Oh, what do you do in the summertime?

In the words of John Bytheway, "Oh, what do you do in the summertime when all the world is green? Do you take driver's ed, or stay home in bed, or watch all the soaps all day? If that's what you do, SHAME ON YOU!"
I've had a lot of people ask what I, as a school teacher, do with my summers off from work. Admittedly, my first week of summer vacation has been a lot of staying home in bed (at least until 10 am)but in the summer I like/have to play catch up with all the things I've been neglecting for the past 10 school months.
Take a look at some of the goals, projects, social outings, and, yes, school things I have planned for this summer...

1. Cook a meal 5 days of week. I've never really liked to cook or bake (poor Mike- he gets the chip meal diet far too often) so I'm going to choose one recipe I have never made for one day of the week. This week it's cayenne-rubbed chicken with avocado salsa!
2. Clean (not just hide and straighten) and organize all the rooms of my house. Ryan (my bro.) got me kick-started with my kitchen. Thanks Ry, when do you see a single guy helping out his younger sister with such a menial chore?
3. Paint the family and dining room. It's time for a little color! I also want to put up some vinyl.
4. Continue to work out 5 days a week. I've been slacking since my 1/2 marathon. I want to try to go on a hike for one of those days a week (I did it last summer, but Carrie Welch has inspired me for this year as well.)
5. Make chair pockets for my classroom- my old ones kicked the bucket.
6. Level all my reading books.
7. Finish my at-home baggie books for homework next year.
8. Re-organize my classroom--I'm getting a little bored.
9. Get started on all the beginning of the year school stuff- I don't like to leave it all to August.
10. Take the PRAXIS II (big test that deals with teaching methods and philosphies). I need to pass so my teaching license will be renewed.
11.Go to Core Academy--cool week long teaching class that gives lots of ideas, supplies, and credit for relicensure as well.
12. Visit and play with friends I haven't seen all year.
13. Go on trips including four-wheeling, camping, etc.
14. Encourage Mike to do his homework- I don't know why anyone takes summer courses.
15. Put up and can our extra harvest from our garden. I know salsa and tomato juice will be on the agenda.
16. Spend loads of time with my family, especially nieces and nephews!
17. Have fun!!!

That's a really long list! I hope I don't blow it!

Mike and I got started on this list last week with two little trips. The first was over his birthday(June 5th--the big 24). We went down to St. George with Ryan Head, his wife Jessica, Justin Head, and his friend Heather. We did a lot of hiking and relaxing.




Later that week, we went for a camping overnighter up by North Fork with our friends, Trudy, Dirk, and Dylan Gardner. We were a little worried about all that rain, but from the moment we got there to the moment we left it didn't rain at all. Pretty lucky considering we didn't feel like we could cancel because Trudy is 8 1/2 months pregnant. Tyler Seal and his girlfriend, Becca came up for dinner one night too. Here's a pic. showing Mike on a rope swing.