Found One More (maybe Two)

One more!  I will always remember this day!  Thanks to Melissa for lending us your twins!

Then, sweet Erika posted this last night/this morning!  It's all true.  Terry DID set a timer whenever Eloise came over so that we had equal time with her!!!

Found These...

This morning (2 am) I was browsing through my past posts on this blog.  I started finding several posts about my boyfriend/husband, Terry.  At first, it made me cry.  Then, the more I found and read, I found myself smiling and even laughing a little about all the great memories I have of him.

So, I gathered most of them here, in one place, so that I can find them quickly and smile again when I'm missing him so much that I can barely breathe.



I wrote this about my boyfriend back in 2008 when I was writing my "series" of the people I "like" which sometimes is even a little deeper than "love".

And this one that is just a sweet story.

A birthday post.

A Father's Day post.

Why he'd make a great babysitter!

Why I will ALWAYS adore sunflowers.

His one and only modeling job.

His sweet-tooth...have you ever seen Elf??

Harry Potter and the costumes (yes) we both were tricked into wearing!

"Creative" home repairs.

Oh, I miss him.

I Still Have No Words...

Tonight I am extremely sad.  I have nothing to say yet. but am sooo proud of those children who do.  
If you care to read some beautiful posts about my boyfriend, Terry...here you go:

Erin (Daughter/Friend/sister-from-a-different-mother, and one of my best friends) wrote about the shock we all felt as we found out about our Terry.

Erika (Daughter) Wrote a very poised post the very evening of her daddy's death.  I am amazed at her words.

Melissa 2 (Daughter.  We have two Melissa's...this one is born of my loins an adopted by Terry) wrote the most amazingly, tender, letter to her papa that makes me cry each and eveytime I read the piece.

Then, there's Abbie.  Terry's youngest daughter...There are actually others as well as you look around.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Thanks to these lovelies, I can have a little more time before I can actually write.  And, write I will...just not right now.  I'm just still very sad.

Confession

I'm a loser of a blogger lately.  Sorry. (If you even care, that is)   And, don't go over to my school blog either.  It's just as bad.  (I even had a parent of one of my students call to see what was going on. "Why haven't you updated your blog!")


Don't know why.  I just haven't really had the "bug".


If the bug comes back...I'll be here for you.  In the meantime, enjoy the other 986,847,881 blogs out there.


Oh, and, THIS picture:

Video Chatting

One of the coolest things I've experienced as a teacher

actually happened this past Thursday.

After communication with my friend Becca and a couple of trials and errors,

we were able to set up a video chat between our first grade classes.

Becca is the computer teacher at a private school in New York City.

After teaching a unit about communication, Becca

wanted to set up a video chat with two of her first grade classes

and our class here in Provo, Utah.

If I follow the pathway back to where all of this began, I am astounded.

You see, Becca and I met on an online message board about six years ago.

We began commenting about each other's posts and something truly clicked.

I really liked this woman!

I had the privilege of meeting Becca on a trip to New York City back

in 2007 on a trip to visit two of my other online friends (Chelle and Pam).

We went out for Indian food.  Becca and I were instant friends.

We called each other the MormoJews.

Mormon+Jew

(I know...only funny to the two of us)

Then,

we met again in Denver for a Race For the Cure 5K.

Solidifying our friendship.

So...

back to the chat.

Because of the time difference, the only time we could connect was during half 

of our lunchtime.  I arranged for the children to have sack lunches that day which we

ate in our classroom.  That alone just about did those children in!

That was very exciting for them to eat together like that.

Then,

After a few technical difficulties (Grrrrr!)

we finally connected and had a wonderful visit with the first graders at Becca’s school!

The children were mesmerized. I was too.  It was so much fun.

Thank you, Becca.  Thank you First Graders.

We are very excited to be penpals.

Sarah Burke: 1982 - 2012

I don't know why this story of Sarah Burke has touched me the way it has.  I remember hearing about her accident nine days ago in Park City.  Maybe it was because she was a Canadian training in Utah.  Maybe it was because she was so talented.  Maybe because she is a fellow human being.  I don't know.  Maybe I do know and I don't want to really think about it.  Like maybe it makes me think of my own young adult daughters.  What do these mothers do when tragedies like this happen to their babies?  How do they live on after their daughters move on ahead of them.  Parents should never have to bury their children.  It should be the other way around.  My heart goes out to  Sarah's family.  Particularly her mother.  I don't know her personally but, today...our hearts touched.

To read Sarah's story go here.

23! Really?

We have a little saying in our family:  The worst thing about the day after your birthday is...it's the day AFTER your birthday!  Well, today is my youngest daughter's birthday.  I decided to prolong her birthday by taking it into the day after the real one.  Making the fact that it is the day AFTER her birthday and it makes it a little less difficult to have to wait another 365 days until her next one.  Follow?  That's okay if you don't.  I tend to have that effect on a lot of people.


Now...about Erika.  I realize that it is the proclamation of every mother to be amazed at how her child changes throughout her lifetime.  I understand that.  I understand that fully and completely.  When I look back at my Erika through her 23 years here in this mortal existence, I am just so darned proud.  I'm proud of the woman she has become.  She was an adorable little child (see below), a precocious teenager, a thoughtful young adult, a beautiful bride, a faithful wife, and now...a mother.  The only job she set her sights to being since she was a baby herself.  You MAY have seen a cute little baby picture or two on this here blog.  (Who am I kidding?  You HAVE seen a hundred pictures of that baby!)  Well, Erika is the mother of that little cherub.


To Erika I would like to say, I love you!  You have changed me.  I appreciate that you remind me how to be a better wife and mother myself.  You mean the world to me and I admire you in so many ways.  So many.  Thank you for being patient with me.  Thank you for sharing your little family with me (and with dad too!!).  Happy Birthday!

I made those shorts and headband
for little four year old
Erika.
I wonder where her natural waist
is in this picture!?

See?
Isn't she a beauty?

This is still one of my favorite pictures.
I had to include  it here.

Here's Erika with her amazing husband, Tyler.
Look at how beautiful she is.  Happiness looks good on
content, peaceful people.

And, finally...
This was the Senneff's Christmas card this past year.
Aren't they an adorable little family?

I think so too!