It was the Best of times...it was the worst of times...

I got to see John for four glorious days! John had leave for four days before he goes to Afghanistan . I flew to Washington on Wednesday afternoon , we took a ferry to Bainbridge Island, and then drove to a little Victorian town called Port Townsend. We stayed in the cutest Victorian Bed and Breakfast, it was so so cool! On Thursday we took a ferry to Whidbey Island where we explored an old army base right on the coast called Fort Casey, and there was a cool lighthouse there, and tons of old cannons and I don't know what to call it, but like stuff to defend the land...anyway, really cool. We went to a beach called Impression point, found tons of Agates and rocks, it was all SO beautiful! We ate at the coolest restaurant and had Salmon :) Mmmmm, SO good! On Friday we explored downtown Port Townsend, went to all the shops, found a cute musicbox and there was a gem and bead show, and I got 3 new pendants to wear. :) We also watched a sailboat race, I've never seen so many sailboats, we explored another beach, found another lighthouse, awesome! On Saturday we went hiking in Olympic National Park, to Marymere Falls, and we went to Rialto Beach, it was awesome!

Okay those were just the events, here are my favorite parts:

Holding hands, I really miss that! Walking around on the beach, the road, the rocks, the sand, the path, the street, everywhere, just talking like normal. The weather man said it was going to rain the whole time, and we felt not a drop! It was gorgeous the entire time! The most thoughful gift ever, tanzanite earings from my true love :)Ice cream everyday. The green everything...the smell of spring, you know fresh and crisp. Sleeping in, snuggling and watching movies. Street performers, lighthouses, fishermen, friendly people on the street, the starfish, tons of boats, riding the ferry, driving all over the beautiful state of Washington. Eating frozen grapes, and salmon, chocolate covered strawberries, and the yummiest root beer float I've ever had. Laughing really hard watching Juno, and Dan in real life, and episodes of the office. And waking up smiling, and not stopping till I fall asleep.

Marymere falls, so beautiful.

Cute John skipping rocks at Rialto Beach

Silly shot, at Rialto Beach

Underpass on our hike to Marymere falls

The backyard of our cute bed and breakfast, and you can see my earrings!

At the Nifty Fifties restaurant, and the root beer float I have ever had

A starfish that was on the beach, still alive, I threw it back in

My adorable John Boy, the white spots in the background are sailboats

On the trail to Marymere falls

The Ferry ride to Bainbridge Island, that's the skyline of Seattle in the background

Again, on the ferry, you can see the space needle to the left of my head :)

Fort Casey, there were tiny daisies everywhere!

Cutest man alive!

Lighthouse at fort Casey


The worst of times, today was Awful, saying goodbye to John...man it's hard, my head is still aching, I just have to have faith that he will be well taken care of, and so will I. Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers and phone calls, I'll let you know how he's doing :)

Working out, masters program, and amazing elephant painting

So I have finally found solace in working out! I'm not kidding, I find joy in kicking my butt at the gym! For the last few weeks I have been at the gym every day after school for like 2 hours! I'm so thrilled because I never ever worked out because it was like torture to make myself workout, but I go to my gym and I don't want to leave! I know its because I don't want to go home because Johns not there and its just a constant reminder, but I find myself craving those endorphins, and really love it! if you know me you know this isn't anything like me and I just know it is a tender mercy from Heavenly Father to enjoy working out, especially because I am so exhausted by bed time that I don't have time to lie awake and think about things....it's a great blessing in my life right now. Also, on Tuesdays I go to a zumba dance/aerobics class at my gym, I have never seen so many smiley women working out! Zumba is like all the latin dances, like salsa, meringue, cha cha plus hip hop. It's so fun! There are old ladies who are learning how to shimmy, and booty shake and body roll, it's so awesome, and a great work out!

Okay also, last week I started my masters program, so far so good. I'll have to work out less now so I can study more, but it will be good to have a healthy balance. I really like being in school,which is good I guess because I'm a teacher, but I love learning new things. I'm taking my classes online.If anyone you know wants to get their masters online, talk to me I have the BEST program ever!

Okay lastly, I got this video in an email, it's AMAZING! You have to watch it, it's an elephant painting a self-portrait! Apparently it's an elephant who was being abused and is now rescued and they taught it to paint! Listen to the people's comments in the background, it so amazing. It's kinda long, like 8 minutes or so, but watch it! Let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He7Ge7Sogrk

You'll have to copy and paste this web address, I don't know how to put a video on my blog...

Dragons

So these paper mache dragons have been quite the project, and I'm so proud of them, I had to post them! I started this not knowing at all what I was doing, the last time I had done paper mache was in 3rd grade with Mrs. Moore and I made a pig...but they turned out SO cute! I had them on display in the school library for a few weeks and got TONS of compliments on them, then i sent them to an art show at the community center to be displayed and had a ton of positive feedback there too, lots of teachers wanting my paterns etc... anyway just wanted to share my success :) The pictures don't really do them justice, they all have s much personality...its so funny! The girls' dragons (the big green one is mine)

The boys' dragons, tons fo black and red and fierce gold and silver (for armor..of course) 8 year old boys are so funny~

This was "Dress up like your favorite book character" day, I am Hermione Granger....it was pretty fun! School has been wonderful my students are so compassionate and so so sweet and always asking about John and how I'm doing...if I didn't teach school right now I would probably go crazy, not to say teaching doesn't make me crazy becasue it does...but you know what I mean :) Well, I'm back into the blog world, sorry it's been so long :)


BY THE WAY....I snuck into Fort Lewis to see John a couple days ago, it was so so so much fun to see him and laugh and hug and play and see his face, man I miss him so much! But I really can't say anymore about it because if people found out about the details here, he could really get busted, if you want details you'll have to call me...but it was so fun! (Fort Lewis is in Washington, now I'm in Oregon with my Parents :) Break from school...Anyway....) Peace!

A Sad Day

I sent John off for his deployment yesterday. He will be at Fort lewis in Washington for 2 months before he goes to Afghanistan. I don't want any pity, but I am pleading for your prayers. I know people who read my blog are my nearest and dearest, and I know you'll all have the same questions, so to make it easier for me, I'm going to just explain it all... John speaks Arabic, and is in the National Guard. He has been to Iraq before but with a less than ideal unit. This deployment however will be mainly to create relationships with the people in Afghanistan, and to try to find the "bad guys". We both feel very fortunate because John's unit are all LDS guys, 2 out of the 10 are inactive but still GREAT great guys. His deployment will be for a year, so I'll have him home next February. :) I am beyond proud of him, and I know the Lord will keep him safe. He will be one of a few hundred priesthood holders in the entire country, and the relationships he will build in Afghanistan I know will prepare people for the gospel truth, even if they can't receive it for a long time. Without that reassurance I would not be nearly as faithful and hopeful as I am.

Here's a news clip, you can actually see John passing by in the group of soldiers in the first clip of men...he's carrying a black breifcase type thing :)
http://www.myfoxutah.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=F2B4ECD59E0EA82DBE7448E12777D400?contentId=5886465&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

While he is gone I will be staying with various family ( I don't do well alone, I need people! ) SO yesterday after he left I moved into Laura's house with her husband and one son at home. (Laura is the Teacher I work with at school who set me and John up in the first place) I will live with her until the end of May when school gets out. Then I will move farther south to live with my brother and his wife and kids, and be close to Ben, Kristen, Dylan, and Kaci. I'm still waiting to hear back from the Nauvoo Pageant for the summer. At the end of August I will move to the country Jordan for 3 months and live with John's parent and 2 youngest brothers. John's Dad Lane is a Colonel in the Army and will be the Attache for the U.S Embassy in Jordan. That means we will be entertaining dignitaries from all over the world for dinner, Queens, Prime Ministers, Presidents and the like...(What will i WEAR???!!!) I'll get to go to Jerusalem and See all the sights in Jordan. John will hopefully take his leave (2 weeks) in September or October and we'll go explore Egypt, and Scuba Dive in the red sea :)!!! Then I will come home to Oregon for Christmas and either stay with my folks for a few weeks, or go back to my brothers in Utah till John comes home in February. Man I am exhausted after just writing that! I'm hoping to stay very busy, maybe the time will go quickly:) Oh, I forgot to say that I'm not teaching next year, I will be getting my masters degree online starting in April, so I'll be busy with that as well :)

I just wanted to give you all the update, Thanks for your support and phone calls everyone- I spent my whole life looking for my best friend to spend forever with, and it's almost unbearable to let him go for a year now.

I know I'll be taken care of, I have an amazing family and wonderful friends who make sure of that, and I know he'll be taken care of too. Keep him in your prayers...

Auditions and Scuba Diving....

This weekend I auditioned for the Core Cast of the Nauvoo Pageant...a show in Nauvoo that I did last year with my brothers, but this was an audition for one of the full time, and speaking roles. Okay so first of all I was so so nervous! The audition consisted of having to sing 2 songs and do a reading of some material from the Pageant you've never seen before...so I was so nervous and totally bombed the singing part, if you know me well, then you know that I do NOT sing solos, so that in itself was a feat for me :) The music director did say though that I was very sincere when I sang. Then I went into a room with a group of about 11 other people for the reading, we introduced ourselves and why we were there to audition, I said that I was there because I have testimony of Joseph Smith and The Restored Gospel, and that I wanted to be a part of sharing the gospel through the pageant. We read from a part of the pageant where the Relief Society was organized, it was amazing! We discussed what it would have been like for these women at hte beginning of the organization of the RS and it was very powerful. All I can say is that it was very uplifting, very spiritually filling, and I loved it! I got a call that night at like 10:30 saying I made it to call backs...I was ecstatic! So excited, Call backs were ALL day starting at 7:30 AM. It was a day full of reading and discussing and trying this or that again, we took a break for President Hinkley's Funeral and then continued to work. My favorite part was reading a scene where Joseph and Hyrum have just been martyred, and the saints are relating what it was like, I read a line that went something like this: "That Day, an unspeakable sorrow settled upon all the saint in Nauvoo, and Abroad." Boy did I relate to that feeling of loss...I know President Hinkley certainly wasn't martyred, but the love I have for Him and his service in my life gave me a beautiful insight as I read those words in that scene. The day was an emotional one for many of us there, being touched by the testimonies and hardships of the early saints. I feel so privileged to be a part of it. It was also Heaps of fun! I got paired up with a man who was my "husband" and we both were to have heavy british accents, oh man...he came up to me and said hey, looks like we got stuck with the accents, lets just have fun with it! And we did! It was awesome!
I won't know for like a month if I made it into the Cast, I would love it so much, But honestly, just to be a part of it yesterday was delightful! I met a lot of wonderful people, and Nate came to help out (reading with people since he's been in it before) It was really fin to be there with him!
The only bummer thing was it lasted ALL day, and John actually had the day off from his Army Training! He did bring me a picnic and watch the Funeral with us though :)

Also, My birthday is in a couple weeks, and for my birthday I am taking Scuba Diving Lessons! RANDOM I know, I'm still a tiny bit unsure about it, Ive been reading my books and doing my homework though, and my first class is on Tuesday! I'll let you know how it goes! In the fall when I am in Jordan, John will get a 2 week leave, and we'll go Scuba Diving in Egypt, the Red sea I think...It sounds so so Crazy, I never would have imagined myself doing this, but here I am! Here's a picture of me tonight, John was finding me all the gear I'll need for my class on Tuesday, I've got my Divers Log in hand...Man that snorkel sure is flattering!

Holiday Madness, finally settling down and finally an update :)

WOW it's been a REALLY long time...it was time for a new post like a month and a half ago...sorry! SO a quick update,

Holidays:
Awesome! Our first Christmas together was great! We spent the 21, 22, and 23 here in Utah with John's family. His dad Lane was visiting from Israel, and it was fun to be with the whole gang together, we went sledding at Soldier Hollow in Morgan. On the evening of the 23 we drove to Oregon...one shot, a lot of driving! 15 hours later we're home and beginning Christmas festivities at Mom and Dad's house...okay it's weird to me saying Mom and Dad's house instead of home...did anyone else have a hard time adjusting to that??? Okay John was so thoughtful in his gift giving, and my favorite gift I think was a pair of red rain boots with white polka-dots! They are SO cute! Also, my parents got us the DVD series "planet earth", oh man it's my FAVORITE thing to watch! We spent a few days at the beach with the fam, and it was SO fun! Fun to have Nate and Amy and their kids, and SO fun to have Joey spend the whole time there with us! It's been awhile since his presence at family functions has been constant, and I just love his guts it was SO fun to spend time with him! It was also really fun to see my family get to know John as he came out of his shell...he is apparently the best at charades and Cranium! Who knew! He also jumped into the stormy ocean with his clothes on...on purpose! CARAZY!!! William and Lily are so Hilarious, I started calling Lily Tootle-Bug in Nauvoo this summer, now when anyone asks her what her name is she says "Tooda-Bug, Rufie" (her name is Lily Ruth...:)) William adores John, they play ninja's and star wars and Buzz Lightyear, it's awesome!

New Years:
We spent New Years at Mom and Dad's with the Jolley's as always and played games...it was my very first new years with someone to smooch! Ooh La La! :) The next morning we drove to California...another 15 hours. And we almost hit a wolf! Like a real wild crazy wolf! It was a close one, good thing John was driving, if I had been, the wolf woulda been a gonner! We went to Disneyland with Johns family for 3 days, it was madness! I mean don't get me wrong it was the happiest place on earth, it was just crazy trying to coordinate every one's wants and the little kids needs, whew I don't think I would ever go with a group like that again too much of a headache! But I did go to the California side for the first time, that California Screamin is insane, and so in the Hollywood Tower! My favorite is still Indiana Jones though, can't be beat!

Monterey
After Disneyland we drove another 6 or so ours north to Gilroy Cali. to see John's Grandparents for 4 days. It was nice to relax with them after Disneyland, and we went to Monterey and Carmel, it was gorgeous! We went to the Monterey Aquarium and saw all kinds of crazy fish and creatures, I love that kind of thing! We also did a lot of Shopping, and I finally got to but some much needed new clothes for John, ladies- do you got my back on that? Did anyone else's husband need fashion help after you got married? Of course I got some screamin deals for myself as well, I think I hit a record even for myself, at Ross I got 2 skirts, some panty-hose, and SEVEN shirts, all so cute okay TEN items and I spent 29 dollars!!! Dang I am so good! Shopping like that gives me a high, it really does! I wish finding good deals could be my job, and it's hard to find people that really appreciate a good bargain around here:)

HOME :)
After 3 weeks on the road I must say the drive home was a welcome one, another 16-17 hours drive and we were back in good ole SLC. That's like a boat-load of driving, seriously! SO now I'm back in School and somewhat of a routine. John leaves for training Feb 26 to Washington state for 2 months, and then over the middle east for 10 months...I'm keeping my chin up though, or trying to. Packing to move is so depressing, I feel like somebody popped my bright red balloon. But We both know it's where he belongs so that brings me comfort. It will be a busy year for me, I'll do details later.

Anyway, that's an update, much needed... here's some pics from our travels :)

Okay so Lily is so girly, I got out my old tea sets from the attic and we had a tea party, it was so fun!
Me and Tootle bug at the beach, she looks so cold!My new red boots:)Me and scooter racing the waves, I love that kid!

Steph, me and Mom at the beach
This is my..."how many more lines do we have to wait in?" Smile
Sporting some sweet Disneyland paraphernalia, those ears aren't mine, but I think they suit me :)
Ahhh the happiest place on earth, everything was decked out for the holidays notice how the castle is all snow clad and such

At the tide pools in Monterey, it was such a gorgeous day!This is a lighthouse behind a golf course, you all know my love for lighthouses! We went to the Ghiradelli Chocolate store in Monterey, these sundaes were HUGE! And you better believe I ate every last spoonful! :) A great ending to a great couple of weeks!

KIDS, I love 'em but they make me CRAZY!!!

Okay so I've had a rough teacher day, and I need to vent, keep reading if you find crazy things kids to entertaining....

First I need to start by saying I love being a teacher, it is without a doubt my calling in life (besides the obvious wife and mother...you know!) I've wanted to be a teacher since I was in Third grade, and here I am teaching 3rd grade! Who knew! I love it, it's inspiring, it's so fun I love to play/teach 8 year olds! They are too much fun!

So now I can proceed to to vent without you thinking what the heck are you doing being a teacher if it's so rotten! I really do love it except for today I wish I were at home in my jammies!

We had our first snow of the season at school today. Snow is really fun and beautiful and pretty to look at blah blah blah, it makes kids act out like crazy!!! When it snows it's like they could all be lined up and given Ritalin to achieve normalcy, I knew i should have stayed home today...let me give you a glimpse of my 3rd grade class...

I have a small class, 21 kids is a dream come true and I"m living it up this year because I know it's not likely to ever happen again in my career. I have the usual mix of girly girls who love to help the teacher (THAT WAS ME TO A 'T' WHEN I WAS 8 :) ) I have some sporty boys and some sci-fi boys and some tom-boys and i have some precocious little people who know far more about life than any 8 year old should have to....about divorce and separation and drug abuse and prison, and what happens when you don't pay your taxes and why Daddy stays at Grandma's house now and why "my big sister is 14 and has to be grounded forever because she's gonna have a baby" and why baby sister has to get medical treatments every week so she'll stay alive etc... So life is hard but it's so heartbreaking when kids have to learn that stuff when they're 8.

I get really grossed out when kids pick their noses and wipe it around the classroom, I mean really grossed out, but it comes with the territory I guess. I've got some real gold diggers this year, and some of them are so sweet they don't wipe their snotty buggers anywhere...they eat em! It's like clockwork at the beginning of they day we have a morning meeting and they pick and eat. After lunch recess we read a story at the rug and they pick and eat. I am so cruel. I'm sick of it, so lately when I catch a kid picking and eating I stop my story to say DJ are you hungry? "No" he says surprised, "well do you need a tissue?" "no" and if they don't catch on by then I ask them to please sit on their hands. Okay that's only happened a few times, I feel too guilty even though none of the other kids know why I am asking such strange questions. Man I hate buggers!

So I also have some other kinds of crazy kids in my class, well today was a doosey! I have a little boy who I will call Drew. Drew poops his pants. At School. Drew cannot smell it when he poops his pants, doctors say it's like a smoker who can't smell the smell of smoke. Drew can't tell when he has to poop. Drew Doesn't mind sitting in it. Drew gives Mrs Lance a headache every day around 1:30. Mrs lance privately asks Drew to change his pants into the clean ones he has in his backpack. This happens about once maybe twice a week. Kids ask Drew why he's wearing different pants than the ones he wore to school that day...he turns bright red and says nothing (is your heart broken yet...so sad I know!) Drews parents take him to the doctor but they don't know why he poops his pants. I don't know why he poops his pants either. But I wish he didn't!

Okay then there's my favorite of the day...I'll call him Carl. Carl is a slower kid, he's actually very bright but lacks fine motor skills and can't keep at one task for longer than, well about 20 seconds. He thinks pencils are swords and he'll brake them all so he can get up and sharpen them to get out of doing his work. He eats paper. He sleeps half of the day. At rug time he loves to pick at his shoe and eat whatever he can get off. Today I cleaned out his desk and talked with him about where his crayons and glue belong, and where his math and science journal belong. ETC.... Well I found a nickel and a penny in Carls desk today, and gave them to him and said put them in your pocket if I see them again, they're mine. I see them in about 30 seconds, I give him a warning, another 10 seconds and they're out...another warning, not 10 seconds more and I say put them on my desk (this is all in the middle of a spectacular lesson I was giving about how the Ute Indians governed themselves --by the way) I count to three because he wants to put them back in his pocket, knowing I'm REALLY serious this time, but I count to three, which is like magic, he grumbles and grunts probably swearing at me under his breath and slaps the coins on my desk. Lesson finishes, recess time, 15 minutes later back at the rug for a project description. Suddenly I see the coins, they catch my eye and without skipping a beat in my lesson I tell Carl to put them back on my desk, that little devil took them off my desk! He puts back the nickel, and I'm still teaching, but only the nickel...then he starts crying Carl I say, the penny too, and he just cries. I decide to continue with the directions and deal with the penny later. He's still crying and starts sneezing....oh boy, he's mumbling under his breath something and a child interrupts my lesson and says "MRS LANCE! You said we could interrupt to tattle on someone if someones in danger or if someones hurt, and Carl keeps saying he can't get his penny out!" Out of what Shaylie? I ask "HIS NOSE!"

Now what on earth do you do? I was rescued by a specialist teacher coming in at just the right time to teach my class about bullies. So I escort the little snot...(I'm so funny) to the office where we proceed to tell the Principal what happened, she calls his mother, father, grandma, grandpa, and the father again before she gets a hold of anyone, Dad comes to pick him up, and take him to the hospital, yes it was REALLY far up there!

Sheesh! Pennies in our noses and Poop in our pants, hey that sounds like the title of a really great book. Or the story of my life...

Some of these things are typical, some are not, but they're all pretty funny. I feel better now that I've let it all out.

A few pics of this years class, they are so cute!

My Girls on National "Talk Like a Pirate Day"
My boys on the very same wonderful day
Arrrgghh! Shiver me timbers, it's me on Talk like a pirate day, I am such a weirdo!
We had a reception for my class at school since they couldn't come to the reception in Logan, they loved it, I taught them a whole course on manners and handshakes and introducing people, it was so cute!
On Halloween, me reading a few kids a spooky story, I am Pippi Longstocking, wish you could really see my costume :)