Life is good.....

Once again, it's been awhile since my last post, so here's another update for those who are interested in what the Monson's have been doing. A couple of weeks ago, Rachel, Krista and I attended a heart breaking funeral for a young classmate of Rachel's who took his own life. Rachel wanted to go to the funeral to make sure that his mom knew what a nice kid he was, and can I just say how impressed I was with Rachel. I can't imagine what his poor family has been going through. I was dumbfounded that there were only about 8 kids from the school there. What the heck??!! Rachel said he was always a nice kid, but quiet, and I can only imagine what he must have been going through to think that this was his only way out. I am so grateful for the plan of salvation and the testimony that I have that was so strengthened that day. The boy was not a member of the Church and the funeral was unlike any that I have ever attended before. When they turned the time over to anyone who wanted to stand and share something about the boy, I just wanted to jump out of my skin while I was sitting there and I wanted to tell everyone that there is a plan. We have a Savior, we have the atonement, we have a loving Heavenly Father, there is a purpose for this life and that I know that families can be eternal. I am so glad that my daughters know these truths as well. We had a lot to talk about that day after attending that service, and I know that all of our testimonies were strenghtened because of it.

On to a happier note, Rachel and Lauren have had some great volleyball games. It's been so fun to go and watch. A couple of the games were held at my old jr. high, Gilbert (when Gilber only had one Jr. high) and that was fun to go there and to remember some great times that I had there. They are doing great in school and I got to "shadow" them for a half day the last week in September. Brett couldn't leave work this year to do it with us, so I just split my time between both girls and their classes. They have some great teachers, I would have loved to have had some of their teachers myself. I also got to count that time there towards the 100 observation hours that I need for my teaching certificate, so I killed two birds with one stone. I spent some time in Krista's class that same week and that was fun. Her teacher is such a doll. This is her first year teaching, and she just got married this summer. I just watch her and look around her classroom and envision the day that I will be that first year teacher with my own classroom. I just can't wait. Maybe I'll get lucky and get to student teach at Canyon Rim and be there for Krista's last year there. That would be just the best. I love being there anyway because I always run into one of my old preschoolers from when I had my own little preschool. It's so fun to see them and to see them so grown up. That always makes my day to see them. I sure miss my preschool.

Krista has been practicing hard on her violin and has her first concert Monday night. She is so excited. She also has sold a ton of Sonic cards (okay, I sold the majority) to earn money for her science field trip that will be held at the end of the school year. Thank goodness for friends and family that bought the cards. She has raised $200 of the $250 that she'll need. I am hoping to go with her as a chaperone (it's a trip over to San Diego, should be awesome) and we'll start selling Krispy Kreme cards in another month or so. Maybe we'll earn some of my trip costs too!!

A couple of Saturday nights ago, we all went to watch an incredible play at the Herberger Theatre. I had found a "kid" on Facebook that I used to babysit and found that he was the most incredible singer and was in this play called Blackbeard. A young man from our ward was working on this play backstage, think he worked on the set, and the assistant music director was Rachel and Lauren's music teacher when they attended Noah Webster. We checked the play out online and immediately bought tickets to go see it because it looked so good. We got front row balcony tickets and they were awesome seats. The play was so great. The girls loved it and Brett and I did too, just as much. It was so fun to do that together as a family.....as we had never done that before. I wanted to buy the soundtrack on Itunes, but was told to wait a bit as they had made some changes so it's better to wait until they get the newest version up there. I am looking forward to buying it.

Last week my sister Michelle and I planned all week to go and suprise our sister Heather with a new apartment redo....and we pulled it off last Saturday. Thanks to David and Brett for helping us do it, and mom for getting Heather out of the house all day. We completely redecorated the whole place and it looked just amazing. Heather was so happy when she came home and saw her "new" place. She has commented a few times this week that she just loves it and I am so happy. She has gone through a really tough time with her divorce she definitely deserved this.

Oh, I better toot my own horn, TOOT TOOT!! I finally got my final scores for my tests in the mail last week, remember that test I took earlier in September? Well, I did awesome!! Hallelujah!! My scores were higher than anyone I know (I was shocked) and higher than the highest number on the range of average scores. Woo Hoo!! I was so nervous about these tests, but I guess my studying paid off!

Brett just finished another class for his MBA this week. Man he's glad that's done, and I am too. It was a killer. Only 4 more to go and then he'll be done. Hallelujah! We'll have to definitely celebrate that.

Sure loved conference today and I am looking forward to watching again tomorrow. (I am also happy to have an extra week break from teaching....I love teaching Gospel Doctrine, but it's like preparing a talk each time I teach, so I am enjoying the break this weekend.) I am always so anxious to get the conference edition of the Ensign so I can read them and see all that I missed. I try to listen but of course I usually end of missing parts because I switch over the laundry, the phone rings or something. I sure would love to go sometime and be there in the conference center. I remember going to conference when I was a Laurel and being there in the Tabernacle. What a great experience that was. I remember being in an elevator in the church office building nearby with my friend Lora and in walked Elder David B. Haight. He was such a cute little man. I remember saying to him that I knew who he was (but I drew a blank on his name) and he grabbed my hand and kissed the top of it and patted me on the head. That was an amazing experience. Talk about the most incredible feeling to feel the spirit in that tiny little elevator. I was on cloud nine that whole time. I am looking forward to going over to my mom and dad's and watching the afternoon session and having lunch. Hopefully all of my siblings that are here will be able to make it over. It's always so nice to be with all of them.....and all of the grandkids.

We are so excited to know that Brent and Lea and the kids will be here in January. I cannot wait to see them again. It's hard to have them so far away, though I know they love being in Virginia. I guess I should count my blessings that with how big my family is, so far Brent is the only one that has moved away. I know I have wanted to move many times, not to get away from my family, but to live somewhere else other than Arizona, but I don't think I'd fare too well being away from my family. I know Todd and Melissa should be moving somewhere this next year when he gets accepted to school, so that will be another one gone. Sad, I know. I am going to make sure we take a family picture when they are here since it'll probably be the last one with all of us here together for a very long time....and right now only Shanon and Michel are expecting a baby so at least it will be up to date when they are here.

Last weekend we went to a friend's 40th birthday party and it was a blast. This friend has lived in Utah for the last 6 years, but was down for a family wedding, so her husband planned a suprise party and we felt so honored to be invited. It was held like a funeral, which was even cooler because he is actually a mortician in real life.....she was so surprised and it was just awesome. The husband gave the eulogy about her departing from her youth and played some 80's music from Madonna and Duran Duran. We then had some Mexican food and karoake. Such a blast. It reminded me of Sis. Naegle in my ward when I was a kid....she showed up at church in all black on her 40th birthday....black hat and black veil too. I didn't know what to think, but I remember thinking that she was so dang old. Now, I am almost there and I KNOW I am not that old. I mean, come on, I still love Bon Jovi just as much now as I did in High School....doesn't that keep me young?? Did I ever mention that Brett and I went to his concert with our neighbor's, the Johnson's earlier this year. Oh yeah, absolutely amazing. David was there and Eric was too.....man, I wish I still had that Slippery When Wet poster that I used to have hanging behind my door so my dad wouldn't see it....I am sure Brett would let me put that up in our room, wouldn't he?? Maybe I could get out some shoulder pads too and wear those.....good times.....that's for sure!

Let me tell you that this week was full of drama. Let's see, where do I begin? I get a phone call from Rachel Tuesday afternoon and she is in a complete breakdown, tears and all. Come to find out, a "friend" at school asked to borrow her cell phone to text her mom, I guess it was an emergency and the girl didn't have her own phone. Needless to say, Rachel was nice (I was thinking more like, hello??? what are you thinking????) and let her borrow her phone with a promise that she'd lock it up in her locker so Rachel could get it after PE. So, after PE, Rachel goes over to get her phone and the girl lets her know that it was stolen out of her backpack (she said she thought Rachel had already picked it up out of her backpack). Rachel is devastated as this is a brand new (pretty awesome, too great of a phone for an 8th grader kind of phone)phone that she bought with her own money and now it's gone. When she calls me and tells me this, I am pretty much beyond pissed off (yes, that's how mad I was) and I was ready to wring this girl's neck. Well, I call Verizon and suspend her phone service and meet up with Rachel and Lauren at the orthodontist office. Rachel looked horrible...she had been crying all day....obviously sad about her phone and of course also crying because she knew I'd be ticked off). The next morning I pull up Verizon online to see what was done on the phone (texts and calls) so maybe we will get lucky and track this sucker down. I see that a phone call was made and two picture messages were sent so I call the two cell phone numbers from work to find out who the phones belong to. I look up the landline to find out who that number belongs to (this is when my criminal justice stuff kicks in) and I know now the last name of one of the girls that Rachel thought in the beginning may have had her phone. I stew about this for a couple of hours and finally decide to call the school to see what can be done, figuring they'll shut me down because it's a cell phone and kids aren't supposed to use them at school anyway.....but it was worth a try. I end up speaking with the dean of students and I tell him what I know....who the two cell phones belong to that received the texts and the last name of the girl whose home number was called. Not even 45 minutes later I get a phone call from the Dean letting me know they recovered Rachel's phone. I cannot believe it! The girl that stole it I guess had 4 other phones in her backpack because this is what she does...she "jacks" phones as she put it in one the text messages that was found on the phone and then she gives them to people. What a complete you know what! This is an 8th grader...if she is doing this now what is she going to be doing in another couple of years?? I know that for now she is suspended and I hoping she gets expelled. She doesn't belong at this school that's for sure. I am still blown away that we got her phone back and because the Dean didn't waste anytime and took this seriously, they found that they had a little theft/distribution system going on right there at school. Rachel definitely learned a great lesson with this and I am pretty sure that no one will ever get to use her phone......but how sad to think that some kids are just so messed up. Really makes me sad.

I am hating my braces right now......it's been a miserable week. I thought too that I'd be getting them off in November, but I guess it'll be another 3-4 months. I guess I needed these braces more than I thought considering my teeth seemed not too bad. I just got power bands on the top and the bottom and I am wearing three different rubber bands.....my mouth is sore and being ripped to shreds from the bands and I feel like a dork when I talk.....I guess this is what most teenagers feel like. My teeth are sore and I always thought I had a pretty high tolerance to pain. I was wrong. Rachel and Lauren hardly have ever complained....I am a wuss.....but I will have some amazing teeth in another few months.

This weekend is already going so fast.....Brett is baking an apple/blackberry pie (how awesome is that?? my husband baking a pie, he is one amazing husband...can fix anything and even bake too! I am so lucky!! Lauren is spending the night at her friend Peyton's, she text'd me a picture of the Halloween cupcakes they baked tonight, Rachel has her friend Alyssa over and they are watching The Village with Krista (they wanted a scary movie, so that was their choice, I said no to watching Nightmare on Elm Street, how do kids even know about those movies)......last night the girls had Skyelee and Quinn (they are sisters) over to spend the night after they went to the highschool homecoming football game at Desert Ridge. So weird to think of my girls going to a football game, because I used to love to go to those to see all of my friends. I think they are too young to be going alone, but Skyelee and Quinn's family was going so they all went. They had a great time. Afterwards all of the girls spent the night at our house and so I got to make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. It's so nice that the weather is finally cooling down at night. The older girls stayed out front talking until about eleven or so last night, I guess they were discussing Obama and McCain. I am sure that was mingled in between talks about you know what teenage girls talk about. Good times, that's all I can say.

Super long post, I know, but this is the closest thing to a jounal that I have and I don't want to forget our happenings.....sounds like the movie is scaring the girls so I better go and get scared with them!! Happy night everyone!!