Update

It has been a while since my last update. A lot has happened and I have been really busy, so it seems like now is a good time for an update.


On May 29, Charlie graduated. I didn't feel sad like some of the moms I talked to. He is such a great kid and I can't wait to see where life takes him. He is so gentle, giving and kind. He teases unmercifully, but supports with a strength that amazes me. I can count on him in ways I save for my closest friends. No kid on earth has a better uncle, no siblings a better brother, and no parents a better son.
I am so proud of him and the choices he has made.


At the end of next month Kelsey will be married. This has been a busy couple of months while we prepare for the exciting event. There have been pictures, plans and fun with printing. She managed to find a man who is very much like her dad. Sometimes I think they are the same person. He is a great person and we love him. He is so good for and to her.
We went to the Rexburg temple with him on Thursday. He wanted to stay and stay in the celestial room and talk about everything he learned. As a new member of the church, it was fun to see his testimony strengthened by the things he did.
Yesterday was the best day I have had in so long. We went with Kelsey to the Salt Lake Temple for her endowments. It was a great blessing to sit beside her and watch her as she learned about her eternal destiny. A matron said these are the payoff days for all the stuff we go through to raise them up. I agree, but it felt like more. I am grateful to my Father in Heaven for sending me this sweet daughter. I am thankful she has the desire to make her divine nature real. I look forward to the day next month when we go to the temple as she and Steven begin their eternal family.

Today is Father's Day. Today I am especially thankful for the many fathers in my life. I am grateful for my grandfather who worries about me. He has a unique perspective on all I am going through with my eyes as he is blind. I love his concern for his whole family. I don't think he minds the blindness because he can't see as much as he hates it because it lessens his ability to take care of my grandma. I smiled as he voiced concern that my grandma would get wet getting into the car during a rather huge thunderstorm today.
I am thankful for my wonderful father. He is amazing. The fact he could overcome the obstacles in his life to give us everything we have-most especially security and love--is nothing short of a miracle. I have been especially grateful for him and his support in the recent months.
I am also grateful for my wonderful husband. He married me and took three little kids as his own. They are who they are largely because of the way he accepted the responsibility for them. He has taught them the gospel and blessed them with his example. I know he came into my life right when I needed him. I believe he was an answer to my parent's prayers for me. I love him with all my heart.

My next eye surgery will be on July 2. I have been praying for that day because it allows me to finish summer school and hopefully have time to heal before the weddings begin. (Oh, did I mention that Jeremy is getting married in September?) I am glad my doc was able to work it out.
I (and this is hard for me to admit) am a little depressed though, because he will be doing both eyes this time. The condition which caused the detachment in my right eye is called PVD, and means that the vitreous liquid in my eye is detaching off the back of my eye. This is a normal process and happens when people get old--watch it Sarah. I have had a dramatic increase in the number of floaters in my left eye, and last week I had some more flashing. Thankfully, I haven't had any tears in my retina, but just to be safe, the doctor thinks we need to laser the diameter of the retina to protect it. This has been harder than the first time because I know how it could go, and because now I am blind in one eye and can't see very well in the other. It just kind of stinks.

All in all, life is pretty much good. My grandma asked my aunt who was recently diagnosed with cancer, "Which do you think is worse, having cncer or being blind?" Luckily I don't have to do both, and neither does she. None of us do. We all have our challenges and obstacles, but we never have more than we can handle. AND when it seems like we can't handle it, we do receive the help we need in so many ways and from so many places.

Written with love,
Kathy

This is why I LOVE it...

The end of another school year is upon us. This one has had a few bumps along the way, but for the most part has been pretty good. I had the students write their final sample, and wanted to share some of the things they wrote so you can see why I love teaching.

The prompt was, "My idea of the perfect day is..."
(I kept the spelling the same as much as possible.)

-eating with teacher.
-I wake up on time and my mom doesn't yell at me.
-I look up in the sky and see all of the stars.
-Mrs. B says, "Well kids, you have had a good day so I think you should go outside and play.
-I get a pet terradaktl so I could fly.
-I wake up and find all my clothes without going through all my clothes drawers.
-I wish I could get a shitzoo...If I could not have a dog I want a tame bear like the man in Idaho Falls. The man said the bear had a girlfriend. The bear was the man's only friend. I would want a boy and I would name him Tom.
-me and my mom reading together!
-I get to see the butful Mrs. B.
-no homework on Tuesdays.
-going to Disneyland. I love the songs sooooooo much! They are the music to my heart.
-eating what I want for breakfast.
-I love Mrs. B's voice...in the morning and in the afternoon, maybe at night. I love her name, I guess the kids do too. Maybe the teachers too, I guess I'm wrong--I love her name.

Some of the samples don't have anything to do with the prompt. Maybe they're kissing up, but probably they just started and that is where their brains took them. These kids are good at that.

This has not been the easiest year I have taught, but it is one of the most rewarding. The kids have really made their way into my heart. Each one is so special to me. I will always smile when I hear the word, "spleen." My heart will forever hurt for the pain that some of these kids have had to endure this year--especially in the last few days. I will remember the satisfaction of watching a "special" kid develop critical thinking skills and show them off to the class as he figured out the 6 times tables and then how to divide them back again. I will smile when I recall how some of the children won't sing the math song or the subject and predicate song because they want to do it themselves. I will have a warm feeling when I think of those times that the students cheered and cheered for a boy who beat another student at around the world-some would say he's "slow." I will chuckle because these kids don't mind the nicknames I give them--and want me to call them by those names.

I have been made a better teacher because of some of the students. I have learned that there are all kinds of ways to be gifted. I have learned there are all kinds of ways to struggle.

All in all, that is why I love it!
Love, Mrs B

RE: THE PRETTY GIRLS

OK, so a few of you think you are not the girls I am talking about in the last blog. I only have one thing to say to that:


WHATEVER!!!!!



I will never publish your comments if you argue you are among the unpretty in our ward. NEVER!!!!

Love you bunches!!!
Kathy

Beautiful women

I know there are very pretty women in the world. I know that there are attractive women in the church. However, I have been disturbed lately because all of them seem to be moving into my ward.
This has been happening for a while now. I first noticed about two years ago.
It is the nature of things to have balance. You don't put all of your heavy furniture on one wall, and you do put two pieces of bread in the toaster. I could go on and on.
Anyway, I think that things are all out of whack because of the physical attractiveness of the women in our ward. There are not enough average looking women, like me. I am not saying I am terribly scary looking--well maybe a little last year when I couldn't open one eye--but come on!
One woman just delivered her newest bouncing bundle of joy. Prior to the birth, she confessed she felt "unattractive," but she actually looked amazing. You know, that "glow" the pretty girls get when they are pregnant.
The thing is that these women are JUST as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. They do glow with something special.
I can't think of a single plain woman in my ward. I am really trying.
They just aren't there.

Help

Today I was working with a student who informed me that he hated our school because it was too challenging and there wasn't any help. "Even my mom says so!" he said.

I reminded him that I was willing to help him, all he had to do is ask. "That kind of stuff doesn't work for me," he replied.

Well, it got me to thinking. If there are two things I know, one is that life is challenging and that help is always available. We only have to ask. Are we too proud to formulate the words into a sentence that expresses desire for aid? Are we embarrassed that someone else may know our weaknesses? Do we think that even if we do ask, the help will not come?

Whatever the reason, I know I can get help from someone who gives the best help. He knows my needs, he knows my weaknesses, he knows my heart.

I am so grateful to Him for all he does to help me.

I wish everyone knew it like I do.

Myspace

I published this a while ago, then took it off the next day. Lately, though, I've been thinking I need to put it back, so here goes:

I have a myspace for the purpose of spying on the children of my friends. The average age of my myspace friends list is probably 17. Yeah, I am cool like that.
Anyway, I have been disturbed lately by the level of emotion these "friends" of mine show. Yes, its true that the teenaged years are hard (I would NEVER, EVER want to go there again), but the things they seem to be going through are tough. So here are some things I want my girls to know (no matter how old you are):
1. You are good enough.
2. You are good enough. Do I need to say it again? Anyone who makes you feel like you aren't isn't really on your side. Yes, we can all improve--and hopefully do. But, now-repeat with me, "I am good enough."
3. Anyone who is not building you up is tearing you down. AND anyone who is not building you up is not worth your time. You should be able to get some positive thing from those you associate with. They should support you, make you laugh, love you--and you them. Which brings me to my next thing:
4. You are not the queen of the world. I love you and think you are really neat, but you are not entitled to any special treatment just because of who you are. If you want to be treated well, then treat others well, too.
5. Life is really good. There are a lot of hard things in the world, but we are happier people if we see those hard things with perspective. Overall, life is pretty good.
6. Know who loves you. Right when you wonder, always know I do. However, there are others. I know it sometimes seems like those closest to us don't get us. OK, they probably don't, but it doesn't mean they don't love you. Your family--your parents especially--love you more than anyone else in the world. They are just perplexed by you sometimes. Deal with it--you are perplexed by them, too. These are not the people I spoke of in #3.
7. Remember that experience teaches us things. Remember when you were told to watch where you were going when you first learned to ride a bike? Remember how you turned around to see if someone was still holding on to you? Remember how you crashed? Bet you never looked around like that again, huh? Learn to trust those with the experience you lack, it will save you tons of trouble.
9. Trust yourself. You can do it.
10. Be true to yourself. Yeah, you can be true to your school, true to your family, true to your friends, but if you aren't true to yourself then really you haven't been true to anyone.
11. Do the right things. You know what they are, just do them.

I just wanted to share a few things with my friends that I have learned during my own life. I don't think I have all the answers. In fact, the older I get, the less I know. It's so sad. I can't get over it.

More Random Thoughts from the Queen of the World

Even though I have really only been teaching for four months this school year, I have been able to convince another group of students that I am the QUEEN OF THE WORLD. Also, that I am beautiful. I say this when I want their attention, "Eyes on the beautiful." It works every time.

Conference was awesome. I enjoyed all the speakers and the hope they gave to me. I don't know if anyone else noticed, but Pres. Monson again referenced blindness.

I also enjoyed spending conference with all of my grandkids but one ( and we really missed Mr. Parker and his parents!). I made neat little conference bingo cards and conference booklets and the kids actually sat quietly and worked on them for both sessions. We also had a HUGE breakfast and munchies for the rest of the day. It was fabulous.

Dang snow!

One more day until tax day. Mine have been done for months, but my kids' are giving me such headaches!!!!!!!

Why do children not listen when you tell them things. It is my experience that if they just paid attention to the QUEEN OF THE WORLD that their lives would be so much easier. I always try to refrain from that lovely phrase I heard growing up from my own Mom, "I told you so!"

My Dad still refuses to let me drive to school, even though I have a doctors note that says I can--if I want to. Maybe, he says, he will let me drive myself in May. We'll see.

I will have eye surgery in July, hopefully with enough time to get my head up for the wedding and reception. I will actually have the silicone out, then in two weeks have my cataract taken care of.

Speaking of health, I check out pretty well, except for the high cholesterol and triglycerides--whatever that is. She tells me that my good number might outweigh my bad number but that the triglycerides are an issue. I think, what can I do differently, I eat well, get to the gym-usually four times a week, I don't eat fried foods, eggs make me ill...So now I take fish oil, yum.

I hope this finds everyone well, I love you all!
Kathy