Paul's Birthday

Today is Paul's birthday! He turned 3. He has been so excited all day. He keeps singing to himself, "happy birthday dear Pauly" He got a "catch glove," a t-ball set, and a bike helmet for his birthday.

Mariane told me today that the reason she is so excited about Paul's birthday is because of the primary song that says "one year older and wiser too." She is hopeful that Paul will learn to be a little nicer this year!

I will post some picture later!

Honor Brings Football Victory

BYU football has always been a passion of mine. I grew up in a family where BYU football is not only a game; it is also way of life. Being the avid fan that I am I learned that many fans are blaming BYU’s Honor Code for all of our football problems. They argue that the Honor Code keeps BYU from getting the best athletes in the country. BYU is a unique school; the Honor Code is what makes us special. We as a university recruit not solely on athletic ability, but also on integrity and personality. It is true that BYU has never been known for recruiting outstanding athletic ability. The fact of the matter is that BYU won’t get all of the blue-chip recruits on the list, probably none. However, they will recruit good quality men with high moral standards. The honor code helps us find these good quality men. Why would we want to get rid of that? I am not worried about getting good enough athletes; we already get all of the athleticism we need. I am worried about getting the hard-working, virtuous athletes who will give everything that they have to win football games. The honor code is not a hindrance; it is a benefit for our team. If we recruit those that live the Honor Code, we will get the kind of players that we want. Athletic ability can not win football games alone; hard-work and integrity is what wins football games. Remember, the tortoise did beat the hair.

Spring Break

We did not go on a trip or anything for Spring Break this year. We spent time working on the house instead. Steve is trying to get the bathroom remodel done so we can put the house on the market. We did not want the break to be all work, though, so we took the kids to a park and had a picnic. Steve and I also had a chance to go to the temple and we all hiked the "Y". It was a nice day.

We got a cheap kite and the kids had a fun time flying it. Steve also brought his radio control car and Paul played with it a lot. Here are some videos I took of Paul flying the kite and playing with the car. Sadly I did not charge the batteries before went so I did not get any of Mariane!

Months End

I can't believe this month is over already. It seems like it was Christmas just last week. I guess time goes by faster and faster the older I get.

I took my German students on a field trip this week to Siegfrieds downtown. It turned out really well. My students had a fun time. Hopefully I will be able to recruit more students for next year. I currently teach 3 German classes and 3 US History classes. I enjoy teaching both of the subjects, so I am not sure which I would prefer, but since I am the only German teacher at the school, I want to make sure there is still a need for me by increasing the enrollment.

Our house is getting close to put on the market. Steve has been working on updating the bathroom. He took off all the pink tile and is about ready to re-tile the bath surround. We will get rid of the green toilet and get a new vanity as well. Once we are done we will put the house on the market, and hopefully it will sell quickly, but I am not keeping my fingers crossed in this market!

Body World

We went to go see the Body World exhibit in Salt Lake City yesterday. It was very interesting seeing what the inside of the body looks like. Mariane seemed to enjoy it and she wanted to get an anatomy book. Paul did not like it. He got bored very quick. We decided that we should start taking the kids to museums once a month so that Paul will get use to it. We really want to take a trip to the D.C. area, but as long as Paul gets bored at museums after five minutes, we don't want to spend the money for the trip Hopefully he will learn to like going to museums.

Back to School

I had a nice Christmas break spending time with my family. I enjoyed seeing Steve everyday. The hardest part about my teaching job is that I can't see Steve everyday. I guess that is just a sacrifice we will have to continue to make for a couple of years so that Paul doesn't have to spend the whole day in day care.

I am excited to go back to school, though. I enjoy teaching and I enjoy being around my students. Tomorrow morning we will be back to the grind!

New Year's Eve

This year Steve had the night off. We invited LeiOna and Joel and family to come over for dinner and games. I must say, that I do not enjoy staying up. I hate the way I feel when I am forcing myself to stay up and I also hate the way I feel the next morning. The kids actually slept in a little bit the next morning, but I still felt horrible. At least it is only one night a year!