I am at the family history center. There is no one who needs my help. Our laptop is broken and so I cannot get to the information on my family or Mary and Theo's so I decided that the best thing I could do is to update the blog. Sunday, despite what the blog says it was 9:00 p.m. when I decided to sign off. I get up at 4:30 a.m. during the week and I need to be in bed that early if I want to function. I only got to Monday on my description of the week so I guess that I will continue on from there.

Tuesday was a quality teaching day at school. That means that I have to be there but the students are not. Generally they come at the end of each term so that we have time to work on grades and prepare for the new term or semester. I spent the day working on grades and organizing the kitchens to make sure they each have what they need. Larry has classes on Tuesdays so Erick picked me up from school.

Wednesday the new Semester started at our school. It was also the day of an NAL game which I am a mentor for. When we have away games we have to leave early so the school busses can go on their normal run so we have to leave school early therefore, I had to get a sub for my two new classes on the first day! Not a good situation. But we survived and we won the game with Millcreek by 1 point.

Maren gave me a flat iron for my hair for Christmas. She spent alot of time on Monday doing my hair and then helped me try to use it. A lot of the girls at school mentioned my hair the first day back so I guess it would be worth it to try but I am presently back to curlly because it is easier.

I was glad that we only had a three day school week last week because we ended up not getting to bed early and we were tired by Thursday. Erick is staying late on Tuesdays and Thursdays now at school but last week he did not have to so he was home a little earlier.

Friday night we had Kirsten's kids while they went to the Bar J Wranglers with Jon's family. The kids enjoyed playing clue with me and then we watched several shows on Disney channel. I was so tired I just sat there and watched. Then I sent the kids to bed at 10:00 p.m. Larry had gone to bed earlier because he had to work early on Saturday.

Saturday we watched Kyle's movie, "Ant bully" while we ate breakfast. Then Kirsten came to get the kids and Erick and I had to start working because we still had the Christmas tree up and all the Christmas decorations and Maren had planned Brinlie's birthday party for the evening at 6:00 p.m. Erick and I worked on the Living room until about 12:30 p.m. and Maren came and started to help us. She ended up cleaning most of the kitchen while we finished the living room. She also Vacuumed the stairs for me while I mopped the floor. Then we got some of the food ready and It felt good to have a clean house. Larry said, "it would be worth having a party for every week" when he came home.

The party was a lot of fun. We had all of the family here except Nathan and Sara. With Landon's family all there, I realized that I have a very small house for giving a big family party. Brinlie seemed to have a good time. She also got lots of presents and there was alot of good food for everyone. BJ even brought his girl friend Holly Milligan to the party so everyone was giving Erick a bad time about being single. Erick got some good pictures but I haven't had time to get him to upload them. I could have taken some pictures if I had thought to go get my mail in. Sara had sent the recharger for the camera but we didn't get the mail in until Sunday but then I was able to upload the pictures from Christmas for Sunday.

Sunday Larry slept all afternoon so I was somewhat concerned but I guess he was just tired because he has been alright this week. We had a post trek fireside that was a great spiritual boost for me. The had a great DVD but of course as cooks and crew non of us were in it. I was thinking the theme song for the Trek, called "Carry Me" would make a great family song for this year.

Monday I had ESL class again so it was a late night. Larry came to pick me up at 6:30 p.m. and he had bought some King crab legs for a good price so we went home and ate them with Erick and enjoyed each others company and went to bed. Maren called and was excited because she passed the written part of her test for her Cosmotology license. She has the practical part on Saturday.

Tuesday Larry had the day off and he worked on school and some financial things we needed to take care of. I made chocolate chip cookies most of the day teaching about measuring and then helped some girls after school on clothing projects until about 5:00 p.m. Then I had to get the car home to Larry so he could go to school. I was really tired and thought I would go to bed early but it was about 9:30 p.m. befoe I made it but after eating I really revived and even exercised while I watched the State of the Union Address.

Wednesday I had NAL again after school so Larry brought me some clothes to change into and we went to the Bountiful temple to do sealings with our ward. We ate at Burger King on the way home and then right after Erick called and said he had dinner ready for us, homemade macaroni and cheese, I was thrilled but surprized because he had said he would be late after a service project in his ward so I wasn't expecting him to be home. He even fixed a vegetable and a fruit to go with it! We also went shopping for a lab I had today so we went to bed late again. I really had a hard time getting up this morning.

Today I showed a video so I could get grades caught up in the morning but I had labs in the afternoon. I stayed after school to help some students get caught up on their clothing projects and then we came to the family history center to work.

Larry and I bought our tickets to go to Houston during spring break to help Sara with the baby. We will be going on March 31st in the evening and coming back April 6th in the evening. Hopefully we can help out. Sara told Nikki that she is set to be induced on March 12th so that Nathan can be home.

Well we need to go home so I will mention other children later.

It has been an interesting week. I had the 15th off of work which was Martin Luther King Day. I went to the doctor because I did not feel good on Saturday again. I learned that I did have Strep all through Christmas. The throat swab they cultured came back positive. So it is a good thing that I insisted on getting some antibiotic on New Year's eve. He told me I was on Dr. orders not to do anything extra so I have been having fun joking about that all week. It felt good to have some confirmation that I understood my body and what it was going through. Those of you that were around me make sure you get aches and chills or sore throats checked.

Larry had Monday off too so it was fun to sleep in together and then he went to the doctor with me. We went grocery shopping and then when we got home Maren came over and worked on my hair coloring and cutting and styling it for about 5 hours. I look much better now. Maren is trying to teach me how to use the Flat Iron that she gave me for Christmas and it is just not as easy as Diffusing my hair, but I realized that about 5 years ago I was trying to learn how to diffuse my hair and it was just as frustrating. Eventually I will learn how to do it but it is hard right now.

Sara sent my camera recharger and Erick finally brought in yesterday's mail today so I uploaded a couple of pictures from Christmas. The first is in Ingram, Texas. It is Larry's sister Judy and her son Mike. The second is Nathan playing a pool game with the kids, Isaac and David, on Christmas day.

I will write more tomorrow hopefully but is is past my bedtime.

Well, I am finally back after a month of crazy Christmas trips and not feeling good. The week after my last post I started aching and did not feel good. I made it through the end of school frenzy before Christmas but only by taking Excedrin most days to stop the aching. I started to feel better and it was time to go to Texas. Larry couldn't go because his work banned all emergency leave from December 20th until January 2 and that was all he had left for the year. So Erick, BJ, and I took off with our map from Mapquest and started across country to see Nathan and Sara and the crew. Things went pretty well the first day but I had to stop so much for the bathroom that I decided to stop taking the Excedrin and then I really got feeling bad. Sore throat, aches and chills, all the way to Kerrville where John and Judy live. Luckily they would still take us in even though it was possible I could be bringing them more than a Christmas present. After sleeping and taking some medicine I felt much better and had a good visit with Judy, John, Jane, David, Mike, Sandra and their children. Hillary had grown alot from our last visit four years ago and seemed to enjoy talking to Erick and BJ. The baby that we saw the last time was now almost 5 and seeing him really put it in perspective how long it had been. We had a great brunch with the family and exchanged gifts and moved on to Houston.

We had a good trip to Houston and I kept thinking that I would be able to go to an urgent care when I finally got to Houston but by the time I got there and had dinner with the family the urgent cares were closed. So I made Nathan take me to the nearest Target and we bought a big bottle of Excedrin and went back to the drugs for comfort. We had a great night when we got there watching Nacho Libre and eating taco's and other Mexican food. We were able to stay with Nathan and Sara in their duplex on air mattresses. They have a spacious place and it was fun to be there full time, but Sara had to put up with a bed on the Living Room and Office floor for three days. Sara's mom Gail was also there. She is staying with Sara while Nathan is gone and we had a good visit with her also. We had a good time playing games and watching movies and eating good food for three days. Sara made some really good food and by Christmas night I was feeling better.

We went to Nathan and Sara's ward on Christmas Eve and then some couple missionaries there helped us contact Weston's mission president to see if we could see Weston when we took the package Annette had sent with us. He said, "no!" so we gave the package to the missionaries to take to him and called him to tell him the situation. It was good to talk to him on the phone for a few minutes.

We got up early the day after Christmas and left Houston hoping to make it back for Maren's graduation from Fran Brown at 2:00p.m. on the 27th. We drove straight through and I enjoyed reading some genealogy magazines that Judy had given us for Christmas all across Texas. I felt pretty good all the way home. We made it home by noon on the 27th just before the Snow started to fall. We had dry roads down and back. Nathan called us about 6:00 a.m. when we were in Moab eating breakfast because he had heard about the big storm coming in and he was worried but it had not arrived and we made it safely. After the storm arrived I was glad that we had needed to get home so fast because we would not have had dry roads a day later.

I tried to go without my medicine on the Thursday I got back and found out I was not better. I went to the doctor and had a strep test and it was negative so I went home and took my drugs and began finishing up the plans for the Jenkins, Presser, Christiansen party that we had planned for Saturday morning at our church.

The party seemed to go well, despite some minor gliches like the Primary also scheduled the cultural hall for their breakfast activity that morning so we had to move the Humanitarian projects into the Multipurpose room. But it went well and then we had a good dinner with Ham and Turkey and rolls and numerous salads and desserts. We had a video of Steven and his companions entertaining in Ukraine and some entertainment by Ethan and Hailee and Ashley and Uncle Gary. Craig and Corrinne's little boys had strep the last minute so they could not come but eventually most of the family showed up. Then we cleaned up and our family went to our house and opened our presents. Larry worked the whole day, then went to a team meeting for school. I was frustrated but we still love each other.

Sunday I got so sick with aches and chills at church again that I had Larry call the doctor. I talked him into giving me an antibiotic and went to bed for New Years Eve. I slept most of the day on New Years and got feeling much better in the evening and was able to go to work on the 2nd and feel good the rest of the week. So at least by then I had something that was bacterial. BJ took a date to first night in Salt Lake for New Year's Eve. Erick invited some friends over to the house and I shut my door and ignored them. I think the rest of the kids stayed home with their families.

I was really grateful to get feeling better for school. We just had two more weeks until the end of the term and I needed to be able to do my job. Larry received a promotion the first day back that entailed that he be at work at seven a.m. At the same time his car started acting up again on him and we had to carpool. I was able to complete several projects that I had to do in the hour and a half that I had to get to school early so I felt like things were going good.

Larry's promotion is a good one. He is making $3.00 an hour more and working more hours. We feel like we have been really blessed. I am really proud of him. He didn't think he would make it to coach until maybe another year and he is there now. We have really felt the help of the Lord as we have worked through our finances. It really pays to pay your tithing and counsel with the Lord.

I was aching and chilling again this weekend but I think it is a combination of not enough sleep and the cold. We have really seen the temperatures drop this past week. I am feeling okay tonight so I guess this is my new trial for the year.

I am still teaching primary with a sister in our ward. Larry decided that he wanted to go to Priesthood and get to know some of the men in our ward better so they released him but I am sure they will find a job for him. We are on the early schedule from 9:00-12:00 in the morning. Larry is going to school still but I am only finishing up ESL Endorsement and other projects for my Technology Endorsement. We also have curriculum maps to do at school for each subject.

Michelle is the Relief Society book club leader which must be something unique to their ward, she is also the choirster for young women, and the achievement day leader for the 8-10 year olds. Dan is ward mission leader and rotating organist. Hailee and Ethan are learning the song "On the road again" to sing as a duet for their choir in March. Michelle is struggling because she is trying to lose 20 lbs. and Daniel is trying to gain 20 lbs. so she is having to fix him all the things that she cannot eat.

Jake is trying to figure out how to go back to school. He has been exploring on line universities and trying to figure out if their accrediatation is going to be what he wants. The kids have colds. Lexie is back in school after being off track during and before Christmas. Jake bought a new car when his work car broke down and it would cost more than it was worth to fix it. He was really upset when a week later a Christmas tree that was on the curb rolled into the road and hit his car and did body damage so his new car is going in the shop tomorrow.

BJ is alive but has lots of girl friends. He has one that is more than a friend named Holly Milligan. He just started the new semester and hates his schedule. He is still working for Alert Cellular but looking for a new job. He says he might start running again. I think he needs to start going to bed earlier. He is a real night owl at school. He agrees.

Erick finally got the courage to ask a girl out on the same day he was going to take her out after all his dates fell through yesterday. He has staunchly defended his position that it is rude to ask a girl out on the same day up until yesterday. He had a good time too. He likes his schedule for school. He was happy to find out that his Chemistry class was using the same text that BJ used last semester and BJ didn't make him pay for the use of his book. He is getting really busy in his University of Utah ward.

Maren takes her state test on the 27th of January. She has a job working nights at Hair Play here in Kaysville when she passes. She has enjoyed being home with Brinlie and spending more time with her. She is planning on having a family party for Brinlie's birthday this Saturday at 6:00 p.m. You should be getting an invitation. Landon is still working for his dad in the family business but is working towards starting school now Maren is finished. They took Binlie sleigh riding on Saturday with all the snow.

Kirsten and Jon took the kids sleigh riding on Saturday also. They have all the kids for the weekend. Kyle has been sick with a cold so Kirsten was glad we have the four day weekend from school so he can rest. She and Jon have been working hard to keep up financially. Jon has two jobs so I hope that he does not overload himself. Larry and Dad tell me that is just standard operating for Dad's sometimes. I know John Christiansen also had two jobs for a while.

Sara has been in Missouri for a while. Her brother came home from his mission on the 4th of January. He spoke today in his ward. She was going to go home to Houston today but there has been an ice storm so they decided to wait until tomorrow. Sara went down to McAllen, Texas to stay with Nathan for a week before she went to Missouri so they have been on the road alot this month.

Nathan gave me his address last week and I finally got it in my head that he is in McAllen instead of Brownsville. Larry said that Jeff spent some of his time on his mission in McAllen, Texas. Nathan tried out for a part in a play called "Once Upon a Mattress" and he got a part as an understudy to one of the leads and he is in the chorus there in McAllen. He has had several people from the ward there invite him over for dinner. Someone even invited him for his birthday.

Well I was going to upload some pictures but the battery on my camera is dead and I left the charger in Texas so as soon as Sara is back in Texas then maybe I can show you some pictures of our trip and other things.