There is always a challenge to be faced

Yesterday I started up with institute again. It seems that for the last week I have been very nervous and anxious over starting the routine again. I loved it last semester, learned so much, and found it very challenging. I am not so sure I was so ready for it this time. I guess because I realize how very much time it takes and wasn't sure what my classes would end up like, and just the demanding routine of it all. Any way my Adult class went wonderfully. I have several new students, the participation was great and the spirit was there. My night class went pretty well considering that many of the students didn't even know what the reading material would be. But it sure is hard to have much discussion when they haven't read the material and you are trying to cover 10 chapters in an hour and half. This semester I did set down some rules. I have a basket just out side the door with a sign on it asking them to leave their cell phones turned off and left in the basket. Last semester I had about 40 kids and many times they would go in and out of the class to talk or text or whatever. At the end it became very frustrating. So I decided we needed to set up some rules from the beginning. I had a cute basket and made a poem that hung from the handle that said "Now you lay me down to sleep, May my keys give rest & keep, If I'm silenced before I wake, A more interesting message will I make! Only one cell phone was left in but the others must have been turned off because I didn't have people going in and out. I had 20 kids show up. Some from last year and about half new ones. I also have several that signed up that didn't show up. We will see how many I end up with. It usually varies from class to class because kids come in and out, boy friends and girl friends break up, etc, etc. It was a much easier size to deal with. It will be interesting to figure out the dynamics of this class. I had one girl to my very right on the front row read another book the whole time, that is discouraging. I would ask her to read a scripture and she would jump right in. After she told me she is a shut-in which I am not sure what she meant, but she is going to practice a song for next weeks class. Maybe I can get her a little more involved. This can be very challenging, yet fulfilling. I just keep praying that I can find ways to touch hearts and help them love the scriptures. I had promptings for quite a while that I needed to do this, but many times I wonder why. It probably is so that I can learn the Book of Mormon myself. I just pray that I can be useful and helpful as I do this.

The house is back in order

Well after two days of working all day long the Christmas is put away, the house is back in order and I am feeling like I can move forward with the New Year. I love all the Christmas decorations but I am always ready just to have my house back to normal. It is feeling pretty organized but a New Year's Resolution is to go through the house room by room and deep clean and get rid of things that aren't being used. It seems so wasteful to me to have it just sit around if someone else could be using it. So slowly and hopefully the house will get a good spring cleaning before Spring arrives.

Well Mikael is back in Idaho. Once again it was hard for her to leave. I know she felt like she had just got home and wasn't ready to start school again. Nathan arrived Thursday evening just in time for dinner. That is what you call jumping into the frying pan with the whole family! He did well and didn't seem to be overwhelmed at all. Friday Mikael, Nathan and I went to Aztec ruins. He is a history major and wanted to see the ruins. That night the family went to the Country Club for dinner. He seems very comfortable with the family and when he left he told me that everyone was so kind to him. Saturday it snowed so we mostly just stayed home- Mikael still had to pack. Nathan, Mikael, and dad played rock band. Dad seemed to enjoy being with Nathan. Then that night we went to dinner and they later went to over to Perry and Christi's for a while. They ended up leaving Sunday morning- it had snowed again. We have had so much snow for us. It has been pretty but it is also scary when kids have to drive back to school it in. Sunday was a hard day for me. I always feel so blue when kids leave back for school and the house is so quiet. I guess it was good it was Sunday, by Monday I was doing much better and just dug in and went to work!

I am sure that all who didn't meet Nathan are wondering a little about him. He is very, very nice. He is very thoughtful, not only in kindness but with his thoughts. In fact Grant said to Perry he reminds him of Johnathon in many ways. Dad and I have to agree, he does have many of Johnathon's mannerisms. That endeared him to dad. He seems to very calming for Mikael. It will be interesting to see what comes. Long distance dating has never been Mikael's strong suit.

Well, hoping you all a wonderful New year- filled with love, happiness, and goodness!