Delemia of a School Librarian

I.LOVE.BOOKS. Especially children's books! This is why I love my job so much. I get to read children's books to children, I get to select children's books for our school, and I get to work with the kids in the media center.

Awhile back I selected this book:


"Its A Book" by Lane Smith! I absoutley love this book, comparing reading a book to the digital age we live in of texting, facebooking, and blogging. It is hilarious! So what is my delemia? Well there are 3 characters in the book, Mouse, Monkey, & Jackass. I have no problem with the names or with saying Jackass as a name. However, in the last page of the book Mouse says,"It's a book, Jackass!" It reads like Mouse is calling Jackass a Jackass, instead of by his name. Hence my delemia......to read it outloud without sarcasam!

I tried with a 6th grade class........did not work.....they were laughing throughout the whole book! I gave up and just put it on the shelf for kids to check out. Now the book is always checked out (which is great) but, I am just waiting for a parent to come in and talk to me about the book! Did I mention that one of the greatest things about my job is that I get to work with the kids, but I don't have to deal with the parents......those days could be history!

In Love With FALL

I. Love. Fall.
There, I have said it! I love the crisp, cool air, the falling leaves, the beautiful rich fall colors, football, wearing sweaters, and most of all the perspective that fall gives me. For me, there are two feelings that come with Fall.
First is CHANGE:
I see, feel, & smell so much change around me that it makes me want to experience actual change in my life. Some people like to make changes in their lives when a new year begins, but I think Fall is a good time for change. So I am going to make some changes now, and here are some things that I want to improve on.

* I want to be more kind.
* I want to go to bed earlier.
* I want to be more productive.
* I want to be a better visiting teacher.
* I want to be a better friend.
* I want to study the scriptures more.
* I want to be healthier.
* I want to be closer to the spirit.

Wow! Kind of a lofty list, but I can do it!

The second feeling that I get with Fall is GRATITUDE:

* I am grateful for the beautiful place that I live, and the freedoms I enjoy!
* I am grateful for good, thoughtful friends!
* I am grateful for health, mine and my loved ones!
* I am grateful for opportunities to work!
* I am grateful for talented musicians, and artists who inspire me!
* I am grateful for my home, and the love, safety, and joy I feel here!
* I am grateful for parents who loved me, and raised me in the gospel!
* I am grateful for older brothers who tortured me, and raised me to be strong!
* I am grateful for the best husband in the world!!
* I am grateful for our three beautiful daughters!
* I am grateful for Laughter!
* I am grateful for Love!
* I am grateful for Forgiveness!
* I am grateful for Joy!
* I am grateful for the Priesthood of God!
* I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
* I am grateful for a living Prophet of God!
* I am grateful for the Book of Mormon!
* I am grateful for my Testimony!
* I am grateful that I am a Mormon!

This list of gratitude could go on and on....... but now you may understand why I love Fall so much!
It is a time of shedding the old me, and starting from scratch, like a bulb underground. Growing, and changing from the inside out. So when spring comes I will be renewed, a better me. Striving to become all that is possible!
It is also a time of reflection on all that is good in my life, all the blessings I enjoy, all the opportunities that are mine. All that I am now, because of where I have been before!

I. Love. Fall. I'm just sayin.....

Summer With The Londons

Summer is a busy time of year for us. We started off the summer with taking a family trip to Las Vegas and St. George. Nicole was even able to get work o ff early and come play in Vegas with us! In St. George we were able to see The Little Mermaid and Grease at Tuachan! We had a great time together!

Nicole, Megan, and I at The Little Mermaid!

We started off July with me, Mom, and Dad heading up to Girl s Camp! This was SYCA year at Camp so it was the last time that I got to go. I was a litt le nervous going up because I wasn't going to be with the ward this year, but it was still so much fu n! Our Camp theme this year was Be Your Own Kind Of Beautiful. By the end of the week everyone at camp had become their own kind of beautiful. It was so great to have both of my parents at Girls Camp for my last year. They were both worki ng with the stake too so I got to see them a lot more. My dad was a stake camp daddy so it was even better when I got to direct my jokes at him! The week was so much fun and I got to know the girls my age and in my ward a lot better. I am so glad that I have been able to go up to Cam p for the last 6 years! It has truly strengthened my testimony of the gospel!

The ward playing extreme volleyball! We got pretty good at it by the end of the week!

The SYCA'S leading the music! It was so much fun!


Josie, Krista, and I on the first year hike!

One of the SYCA'S pranks on the camp dads was spraying them with silly string!

Our next adventure was Moon Lake. The week after Girls Camp we headed off to Moon Lake. Mom, Megan, Chelsea, Coco, and I left Tuesday. On Thursday Nicole and Dad came up to join in on the fun! We all had a good time hanging out! Even Co co had fun up there! She enjoyed all the attention she got as well as the many different smells up there, roaming free in the cabin, laying on any open bed, and of course going bye-bye in the car! I even left $10 richer because I went under the i ce cold water for 3 seconds! Including the $10 I also left with a bad sunburn on m y back...opps! All in all it was a super fun week!

Coco cuddling up to Dad. She loves her Shane!!

We buried Megan on the beach. I think we all took turns getting buried! It was very sandy after...

The family before we left!

After Moon Lake I got to take a break from camping for a week before I went to OYA. OYA stands for Outdoor Youth Adventures. I went to that last week! It was so much fun! On Monday my friend Alie and I headed up to Rexburg where we got on a bus for about an hour and went to Badger Creek where we actually camped! It was such a great experience! We were in group F which in my op inion was the best group there! Go Supermegafoxyawesomehotts!! :) On Monday we just spent the day mostly getting to know our group. Tuesday is when we started doing more activities. We started off Tuesday w ith doing the spider's web, the pirate ship, and the thing I don't remember the name of! After we were done with those we headed over to the Giant Swing! I loved that one! It was so much fun!

On Tuesday we also did the rock wall and zip line. As well as the John Colter relay! On Wednesday we started off the day with the blind walk. When we were done with that it was time to go get ready for river rafting! That was probably my favorite thing we did all week! I had never gone rafting before and it was a good river to

be on! After rafting we did the power pole! The power p ole was lots of fun too! After we finished the power pole we went to the prison wall. This was a flat wall that our whole group had to go over. You could only help 3 people on top and 3 o n bottom. This one was a little harder for me but it was sti ll pretty fun! Thursday we got to start off the day with a shower! It was worth waking up at 5:30 for! We went horse back riding after breakfast that day. After horse back riding we went to the Jungle Jim. That one wa

s both fun and challenging for me. I realized this week that I don't have that much upper body strength ...haha. We also went on our hike on Thu rsday. The hike was pretty challenging for me too with my asthma and shin splints, but it was stil l really great! It was so pretty up there and I really got to see the beauty while on the hike. Thursday night we had a hoedown!! That was lots o f fun!! It was such a great experience and I am so glad that I went even if it was a challenge! I am so glad that I was put in the group that I was

in! They were all so n ice to me when it was harder for me to do something! I felt the spirit so strongly up there! It was so great to be around people who have the same standards as you do!

Me on the rock wall!


The whole family!!

Me on top of the power pole!

The pretty stream on the hike.

Alie and I waiting to go on the Giant Swing!

Me on the Giant Swing!

Me on the Jungle Jim!

The summer has been great so far, but we still have a month left! It's gone by way too fast...I don't know if I'm ready to be a senior yet!! Any way it's been so much fun and I wouldn't change any moment of it!!

We have it All.....

Our human bodies are so funny...it seems that there was only one time of the year that I could get pregnant and have it stick. There were lots of fertility drugs, 5 pregnancies (that we know of.....yes you can miscarry before you even realize you are pregnant...who knew?), resulting in 2 miscarriages, and 3 beautiful daughters!

First came Nicole, born on March 19th! Next came Megan, born on March 30th! (2 years after Nicole) Then came Abbie, born on January 31! (2 years after Megan). I had always wanted 8 kids, then as I got older I decided 6 would be okay, and finally by the time I got married I really wanted at least 4. In the end, I just feel so grateful for the 3 beautiful girls that we have been blessed with. I couldn't be happier!! These girls are Amazing!!

Since they have all celebrated big birthdays recently I wanted to just tell them how precious they are to Shane and me.

Nicole: You are a real adult now (21) You have traveled the world to places that I only dream of going! You are a leader (and sometimes the "ringleader"). You are beautiful, fun, protective, smart, and of course...."happy, happy, happy"! When I think of you as a baby/toddler, I think of your beautiful dark hair, and big brown eyes. Your knocking on the bathroom door looking for your "Pops", walking around talking nonstop, rolling your eyes, playing up to the camera, grounding your little sisters, and running away (to Pops), You made it through your teenage years having your heart broken, and breaking hearts along the way.You found that through trials your faith and testimony grows. You made good choices which has strengthened your amazing testimony and has led you to where you are today! We are so proud of you!!



Megan: You are 19 now! Wow, you have almost survived your teenage years. You have such a open, loving , and tender heart! I wish that I was as compassionate as you are! You are also very brave, and determined ,you do things that are challenging and even if it scares you, you just press forward. I also admire how strong your faith is. You know that when you pray Heavenly Father is there, and you know He will guide you! Many people do not have that kind of faith, and so they will never have the adventures you have! When I think of you as a baby/toddler, I think of your beautiful curly blond hair, your BIG beautiful brown eyes. I also think of how much adventure and mischief you would get into.....escaping from the nursery at church, throwing the "balls" (eggs) you found in the fridge onto the floor, trying to jump into the swimming pool by yourself, and always wanting to be my helper. Your teenage years found you coming out of your shell, and singing your way through High School. Now you are completing your first year at college, and you have so much adventure, fun, and love ahead of you! You are beautiful and we are so proud of you!



Abbie: For being 17, I am amazed by you.....you have it all. You are smart, beautiful, daring, strong, and loyal. I admire how independent you are. I love how playful you are, and I absolutely love your sense of humor! When I think of you as a baby/toddler, I think of your beautiful blue eyes, and your beautiful smile that would light up a room. I think of you and your playmates Zack, Josie, Britt, Alie, and Pops. I think of you and Josie playing till you both just fell asleep with Barbies in your hands. I think of stitches, cute freckles on your little nose, and more personality than most adults have! You have grown into a beautiful young woman, with only 1 more year of High School ahead of you! There have been more stitches, alot of laughter, and so much love along the way! I love how you are so self motivated, how you stand up for what you believe in, and how I see your testimony growing! You have so much adventure ahead of you (just don't involve the law), Your future is bright with Love and Success!! I am so proud of you!




My favorite things about our girls?? The traits that they share....they are so loving and loyal to each other, and they are continuing to grow in the gospel! What more could a parent ask for?
We have it all!!


!

Obviously Change is Not a Constant on this Blog..

But we're all alive, happy, healthy, and loving life.

Shane: working, doing all of our taxes (for free even-well who am I kidding, he does my taxes he knows how broke I am), cursing the puppy, secretly loving the puppy, laughing at his girls, taking care of us all and loving whenever the whole family is all together

Robyne: working, reading books, loving her "lil pup", answering phones (since Megan and I have moved away her roles as driver and errand runner have been replaced with phone operator), taking care of the home, spending far too much time at Hillcrest, and loving her family

Abbie: Celebrating her birthday! Happy 17th girl! Actually due to some mistakes in scheduling she actually has been able to celebrate her birthday more in the last month then some people ever celebrate birthdays in their entire lives... well that was sad. Anyways, she is also busy going to school, being a social butterfly with her friends, getting ready for Renaissance feast and looking forward to the Sweethearts dance.

Megan: Busy going to school, driving home for all her friends mission farewells, freezing at snow, hanging out with her roommates, and loving living in a cute little apartment-even if it is in Ephraim. She is doing great at college and has big dreams for her future, that I know she'll achieve.

And me. Well I'm back in the USA. Not always my first choice to be now, but it's home and I LOVE that. I'm going to BYU, living in Provo (most of the time), catching up for lost adventures with my friends here, and studying way too much. Honest.

Oh. And the dog. She has learned to sit and lay down. And when Megan and I are gone she howls whenever the phone rings. She likes us all to be together at home. It's adorable.

And she sometimes she wears sweaters. Although that says more about mom then the dog ;)Life at the Londons is good.

(Hopefully the parentals will post more later... I just wanted to see how long it would take them to notice that I posted here)

-Nicole

Changes.....the one constant

Change...its what life seems to be all about! People say, "I need a change", "I feel things changing", "change is for the better", "times are a changin"', "time changes all things" .....I could go on and on, but I think you get the Idea.
Our lives are always changing, and that is good! Change = Growth. But, sometimes I forget that change can be awkward, and difficult. Here are a few of the changes in our lives the past few months.....

Megan graduated from Hillcrest High School in June. Her summer was filled with "change"...she had her wisdom teeth out, all four impacted...then about 4 weeks later she had her tonsils out! During this time she was also packing/shopping for college, and reorganizing/cleaning out her bedroom, and basically spending any free time partying with her friends before they all went their separate ways for college/missions. Her summer ended with a trip to Washington D.C. with Mom & Dad.


We had an amazing trip and enjoyed the alone one on one time with Meg, before we moved her to SNOW College. SNOW is in Ephraim Utah, about 1 1/2 hours south east of Sandy. Just far enough away for her to be independent and close enough to be able to come home once in a while! Megan is loving college, her new friends, and the fact that she still has her own room.

Abbie had a great summer, very busy! She went to girls camp and had a blast! She went to Moon Lake with some friends and had a great time there also. Abbie got her license and since then is hardly ever home. Especially since Nicole has left and Abbie is now driving the Mazda.
Abbie is on the tennis team and is busy every day with either matches, or practices. Abbie is also involved with the school play/musical this year. Abbie has always been the most independent child and has such a zest for life....she keeps us going here at home!


Nicole had a busy summer working and saving $ for her semester abroad studies in London! She worked hard all summer. In her free time she spent with friends, and mostly with her family! It was great, we loved having her home and it was great that she actually wanted to spend her time with us. Maybe she thought that she would get sick of us and it would be easier for her to leave for 3 1/2 months. There was also alot of preparation for her to pack up her college stuff, pack up for London, and also pack up her room for being gone again. She is now Loving London and having great experiences that are changing her life!



As for Shane & I, we are also keeping busy, changing, getting older, wiser, poorer, (ha,ha)
Life is good and the one thing that hasn't changed it that I still LOVE this man and our girls!



Life is changing...it's getting better all the time!

California...a big state

It seems that when it rains it pours, well, sometimes. Like when all the really good movies come out within the same 2 week period, or all of the family's social demands fall within a 3 day period, you know stuff like that. So it was with my recent trips to California. Shane and I had been planning all year on chaperoning Hillcrest HS Performing Arts Tour to Southern California the week before Easter. I have done this for the past 4 years, and this would be Shane's second trip as a chaperone. I have loved this trip! The kids are amazing and supportive of eachother. They know how to work hard and play hard (very important in Disneyland). But while planning for this trip my dear sweet Grandma Jessie passed away so I took a quick trip to Norhtern CA for her funeral, it was a beautiful service, and it was great to see my family...and spend time in San Francisco exploring with my sister-in-law (she always has the best ideas of where to go)


This is an older picture from a different adventure, but just so you know she is very fun!!

I returned from my Grandma's services on Sunday and we departed on Monday for the Performing Arts Tour in So. California. I wish I could say I hopped on a plane for that trip, but it was not to be......instead it was a lovely bus trip leaving Utah about 7pm Monday night and arriving in San Diego about 7 am Tuesday morning! Lots of fun but almost no sleep!!
We had breakfast and then toured the USS Midway. The kids also performed on board.



As you can see this first day of tour, was also Megan's 18th Birthday!!! She wore a crown and a "Birthday Princess" sash all day. We celebrated pretty much the whole trip though!! I still can't believe she is 18 and graduating so soon! Do I feel old? no, not really....I just feel time is slipping away and just yesterday she was a baby! I sure do love her and am proud of her!!

After leaving the Midway we went to the beach, it was beautiful weather and you could sure spot the "white" Utah kids in the water, ha, ha. It was a great afternoon in the surf and sun!


Megan performing on the USS Midway.


Singing karoke on the cruise Tues. night!

Choir performing at Disneyland.


VE performing at Disneyland!

Sisters watching the performance!

More birthday celebration @ Rainforest Cafe.

Mama & Papa London
Tour was an awesome experience. We were able to go to San Diego, Disneyland, and on the way home we stopped in Las Vegas to see "The Lion King" it was great! We arrived home early Easter morning. In time to come home and take a short rest before having a great Easter with the Child clan.