I can't think of a title!

I always hate thinking up clever titles, sometimes Sean helps and that is when they are actually funny-oh well!

I started teaching again at the end of August. My classes are polar opposite of last year. I used to come home in tears after having several panic attacks throughout the day because the students had such terrible behavior problems. Although I knew my class was particularly challenging I also knew that it was my first year teaching so I had reason for being so challenged by the experience. Now I come home with fun stories about my day and wanting to go back the next. This year I was able to spend a lot more time during the summer preparing my classroom and my curriculum which has really helped with the flow of teaching so far, I don’t find myself completely lost in tons of paperwork I have no idea what to do with. Although I recognize that being a second year teacher makes work easier by default, I feel so lucky and blessed to have the classes I have. The kids are normal five year olds with little hands that want to touch each other all the time and mouths that struggle to stay closed, but they are adorable!

I find great satisfaction in hearing stories of how awful my little boys from last year are acting for their first grade teachers. That may sound awful but it makes me feel like I wasn’t completely incapable last year, the boys are just REALLY hard:)

Sean started fall semester and is really liking his classes. He finished the first and second part of O-chem as well as the lab with straight A’s, Yay Sean!! Now he mostly has psychology classes to finish up. He also has 7 more secondary applications to finish for medical school, that only like 14 more essays which isn’t too bad right?

Our dear friends just suffered a miscarriage this past week which was heart-breaking. I have spent a lot of time thinking about all the emotions and grief that come with such a loss and reliving this past summer. As I look back I am surprised we made it through. It felt like the longest summer of my life! We had an area conference today and heard from Sister Beck, Elder Holland, and President Packer. Sister Beck mentioned that this life isn’t meant to be easy. We fought a war in heaven for our agency and for the opportunity to grow closer to our Father in Heaven through trials. How true it is that without trials and disappointments we would not be able to grow to our full potential. It seems like all the men and women I want to be like have gone through really hard things. It is really hard and rather rotten to be in the middle of trials though:)

We found this amazing home video of Sean playing the Piano when he was about six. It makes me really happy!



(Sean to Brandon: no offense about the 18th Century Dance thing. You probably did teach me that one. If not, I probably stole it from you in a lesson with Lynn :D )