Evergreen Boys and Girls State

The organization that sponsors our students so that they can attend

Evergreen Boys and Girls State held a dinner on Monday night

in order to honor our students that went.

The organization is the American Legion Auxiliary.

This is a photo of the two girls, Lina and Brandy,

that represented GKHS with their parents at the dinner.

Also in the picture is Riley.

He is one of the boys that represented GKHS at Boys State.

Proud to Represent! Brandy, Riley and Lina

One of my responsibilities as a counselor is to select and send junior students to represent GKHS at Boys and Girls State. This is an awesome experience for the kids as they come to understand more fully the parliamentary procedures and how the government operates. They also gain a greater appreciation for the men and women who are serving our country at this time. It instills within them a greater sense of patriotism. This past year we sent two boys to Evergreen Boys State and two girls to Evergreen Girls State. On Monday night, we got together with the other students in the area that represented their high schools and the students talked about their experiences. It was so much fun to hear about what they learned and the friendships that they formed. It took me back in time to when I went and represented Olympus High School at Girls State in Utah. Perhaps the funniest thing that was shared during the evening was that the boys passed a bill so that nobody in the state of Washington can ever drive a dragon drunk again. They also passed a bill that made JZ the best rapper of all time! Ha! Go figure...they are teenage boys after all! :)

A Beautiful Walk

The other night my roommate and I went on a walk around our neighborhood. I was able to capture a few beautiful sites on my new I Phone. (By the way, great purchase!) It was amazing to take this walk this particular day because in my morning drive to work I saw Mt. Rainier and was filled with a spirit of gratitude and love for my Heavenly Father and his beautiful creations. It is definitely a way that He shows us His great love. I am grateful! Enjoy the pictures!!!

Back to School!!!

I am about to begin my third year at Graham-Kapowsin High School. School will start officially on Tuesday, September 2nd...the day after Labor Day. I have already been back to the school and have been preparing for the past two weeks. I look forward to having the students come now...and my office is already to go! It is an amazing school and I absolutely LOVE my students! I am really looking forward to this year and what it has in store for me. GO EAGLES!!!

A Fun Visit from Lindsey Linton

Shortly after returning from my trip to Utah, my good friend, Lindsey Linton, came to visit with her friend, Spencer. We had a great time while they were here. I took them to my favorite spot in Washington...Point Defiance. We also enjoyed dinner on the waterfront in Tacoma at Katie Downs and took a drive to Eatonville for a yummy dinner at my favorite mom and pop's diner, Mountain Cafe. We also watched some of the Olympics...and wow! that Michael Phelps sure can swim!!! Anyway, it was fun having them here...they are trying to decide if they will make the move to join me here! I hope they do!!!

Ghetto Gals Reunion!!

It was so much fun to get together with the Ghetto Gals while I was in Utah. I LOVE these girls!!! We went and enjoyed dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and also enjoyed catching up with each other! It was way fun to hear about Katie Bell Smith and her darling little family...her little boy Jack is adorable!!! Plus, it was fun to hear about Jamie's boyfriend and how well things are going there. Erin was there with little Hanna...the first baby girl of the Ghetto Gals...and she is quite the little beauty, too! Melissa is working hard and supporting Josh through school for his MBA. Rochelle is gearing up to start another year teaching at Riverton High School. We missed our little Tara Sue who is now preparing to make the move from Boston to Boise. The Ghetto Gals are the best!!! I love these girls! Next year we need to plan another little vacation for sure!!! Last year they came to visit me in the Northwest...where will it be next year??? Boise to see Tara Sue??? Time will tell!

Reuniting with Jen and Joanna and a visit to the Utah State Capitol

It is so fun to reunite with best friends that you haven't seen for a while! Jen Christenson and Joanna Mackay are two of those friends. The first time that we got together was for Joanna's birthday celebration up the canyon. We had a hot dog roast and also a fun birthday cake for Joanna. We chatted for a long while and decided to go visit one of our favorite high school teachers, Mrs. Judith McConkie, together. Mrs. McConkie is now working at the Utah State Capitol as the Curator. She has been one of the main people responsible for the renovation of the state capitol building and it is beautiful!!! She gave us a tour of the building and we were also able to spend some time catching up with her. She is an amazing lady and has definitely made a difference in our lives!!! I am a better high school counselor thanks to her and the example she set for me!!!

High School Friends Reunion

While in Utah, we had a reunion with our group of high school friends at Whitnie Rounds Wells place in Alpine. It was a beautiful evening and we had a lot of fun catching up with each other. It was so neat to hear about all of the great things that everyone is doing. I am so proud of them all!!! It was also fun to see all my friend's kids...they are so cute!!! Isn't it neat how you can go a long time without talking to someone and then when you get back together it seems as though no time has passed? This is how it was that night! I am so grateful for amazing friends who helped me to establish a firm foundation at such a young age. I have always been blessed with many friends...that is how I feel my Savior's love the most...through the friends and family he has blessed me with!!! Love you all!!!

My Cute Little Nephews and Nieces

It's true! I am an aunt!!! Although, none of my siblings are married quite yet, I have 17 nieces and nephews that I claim as my own! I love spending time with them. They are hilarious and make me laugh! I took these pictures when I was in Utah this past summer. I am looking forward to many more fun memories we will make ahead!!!

This is Joaquin, Shauna's boy

This was an outing that Joaquin and I had one day while Shauna was working.

I took him to Wheeler Farm to see the animals

and then I took him to get his first Happy Meal ever!!!

I got to spend a lot of time with this little man

while I was in Utah!

Love him!!!

Dylan, McKenzie and Alyssa

This was at Wolf Creek for a family reunion! Fun times for sure!!!

Jessica, Nicole and I

At the family reunion in Wolf Creek. Love these girls!

Charlie

Ashley's little boy...soon to be Jeff's, too!!! So cute!!!

Grandma Jane and Ty

This is mom with Ty, Ashley's oldest son.

Charlie Again...

Ty is FIVE!!!

Cute brothers, Ty and Charlie

A Welcome Addition to the Knight Family!!!

So...something that my mom has waited for for a long time is actually going to be happening in November...November 15th to be exact! My brother, Jeffrey, will be getting married to an amazing girl, Ashley VanDyke. While I was in Utah, I had the opportunity to meet her and her two boys, Ty and Charlie. I first met them at an afternoon activity at my mom's house in Layton. They were so cute and fun and I knew that I was going to come to love them from the very beginning!

A couple of days later, we went on an outing to see Kung Fu Panda. I told Ashley, via Facebook, before we even met that I wanted to do this with the boys. I later found out that the boys would tell everyone... "Jeff's sister is going to take us to see Kung Fu Panda when she comes to town." It made me laugh and it made that outing a special treat for us all. Can I even tell you how excited I am to be an aunt to these little guys???

Perhaps the best thing that happened for us all was on July 19th. Jeff and Ashley decided to go to Park City to enjoy some horseback riding, the Alpine Slide, the Alpine Coaster and some good food...including a visit to the Chocolate Factory. Meanwhile, my mom and I went up to Jeff's friends cabin in Parley's Canyon and set up a beautiful dinner for the two of them. Roses, candles, music, dinner from the Olive Garden, etc. Everything was perfect! After Park City, Jeff and Ashley were going to go on a "hike" and somehow ended up at the cabin. Awaiting them was this fancy dinner for two. Jeff and I had also prepared some special presents for Ashley that he gave to her throughout the night... a picture of the two of them, a picture of them and their boys, a picture of the Salt Lake Temple, a book of e-mails from their courtship, and scriptures with her new name, Ashley Knight, on them....and of course, a beautiful diamond ring. Jeffrey got down on one knee and proposed to his sweetheart and she said YES!!!

We are all thrilled about the new addition to the Knight Family!!! I know that I am definitely looking forward to November 15th!!!

Sparklin' Fun

As many of you know, I had the good fortune to be in Utah for a month in July. It was great to reunite with some of my best friends and my family. The first Friday that I was in town, I spent the night at Dre and Rus Waite's. They are definitely some of my bestest friends in the whole world!!! And..their boy Tanner is the bomb! It was good to be with them and to enjoy some much needed bonding time!!!

I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE!!!! TWIN FALLS, IDAHO

Jenn and I had a really neat experience as we were traveling to Utah on the second day of the journey. We started feeling hungry for dinner right around Twin Falls, Idaho and we decided that we would stop and eat. As we pulled off the freeway, we saw off in the distance an Angel Moroni. That could only mean one thing...there was a temple in the area. We decided to navigate the RAV4 in that direction so that we could see the temple. When we arrived at the temple, we noticed that there were people going from the chapel of the Stake Center into the temple. There was also a guy in the parking lot that was directing traffic. We pulled up to the guy and he told us that the Open House for the temple had begun and that it was the VIP day...meaning for people in the community that were associated with the press, other churches, the government, etc. He told us that we were welcome to join them. Jenn and I looked at each other...here we were in our traveling clothes. How could we go to a temple open house like that? The guy talked to us some more and told us that there had been quite a few people that had pulled off the highway for the tour and that others had looked how we did. We decided to go for it and we are so glad that we did! The temple is absolutely beautiful! It is a smaller temple but wow! It is amazing! There was such a neat spirit throughout the building...especially in the Celestial Room. The tour guide, who was actually a General Authority, invited us to think about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the love that they have for us. A feeling of peace and love came over me as I sat there in the temple. Here I was in scrubs and a t-shirt and still Heavenly Father was aware of me and poured his spirit and his love upon me. I love the temple and everything it stands for! What a blessing it was to be able to enter!

After the tour, they invited us to the Stake Center where they had a buffet of food set up and they were also giving out Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD's. We truly were treated like VIP's.

Now, if you need to stop on a long road trip...tell me what could be better than this??? It was great!!!

YAKIMA, WASHINGTON...HOME OF SOME REALLY GREAT PEOPLE!!!

Jenn drove down with me to Utah after visiting in Washington for a week. On our way down, we stopped in Yakima to stay the night. While in Yakima, we stopped and saw Hermana Sarah MacDonald Mugleston (one of my mission companions) and Becky Meinzer Emhoff (one of my friends from my BYU days). It was great to reunite with these girls...even if it wasn't for too long. I will definitely have to go back and visit sometime soon! Plus, it is a beautiful drive over through Mt. Rainier to get to Yakima. Thanks, Becky, for letting us stay the night!!!

Hermana MacDaddyDonald Mugleston and Me

Love her!!!

Matt and Becky and their two awesome little guys

Rise and Shout, the Cougars are Out!!! Becky and I

TALL SHIPS...and a PRETTY COOL CAR

What is a tall ship, you ask? THE DEFINITION: A tall ship is a large traditionally rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. Traditional rigging may include square rigs and gaff rigs, with separate topmasts and topsails. It is generally more complex than modern rigging, which utilizes newer materials such as aluminum and steel to construct taller, lightweight masts with fewer, more versatile sails. The term tall ship has come into widespread use in the mid-20th century with the advent of The Tall Ships' Races. So, now that you are all versed in what a Tall Ship is exactly, I will tell you that a group of friends and I went to Tacoma on the 4th of July to see a Tall Ship for ourselves. The next time the Tall Ships come to Tacoma will be in 2011. So, it was a neat thing to see for sure. There was a festival that went along with it with a bunch of vendors and shows and stuff. We had a great time! Enjoy the pics!

If you are curious,

this is what a Tall Ship looks like.

Kind of cool, huh???

Me with a Tall Ship...

I dressed kind of for the occassion and wore what Scott gave me for my birthday...

a jacket with ships on it! :)

Aye, Aye Matey! Me and Sara as "Pirates"!

Jenn, Katrina, Christine, and Me :)

So, I thought that I might become a Viking...

Does it work for me?

Katrina and I showing off our tatoos.

Don't worry...they are fake!

PS...Like the sunglasses? I bought them at the festival!

So, the day before the 4th of July, Jenn and I went to a little country town just south of Graham. It is called Eatonville. They were having fireworks on the 3rd of July. We ate dinner at a little Ma and Pops Diner...that is delicious by the way...and enjoyed the fireworks. We were also excited to see this little old car. Had to take some pics for sure!

MT. Rainier and My Claim to Fame

So, I am really fortunate to have a friend, Jenn Hoffenreich, who sings with the world known Mormon Tabernacle Choir. And, the cool thing is that she likes to hang out and have a good time with me! She definitely has become my claim to fame! She came for a visit at the beginning of July. It was fun to introduce her to alot of my friends in Washington state. We had a great time!!! We saw the fireworks celebrating the 4th of July two nights in a row--once in Eatonville and the other time over beautiful Lake Washington, we enjoyed some much needed rest and relaxation with massages and pedicures, and we enjoyed a day seeing some really TALL ships that came into the Puget Sound in Tacoma. Perhaps the neatest thing that we did was our visit to Mt. Rainier. My good friend, Frank Jastrzembski (a math teacher at my school), took us to see this "little piece of heaven on earth."

Jenn pushing her way through two gigantic trees in Mt. Rainier.

Yep! It's true!

I moved to Washington and became a "Tree Huggin" fool!!!

Me, Jenn and Frank at the Grove of the Patriarchs.

This was a really neat place with trees over a thousand years old.

If only they could talk!!!

Ready...one, two, three PUSH!!!

BON VOYAGE KIM!!!

WE WILL MISS YOU!!!

My roommate, April, and I just goofing off...

don't ask what we are doing with a croquet mallet!!!

This is one of the coolest ladies that I have met in Washington!

Carolyn Bohnhoff...my mom at GKHS!

She is always looking out for me!

My awesome...and sometimes really goofy roommates...

April Harris and Kim Moore

Thanks for the memories, girls!

You are the best!!!

Little Ms. Sharlynn Gates.

The hostess of the party and definitely one of my best friends in Washington!

Kim all excited and rearing up to go to Istanbul... NOT Constantinople!!!

Kim is quite the little juggler. She juggles just about anything...yes, even croquet malletts! Watch out!!!

My awesome roommate, Kim Moore, just took a giant leap in her life. She made the move across the world...literally...to Istanbul! She is brilliant and is going to be teaching Physics at Roberts College for the next two years. Kim is very loved and will be missed greatly! I already miss her lots! I can't even imagine what it is going to be like when school starts and she isn't there. It has been great to have two roommates who I work with at GKHS, too. Anyway, we had a going away party for Kim at our good friend Sharlynn Gates home. These pictures are from that fun evening. Best of luck in Istanbul, Kim! You will rock it there...and I will somehow come to visit!!! LOVE YOU!!!

GKHS CLASS OF 2008 GRADUATION!!!

ANNOUNCING:

GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN HIGH SCHOOL

CLASS OF 2008

GRADUATION, JUNE 7, 2008

TACOMA, WASHINGTON

YAHOO!!! Me and Andy Hoagland.

Love ya, dude!

What's up homes? Travis and Ian. Travis is now serving in the Navy!

Two darling couples...Kara McCool and Andy Hoagland along with

Kayla Gilman and Taylor Morrison.

I got super tight with all four of these kiddos!

They rock! This was a very happy day for all of us!!!

Michelle Hicks...a special one indeed!

Michelle and I spent many hours together in conversation.

Upon graduating, she gave me one of those awesome Willow Tree Figures

of two girls engaged in deep conversation.

The name of the Figure was Heart and Soul.

This is one girl that opened up her heart to me and I did the same with her.

Definitely a special connection! Love her!!!

This is Desiree Glaze.

One of the hardest workers I have ever met and

one of the neatest changes I have ever witnessed in a student!

Funny that I am hugging her so tight that her glasses are falling off! :)

Scire Green...probably one of the most inspiring of all of my students.

She is definitely destined for greatness.

This is MY Andy! I love this kid! What can I say?

HE DID IT!!!

This is Tasha Killmer and Brandon Gates. Great couple!

Brandon is looking forward to going into the Coast Guard. This is me with Rachel Aszklar, Taylor Thetford and Lauren Collier.

All AMAZING girls!!! Wow! The memories and the joy!!! These are some pics from the Class of 2008 Graduation that took place in June of this year. One of the greatest blessings I have received in my life is the opportunity I have to work with such awesome students! I love the youth at GK! I learn from them on a continual basis. Some of these kids in the pics I really wondered if they were going to graduate but they stuck with it and finished strong in the end. Others have set strong examples of what I hope to someday become. I couldn't be prouder of these kiddos! I really believe that one of the reasons why I have been in Washington was for the Class of 2008. A special connection was formed with many of these youth. I am now gearing up to start another new school year! I look forward to all the new memories that I am going to make with my Eagles!!! LOVE YOU GUYS!!!