Reasons why I loved the Tanner building today...

1. Free BYU brownies

2. Free BYU cookies

3. Free Snickers, Twix, Reeces, tootsie rolls, candy canes

4. Free Pizza

5. Free Juice

6. Free Christmas songs sung by cute little elementary school kids

Thank You

A couple months ago, I wrote a grant for money to buy a classroom library (seeing as my classroom had approximately 50 books). And I got it! Yay! I received it from my principal and the Nebo Education Foundation. With the monies, I was able to purchase $600 of books. The students and I are very excited about our new books! To read more, go to the Nebo Education Foundation website. Anyway, I just wanted to share my good news. (So really I got the grant 2 months ago, but the district finally gave me the picture and wrote up the article.)

Sad Day

A very heartbreaking event occurred over Thanksgiving: Quinn got a haircut. My sister waits until her kids turn to 2 to give them their first haircut. What makes this so awful is that her boys have had darling curly hair. Cutting their hair is like Deliah cutting Samson's. Needless to say, I still think the kid is cute and charming. Anyway, here are some before and after pictures of Quinn and his awesome hair.

The evil mother (haha) and Quinn

Checkout that almost mullet

Maybe it was time

He was pretty excited about his haircut

Sweet and funny little boy

Tara and Scott's Wedding

Their wedding happened about a month ago, so I'm a little late. I love Tara and Scott! They are examples of two great people that are trying to live their lives in a way that they should. I'm so glad that I was able to go to the wedding luncheon (a big thanks to my principal) and reception.

I'm engaged!!!... and here's how

I know I promised a bunch of people the engagement story in greater detail with pics, so if you care to know, go here:

www.brittneyjolyn.blogspot.com

(fyi: that blog page was set up specifically for this story, so don't expect future updates to that address).

A Hogwarts Halloween

This year's Halloween was fun and different. SB went to school all dressed up and ready to parade and party it up with her students. Britt went to class and work all dressed normally and ready to be productive. But when we came home, we were ready to head off to a new land. Our good friend, Abby, and her family transform their home into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, so we thought we'd check it out. It was so cool and creative! SB had a perma-smile the whole time, like a kid in a candy store. They had Dumbledore, Rita Skeeter, Tonks, Bellatrix, Lucious Malfoy, the Dursleys, Mrs. Weasley, Professor Trelawney, Fleur, Luna Lovegood, the hippogriff, Hagrid, Moaning Myrtle, Filch, Ollivander the wand maker, quidditch, the Sorting Hat, Professor Hooch, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, butterbeer, and anything else that has to do with Harry Potter and Hogwarts.

SB's darling class

Group shot in Alpine

Individual shots...see if you can guess

Edna 'E' Mode

Hogwarts student

Witch

Superhero or 80's fitness instructor--you choose

Katie with baby Tyler

Jake was "so happy"

Cameron was ready to go trick-or-treating

Here's Hogwarts...

Getting ready to board the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 3/4

Telling the Fat Lady talking portrait the password to get into the Gryffindor Commons Room

Fleur with Edna

Standing in the Great Hall with Fleur (notice the floating candles)

A real life hippogriff

Making a stop in Hogsmeade at The 3 Broomsticks to get some butterbeer

Poor Moaning Myrtle

Saying "hello" to the Dursleys

The Womping Willow and Mr. Weasley's car

Being sorted

The Sorting Hat took a long time on Britt

Fortunes told by Professor Trelawney

Trying out the Expecto Patronum spell at Ollivander's Wand Shop

The patronus

Professor Umbridge writing "I will not tell a lie"

The crew

Eating some food and taking a break

Dumbledore saw us off

Fall Break

The first semester of school is always the best, no matter what grade you're in (or teach). There's a holiday in every month, and that then makes you even more excited for the next one coming up. Oh man, I can hardly wait for Thanksgiving and then Christmas! The holiday break for October that took me down to Arizona was Fall Break. It was great, grand, and wonderful. The best thing was seeing my new baby nephew, Dax Cooley Phelps, that was born ON my bday!

Playing with darling Quinn and Dax

Graham wanted in on the fun

Ava is pretty, darn cute

Our first hockey game--what an experience!