Home

We are home and we are still alive.  Adjusting to this winter weather is tough.  I want to wear my flip-flops and shorts again, the swim suit can stay in the drawer though.  I promise to post more pictures and events from our trip as the week progresses. Right now I have to let my kiddos inside and begin another busy day in the sixth grade.

O'ahu Fever

Sorry for not keeping this up to date of our adventures but we have really just  been laying on the beach, swimming and sight seeing.  We got to whale watch, take a BIG hike which almost killed me, go to Sea Life Park (where they filmed 50 First Dates), spend a day at the Polynesian Cultural Center and at the same time visit Phil's great Uncle Bob and his amazing wife Vickie.  We also went on the submarine Atlantis and saw a bunch of sea life as well as walked Waikiki and the Ala Moana Mall.  WOW.  I will post pictures as I get home and unwind.  Right now we are leaving for lunch since the wind is blowing so hard we got sanded in on our beach towels this morning!  IT WAS WONDERFUL.  

Cowboys Lost

Sorry Kat and Darin...my Cowboys have disappointed me again.  

Phil is gloating...

and sleeping on the couch tonight!

Go Pokes!

Wyoming upset New Mexico last night in the first round of the Mountain West basketball tournament!  Tonight they WILL beat Utah.  Did you hear that Kat and Darin??? I think tonight will be a heated venture between my family and Phil.  We are all Cowboy fans and Phil is obviously not.  

I hope it all goes Brown and Gold.

Go Pokes!

Beach Bums

We are now completely, totally, certified beach bums.  

We went at 8:00 this morning and are now home 

so Phil can golf with my Dad, Grandma and brother in law David.  

After lunch Mom, Ashley and I are running some errands 

and then going back to the beach!  

I LOVE IT!  

Good Food, Better View

This is the sign that enticed us to the Tropicana.

Here is the restaurant front that might not have been so enticing if we weren't starving!

We figured we should brave a local joint instead of Jack in the Box or McDonald's.

Here is the view we looked out to while dining in the rain, on the covered patio. 

These are the wild chickens/roosters that were running wild while we ate.

They jumped up on a few of the tables and one man hit one! 

We laughed and took it in stride. 

The food was worth it. 

Monday

Yikes.  The weather here has obviously been better than Wyoming or Utah but it has not been as nice as we would like.  We have snuck in a few hours at the beach. Enough to sunburn a small strip that missed the sunscreen.  This was the ocean Monday afternoon as we walked the beach, no swimming due to my scaredness of the waves. It was beautiful. 

Beach

After breakfast we walked the beach for an hour.  What a nice way to get in some well needed exercise, for me.   Sand on our feet and water all over my capris.  I am not a good judge of wave size!

Hawaii, here we are!

We got in last night about 6:30 pm and had a nice dinner with my sister and went to bed after about 10 and 1/2 hours of travel.  We were pooped.  

With the time change we woke up at 5:30 am ready to go.  

Phil is currently puttering in Ali's condo and I am surfing the web.

Did I mention it is rainy season?

We flew in in a horrible rain storm. It rained all night and is still a slow drizzle.  

We don't care though. 

It smells great and we are in Hawaii.

PS. Pictures will follow!

Quite a Scare

So, last night at Parent Teacher Conferences I noticed a strange sensation in my legs and feet and when I looked at them I noticed a HUGE change.  I my first encounter with cankles.  The problem was that once I got home and could put my feet up the swelling didn't go down.  When I woke up it was better but I still had red streaks on my caves and the skin was tight.  I called the Dr. as soon as I could and got the answering service who called me back at 2:00 this afternoon.  I ended up needing to go in, which really scared the wits out of me.  I had to drive from Herriman to the Murray Hospital and back between 2:45 and 4:30 so I could be back for PTC again tonight.  My work-up came back looking spotless, thankfully, but they want me to watch my legs for blood clots.  They wanted me to put my feet up and rest this evening but I told them about my conferences. They ended up letting me conference but I am sitting here, on my break, with my feet up looking extremely cool with huge feet!  The best part is I get to wear compression hose on the plane to Hawaii...I know, I know, it could have been a lot worse.  

Parent Teacher Confrontations

I am frantically trying to get ready to track off, fly to Hawaii and most importantly be ready for Parent Teacher Conferences tomorrow and Thursday night.  

I love visiting with parents and students and discussing student progress.  

I hate:

Parents who make too big of a deal out of a B or C, especially if there has been progress.

Parents who yell at their kid in front of me...UNCOMFORTABLE!

Parents who threaten about grades.

Kids who tell stories about their grades.

Kids who blame me for GIVING them a grade...Hello, you earned it, or didn't!

Parents making excuses for not getting work turned in.  

Once again, I love teaching and the impact it has on the future. 

I just wish that twice a year I could have a new job!

Wednesday and Thursday from 4-9 pm will be those days.