"Start Where You Are"--Part 1

Last month in stake conference one of the speakers quoted Pres. Uchtdorf's talk (linked here) and one point stuck out about starting where you are (& also "Simplifying").  

Sometimes when I have a few minutes to blog, I think, "I have skipped so much so I need to go back and catch up!"  But I decided today in church that I will just start where I am & go from there.  So if my blogs are few and far between, I hope you will understand that I am "starting where I am".

Bubbleball soccer fundraiser for Track

Meeting up with my parents & Pamela in Idaho Falls

Callum & Grandma Carter

my dad, mom & me!

Fall Update--Part 2

More football pictures (because I love watching the boys play!

I have ridden the bus 2 times this season to be the "substitute" cheer advisor

(The cheer advisor couldn't go but the girls have to have someone go with them to be their advisor)

So what keeps me so busy?  Besides being a mom?   I'm teaching full time (K-12 music).  This year I have 21 students in advanced band (my class tripled in size from last year--so I've had to do a lot more planning), 9 in beginning band (6th graders), drama (only 5 students--so completely different from last year) & then I teach 5 classes at the elementary (K-5--I have 2nd/3rd combined into one class).  My high school classes are 1 hour long & my elementary classes are 30-35 minutes (every day).

So that just what goes on during the day (8 am to 4 pm).  I am the pep band coach/director (we play at home football & basketball games).  I am always looking for pep band music to buy/learn/play.
I am also the  Sophomore class advisor and National Honor Society advisor.  This year I am also the Drama coach (different that drama teacher).  There is a district (& state) competition that we will be attending this year.  I am trying to figure out what all I'm supposed to have my students do for competition--so I went to a conference in Boise for a weekend, attending webinars, researching (the internet) & e-mailing some master-drama teachers from other schools.  I guess after the first competition I will know what to expect ;)
And this year I am one of the teachers for the after-school & Friday morning activities for our 21st Century Grant.  There was a lot of $ written in for music and they wanted to buy items that we can use for the next 10+ years.  This job will take about 5 1/2 hours a week (so not too bad--45 minutes M-W & 1 hour on Fridays plus planning time).  Ben & Emmalee are involved in this, so I will actually be able to see them a little bit more :D

One of my bulletin boards at the school

My other bulletin board.

The door to my music room at school.

School planning (& grading) takes up most of my day so I get up extra early so I can be at school by 5:30 (which gives me almost 2 1/2 hours of prep time).  I stay after school until almost 6 pm, go home for dinner and to see the kids/hubby & quite often I go back to school after they are in bed.

This year I have started taking my college classes the state of Idaho is requiring me to take to be a "highly qualified" teacher in music (at the higher levels--9th-12th).  This semester I am taking a music theory class on-line.  I have 2 lessons each week and they take about 2 hours for each class (even more if there is a quiz or practice quizzees attached).  I just finished the mid-term this week--and still have 100% in the class!

This year I was able to talk Jenny Kerr into being the PTO/Booster president, so I am officially "just" a volunteer/parent/teacher helping out.  But my church callings keep my hopping.  I am the YW's secretary in our ward.  I teach (on Sundays) about once every 2 months & go to mutual each Tuesday evening.  I am working on my own Personal Progress (as a leader since I already earned one in my youth).  A lot of Tuesdays, it is just me and the president (Jill Grover--who has just as many jobs as I do--if not more!) with the young women.

My other church calling is 2nd counselor in the Stake Primary (so I'm over scouting).  So I'm back to going to scouting meetings & then whatever stake meetings & visiting of the wards that are needed. We have been going to the sacrament meeting programs.
I guess I have 1 more church calling--assistant Girls Camp Director.  Even though I'm just the assistant, the last 2 years the director couldn't go so I went as the director (and did the planning, shopping, etc.).
***I am tired just typing all of this!  Although I think about all the jobs I have & have talked about them, this is the first time I have typed/written them all down.***

I still try to squeeze a few piano students into the mix also (I am down to only 8 students & then Emmalee & Ben) but I am only doing lessons about once a month.

Thankfully Rusty has been awesome--he gets the kids up in the morning (we have free breakfast at the school) & then he makes dinner, does laundry & dishes.  Plus he also has gone shopping in town a few times.
The time I am home, I try to spend with the kids (reading, snuggling, playing games).

Fall Up-Date part 1

Mostly a picture update from the last 6 weeks.  

I am busy in the middle of about 10,000 jobs/projects/responsibilities.  I'll list them later :)

 Emmalee building with legos

Ben's such a ham! 

Emmalee cheering at halftime (she's in the back jumping in the air & with her arms out) 

Zane (on the ground #53)--love football season! 

Callum is the manager. 

 Homecoming week--Beefcake volleyball champions!  (Zane is the 3rd from the right)

Callum was a line judge for the game. 

Zane at the bonfire. 

Callum was the Homecoming Duke (Freshman royalty) 

 High school Homecoming royalty

I sure love Callum & his grin (& giggle) 

Zane is in front (black socks).  I video his games so most of the still pictures I post are from Pamela. 

Ethan (& Tiffany) made it to the homecoming game (& you can see Zane on the far left) 

We won! 

Love my #53! 

Homecoming royalty at the dance. 

Callum (& Marisol) at the dance. 

 Callum danced with almost every girl at the dance.  

 National Honor Society cooked & served lunch for the Sheep Station's ram sale.  

Connor & Zane had the grilling of lamb-burgers (& some hamburgers) under control. 

This year's NHS--minus my one girl (she had a volleyball game)

Callum has been hunting rabbits out at the land.  (The rabbit blends right in with is camo).  We cooked the rabbit up (it tasted pretty good).

The 2nd rabbit was cooked in the crock-pot and it was really good!

Back-to-school 2015

Sorry for my absence--I have been juggling life :)

But I know my parents would appreciate some photo updates (since they aren't on Facebook & I don't seem to get any pictures e-mailed).

1st day of school for the kids was today (Wed., Aug. 26th).  Rusty & I had meeting Monday & Tuesday & I put in about 13 hour days (at the school) & a couple extra hours a day at home so after having the kids today--I was wiped out.  I actually came home by 5!

Brienna made dinner for us (baked chicken, mashed tators/gravy, corn, & stuffing).

 Ben's 1st day in 1st grade.  

 Callum's a Freshman in high school!

Emmalee & Ben (with Spike).  Ben was having a "it's-too-early-after-sleeping-in-all-summer" morning so the cat cheered him up. 

 Emmalee's teacher is her dad :)

"Mr." Stewart (aka Dad) with Ben & Emmalee. 

 Ben lost both of his front teeth the same day last week.  He lost the first one while Rusty & I were in town.  When we got home, the other one was barely hanging but he didn't want anyone to pull it.  He took a bite at dinner & the tooth started bleeding so I asked him to let me see it.  He said after it stopped bleeding & so he got a napkin & touched his tooth twice & the 3rd time the tooth ended up on the napkin.  He laughed!

He was super excited.   

For my anniversary, we got my ring repaired/diamonds replaced.  It looks so new and shiny! 

 Some of my back-to-school projects (this is at the elementary)

My fun bulletin board outside the computer lab/music room.  I share the room with the computers ;)  I'm at the high school in the morning  teaching 2 band classes & that's when the 2nd-5th graders use the computer lab.  Then after 11, I'm at the elementary.  I'm lucky that I get to teach all the elementary kids (K-5 about 75 kids) every day for about 30 minutes each class.  Then for the last hour of the day (3-4 pm) I teach drama back at the high school.

I forgot how challenging the first day(s) of school are (will be)!  And it didn't help that it didn't cool down last night (it was 70 degrees at 7 am) so it was super hot in the classrooms--to the point that I had to give the younger kids a drink break (it was at least 10 degrees cooler in the hall).  I am hoping for a cooler day tomorrow!!