I am done. Hallelujah! The last couple of weeks have been much better. I started the new trimester as if it were my own class and the little cats stopped treating me like a sub. So much better! It completely restored my faith in my teaching abilities. That and the cute ex-student turned college girl who ran up to me at Twilight. "Mrs. Castellon! You look so beautiful! Do you remember me? You were my favorite teacher." How cute was that. I am fine now and will be able to go back to teaching in a couple of years.

My last day eating lunch with some of the other teachers still has me thinking about our society. One teacher was in the lunch line behind a girl who stole an extra hamburger. She said she had a hard time deciding whether to turn her in or not. So, the discussion started around the room... and the others said they wouldn't have said anything! One girl said she felt bad for the kids because some of them were so poor. I was shocked. Of course I blurted out, "Are you kidding me? We still need to teach honestly, whether people are poor or not." Then I continued on about our nation and the economy. The bailout... isn't it just allowing people not to take responsibility for their actions and choices. Just what so many students having problems with. Anywho... stealing is wrong. The end. And Pam did turn the girl in. The thief denied it at first, then she said OK, and just went and paid for it. Craziness.

Elder Ballard came to our stake conference a few weeks ago. He said that the time has past for just quietly living our lives righteously. It it now time to stand up for what we believe in, to let others know our beliefs. He even mentioned blogs... and said that we should be straight forward on our blogs and be true to who we are. So, I will not beat around the bush. I will be tactful and kind, yet true to my beliefs.

Abortion is wrong. Marriage is between a man and a woman. People should be faithful to their spouses and not get divorced. Can you imagine how great that would be for all of the children in the world? To be raised by two loving parents. Dreamy.

My siblings are making me laugh so hard that I can't continue with my "ranting"... "preaching?"..."belief statement making"....

Right now they are arguing over Mac vs. Vista. Vista is hated but two won't admit that Macs are better. Jan's making fun of my love for facebook. Susan's making fun of me believing everything that is said. Steve keeps trying to share music with us. Alma is being so very politically incorrect. Good times.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Van

Here are photos of the van that has been purchased to be sent to Honduras. Juan Carlos hasn't been receiving our emails with the photos attached. So E thought that maybe it would be easier to just post them here. So... here is the van....

Also... this is the message that E sent to Juan Carlos in the email, just in case he never saw it.

JC Aqui estan las fotos de la minivan. La van roja es la que va para Honduras, Ford Windstar 2000. Donde yo trabajo tememos varias Ford Windstar y no tenemos problemas en darles mantenimiento.

Deep Discussions

Riding in the van as we pass the temple....
S: There is the temple I'm getting married.
B: You said you're going to marry the temple!
S: No I didn't, I'm getting married that temple.
B: You're going to marry the temple, you're going to marry a temple, you're going to ...
Mom: Stop. She wants to get married in that temple. Where do you want to get married?
B: I want to get married in Alaska. Is it cold there? We can wear fur coats to the temple.
R: I want to marry here.
L: Mom, I'n staying with you. I too scary.
B: My favorite part is the fur coats. Oh, man, but then I will have to be a hunter. Hunter is a hunter. He's in my class. First you kill the animal, then pull the fur off of it, you can eat the animal and make a fur coat with it. But I don't want to live in an igloo that I have to build by myself.
R: Where Papa marry?
Mom: In Manti.
L: How 'bout you?
Mom: I married Papa in Manti.
S: When you were a princess?
Mom: Yep.

Discussion at the dinner table...
B: I saw Papa watching a killing show. There were these pirates and they had guns.
S: People don't have guns.
B: Yes they do! What about Susan's family?
S: What? Susan has guns?!
B: Yea. I saw Zachary with a long shot. We were outside, though, and he was showing me his skills. Then Susan came out and took the gun away.
S: Well, Janett doesn't have guns.
B: Yes she does, Mom does Janett have guns?
Mom: Yep.
S: Janett has guns too?!
L: Mom, we don't have guns.
Mom: That's right. We don't.

Last Tuesday night after the polls closed...
B: I got to vote today at school.
Mom: Oh, who did you vote for?
B: Obama. Who did you vote for?
Mom: McCain.
B: Well, Obama was born in Hawaii.
Mom: Who do you guys want to vote for?
S: Who did you vote for?
Mom: McCain.
S: I want Obama.
L: I am with you Mom.
Mom: R, who do you want to vote for?
R: McCain.
Mom: Why?
R: McCain.
B: Well, I like Obama 'cause he was born in Hawaii.

Needless to say, the next morning B was very excited that Obama had won.

Basketball

So, we signed B up for basketball. As you might know, I am not the most athletic of people. Well, how will my offspring do as athletes? You be the judge of that...

I taught the Relief Society lesson on Sunday. It was so fun! I had been thinking about gratitude, being November and all, and then I had a few amazing things happen. Through facebook I found two of my favorite Central American companions from the mission. A ton of excitement on all sides. My trainer is from Honduras, she now lives in Ontario, Canada. My other favorite Guatamalan companion is living in Provo! Another family I loved and had lost contact with is now living in Las Vegas!! All found through facebook. With all of those miracles, I decided to talk about my mission for Relief Society.

I dug out my missionary photos, journals, letters, baggy and started down memory lane. E had his patience tested with all of my, "Did I tell you about...?" I laughed and cried and remembered so many great times! For the RS class I passed pictures around of buying water and hauling water, tin roofed housed with cardboard walls, beautiful scenery and a side of beef hanging in a carniceria (meat shop). It was fun to see the responses of the sisters learning about how people live in a third world country. It also works nicely into my ever present secret agenda of trying to help people understand illegal immigrants and why they are here. We are so blessed to have running water, a sewer system, mostly honest policemen... You know. God bless the USA and sanitation.

Today was a great day as well. Being able to cast my vote always makes me a little giddy, especially so today. E got to vote for the first time and I dare say he loved it as much as I do. I always have to control my conspiracy theories, however. It is hard to believe that your vote is really being recorded. I just pray for the best. I got there a couple of minutes before the polls opened and saw the confusion of the poll volunteers. Yikes. The bonus was I got to hear someone actually say, "Hear ye, hear ye, the polls are now open." It is probably written into law that they must say that. Who knew?

Working at the school is emotionally exhausting! These kids have so much trauma in their lives I don't know how they get any school work into their days. I have heard kids talking about being raised by Grandma, fighting with Dad for child support, one parent had an affair so time for divorce, Dad moved back to Roy... hadn't seen him for a year, girls fighting amongst themselves for three days straight. I helped break up a girl fight in the hall today. Weird. I so don't like the pain, why would you ever want to fight? I also have a girl that smells like marijuana every time she comes to class. Another boy is a known gang member. Once a dad called his daughter during my class to tell her that they were getting divorced. She just burst into tears. Hello, who does that? So, like I said, not a lot of keyboarding taking place. Just pray for me to make it to January 12th!

My monsters are super cute. B started Jr. Jazz and it was a roaring good time watching his tall gangly form run/bounce up and down the court. He did make a basket, surprise, surprise! We were as proud as punch. S is more beautiful each day. R and L are definitely twins. They already have inside jokes I guess, they can just crack each other up when nothing at all seems to be funny. I do miss them. Sigh....