Gone For A Year

I just got back from spending a week in Provo with Meagan and I had so much fun! Her apartment complex put up several of these Christmas trees in the complex so that it would look festive for the holiday.

Here is a picture of some of the bikes that belong to the students attending BYU.

Here is Meagan unloading boxes from her car to transform her classroom into the best 1st grade classroom ever. She had a cold and wasn't feeling her best, but her classroom turned out so cute.

This is the school where she now works as a 1st grade teacher. Yea, Meg! Spring Creek Elementary, home of the hawks.

This is a fun reading corner that her students are going to love, especially once they become better readers.

You can see that the subtle brainwashing of these small 6 and 7 year old children that will be students in Meagan's class has already begun. Reading is fun and hopefully they will begin to believe it too.

This is a giraffe that Meg let Paige and Kaylee paint while she was home at Christmas. Didn't they do a good job? It's pretty much the best giraffe I have ever seen. Her classroom theme is stretch yourself and be the best that you can be. The tree next to the giraffe is her warm fuzzy tree. She has the children write about one good thing that they "caught" someone doing each day and then she picks a few at the end of the day and reads them and awards the good deed doers with a "warm fuzzy" and they get to put it on the tree. It's never to early to start teaching children to be kind and recognize kindness. Way to go, Meg!

You have to admit that this room is really cute! Meg and I had so much fun putting it all together.

Here is Meagan on her first day of teaching. She was so nervous but she mustered up enough courage to strike this confident pose. I told her there have been plenty of times in my life when I was technically "in charge" and couldn't have been more scared. I remember once when I was put in charge of leading a hike at girl's camp and I thought "do these girls really think that I know where I am going?" Thank goodness for Heavenly Father and faith or we wouldn't get very far in this life.

I didn't come home until late Tuesday night, so while Meagan taught on Monday and Tuesday, I wandered around Provo enjoying the sights and the snow. I don't think I am really mature enough to live in Utah because I was constantly tempted to pick up snow and just throw it at random people. How do the people in Utah maintain such self control? I thought the snow was wonderful and BEAUTIFUL.

I don't know if it is worse living in Arizona where every street corner has a Check Into Cash business or living in Utah where every street corner has a jewelry store. I thought it was funny and so, of course, had to take a picture.

I also enjoyed some of these yummy treats while waiting for Meagan to come back to the apartment. These things are pretty much the best thing ever invented and sealed in a plastic bag for human consumption.

What would a trip to BYU be without stopping at this yummy place? (I bet you are so jealous and pretty much craving ice cream right now aren't you Cousin Emily?) Meg and I met here after her first day of teaching so that I could hear all of the details of her day and more importantly eat ice cream.

Meg and I flew into Utah on December 30, 2009 and I didn't fly home until January 5, 2010, so it was really like I was gone for a year. Here is Meg and I right before she took me to the airport. We are both looking a little tired from staying up late and getting up early, but we are happy. I had sooooooo much fun! Thanks for letting me come and visit your world Meg! I think you are so brave and I want to be just like you when I grow up.