Saturday, March 29, 2008

3 Things In A Bag

We had a fun activity at church a couple of weeks ago, the Relief Society Birthday Dinner, and we got to know each other through this funny game. We were asked to bring in a brown grocery bag with 3 items inside that told something about ourselves that nobody knew. We each took a turn choosing a random bag, holding up the items and everyone guessed who the bag belonged to. There were items like a guitar songbook, an opera playbill, a piece of Fiestaware, a German beer stein, a Harry Potter book, a rafting helmet, a Portuguese to English book, a quilt, a statue of an angel, a Snoopy doll, a golf ball, a tennis ball, the most unusual item: a tool for sheep castration!... I could go on. My eyes were opened to these women of all ages and their talents, hobbies, and work. When the person was guessed, they would come up and briefly explain why they had chosen those items, and then pick the next bag. It was so great! It took them awhile to guess mine, but Julie called out, "Krista!" and the jig was up.

~I loved my Latin Ballroom class at BYU and this is how I get my fix (and my fit) 2-3 times a week.
~This portrait was my final project for a college watercolor class. It's Harry Connick Jr.
~I am a Lord of the Rings geek. Love the books, love the movies (ext. ed.), love the backstory, love it. Thanks, Dad.

What would go in your bag?

Monday, March 24, 2008

Sharing Easter Sunday With You


listen to: How Sweet It Is

We spent Saturday in Greybull, where Doug and Erica had rented the Rec Center, and we roller skated and ate and laughed. It was really fun and very nostalgic, rolling along on the wood floor, dodging kids, helping out the little ones, and trying out tricks. My feet were so sore! Thank you, Jensens.
We had a beautiful Easter Sunday. Although we don't have tulips, or even daffodils, yet, the sun was shining and the mountains were glowing. I spoke in church, and tried to keep my legs from shaking. It was sweet, though, to see everybody there, smiling up at me. The other speakers, the music, and the rest of the meetings were full of the spirit of Christ. We came home and took all these pictures and it was just fun being together... a really great ending to a restful Spring Break.

Thursday, March 06, 2008

My Hard-Working Man

listen to: Your Song

I married a man who works very hard. He always has. From the beginning I was impressed with his work ethic. I believe his motto would be something like, "Work hard, provide for your family, keep them safe, acknowledge the hand of God, and find time to laugh." Often I wish he could be more easy-going and less concerned, but he is who he is, and certainly, there are worse things. And we do laugh. I believe my sense of humor didn't develop until I was with him.
With his career choices, it has become a way of life for us, that he is often away. He was a teacher for 11 years, and some people assume that is a cozy job, summers off, short work day, babysitting. But that isn't teaching. Teaching is planning daily what you will be doing every hour of that day to fill a young person's mind with knowledge that will get them to pass a levels test required by the state, as well as enjoying what it is they are learning. Teaching is staying after and addressing students' concerns, talking with parents, meeting with staff to discuss improvements. Teaching is continuing your education on weekends and summers to keep you updated and certified. Teaching is joining Site Team and Link Crew, heading up the clubs and chaperoning the dances, helping crowd control at sporting events, running the clocks or announcing, writing letters of recommendation, heading up the department and integrating entirely new ways of doing things, earning support or ruffling feathers with fellow staff. I would dare say it is the job with the most over-time, without over-time pay. Teaching is working another job in the summer. And that is just teaching. My husband also coached. Through the years he has coached high school football, high school boys and girls basketball, and middle school and college level track, and except for a couple of years, all three sports every year. He was gone from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., sometimes 5:30 during track season, sometimes 9:00 during football, Friday nights and sometimes Saturdays, staying over for away games too far away. Sports camps filled the summer weeks, and local, regional, and national championships always seemed to be over Halloween, and his and Jacob's birthday. During all this, he not only pursued his Masters degree, but also earned administrative credentials, so he could be a principal, and really have something to do. Now that he is an assistant principal, and no longer coaches, we do see more of him, and he has, almost in its entirety, loved his career. His daily hours are more regular, and although he is required to be at most school functions, we go with him. He has meetings and still travels away on trainings, but has more free time during the summer. It has been difficult, yes, and he doesn't balk when I take credit for raising his kids, and loves any credit he is given. He has been a good father, and the kids love to spend time with him, and hang on his every word. (I wish I could say the same about how they listen to me, ha.) And now, since September, he has been serving as Bishop of our ward, on top of his career, leading, directing, and praying for a congregation of about 400 people in our community. He is performing a wedding on Saturday for the first time, and emailed me his speech this morning to go through and okay. You see, he is in Colorado this week for work. I have married a man who is gone a lot, who works to extract meaning from life, and when I hear his truck pull in the drive, my heart beats faster, I check the mirror, though sometimes that is futile, and throw myself into his arms when he comes through the door. Sometimes, I even jump. And he laughs as he kisses me.