MoreSpring Time Fun

On one of the beautiful days we had last week we found Shawn riding his bike out front. He still had the training wheels on his little bike and he let us know he wanted to try taking them off because he couldn't keep up with his friends. So we took off one and then he practiced that for a day or two. Once he figured out how to balance through the turn he was ready to take off the other trainer. He is now officially riding his "two" wheeler. He loves it and rides all over.

While we were watching him, Michelle got out her camera and started clicking away. She's been experimenting with the settings, learning how to adjust for the lighting, etc. (I don't really understand it all) She took some great pictures. Here are a few.

I'm not sure this demonstration had it's desired effect, as Shawn and Michelle were laughing to hard to hear anything I was trying to teach Shawn.

This was just one of those weekend days we couldn't stay in any longer and took a ride up one of the canyons out of Sheridan. There was still enough snow we didn't make it too far but it was still fun to get out.

Spring's Comin'

Around here the people say that when the Sandhill crane and starlings return to the river valley spring is just around the corner. I've been seeing them quite a bit on the drive back and forth to Whitehall. But right after they told me that, it snowed again.... I guess they knew what they were talking about, though, the days have been getting warmer and the snow is pretty much gone. Oh, I reckon there's still a little spring weather to come but it is nice to see the upper fourties and fifties instead of zero and colder.

It has been a good season. I do love winter and especially now that it will mean basketball season. I guess that is just a part of me that will always be there. I love the sport. it is beautiful and exciting.

Now that it is over, I'm glad spring is coming. I love the change of the seasons and especially seeing the calves and lambs romping around their mama's and the trees start to bud. The smells are wonderful and it is a chance to start another season.

Doodles or Notes?

For as long as I can remember I've always carried pen and paper to meetings with me. When I was younger, it was purely to sketch something random that ran through my mind as I attempted to listen. Then as I entered the MTC, in an effort to be a "good missionary" I tried to at least take notes. Although, looking back at those journals, they are still filled with sketches of horses, dogs, cowboys, and mountain lakes. I don't recall any of the visiting general authorities focusing their talks on riding through the Uintahs, the faithful dog trailing while the sun sets over the tops of Mt. Timp, but that could be just my poor memory.

While at the University of Idaho, I learned that there really was no time to doodle. Either take notes and mostly get the lecture or sleep and fail. I never did seem to find the middle ground there.

It has been just recently that I have taken up the old habit of doodling during church meetings. Although I hate to admit this publicly, it was more in an effort to stay awake than an intense desire to either improve my caricatures or focus on the message being given. I will say to my credit, though, in a desire to somewhat try to capture the message, I started to pick out things from the lessons or talks and I would try to sketch those. Unfortunately, when I would get home and look down at what I thought had been a masterpiece, I would find myself wondering just what the heck the thing was or why I had drawn a flower or tree. This led me to start to add notes to my sketches to help me identify the mess of squiggly lines.

Today, about half way through the sacrament program, I looked down and realized I hadn't doodled a thing. The page I was writing on was filled entirely with notes from the talks being given. Now, I should say, these are not usually nicely organized and directly related to the topic but they are my notes. It reminded me of my dad's old journals he used to carry around to meetings. I guess I've finally grown up. Realizing this, I quickly added some trees and a family fishing and a nice caricature of a cowboy. I would hate for anyone to look over my shoulder and confuse me for some boring old teacher who loves to take notes. That would be just too embarrassing.

A few updates

So it's been awhile and while I love reading everyone else's updates, I seem to hate to write them. But I finally have time, or at least I'm making time, and I thought I would let people know what's been happening.

I've been coaching girls basketball since November, which thanks to Mom and Dad, I'm sure most of you know. It has been a blast. I had the Freshman girls, I never thought I would want to coach girls, especially freshman, but it was a great experience and I can't wait for November 2009. The girls were tremendous and we ended up with a 14 - 2 record.

I also assisted with the JV and Varsity girls teams. The JV struggled a little more, to put it gently, and the varsity were fantastic. We just finished state this weekend. The girls took 3rd, which they more than deserved. It was such a great experience .

Michelle has been and is working as a Special Ed aid at the school here in Twin Bridges. She is so good at her job and loves it. We both love working with the kids.

Shawn is doing fantastic at school. He is now reading short books and acing spelling tests. He is such a great kid. He just gets bigger and bigger everyday.

The horses are weathering the storms well and Sadie is Sadie.

Well, that is the most recent updates. I know it is not full of much detail but at least its something.

Take care all.

Opposition in all things

2 Nephi 2:11 "For it must needs be, that there is an oppostion in all things."

This last couple of weeks can most apptly be described this way. Without going into too much detail let's review the highlights.

First, Pop met me in Utah two weekends ago for a tightly scheduled two days of meeting with vets, getting bloodwork done in Nephi, and loading horses so that we could bring our two mares into Montana without being pulled over. Pop picked up a trailer I had borrowed from a friend in Jerome and to keep it short, it was an adventure that could have landed him in jail. See Mom and Pop's blog. It had me laughing, but that is usually what happens when Pop and I go on a quest. To keep it short, the trip went amazingly smooth (except the trailer adventure) and the horses are happily settling in to their new home in the beautiful Ruby Valley.

While on the trip I had a funny knot in my right leg. I'm not sure where it came from but it made chasing the horses around the pasture interesting. But it left me and I felt fine, until... I think my horses are now carrying a leg cramping curse. The other day I was out working with Misty, when all of a sudden it felt like I had been kicked in the leg. I heard a pop and looked down as I fell, to see if Sandy had snuck up on me for a little pay back for locking her in a rolling cave on wheels for eight hours, but she was on the other side of the pasture. And as I'm too stubborn to go to a doctor, I figured I had just pulled a muscle or strained a tendon. My leg swelled up a little but I didn't think too much of it. Afte a day of church and rest, it seemed to be healing, at least it didn't feel like a dog was chewing away at it any more. So I went out to work on one of my never ending projects last night and felt pretty good until I cam in and my leg was so tight in my pants that it looked like I had gone back to the 80's when pants were supposed to be skin tight, which they are not. So today my students are checking out the the soles of my boots as I sit at my desk and lecture. I'm sure it doesn't look too professional but I'm here and they are learning, or at least checking out where I have walked in the last 24 hours.

PS Here are some random pictures just to add to the blog.

Shawn's first ride on Sandy

I took this picture last winter on visit to Montana. This if from the road to the south of our property looking back to the north. Heavenly Father was painting some amazing pictures that day.

This is our Dog Sadie. She is learning and finally

coming out of the super hyper puppy stage.

Christmas comes early in Whitehall!

I was sitting in 1st period yesterday when my principal came in proclaiming that Christmas had come early to Whitehall. At first I thought maybe he was telling me it was snowing, but then I remembered it was supposed to get up to 82 that day. He was carrying a box so then I thought maybe he is handing out school stuff, which for us nerdy teachers is almost as good as a Christmas gift, but I was wrong again.

You have to understand our principal and small town life to really appreciate this. Mr. Richards is an avid automotive enthusiast and so in his spare time, he runs an automotive and wrecker shop. This past week he recieved a call to go pick up a car that had been left somewhere in the area. Apparently it had been driven by a group of Mexican boys who turned out to be illegal aliens. When this was discovered they were deported and their posetions were turned over to the authorities. However they had a large selection of music which our principal thought would be useful in my classroom. Thus the early Christmas! I don't know any more details about how the story came about but my students have been loving it.

By the way, here are some photos that I promised:

This is our tiny little ward building. It is nice and the ward is amazing.

Yes, We are the Mighty Trojans!

I love my smart board!

This is the view off my brother-in-laws back porch and it will be almost the same from ours.

Where in the world is Whitehall, Montana?

OK, so Mike and Laura have us beat on living in Small and remote parts of the US but we love our new home in Sheridan. And for those of you who don't know, I have the prettiest commute from Sheridan to Whitehall, where I now teach High School Spanish. I will add pictures as I get them, but for those of you who know me (that should be everyone, or you wouldn't be reading this blog!) you'll understand when you see them. The locals call it "Whitetail Alley" and they tell me it's not "if" I hit a deer, but "when." Although this morning, the local sheriff was herding two big black Angus bulls off the highway. They didn't look very happy and he looked frustrated. Poor guy. Hey Chris or Mike, is there a dispatch code for that one?

Oh, by the way, Whitehall is about 30 miles north of Sheridan, on I-90, east of Butte.