So... I got a new calling...

I really, truly do love Primary.  I guess that is a good thing, because I have been given the calling as Stake Primary President.  I'm still absorbing everything that this means, but so far, I'm excited!


I haven't been released from my ward Primary President calling yet, though I'm pretty sure it will happen next Sunday.  The Sunday after that is our Primary Program, as well as a baptism, and then all the preparation for the new year has to begin.  I hope whoever is called to replace me is up for some fun right away!


I am replacing a good friend, who also was the ward Primary President before me.  I am very interested to see what her next calling will be... :)


The Stake Presidency basically picked my presidency for me, and that's OK--they gave great recommendations.  I met two of the three after Stake Conference on Sunday, and I have great confidence in these ladies.


(Speaking of Stake Conference, I got to be one of the speakers.  The theme was "When Thou Art Converted," and they asked me to share how we can help children share the gospel.  I think it went well--I kind of covered a lot of things, but hopefully people will be able to pick out what their family needs.  I now need to apply my talk to my own life.)

A Pain in the Leg

(I've been trying to upload pictures, but our computer is giving me grief, so I have to do pictureless posts.  Lo siento mucho.)


A few weeks ago, a friend challenged all the "Mormon Moms" at our kids' elementary school to join her in the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning.  We aren't going anywhere for Thanksgiving, since Ben is on call, and I had recently given myself a challenge to be able to run 4 miles continuously before I turn 40.  (I gave myself plenty of time.  Why would I think I need to do this, though?  Couldn't I come up with less...athletic goals?)  She gave us the link to the "Couch to 5K" program, and promised it would be so fun to run together.


I agreed to do it.  I "ran" "long distance" track during my freshman year in high school.  (Yes, the quotes are necessary.)  I didn't run much after that, until my last semester in college, when I had a flexiblity class, and I would run up to two miles before spending a lovely 30 minutes stretching, with a 15 minute power nap afterward.  (This was seriously the best class.  Everyone needs to take it, every semester.)  And, since then, no running.  I've been terribly out of shape.


I'm now in week 5 in the training program.  It seems as if the speed of the training is working well for me.  The first week brought lots of muscle pain, but thanks to my flexibility class, I know all the stretches to make them feel better!  I'm up to running for 5 minutes and walking for 3, alternating for 25 minutes.


Today, about in the middle of my run, I got a slow (meaning not sudden--it took several seconds) cramp in my calf muscle.  Youch!  I kept running, though, and walking, and it never got worse, or better.  I stretched it out after my run.  I realized that this is the same spot that I injured my leg last summer while playing volleyball.  My pain hasn't gotten worse today, but not better, either.  I've had a hot compress on and off of it as I've been able to sit down.  Walking is fine, but slow, and stairs are tricky.


So, all my faithful readers, who are also runners--can I gracefully back out of the 5K now?  Or is it "No pain, no gain?"  And, by the way, when do I get to start to enjoy running?  I'm not quite there yet.

POW!

"Welcome, welcome, welcome to P.O.W.!  We're Preschool of W_____!  It's time to start now!"

Um, I really like teaching preschool.  I guess I knew what I was doing when I chose my major, because planning and preparing and teaching and everything is really, really fun for me.  I'm really blessed to be teaching with my friend Esther, who steps in and does a lot of behind the scenes things before I even realize they need doing.

We do a letter a week, and a theme for the month, and a culminating activity a the end.  In September, our theme was farm animals, so our activity was a rodeo.  (We also have a local rodeo every year in September, so some kids went to that and knew exactly what it was all about!)

I had all the kids dress up in their "cowboy finery."  This is Benson:

 Enjoy it now, because it's as long as he was willing to wear the clothes.

I'm not going to go over the whole thing, but some of our activities included barrel racing with the stick horses (or, if you were this boy, with your own personal horse costume),

the "There's a Snake in My Boot" game,

and making Smore's mix (Golden Graham cereal, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips) and homemade butter to eat on biscuits.

I think it's safe to say they had a great time.

(And where is Benson?  Oh, yes--he ran away.)

#9

Happy birth day to Liz and Jared's little son Cameron--their #9!  He is precious.  I was watching one of our family movies when Scott and Carley were both two, and we had babies Emma and Drew, and wow, life seemed busy then.  Who would have thought we'd get here?  And how in the world are we going to keep going??  One day at a time, I guess, just like we did it then.

And P.S.: thank goodness it's not a race.