Chillin out in St. Louis

Our Sunday on the Riverfront

The river may seem high, but I'm sitting at the water level of the great flood of '93 to take this picture. Now that was one crazy flood...

The Mississippi is kinda high.....

Hey you may not want to park here . . . you could get towed. Yeah towed out to sea by the Mississippi River. :-D

This is the road by the landing. There are stairs that you can walk down to the lower parking by the river's edge . . . just beyond that chain/pillar fence.

I just took this with my phone. It was surreal having the girls play with a backdrop like that.

This is the view from the hill where the girls were playing. Such a beautiful family day!

Anna's Digital Fairy Tale

The Three Teachers

written, illustrated, produced, directed, and read by Anna Voelkel

You know education has changed since you were little when your fifth grader asks you for a flash drive so she can bring home a copy of her class assignment. Soon a flash drive will be on her school supply list. :)

At least it gives me the opportunity to share this wonderful, original masterpiece by my very own Anna Voelkel.

A Common Complaint

Disclaimer: Even though I'm writing this post in complaint, I know there are certain aspects for which I cannot complain. So with my gratitude intact for my weightloss, here is what I have to say:

I HATE SWIMSUIT SHOPPING!!!

First of all, WHY must everything be a two piece?!? I know a tankini covers your midsection and we may as well just put all modesty standards aside, because two pieces means you have 2 . . . TWO! . . . two pieces of clothing to now fit your body. Not to mention the options. I tried regular bottoms, boy shorts, board shorts, regular shorts, skirts, skirt with wrap, skirt with rouging, wraps . . . and did you know that each one of those vary in size?
(Please note I haven't even mentioned the tops which also vary in sizes and styles and must all be tried on to insure proper fit.)

Second, WHY did a size 6 dress skirt fit me today while I had to opt for a size 12 swimsuit? Listen up swimsuit manufacturers! Just mark the swimsuit a few sizes smaller than they really are please. You will make thousands of women happier. Happy women=increased sales. Duh. C'mon people.

Last reason for hating swimsuit shopping (probably most people's #1) . . . body image. While I was putting my jeans back on, Anna says (Oh and I won't even get into the humiliation of having to try on swimsuits with a peanut gallery of honest little girls) so Anna says, "Are those new jeans?" "No Anna, my body just looks better covered up." Especially after having to look at it in those unflattering, tight-fitting, ill-fitting excuses of modern swimwear for so long. I hope I didn't scar my daughters for life.

So as all shopping trips go, I came out successful. *insert dripping sarcasm* I will just wear my old swimsuit for one more summer . . . or two . . . or however long I can possibly make it last, cuz I don't think I can endure another day like this for quite some time.

"Working" as a TA :)

Working as a teacher's assistant in a preschool classroom can be hard work. Just take a look at some of my proud moments:

May 2011
Shhh . . . it's nap time and I'm not supposed to be having fun. Melting crayons is hard work, people.

This is me during nap time using a crayola crayon maker (that one of our students brought in) to melt some crayons. I was having way too much fun to be working.

April 2011
My pretty play-doh rose.


February 2011
Look what I made at school today! :)

SEC Circus Night

Daila was lion at the preschool circus performance. :) Rawr.

"I Meant To Do My Work Today"

We had some frolic-ing fun on the temple grounds on Mother's Day. :)

I Meant To Do My Work Today
by Richard LeGallienne

I meant to do my work today,
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me.
And the wind went sighing over the land,
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shining hand,
So what could I do but laugh and go?

Monkey-ing Around

Happy Mother's Day

"To be a righteous woman is a glorious thing in any age. To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman's strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. She has been placed here to help enrich, to protect, and to guard the home--which is society's basic and most noble institution."

~Spencer W. Kimball

All District Strings Concert

My little violinists pose after the Ritenour School District strings concert. I'm proud of all they're learning. This is their second year of violin lessons from their elementary music teacher (Mrs. Scissors). They have lessons before school two days a week.