The great balancing act

Last night my Ward did an awesome Enrichment night. I loved it and learned so much that I decided to share it with you. There was a lot taught but I'm just going to share the key things that stuck out to me, that I needed to hear. 

First class: Spiritual balance by Bishop Jared Jones 

I have the coolest Bishop. He never makes you feel like crap about what your doing wrong in your life he only  praises you for the good your doing and encourages you to keep trying. He's what every Bishop should be. 

I am terrible with scripture study. Terrible terrible terrible!  But, last night something was said that has changed my mind about scripture study. I don't remember exactly how it was said but basically if you will read your scriptures and put the Lord first in the day then the Lord will hold back the sun and the moon and you will be able to accomplish all that is needed to be accomplished in a day. If scripture study will give me more hours in the day to get things done, I'll become the best scripture reader on the block! :) I tried it today and it worked! Okay to be honest I didn't get all accomplished that I wanted to but I was satisfied at the end of the day, instead of feeling like I hadn't done anything I had a more positive feeling at the end of the day. So I'll be doing it again tomorrow. 

2nd class: Financial balance by Brother Nielson  

I am a terrible spender! I've gotten better since I've been married and had a family but I'm still awful at it. Last night I learned of a website called www.mint.com. I'm sure everybody in the world has heard of this site but me. It's pretty cool, you can link it to your bank account and then it will track all  of your spending.

I also learned how to set up a budget. 

4 things you should pay every month in this order

Tithing

Yourself 

" It is amazing to me that so many people work all of their lives for the grocer, the landlord, the power company, the automobile salesman, and the bank, and yet think so little of their own efforts that they pay themselves nothing" .L. Tom Perry

Fixed Expenditures 

House,utilities, car, debt, 

Variable Expenditures

Groceries, Gas, clothEs, fun

   

You should also set up a savings account for your children and have 6 months worth of income in a savings account. 

3rd Class: Social balance by Nicole Jones

There are 3 numbers you should remember every day. 

4, 20, 5:1

4 stands for 4 minutes: The first 4 minutes of contact with your spouse or children should be all positive. This will set the tone for the day or the evening. 

20 stands for spending 20 minutes a day with the people who are most important to you. Your spouse and your children. She said on average a mother will only spend 3 minutes a day with her child. Sad, but I can see how that can happen.Moms are busy! Running around doing errands, house work, things for others and then when you add a job into that routine, the day slips away sometimes. Today I made sure to take 20 minutes and really dedicated myself one on one to each of my guys. I also included myself in this because if you don't love yourself how you can you possibly give love to others. So today I worked out for 20 minutes while listening to some of my favorite songs

5:1- For every 1 negative thing you say you should replace it with 5 positive things. Look at the positive side more and you'll be an overall happier person. 

4th class: Physical balance by Natalie 

In case you didn't know the food pyramid is a thing of the past. It's been replaced with the dinner plate. Which you can view on www.choosemyplate.gov  this is a website that teaches you how to eat a healthier diet. The other thing I learned about is to "Just do it" so many days I wake up and think "I should exercise today" followed with "I will after I get the house clean or after I do this or that" then night time comes and I'm to exhausted and I crash into my bed. So today when that thought popped in my head I remembered Natalie's word and I just did it! I ran for 20 minutes. Not much, but it was worth something and I got to listen to some of my favorite songs while doing it which made me happy and gave me the boost I needed to get going. I didn't shower until 11am so my morning was shot but that's okay, I'll just start earlier tomorrow. Hopefully each day I can follow this balance until soon it becomes routine and then I can help my children create balance in their life.I know there will be days that I fail but I'll just try again the next day. Today I was proud of X when he asked for grapes, carrots and a bagel for breakfast rather then sugary cereal. That's my boy!:) 

Voyage Academy Helps us make it happen!

To the readers of my blog. If you live in the Davis or Weber county areas and your free next Thursday, July 21st at 6:30pm PLEASE PLEASE come to the public Charter meeting for Voyage Academy. I promise this school is going to be amazing. I would not dedicate so much of my time and sanity to something that wasn't worth it. Expeditionary Learning is what all schools should be like. It keeps kids constantly engaged by giving them hands on learning rather then sitting at a desk for 6 hours a day. They go on field trips called Expeditions and they work in teams called Crew. It teaches unity and encourages a child to become their best self. If you have or know a child who struggles with the long school days and has a hard time sitting still, you should come to this meeting. There is so many reasons why this method of teaching is such an amazing way of learning. I can't begin to go into all of it. At the meeting next Thursday there will be a slide show explaining this style of learning and educators to answer any questions you have. I promise you'll want this for your kids! In all the Expeditionary schools I went to visit, not once did I hear or see a child being bored.  Please take the time to attend our meeting and see for yourself why Expeditionary Learning is such an exciting way for kids to learn.

Click on the photo below for more information on the meeting.  

Voyage Academy

Those of you who are regulars on my blog have probably heard me mention that I've been working on a big project. I've been hesitant to post anything about it because if it failed I didn't want to have to come back and say "just kidding, I suck" But, yesterday I received some really great news and so I can now tell you about it

For the past 6 months I've been researching, writing and meeting with a group of 4 other moms trying to start an Expeditionary Learning school in Clinton, called Voyage Academy. It will be a Charter school and I know theres a lot of mixed feelings about Charter schools so first I want to clear up some information about them.

A Kindergarten classroom at a Expeditionary Learning School in Kearns

1.Charter schools are not public schools FALSE

Charter schools are funded by the Public school system they have to abide by the same rules as public schools. Every child is allowed the right to attend a Charter school. The school district funds the Charter school. There is no extra fee the parent must pay for their child to attend a Charter school

 The only difference between Traditional schools and Charter schools is that Charters do not have Unions and they are allowed to put a cap on the number of students per classroom. Also Charter schools are run by a team of parents rather then a district school board.   

2. Teachers at Charter schools do not have to have a teachers degree. FALSE

Charter teachers must meet the same licensing requirements as public school teachers and they are paid the same as traditional school teachers, sometimes even better.  Only the Director (Principle) does not have to hold a degree. 

3. Charter schools take money from local schools when a child leaves a local school to attend a Charter school True. 

Class sizes in most public schools are over crowded anyways. So isn't it a good thing to take some of the burden off the teachers? A teacher should not be expected to educate and control thirty three, twelve years old. Most Charter schools have a cap of 25 kids per class. 

So, how and why would somebody want to start a 
Charter school? 

Why: For me it was because I wanted a different way of learning for my kids then what I was given. I hated school when I was younger. I was bored and uninterested. I'm more of a visual learner, my favorite teachers were the ones who taught with hands on lessons, then the ones who taught from text books. So, when I heard about Expeditionary Learning (more of that to come) I was hooked!

How: You have to be dedicated! It's gotta be something you really want because it involves a lot of meetings, a lot of late nights and a lot of researching. You need a group of at least 5 people dedicated to the cause. Then you fill out the Charter school application, apply, cross your fingers and pray you get approved. The Charter school website is HERE If you'd like more information let me know. 

The Final copy of our Charter school Application

See how thick it is! That's why I say, you gotta be dedicated. I and a group of moms wrote this whole thing with a lot of coaching from a company in Ogden called Red Apple. (We couldn't have done it with out them)

We got approved! 20 applications were submitted and only 4 were approved. Ours being one of them. 

So now the big question

WHAT IS EXPEDITIONARY LEARNING?

It's a type of learning that encourages children to seek out and find answers for themselves. It takes the child outside of the classroom to think and discover new things.  It pushes a child to compete not against their peers but against their best self and to continually push forward in achieving amazing results.

Expeditionary Learning finds a topic to catch the kids attention and from there expands on it to teach a child how to research, write, solve mathematics, and learn Science. 

A really basic example of an Expedtion would be "Cloudy with a chance of meat balls" The kindergarten teacher reads the book and catches the child's interest. She then asks the child, "could it really rain meat balls?" The child then goes into the science of the reality of it raining meat balls. Then math would be if you have 5 meat balls and took 3 away how many meat balls do you have left?: And so on. 

You think back to when you were in School and the teacher would teach you about History from a text book. Now imagine if instead of reading history you got to relive it instead. Wouldn't you be more engaged in what was being taught? At one Expeditionary School I visited the children were learning about the Civil war. They were each given a name of a person who fought in that war and then they had to learn all they could about that person. Throughout the semester they talked about things that went on during the civil war and acted out different parts. At the end of the semester you got to find out which of your classmates died and which ones survived.
WAY BETTER WAY OF LEARNING!

At another school, 2nd graders learned all about Gardening during one of their Expeditions. They were able to visit a farm where they saw and used real farm equipment,. They planted a square foot garden in the back of the school yard for the lunch cooks to use for school lunches, they then submitted a book, that they created, to the library on how to plant a square foot garden.

Another school Kindergartens recited poems. They didn't read them from a paper they knew them by heart and acted them out. They then created a children's book that they submitted to a local library with all the poems and art they had made.

There is so much more to Expeditionary learning. Every morning the kids meet for what is called Crew, where they discuss and teach each other about what they've been studying. They go on lots of field trips and many schools have a program called Outward Bound where kids are able to go on over night stays to learn more in depth about things.

I could go on and on about how amazing EL is but this post has gotten really long and I'm not even sure if your still with me. :) So if you'd like more information let me know and I'll be sure to invite you to the town meetings we'll be holding. Or you can check out the EL website HERE

I remember

(A post for my children)

I don't like to watch the news. When tragic events happen I let them consume my whole life and I go into shut down. I put myself in those peoples shoes and feel for them and then I shed a whole bunch of tears.

 I watched the day the towers fell and I remember it clearly. I was 21 and I had a dentist appointment that day. I was awoken early by my older sister Steph freaking out about the NY towers being hit by a plane. I ignored her and fell back asleep. I finally turned on the TV and tuned in just before the 2nd tour collapsed. The reporter went quite and it was a very somber moment all over the country. I grabbed a VHS tape, popped it in and hit record. For the next 3 days I was glued to that Television set and didn't leave it except to pee, sleep and go to work. My mom kept telling me to turn it off, that I was becoming obsessed, but I couldn't pull myself away from the horrific act. I had to know what kind of person would do such a terrible thing.

I remember anxiously waiting for them to release the information on the black box they had salvaged from one of the planes. It contained a recording of passengers inside the plane. I remember learning it was a terrorist group, and feeling sorry for those people that hated the US so badly they could kill so many innocent people. I remember hearing the final phone calls of passengers telling their loved ones goodbye. I remember watching President Bush stand in the rubble and declare that justice would be served and being so proud that I was an American. I remember seeing all the flags on car windows as our country united as one. I grew a great appreciation for the Military that day. Of men and women who were willing to sacrifice their lives to bring justice to those families who had lost loved ones in the attack..

That was almost 10 years ago. Tonight was one of those rare occasions that the reporters had good news to share. Bin Laden (the leader of the terrorist group that crashed into the twin towers) had been killed by US troops. I loved in President Obama's speech when he said "And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child's embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts." "As a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda's terror: Justice has been done"

I know taking another human life won't bring back those that were killed but at least it puts a an end to Bin Ladens leadership.  He still has followers and I'm sure tonight many of them are really sad. It makes me very nervous of what they might do to avenge his death. But, I'm going to put back on my rose colored glasses for tonight and pretend like the world is at peace and that this will be the beginning of finally bringing our troops home. 

My Bucket List

Yep today is my Happy 31st Birthday! Although beginning this year I'm counting backwards, so today I'm 29. Eight more years and I'll be 21 again baby! Woo hoo!!!

2 things inspired this post First  is my friend Deb who does a bucket list every year for her birthday and then  crosses off the items she's accomplished. I really liked the idea so I'm copying and beginning my own this year. The Second thing to inspire this post is I had to do a background resume just recently (for a big project I've been working on, blog post about that will be coming soon) it got me thinking about all things I've done in life. 

So, First half of this post will be things I've done. Second will be things I want to do. 

(In no particular order)

Made lots of friends

Kind of a silly thing to list but I spent my entire 8th grade year lying on a couch watching Country music videos and Soap Operas wishing every day I had one Best friend to understand me. 9th grade came and I met the amazing Gwendoline Jensen. Since then my amazing friend list has grown and grown and grown. 

Water skied,Wake boarded and Snow boarded

Wake boarding wins in awesomeness hands down! Although I do love snow boarding just wish I could find the talent to stay up longer.:( 

Traveled 

Idaho, California, Nevada, Southern Utah, Wyoming, Florida, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Canada

Fell in Love 

Not only fell in love with, but I married him too. Josh is a really great guy and my very best friend. Nobody knows me better then he does. He knows all my varieties and that can get pretty scary sometimes:) 

Became a Mommy

Although hard a times and very sacrificing this is the best choice I've ever made and the most rewarding. 

Bought a house

Tried Sushi and I loved it!

Rock Climbed
Entered a beauty pageant

Went to Comic Con

Drove the Oregon Coast

Got Married in the Seattle Temple

Went to lots of Concerts

Was a YW leader

Went bungee jumping

Developed a talent in Photography

My Bucket List

Surf
Go on a Cruise

Have a daughter

Stand in the Celestial room with one of my siblings

Going to happen this April!

Take a photography Class from Julie Parker

Go to Japan, Ireland and Africa

See the world with my Children

Start an Expeditionary Learning School for my kids.

It didn't use to matter to me which school my kids went to but learning about Expeditionary learning has made me want nothing else for my kids. I'm working hard on this one right now. 

Serve a mission with Josh

MY CELBRATION

For my birthday I spent the afternoon with two little gentlemen who took me to lunch with my mom at Chic-Fil-A. (Our favorite place to eat) After that the boys and I headed to New Gate mall to ride the train get some ice cream and take out yearly photo in the photo booth. (I'll post that pic soon)
 Later that night the boys went to Sobo's to build a Volcano while Josh and I went to the yummiest place to eat called Thai-foon at Gateway. It was a very simple and very wonderful birthday. 
The older I get the more I love the simple side of life. 
On Friday night as one last birthday surprise,  my little brother Swen paid for me to do Flow-Rider, something I've been wanting to do for 5 years now! It was so fun! The first time I fell flat on my face but the second time I turned the opposite way and I almost made it to the top, but got nervous and fell and hit my neck wrong. Now I have  a kinked neck and sore abs but it was all well worth it!
 (sorry no pics, my little sis Rach forgot the freaking camera!)
 For my birthday I got 3 photography workshop classes. Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced. I can't wait to go! I also got this sweet card from my mom saying how proud her and  my dad are of me for the person I've become. Made me cry right there in the middle of Chic-Fil-A. 
I've been very blessed with wonderful parents. 

More of that annoying Diabetic venting

Theres plenty of better posts I could do today, like my brothers finances Bachelorette party and Bridal shower or my "home alone" stay while Josh was in Florida but today I had a visit with my diabetes Dr and now I need to get some stuff off my chest. 

I HATE DIABETES!!! Every time I go see my Doc my self esteem takes a nose dive in the toilet. My A1C is to high my sugar levels are all over the chart and to top it off I'm in the early stages of shingles. Just great! Don't worry they've been caught in time that they're not contagious. It's only a tiny spot on my arm but she put me on meds anyways. 

 I was hoping to try for baby #3 right here soon. NOPE! Not gonna happen. Not until I can show that I can prick my finger and test my blood 4 times a day, because that's what I'll have to do for pregnancy and I have to get my A1C below a 7 for 6 months straight and right now it's at a 7.5. Not a big deal I only have to drop 0.5points. But it's freaking impossible! WHY CAN'T I JUST OBEY AND EAT HEALTHY AND EXERCISE!!! Why is it so hard for me to turn down the candy and sweets? I hate that it controls my life so much and that every choice I make can effect it. It's really really REALLY annoying! The one bit of  good news I got is that they're doing a study right now testing young children for the gene that causes diabetes so I can have X and Fred tested and if they carry it they'll be a part of another study that helps prevent diabetes. Which I'm very grateful for. Anything to ensure my boys will be able to live a healthy and happy life. 

Anyways I have a house to clean and 2 boys to entertain so I'll stop there. If ya read this your a trooper for listening to me wine and complain about something that's my own dang fault! GAH!!!

1, 2.....3?

After I had X life became so much fun again. I got to relive childhood. Went to the Zoo, played on bounce toys, went to parades, carnivals, parks and all the fun stuff you do as a kid. Even Christmas became more exciting with Santa being involved again. X was almost always in bed by 8pm so Josh and I could watch a movie together. Then I had Freddie and the fun continued but the energy died. My house is never deep clean any more and I'm lucky if I get it surface cleaned each day. When I only had X, he was dressed adorable every single day and I took him every where to see every body. Now I dress my kids in which ever t-shirt I grab out of the closet first, their faces are usually dirty and at times I've gone to the store with them looking like orphan children. I FEEL LIKE A TERRIBLE MOTHER! I don't get my movie nights with Josh any more, I'm always tired, and I just feel like theres no time any more. How do these Super Moms do it???

So I wonder if I'm struggling this bad with 2 should I attempt 3 kids? Does it get easier once you've mastered 2 kids? Or is this some type of mommy hood depression I'm feeling? Or is it the 3rd idea, I'm just a terrible mother who needs to be a little less selfish?

(which totally could be the answer, I should probably give up the FB and blogging and then I'd have more time for other things)

I'm a Mormon

I am a Mormon, not to be confused with moron. Well... ok I guess in some cases but every religion has it's idiots right? I'm not embarrassed or ashamed that I'm Mormon in fact I'm very very happy about it. Maybe religion isn't for everybody but Mormonism is definitely for me. With out it I'm this depressed, insecure, drama queen. With it I'm a la la happy drama queen.

Why am I telling you all this?. Because today was the LDS Fall semi annual General conference and as tradition, Josh and I load the boys in the car and go in search of fall leaves. It's so relaxing to get away from the world (computers, tv, cell phones) and take a nice scenic drive while listening to prophets and apostles talk about how to live a more fulfilling life. Mostly by being less selfish and putting others first. X actually listened to parts of the talks, every time he heard anything about King Benjamin, Nephi, or The Tree of Life he got really excited. Funny little kid.
Well now that you know what we heard heres what we saw.

This one is my favorite because it's like Summer, Fall and Winter all mixed in one.

We've always taken pictures of us with the leaves but this year was way to wet and muddy so we had to take one in the warm dry house. LAME!