BYU!! I can't remember why Bryton is dressed up in a suit and tie, but he had a reason (other than school starting, ha ha)! 

Back to School!!

Back to School and things are busy as ever!! Last night Rick gave Jenna a Father's blessing as he does every year with our children when they start school. Jenna is a Junior this year. She is in Madrigals and is taking four concurrent enrollment college classes, an AP class, and another honors class. Plus she is working TWO jobs! Busy girl! This picture was taken early in the morning since she had to leave at 6:30 a.m. for Madrigals on the first day of school! 

I am super busy also! Interpreting is often slow in the summer, but as soon as school starts then BAM!!! There are SO MANY job requests!! I love the variety that comes with interpreting! So fun! 

Back to School!! (Josh and Jenna)

Today is the first day of school! Josh is a Junior at Snow Canyon High School, and Jenna is an 8th grader at Snow Canyon Middle School. (I am NOT sad to leave the EARLY hour of intermediate school behind us! 😂

It felt so different sending only TWO kids off! I remember sending seven kids off to five different schools, and now that number has dwindled to two. But while our household is getting smaller within the walls of our home, our family is definitely expanding outside of those walls! Good luck to Josh and Jenna as they begin this new year! 😀

Before (above) After (below). Must have been a rough day, ha ha! Actually there was a HUGE rainstorm that hit tonight. Water was pouring out of the new storm drain in the northeast corner of our house, flooding our yard. We have never had that kind of flooding before, but with the construction going on next door, and the storm drain (which obviously is lacking) the water was filling up our yard. We were worried about our house flooding, but thankfully it didn't. It was sure was a crazy storm! 

Back to School!!

 Jaiden is a Senior, Josh is a Sophomore, and Jenna is in 7th!! Jenna and Clarissa -- first and second day of school!! 

Janika started her new job as a Middle School Counselor!! Janika will graduate from Utah State University (online) with her Master's Degree in December. 

Jase and Ellen are attending Dixie University. They will both be graduating with their Bachelor's Degrees this coming Spring (Jase in Bio Chemistry and Ellen in Communications). After graduation Jase plans to prepare for medical school. 

Jared will graduate with his Associate's Degree this December. He will continue at Dixie State University for his Bachelor's (or perhaps transfer to a different University, he hasn't decided yet). He is considering training to become a Seminary Teacher! 

Back to School!!

 

The kids were SO ready to start school! And I was ready too! Janelle is now a Senior, Jaiden is a Junior, Josh is a Freshman (9th grade at the middle school), and Jenna is just starting Intermediate School at Lava Ridge. It was sort of a rough first day for Jenna. Since there was a problem with the bus and a problem with lunches.

I was really glad that the bus stop changed for Jenna and Clarissa. Josh, Jaiden, and Janelle all had to walk a half mile to the bus stop on Lava Flow drive and it was often completely dark outside. I didn't feel safe having them walk that far in the dark, passing a couple of sketchy neighbor's houses on the way, and so I drove them to the bus stop everyday. Allison and I even petitioned the bus department to allow them to go to a closer (and safer) bus stop, but they refused our request. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the new bus stop for our girls would be on Vineyard drive instead of Lava Flow. Now we don't have to drive them -- and we can also watch out for them better. Jenna can walk to Clarissa's house and then they can walk to the bus stop which is only a block away. It is much closer and safer. Yay!! 

Allison said that she would walk the kids to the bus stop today to make sure they knew where to go. It is a good thing she did! The bus drove right by them and didn't even stop! The five or six kids who were waiting all had to cram into a neighbor's car for a ride to school. I called the transportation office and reported what had happened. She checked on it and called me back. Apparently the driver had missed two stops on that street. She said that she would call him to let him know and it should be better the next day (and it was).

Then when Jenna came home from school she said that she went to get her gluten free lunch and they told her that she would need a nurse's note. Jenna told them that the school had one, but the lady in charge of school lunches said that they hadn't received any information or requests for gluten free lunches. They agreed to go ahead and make a gluten free lunch for her, but since they were just starting it (instead of having it already prepared and ready) it took the entire lunch period. When it was finally ready Jenna sat down to eat and then the bell rang for them to leave for classes. So she was quite frustrated over that -- and so was I! (The lunch ladies probably were too!)

I was upset because I had just called the school a day or two ago to explain that Jenna was on the list for gluten free lunches. I said that she had a doctor's note on file at elementary school and asked if the note followed her to Lava Ridge or if I needed to update it or get a new one or anything. They checked her file and said that the note was in her file and so I was good to go and didn't need to do anything. That is why I was so frustrated that this happened on the first day of school. I called the school and explained the situation. They were empathetic and apologized, but I am sure they could tell that I was quite frustrated. They said that they would let the lunch ladies know so that they could be ready for tomorrow. (And they were -- they even called Jenna down during one of her classes so that they could see exactly what her needs were. So I was grateful they got it figured out!) 

A week or so later Jenna said, "Do you know why I had such a bad day on the first day of school?" I said, "No, why?" She said, "Because I prayed that I would have a bad day in order for someone else to have good day." I said, "Well, that is really sweet -- but don't offer that prayer again! Just pray for you -- and others to have a good day!" 

Back to School!!

First day of school! Janelle started her Junior year, Jaiden started her Sophomore year, Josh started his first year of middle school (8th grade) and Jenna started her very last year of elementary school!! It saddens me that after this year I won't have a child in elementary school any more!! Janika started kindergarten in 2001 and Jenna will graduate from kindergarten in 2020. It will be hard to say goodbye to elementary school after 19 years!!

The Friday after school started Jaiden and Josh and their friends attended the first SCHS football game of the year. Janelle tried to photo bomb the first picture on her way out to work. I didn't get any pictures of Josh since he went straight from school to a friend's house and then to the game. Our team lost, but the kids still had a great time! 

Back to School!!

School started today!!

School Started!!

School started today!! The morning was a little stressful. Josh woke up in the night crying and came into our room totally disoriented with his church vest clutched in his hand (ya, he was really out of it). I think he was just feeling a bit anxious about his first day at a new school. He was fine when he woke up though!

It is going to be SO nice having Josh at the Intermediate School (which is really early) and Jaiden at the Middle School (which is a bit later). Last year I always had to practically drag Jaiden out of bed, but Josh always gets up on his own bright and early, which is nice!

I was glad that we left early for the bus because they had changed the time from last year and so Josh and Bradley barely made it and all of the other kids at that bus stop missed it! Luckily another bus from that school came later and agreed to take them today.

I hurried home and curled Janelle's hair (I had curled Jaiden's last night before bed) and then brought the girls to the middle school. Normally Jared will bring them, or they will walk, but I figured I would take them since it was the first day of school. That was a mistake though!! What normally is a two minute commute turned out to be a twenty minute commute! Traffic was horrible and I sat through three lights trying to turn left! I will never do that again! Luckily we had left early enough that they still made it on time.

I arrived home and curled Jenna's hair and hurried her over to her school -- getting there just in time. She has the outside portables for Chinese and her other teacher inside the school. Now I just need to get Jared out the door! The Seniors don't have to be there until 12:30 and so he invited all of his friends to come over this morning and play video games! I am ready for a nap already!! 

Jared actually wanted me to use this picture of him for the collage....

School Started!!

School started today!!  I was definitely ready!

Back to School!

First day of school pictures with my high school boys acting like dorks...

 

Jenna, First Day of Kindergarten

First day of kindergarten! Best friends, Clarissa and Jenna!!