Pennies for Patients

I think that I am one of the luckiest people alive! I get to work with incredible students as the National Honor Society Advisor at GKHS. These students are so incredibly bright and talented and I enjoy associating with them on a regular basis. During the month of April, we did a fundraiser at school to raise money for individuals with Leukemia, Lymphoma and other types of blood cancers. The fundraiser is known as, "Pennies for Patients." Last year was the first year that we participated and our school raised over $200. This year, our goal was to raise more than we did last year. Well, we surpassed it greatly and raised $548.00. The National Honor Society students sit at a table during lunch collecting the change and they also walk around the lunchroom asking for their peers to donate to the cause. They do a great job and I am very proud of them! Our senior class were the top donators this year. They were also the top donators last year as juniors. The kids get really excited about this fundraiser and enjoy seeing their names go up on pennies on the walls at the school. It gives them a sense of pride to know that they are contributing to such a great cause. It was definitely a great experience for all of us! I plan on continuing this activity with my students each year. :)

Happy Birthday, Jessica!!!

Jessica's birthday was on May 2nd. It was the big 27 for this little Miss. There was a large group of us that went out to the Cheesecake Factory in Seattle for dinner and then we went to her sister's house for games afterwards. It was a total party and let's be honest...Jessica totally deserved it! :) We then celebrated on the actual birthday, Sunday May 2nd, with her family. Her mom made a delicious meal and we had fun opening presents and eating birthday cake. Can I just say that I am so grateful to have Jessica in my life? We have been friends for almost three years now but it feels like she has been a part of my life for much longer than that...she is definitely one of my besties! Love to you, Jess! Here's hoping 27 brings much happiness your way! :)

Huntington Beach, California...April 2010

Huntington Beach Experience

In an effort to be obedient to my bishop's counsel and in finding an opportunity for a little adventure... I went with a couple of my brave friends, Jen and Robynn, to the Huntington Beach, California mid singles conference in the end of April. We flew out of Seattle early April 23rd. When we arrived in LA, we got our little rental car and headed to the Santa Monica pier. This is the boardwalk that has been made famous in different movies through the years...don't ask me what movies right now...I just know that it has. :) It is also the end of the famous Route 66. It was a beautiful day and we seized the moment to take lots of photos and to also enjoy a ferris wheel ride. It was awesome! Before the trip, I had told my friends that I had to eat at an In N' Out while we were in California. So, after our stop at the Santa Monica pier, we headed for some yummy food from a personal favorite of mine. It definitely hit-the-spot. :) We then headed to Huntington Beach where we checked into the Howard Johnson Hotel and took a quick nap to reenergize our already tired bodies for our weekend of fun in the sun. We then got ready to go to the Mid Singles Conference...I'm not gonna lie. We were a bit nervous and apprehensive and didn't really know quite what to expect. Friday night was actually a ton of fun! :) There was a dance at the church with a live band there from the '80s...no lie...they were totally decked out in '80s clothes and were singing songs from that popular decade we all grew up in. In the rooms surrounding the cultural hall, there were different activities going on. There was speed dating...quite the experience, Rock Band...love it, Foos Ball, Table Tennis, Karaoke, etc. We had fun experiencing it all. And, we got some flirting in with some cute guys...always a plus! :) Saturday they had different workshops that were all really good and insightful. The Long Beach, California mission president was one of the speakers and actually was probably my favorite. That afternoon, we all headed to the beach for some good times in the sun. It wasn't too hot...just right with temps at about 70-75. Jen, Robynn and I enjoyed some window shopping and some delicious ice cream there, too. Saturday night, there was another dance and some other activities. Once again, fun times for all ! We flew home on Sunday and all agreed that we would definitely be checking out the upcoming mid singles conferences in the future. We had a great time and I think we all needed the time away to meet and mingle with other people who are at the same place in life. I think they said that the total number of attendees for the weekend was 1200. Amazing! I am really, really, really glad we went. I am pretty sure that Robynn and Jen can say the same thing. :)

The Hicks...A Special Treasure from GKHS

Fun with the Hicks at Ruby Tuesdays...April 2010...

Brunch with the Hicks August 2008...

In April, I had the opportunity of meeting up with a former student of mine, Michelle Hicks, and her parents, Drew and Joan. I absolutely love the Hicks Family. I met Michelle when she was a junior in high school and when it was my first year at GKHS. Michelle was different than many of my students and she would come in often to share with me what was happening in her life and the adventures that she was experiencing as a high school student. She always wanted to hear about my life, too. And, I would share. We developed a very close relationship over the two years that we shared together at GKHS. Michelle graduated in 2008 but our relationship has remained strong. Right before Michelle went off to Eastern Washington University for her freshman year, I went with her family to a special brunch on the waterfront in Tacoma. Since then we have been to dinner at the Olive Garden a few times and most recently we met up at Ruby Tuesdays for dinner and a good catch up time. Michelle is working up in Alaska this summer and I will get to see her when we make our port stop in Skegway. I am very excited! :) Not only is Michelle totally awesome but so are her parents. I have come to love this family SO much and truly consider them to be a treasure that I have been blessed with by working at GKHS.

My New Life

This was on my sister-in-laws blog and it touched my heart and soul. I am amazed by the strength of this woman. Who obviously gets her strength from the Lord. (Make sure to go to my music and push pause so that you can hear the video). Enjoy!

FUN IN CANADA!!!