TOP TEN OF 2010...

I know...it has been FOREVER since I have blogged. I have missed doing so as it always gives me an opportunity to reflect upon the highlights in my life. And, since I was just asked to give a talk on gratitude in church in a few weeks, I thought that I would start here. In order to catch up to speed and in an effort to capture a glimpse of the positives of 2010, I have made a list of my TOP TEN from 2010. Here they are in no particular order... 10- The Marines Educator Workshop in San Diego, California- January 2010. I also got to go to the Washington State University Educator Workshop in Pullman, Washington. - October 2010 9- My friends wedding in Utah... Diana and Brad are a fabulous couple! - June 2010 8- Mid Singles Conferences in Huntington Beach, CA (April), Indianapolis, IN (November) and Seattle, Washington (July). I met Paul in Indiana and we dated for a few months. And, I was on the committee for the one in Seattle. They were all great experiences and a lot of fun!!! :) 7- Trip of a lifetime to ALASKA aboard the Golden Princess with the Hoffenreich family. Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay and Victoria. AMAZING!! -June-July 2010 6- Our annual family reunion in Midway, Utah. We had tons of fun at the outlets in Park City, we went on the Alpine Slide and the Zip Line, we went on the Heber Creeper, we enjoyed yummy food, we played lots of games and most importantly just enjoyed our time together as a family. I got reunited with my mission president who is the stake president in Midway. - July 2010 5- I had the amazing opportunity of reuniting with my fun friends that I served with at Academy For Girls. We had an incredible weekend of spirituality and fun in Midway, Utah. I love these women and honestly stand in awe at them and am humbled to be associated with them. What a blessing Academy For Girls was in my life and it continues to be so! - July 2010 4- My mom and I had the great blessing of attending Especially For Women at the University of Utah. It is a week long camp with women from all over the United States and Canada. The focus of the camp is to help us to recognize and remember our worth as daughters of God. We are taught amazing life lessons from what to wear, to ways to serve others, to building a lasting and strong relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ. Mom and I loved this experience and would LOVE to go again this coming summer. I stayed a week longer in Utah this summer so that I could also attend BYU's Education Week. I definitely was needing a good shot in the arm of spirituality and that is what I got this summer! - August 2010 3- I continue to enjoy my job as a high school counselor at Graham-Kapowsin High School. Last year, I had a senior student that I worked really closely with. At the end of the school year, Tommy ended up short in his credits and received word that he would not be able to graduate. This was a very difficult and discouraging time for him. One day, I invited Tommy into my office for a lemonade party. I told him that although life had given him lemons, he could make lemonade. I then gave him his options of what he could do to finish up and get his high school diploma. Tommy chose to come back to GK to take a class the first semester of this year. At the end of the semester, I got an email from Tommy informing me that he had made lemonade out of his lemons and that he had finished up his class, that he was graduating and that he was getting his diploma. 2- I had the amazing blessing of serving in the Primary Presidency for the first half of 2010. I loved my calling and thoroughly enjoyed serving the children in the primary. I was also very fortunate to serve with incredible sisters. My call in the primary taught me a lot and I am so grateful. In August, I was released from the Primary Presidency and was put into the Young Women Presidency. Once again, I am so blessed to serve with amazing sisters. My young women are incredible and I am always impressed by their continuous desires and efforts to stand for truth and righteousness amidst today's trials. They are awesome and I am learning a lot in this calling. I love it! And, I love my ward. :) 1- Without question, the number one best thing that happened in 2010 was the birth of my little angel niece, Emma Kimberly Knight. Emma was born on October 27, 2010 to Jeff and Ashley in Portland, Oregon. She is the best! I had the opportunity of helping Ashley while she was on bedrest in September for a weekend. It was a blessing to be able to serve so that this sweet baby could enter the world safely. Plus, my sister-in-law and nephews are tons of fun! I also got to go to Portland the weekend that Emma was born. I love holding her and cuddling with her. I also got to witness as Jeff blessed Emma in December in Utah. That was also a very special experience. Ashley has been great and has text me pictures of Emma regularly. Honestly, everyday that I get a picture my day is so much brighter. I love being an aunt! Emma is a true blessing to our whole family. I love you, Emma! :) So, this comprises my TOP TEN IN 2010.

Ketchikan!!!

Ketchikan was our final port in Alaska...and perhaps my most favorite. I loved the little town and I loved all of the totem poles that were around the area. I have to admit that I am a huge fan of totem poles! :) Our shore excursion in Ketchikan was also my favorite!!! We went ziplining through the 2nd largest rainforest in the world...the Tongass Rainforest. It was crazy and lots of fun...all at the same time! :) I LOVED IT!!! :)

Glacier Bay, Alaska

Perhaps one of the most amazing things that I saw in Alaska was Glacier Bay. It was absolutely stunning! The coolest part was to hear the glacier breaking and then see pieces...LARGE pieces...fall into the water. It was right there...right in front of our faces! Amazing! And...yes...it was FREEZING!!! But so worth the experience! :) Also, we had some fun times out on the boat. It was super windy. Jen, Zech, Mom H. and I all went out to the front of the boat. We tried to run into the wind...it was seriously hilarious. Mom H. entertained us by singing camp songs. Looking at these pictures just make me smile. Hope they do the same for you! :)

Skagway Hall of Fame

I found this to be really interesting when I got off and on the boat in Skagway. On the side of the mountain there, different crews from the different ships had left their mark. If the crews really liked their captain, they would climb to the highest area and paint their ships name and captains name. The higher the artwork, the more they appreciated their captain. There was also a skull painted to represent Soapy Smith...an individual that made a huge mark on the history of Skagway.

Liarsville Salmon Bake

Part of our Yukon excursion was a stop in Liarsville for a delicious salmon bake. The history of Liarsville is really quite interesting. There were a few journalists who had come to see the gold rush in Alaska. They went back to the states claiming that there was a ton of gold to be found in that particular area. Well, when the gold rushers came through, they found nothing. As a result, the area was names Liarsville.

The Yukon Suspension Bridge

One of our excursions in Skagway was the Yukon Suspension Bridge. It was pretty cool to go through the Yukon Pass and on into Canada. This was the route that many of the gold rushers followed when they were searching for gold. It was cold but SO beautiful here! It was also lots of fun to cross the Yukon Suspension Bridge.

Our Second Port: Skagway, Alaska

Our second stop was in Skagway, Alaska. I have a former student of mine, Michelle Hicks, who is working in Skagway this summer. I was lucky enough for her to be my personal tour guide. She showed me all of the beautiful sites in Skagway including Reed Falls. She also took me to the deserted town of Dyea. Dyea was originally set up when the gold rush occurred. However, it was too far inland and so the gold rush town was then moved to Skagway. There are only a few things left of Dyea...a store front, a basement of a court house and a pile of wood from a warehouse. Michelle was super cute and studied up on the history of Skagway before I got there so that she could give me a full history of the place. Supposedly, there was a guy who was a big gangster that came to Skagway and reaped havoc. His name was Soapy Smith. A picture of his grave is in the collage. I also saw the largest gold nugget in the world! SWEET!!! :)

Our First Port: Juneau, Alaska

We left Seattle on Saturday afternoon and traveled towards our first stop, Juneau. We were at sea for a day and a half on our journey towards Alaska. In this time, we spent some quality time together on the boat enjoying some of the different types of entertainment that the ship offered...we went to an art auction and also enjoyed the entertainment of a comedian as well as some singers and dancers. On Sunday, we also took some time out to have a gospel discussion and to share our testimonies with one another. It was a pretty special way to stop and reflect upon the Sabbath day. On Monday, we arrived in beautiful Juneau, Alaska. This was a special stop because the Hoffenreichs lived in Juneau. In fact, Zech was born in Juneau. They have family there and so their cousin, Mariah, came and picked us up and toured us around all day...which was very nice of her. We saw some pretty amazing sights...the Mendenhall Glacier, Eagle River, the Shrine of St. Therese, Water Wheel Plaza (Pops actually constructed this building), and even saw where the first missionaries came to open up the land of Alaska for the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a great day...I even got to pick up and hold a piece from the glacier! :)

North To Alaska!

On June 26th at approximately 4 in the afternoon, I embarked on a journey of a lifetime (with the amazing Hoffenreich Family). It was my first cruise EVER and my first time to travel to Alaska, the last frontier. Can we just say that I was beyond excited for what was going to happen? I seriously felt like a kid at Disneyland when I got to the port, went through customs and got on the ship. I just knew that I had struck gold! You will see through the posts that follow that I did just that...perhaps it wasn't real gold but instead treasured moments and memories that will last a lifetime! :)

Mini Family Reunion

The Breakfast Bunch...

Mom, Shauna, Elena, Joaquin, Me and Scott

While I was in Utah for Diana's wedding, I was also lucky enough to see some of my family. On Saturday morning before the wedding, Mom, Scott and I met up with Shauna, Joaquin and Elena for breakfast. It was so much fun to be with them...even if it was for just a short moment. My cousin, Stewart, also returned from serving in the Texas, McAllen mission and gave his homecoming report on Sunday and so I got to see some more of my awesome Ludwig family. It was great to hear Stewart's report. I am positive that he was a great missionary. Jeff, Ashley, Ty and Charlie were in Utah at the time and so I was able to see them, too. I am very grateful that I got these moments with my family in the midst of a crazy, fun-filled wedding weekend! :)

Wedding Bells: June 19, 2010

On June 19, 2010, I had the blessing of attending the wedding of my dear friend Diana Hughes and her sweetheart, Brad Howell. On the 18th, there was a beautiful wedding dinner held in their honor at the Joseph Smith Building. They had a buffet of several delicious foods and they also had a fun little program. Diana's sister-in-laws made up a dance and song to "Dancing Queen" but instead changed it to, "Diana Queen." They equipped it with crazy disco costumes and huge hair wigs. It was pretty hilarious. There was also a dance for everyone that followed the program. I had a great time at the wedding dinner catching up with my awesome friends Nate and Heidi. I have missed not seeing them and so it was for sure a bonus to be able to reconnect with them. They have a darling little girl and are also expecting another little girl in November. So fun! The wedding ceremony was beautiful and was performed in the Salt Lake Temple. That evening they had their reception at This is the Place Monument Park. It was very simple but very elegant and beautiful. Perhaps the funnest connection made this weekend was to find out that Brad's grandma was my kindergarten teacher...it's a small world after all! It was so fun to see her...after SO many years! :) Overall, it was a very special weekend and I am grateful I was able to be in attendance. I love you, Diana and Brad! Congratulations!!! :)

Dancing The Night Away!

One of the things that I look forward to every year is chaperoning the Senior Prom. I feel that this is a fun opportunity to celebrate with the students and to enjoy a night out on the town with fun dancing and delicious treats. I have to be honest and say that I got some good dance time in, too. My students might have been a little surprised to see that Miss Knight does know a little about dancing...but, let's be honest...when there is a good beat, you have gotta move to the music. Right? :) For the second year in a row, I did not get to attend my kids graduation because I was in Utah for a wedding. So, I feel that Prom was a good opportunity for me to congratulate my students and to let them know how proud I am of each of them. I got some good pics with some of my awesome students on Prom night...fun memories for sure! I love these kids!!! :)

Jeanette's UW Graduation: June 12, 2010

My cousin, Jeanette Ludwig Hughes, graduated with her Master's Degree in Special Education from the University of Washington on June 12, 2010. Huge accomplishment! All of the hours of hard work finally paid off. We are all so proud of Jeanette! Way to go girl! :)

NEWS FLASH: UPDATE ON THE WAY!

Just want to give everyone the heads up...I have a ton of posts that will be coming your way in the next few days. I have so much to blog about!!! So, hold on tight and get ready to join me on some crazy and fun adventures! :)

High School Graduation...

 

First off, I have to explain why there has not been much blogging going on these days. I am SWAMPED!!! The end of the year at school is always the craziest with trying to get my kids graduated. It honestly sometimes takes all that I have to motivate them to keep going but if I can help one of them walk across that stage to receive their diploma, it is all worth it! I just got an email from a parent on Friday who just found out that their daughter had passed all of the credit retrieval classes that she needed to do in order to graduate. She was so excited and thanked me for all that I have done to help them. I also saw one of my students yesterday walking down the halls with his buddies. Tommy has made a 180 turnabout this year and will be graduating. I told him how proud I am of all of his hard work and to keep pressing on through the next little bit. He told me that he couldn't have done it without my help. Honestly, to see these kids achieve their goal of high school graduation...it makes it ALL worth it! I love my students!!! Next, I have to say that I CANNOT believe that it has been 14 years since I graduated from high school! What in the world? Where does the time go? This picture with my sweet Grandma was at MY graduation day...many years ago! :)

Birthday Bash in Portland, OR!

Last weekend, I went down to Portland to spend some good times with my brother and his cute family. My nephew, Ty, also celebrates his birthday in May and was turning 7 last Sunday. I drove down to Portland after work on Friday and got there just in time for dinner. We went and got some yummy chicken for dinner. I also got some great pictures of the boys...they crack me up! After dinner, we went bowling and it was SO much fun!!! I have to say that I did better than I have ever done before...hold on to your seats...I got FOUR strikes!!! That has NEVER happened before! The boys must be my good luck charms. :) After bowling we went back to Jeff and Ashley's and put the boys in bed. Jeff, Ashley and I then watched, "The Blindside." Amazing movie! :) The next day we got up and had a yummy breakfast...thanks Ash! Ty then opened up his birthday presents. He got a lot of cool things...lucky! :) We then went on a beautiful drive to the Vista House that overlooks the Columbia River Gorge. It was such a nice day and the scenery was incredible...the company even better. I am so glad that Jeff, Ashley, Ty and Charlie live in Portland and that they are close enough to spend time with them. I am especially excited about their new little one that will be arriving in November! Cannot wait!!! I love being an aunt...have I mentioned that before? :) Life is good!

My Birthday Celebration...

I have to say that I was spoiled this year!!! I had a couple of different birthday celebrations and had SO much fun! On Friday, May 7th, I went with a group of my friends to the temple for a temple session. It was really special to be in the temple with my sweet friends and to feel of their love for the gospel. We then went to dinner at Red Robins afterwards...a pesonal favorite of mine. It was definitely a great night and I felt very blessed to have fun, faithful friends. On Saturday evening, I went with some other friends to the California Pizza Kitchen and also to the movies. On Sunday, I went to church and was showered with gifts by the Primary. The kids sang "Happy Birthday" to me...and yes, I did have to wear the silly hat. The Primary Presidency gave me a book that I have already fallen in love with. It is called, "Change Your Questions, Change Your Life." It is by Sister Wendy Watson Nelson...Elder Nelson's wife. After church, I went up to my aunt and uncle's in Issaquah and celebrated Mother's Day and my birthday with them. It was fun to be with them and I am so grateful for my aunt...she has been a second mom for me here in Washington. It was great to celebrate with her! Then on Monday, my co-workers brought in lunch for my birthday. I went home after work and took a short nap and made a trip to the gym. I was greeted by a fun birthday sign and present that a sweet family in my ward had left for me. My heart took a picture...my camera did, too. :) Monday night, I went out with Jessica, Lindsay and Sarah to Katie Downs...it is a delicious restaurant on the waterfront in Tacoma and is another personal favorite. It was so fun to be with these special friends on my birthday eve. Everyone spoiled me with sweet cards and fun presents and I am so grateful! I have always said that one of the ways that I know that Heavenly Father loves me is by the friends that He has placed in my life. They are truly some of my greatest blessings...that is for sure! I am anxious to see what the coming year will bring. My friends said that "32 is the year of the Mu-mu". Ha! :)