April

 

I had a student ask me to be on her podcast. She and her husband have a podcast geared to newlyweds and they wanted to interview me about family mealtime and how to make it happen. It was really fun and I had to sent this picture to Kamiko because he and his friend Tanner have a podcast. They talk about film. 

Last seminar with our interns and our student teacher who was in Houston. Natalie Hancock, our director, on top left. Jadyn, bottom, student taught in Houston. Me and Nicole Lauper went to Diamond Fork to meet with our interns, Kelsie and Sabrina. They all did so great, teaching during a pandemic. It's been a difficult year. 

I loved my Easter decorations!

The Saturday of General Conference, I drove Melia to Payson to get the Covid vaccine!

I got to be a guest speaker in Allie's class all day at the end of April. I talked about being a teacher as a profession. I also taught her co-worker's class when I wasn't in Allie's. It was a lot of fun. She is really loved at that school. She got a job teaching in Park City. She will be missed. 

Rose came with her mom to visit. She spent the night with me. Grandma and grandpa treated Rose, Melia, and me to Chick fil-A for dinner, then we had ice cream. Rose started the night sleeping in my guest room, then ended up in my bed, which didn't surprise me. She said I have a big house for one person. 

Grandma, Rose, and Me. Rose is wearing a vest that belonged to her mom when she was young. Her grandma Kay had it and gave it to Rose. 

Student teachers finish after a long, hard semester. 2 had to join us via zoom, something we're all very used to. We wore our masks the whole meeting; we only took them off for the picture. Barb, next to me, was the student teacher that I had the pleasure of supervising. She's fantastic and really improved with time. Natalie and Nicole, on the right, are the other university supervisors. We have a great job. 

Mel's awesome boss, Wayne, nominated her for a special scholarship that is awarded to student employees in Physical Facilities. She got it! She has worked in the upholstery shop for over 2 years and really enjoys working there. Wayne often treats the students employees to lunch at the Cannon Center. 

Rose with grandma and grandpa. She stayed at their house after I had to go home to do work for my calling. Then on Saturday morning, she wanted to go back and spend more time there. She said that she loves grandma's house, especially her kitchen with all of the Swedish stuff. 

More of my Easter decorations! See my Easter witch and my Easter apron?

See, we wore masks

One of our student teachers, Wendy, gave me a thank you gift that included some chocolates. This is a great thought. 

I love this Easter pillow so much. I think it looks so cute. 

Veroo, a Uruguayan mission companion of Daysa Oswald Corrington, has lived with Annie and Phil Oswald for a few years now. It is time for her to move on to finish her degree at BYU Hawaii. This was at her farewell get-together. I remember us working on her student visa years ago when Annie and Phil were out of town. She and I had to figure out the paperwork on our own. We must have done it correctly because she's still here as a student and is doing quite well. 

Conference AFTER Mel got vaccinated. We got McDonald's and went to the Payson Temple to listen to Conference. It was a wonderful day.

After 16+ years of teaching at BYU, Ann Hardman retired. She and I were hired together. I'm the last of the 3 of us that were hired together. I won't be leaving for many years. Natalie, Ann, Starlyn, and me. 

Some Healthy Changes

I joined a group for some metabolic coaching, which included a lot of emotional work. A lot of thinking and goal setting. It was way out of my comfort zone, but I really liked it. See my post of 4 words for 2021. Connect. Alignment. Health. Creation. This challenge really helped me see how those words fit into my life. I want to remember what I wrote in mid-February. 

Here I go...rating the 6 human needs for me at this point in my life:

1. Connection/Love: I'm introverted, but am still very much a people person. My friends, my family, my kids, and my students mean the world to me. I'm recently divorced and (thankfully) removed from a 28-year relationship that didn't really offer much connection.
2. Contribution: I'm a teacher by profession and at heart. I really like to help others. Even if life is crazy, I can find joy in giving and in supporting others.
3. Certainty: I have had an aversion to uncertainty and insecurity since I was a teenager, when my dad had some significant financial/business setbacks. Covid and a divorce have helped me realize that I can pivot if needed, though.
4. Significance: I'm pretty lucky in that I have an already intrinsic sense of self-worth. I don't need external sources to tell me I'm unique or important. I kinda tell myself that. LOL.
5. Growth: While I know growth is important, it's kinda scary. Joining this group and committing to 3 months and using my hard-earned money was a huge step toward embracing growth for me.
6. Uncertainty/variety: I really, really don't like uncertainty and I'm not bored with the mundane. Routine makes me happy.

Note: When I first started typing, I had certainty as #1. Then I re-read the prompt and realized that certainty had been #1 for years for me, but not anymore. I've learned that I can be flexible and change/grow when needed. So, connection became #1 for me right now in my life. Thanks for the challenge.

I'm done with the 90 day challenge. I lost 8 lbs and almost 7 inches. I gained confidence. I eat way more vegetables and drink way more water. I feel great. I also got some home strength training plans that I really like and that's saying something because I HATE lifting weights. Hahaha. I eat way fewer sweets and find that if I'm eating nutrient dense food all day with plenty of protein and fruits and veggies, I don't feel hungry and I don't crave sweets. Most important was the change inside. I see myself and I really like what I see. I have a way better relationship with food than I ever have.