Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Can You Believe It...Two Years!

"In the enriching of marriage, the big things are the little things. There must be constant appreciation for each other and thoughtful demonstration of gratitude. A couple must encourage and help each other grow. Marriage is a joint quest for the good, the beautiful, and the divine." - Elder James E. Faust

David and I just celebrated our two year anniversary. I am grateful for a husband that works so hard to give his all to making our marriage wonderful. We have learned a lot along the way about each other, selflessness, sacrifice, and fun, and the most wonderful things life has to offer. And to think...this is just the beginning!

To hallmark the event, we took a weekend trip down to St. George to escape the rainy weather here in Provo. It was a great getaway. We were grateful for another opportunity to take advantage of the beautiful UT landscape as we hiked at Zion Park once again.

Lately At School

It is pretty surreal to think that I am about to finish up my second year of teaching. I loved my time at North Point Elementary in the Alpine School District. I have been able to work with great administrators, GREAT teachers, wonderful parents and, of course, AMAZING students. Teaching 2nd grade has been a steep learning curve, a challenge at times, a bundle of laughs, an enlightening experience and overall...the best! Here are a few pictures to capture what we have been up to lately over in room 139!

Last year I initiated a 2nd grade walk-a-thon. It was a success. We did it again this year and had a great time!





We celebrated our learning this year with our end-of-year 2nd grade program!


Pirate Day... "ARRRG"

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Mother's Day Afterthought

My sister, Lisa, sent us this video that someone dedicated to their mom all about how science says mom's are great! All of the biology nerds in our family enjoy this sort of humor.

http://youtu.be/osWuWjbeO-Y

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Mother's Day

This past week my students and I created little books to give to their mothers for mothers day. I loved reading some of their thoughts. The books were filled with prompts that they completed. Some of my favorites were:

"My mom spends most of her time...keeping my baby sister from crying."
"If my mom could have one wish it would be...a clean house forever."
"My moms least favorite food is...candy, I think. She always tells us not to eat it."
"My mom is very good at...vacuuming."
"My mom is very good at...being a mom."
And my personal favorite:
"My mom spends most of her time thinking about...
her children."


That is exactly how I would have answered that prompt about my mother... and my second mom (Judy - David's mom)! In their actions it is apparent that they spend the large majority of their time and energy thinking about, praying for, and helping their children. David and I were just talking yesterday about the wonderful blessing we have of faithful, devoted and selfless mothers. Whenever we have a major decision to make, or a prayer we really hope is answered we always call in the reinforcements; mom prayers. I think God has a special place in his heart for mothers. I think their prayers hold a special reverence and power, as they are usually selflessly pleading for the good of their families and children. We have been strengthened and blessed many times through the faith, love and prayers of our mothers. This Mother's Day we pay tribute and gratitude to our wonderful mothers, Valynn and Judy. I only hope that one day I will be the type of mother that you two are. We love you!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

A Busy and Wonderful April

This past month was a loaded one with graduation, visits from family and more. Here are some pictures and details to document the adventures!

David graduated with his B.S. in Microbiology from BYU! I am so proud of him and all of his hard work. David loves learning more then anyone I know. He always has a book (or two or three) that he is reading...aside from his text books. He is always researching, attending seminars, downloading podcasts...you name it. Though I may be a little biased...I can't think of anyone I would rather have as my future doctor!


I had my mom bring down my robe so we could pose together! We needed all the classic BYU shots! Go Cougars!




With all of the Jenkins children together for the first time since before David's mission, we took some family photos!




We colored eggs!


I ran my fourth 1/2 marathon...13.1 miles! We woke up to snow in UT that morning...so it took a little pep talk to get out and do it! It turned out beautiful, and my mother-in-law ran it too! It was her first one. Go Judy!
(My in-laws got a lot more pictures...so I might post some more later)


University of Washington...here we come!
(Thanks for the shirts Kirk and Judy)