ALOHA!

 I had the MOST delightful vacation! School was out on June 22nd. (We go so late now!) Principals usually work until July 1.  Well, this year, this principal went to Hawaii on June 24th. What a wonderful time. My dear friend Joan asked me back in March, if wanted to go to her timeshare with her. What's interesting is that literally a few days prior, I had been thinking about the fact that I really needed a vacation -- I mean a real vacation where I would rest and rejuvenate.  I had prayed about it and a few days later this invitation came.  Tell me that Heavenly Father doesn't answer prayers!!!

Joan and her husband Neal have a timeshare condo on Kauai.  Neal had passed away in February. Joan wanted to go and she invited me.  I was truly honored because I knew this was going to be a difficult and sensitive time for her.  I gladly accepted -- truly feeling that my prayers had been heard. My job is so stressful and demanding (and I LOVE it) that I do need some good R&R.  The challenge of being single is having people to travel with. I love going to the beach with my kids and their families -- but those vacations -- fun as they are -- are not necessarily restful.  They are filled with activity and meals and planning and coordinating and loads of fun -- but not restful. I needed a quiet, adult vacation.

My Adventure:

So, on June 24th, I got on an airplane and flew to Hawaii.  Before boarding the plane, the airline was looking for 1 person who was willing to take a later flight in exchange for a travel voucher (a nice one).  I volunteered since I was traveling alone (Joan had gone over a couple of days earlier.)  This meant I had to run to a far off gate to get on a flight that was going to Kona and then to Lihue. (My original flight was non-stop to Lihue.)  That was fine.  I arrived in Kona - which is beautiful and discovered that Alaska Airlines had not finished booking my flights through to Lihue.  So, after a few minutes of great concern (feeling that I was stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a desert island -- love the drama) I was scheduled to continue on to Honolulu and then to Lihue.  The gate agent had failed to tell me you don't fly directly from Kona to Lihue -- you have to go through Honolulu.   Here are some photos of the airport in Kona.

I had a few hours to wait until my flight and I found a delicious Mahi Mahi sandwich and a great salad and enjoyed the breeze and the warm weather.  (Most of Kona airport is outside.)  At sunset we took off on wonderful Hawaiian Airlines and flew to Honolulu.  I got to see Honolulu at sunset.  It was beautiful.  I saw Diamond Head and Waikiki and Pearl Harbor from the air with the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean.  I was already in love with Hawaii and I hadn't arrived at my destination! I literally walked off of the airplane in Honolulu and onto an airplane to Lihue.  My seat on the final leg of my journey was next to a delightful Hawaiian sister who lived on Kauai.  She talked to me about her children who attend King Kamehameha School.  About their ward on Kauai and the fact that Kauai is a stake.  She was so nice and fun to talk to.

I arrived about 8:30 or 9 that night in Lihue.  I had been traveling since 11 a.m. (Pacific Daylight time) and so it was like 11:30 Pacific time when I arrived.  Joan was patiently waiting for me.  I was SO GLAD to see her.  She took me to the condo and fed me.  I was so tired, I'm not sure I was coherent but I was there! My luggage had come through on Alaska with the original flight but they were closed up for the night and so I had to pick my luggage up the next morning.

The next morning we went souvenir shopping, had breakfast, and picked up my luggage.  On Sunday, we attended church in the Lihue ward.  I have to tell you that those ward members are some of the most welcoming and warm people I've ever met.  Church was excellent and when sacrament meeting was over they had the members of the ward come forward and the guests stand (which was more than half of the congregation) and they sang Aloha Oe to us.  It was so lovely. Then each guest received a beautifully braided lei with a note from the Lihue Ward. The spirit was so strong and it was so sweet.

Here are some pics from one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen:

Waimea Canyon on Kauai.

Napali Coast

 Blow Hole near Poipu

Turtles near Poipu

Da Plane, Da Plane. . . Wailua Falls 

The show Fantasy Island was filmed here. 

Near the Fern Grotto

I will upload more photos and tell more in my next post! I felt like I had landed in the Garden of Eden.  I fell in love with Kauai.  I will go back!

Obedience

Our RS Lesson today was about obedience.  The discussion was pretty good.  It's interesting the perspectives people bring to the discussion.  Of course, the bottom line here, is that Heavenly Father's goal for each of us to have Eternal Life -- that is the quality of life he has and to be like him.  This means that we need to be schooled and taught and trained in obedience to law.  In order to live as He lives requires perfect adherence to and obedience to certain eternal laws. The adherence to these laws will bring us eternal joy and eternal increase.

The teacher asked us to share a personal example of obedience and the blessings.I did not share this but,  I immediately thought of my Abby and an experience she and I had together when she was about 15 years old.  Abby wanted to have a second set of pierced earrings in your ears -- in other words to be able to wear 2 sets of earrings at a time in each ear. She had discussed this with me and had worn me down to the point that I had relented. The very day I told her she could probably do this -- we attended the YW's broadcast from Salt Lake together.  President Hinckley talked about this very issue and told the girls and their mothers that this was NOT a good idea and to not join the rest of the world in doing this.  Abby looked at me and simply said something like, "Ok, I won't do it."  Her commitment to follow the prophet and his counsel was humbling and brought me great joy.

Abby is now 27 years old and has been married in the temple to a wonderful man.  She is the mother to a darling little girl and she has been serving for several years  as a Laurel adviser.  While I know Abby's not perfect -- she's tried to live her life in accordance with the counsel of our living prophets -- since her youth. I know this commitment to obey has blessed her life and consequently has blessed her family.

Personal Revelation

So, in the weeks since I last posted, I've had an interesting experience. I posted that I had decided to continue to work as a principal for now with some consulting and/or teaching on the side. I had prayed and felt right about this decision.  Yet, there were people around me, inside and outside of the district, who kept telling me that I should reconsider that decision.  Then, a couple of major central office players announced their resignations and retirements.  Wow! Opportunities would be opening that may not come around again for several years. So, once again, I prayed about my decision and felt I had made the right decision.  A friend and mentor encouraged me to go talk with the superintendent before I wrote off these opportunities -- just to get a feel about what's going on and where I might fit in --- and IF I SHOULD fit in.  I prayed before I went to visit with the superintendent that I would walk out of that meeting with a clear mind and understanding.  Well, prayers are answered and sometimes very directly.  I walked out of that meeting knowing that a central office job in this district at this time is NOT the right thing to do. The superintendent revealed herself and her thinking in a way that made it crystal clear that I DO NOT WANT to be part of the central administration organization at this time.  More information was shared with me after that meeting that confirmed my thinking.

I'm so grateful for prayer. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father doesn't leave us here to struggle without help.  I feel so good about my decision AND I know that I received the correct answer to my concerns and my prayer through the promptings of the Holy Ghost.  Heavenly Father is looking out for me.  So, we'll see what my future holds.  I feel free and clear and I have deeper understanding about what I need to do at this time.

A Little Crimson and Gray!

It's my graduation and probably my last graduation for me.  I don't think I've got the energy to do another degree! Anyway, May 14th is my doctoral graduation from Washington State University.  The school colors are crimson and gray and so I've changed my blog for awhile to my school colors.  I've made my own kids walk through their graduations and so they want me to walk and so I am.  I didn't walk for my masters degree and I kind of regretted that.  I'm actually pretty excited because I get to wear the hood that doctors wear.  I've worked toward this for so many years!  When I was 20 years old I couldn't understand why anyone would go to school for so many years.  I had no idea I would go for more years than I could have even imagined!

I'm glad I did this and I do love learning.  Getting a doctorate was the ultimate learning experience.  I totally LOVED it.  I was truly sad when I was finished.  It's taken me about 6 months (I finished in November) to actually adjust to life without writing papers and going to class. Going to school was my lifestyle. I do love academics and learning.  I'm grateful that I was allowed in this life to have this experience.

Anyway, everyone assumes that because I have a doctorate I want to be a school district superintendent.  In actuality -- I do not.  I have no desire to work at that level.  Superintendents NEVER quit working. They are literally completely immersed in the job and they have no personal life.  In fact, I already work (as a principal) 10-12 hours per day -- I don't want a central office job either.  Those people, at least in my district, work 12-14 hours per day.  They are exhausted and under huge amounts of pressure.  I have pressure but it's pressure I can handle. I've prayed about this and thought about this a great deal and here's my current plan:

• Continue working as a principal
• Begin consulting a few hours a month 
• Maybe find an adjunct professor teaching job at a local university

This feels good. This feels like the right thing to do. We will see.  Of course, our best laid plans can be disrupted with unexpected opportunities and unexpected life changes -- so I'm open.  I do know this: Heavenly Father is aware of my situation, my fears, my needs, and my energy levels.  He will guide me, direct me, and provide opportunities for my growth.

Spring in Washington and Spring in Utah

I recently accompanied my mother (and my sister) to visit my aunts and uncle who live in Utah.  Typically, spring in Washington is well underway and the temperatures are around 60 degrees in the day time. Flowers are blooming and the trees have leaves and blossoms by now.  This year, spring is very late and when we arrived in Salt Lake City, we were delayed in getting to spring as I suspected.  Normally, Utah is at least a month behind us in with spring -- not this year -- we're in the same place.

We arrived at 10 p.m. on Friday night in Salt Lake and went to our hotel near the airport.  The next morning we picked up the rental car and headed up over Parley's summit to Henefer to visit our Fawcett relatives.  We spent a couple of hours visiting with them.  Then we headed down Weber Canyon to Ogden to visit my mother's sister, Aunt Leah.  She is very ill and her health is deteriorating very quickly.  It's hard to see my mother and dad's siblings in declining health.  They are ill and I'm reminded that this life is in actuality, very fleeting.

Saturday afternoon we headed to the hotel where we would be staying for the next 3 days. On Sunday we had a delightful visit with our cousins and aunt in American Fork.We have a great deal in common with them and we have always enjoyed this relationship.  Again, my Aunt Helen's health is declining rapidly. It's fun catching up on the family news.

Monday brought a wonderful treat.  We were able to go to the BYU Museum of Art to see the Carl Bloch exhibit.  What a beautiful experience and what a treat! I didn't want to leave.  We rented the iPads which enriched the experience immensely - allowing us to learn more about Carl Block and the paintings.  I am so moved by such beautiful paintings.  The huge altar pieces are painted on copper. Bloch's ability to capture emotion, detail, and meaning in the paintings is inspired. You could see that he had a deep understanding of Gospel principles (although he never heard the restored Gospel as far as I know) and the capacity to capture the meaning and the significance of the teachings of the Savior. This was the experience of a lifetime.  I feel so privileged to have seen these wonderful paintings. Previously I had seen the painting of the Pool at Bethesda and to see the other paintings and altar pieces was even more amazing.

Words cannot express adequately the feelings I had as I viewed these paintings. I appreciate how these works strengthen my testimony and satisfy my deepest longings and feelings.  Beautiful music and beautiful art is a gift from our Heavenly Father. 

After we left the BYU MOA, we again spent time visiting family.  A quick and successful trip to Tai Pan Trading Company made a complete day.  Tuesday, we went to the Joseph Smith Building (Hotel Utah) and went to the Joseph Smith movie at the Legacy Theater.  We had lunch in the Garden Restaurant and enjoyed the spectacular view of Temple Square and the Salt Lake Temple and then headed to the airport.

We realize how important it is for Mother to visit these relatives and have time with them during their final years on the earth.  I appreciate that we have the capacity and the means to accommodate her.

All in all, a very satisfying and productive trip!

March: In like a Lion and Out like a Lion!

The title says it all -- March came in like a lion and went out like a lion! We've had double the normal rainfall for March in Western Washington!  I'm tired of it!  I was never bothered by the rain until we lived in Southern California for 2 years!  That ruined me -- I LOVE the sun.  When we left SoCal, I had a huge adjustment coming back to the cooler, rainier weather but I adjusted.  This past month has reminded me of how hard that adjustment was. Anyway, most of the time I love living in Washington.  It's green and cool and beautiful. When the sun shines -- it's spectacular.  Mt. Rainier to the southeast and the Olympic mountains to the west.  Lake Washington, Puget Sound, and the trees make it absolutely spectacular.  But when there are too many gray, rainy (I mean really hard rain -- not the soft Oregon mist) I start to crave the sun again. I honestly am starting to check for moss growing between my toes! It was hard to find a dry day to have a fire drill at school.  (The principal has her principles about fire drills in the rain -- too hard on the hair and shoes! Priorities, you know.)

It's been a pretty good month.  I've worked too many hours each week but the work is good.  We're working on creating a school-wide system of interventions for reading and math for our struggling students.  The system is called RTI (response to instruction/intervention) and it's designed to help kids who are lagging catch up.  Very research based but it requires a significant change in practice for the teachers.  We're on track and I'm excited about this.  I know it's important and I know it will make a difference.  I have a GREAT team of teachers to work with to create this.

This past month I bought a series of tickets to the Seattle Symphony.  We went to the first concert a couple of weeks ago and I loved it.  I had forgotten how much I loved doing that. When I was first married we had tickets to the symphony and went at least once a month.  After a while with the expensive babysitters and the challenges of taking care of a young family we didn't do it very often.  My former spouse was very talented musically and it was something we shared and loved together.  When our marriage turned out to be so seriously flawed and had such serious problems I found myself not wanting to have much to do with music and those things we had shared and loved together. My husband used music to escape and to avoid and he ruined it for me.  It's taken me a long time to return to something that I've always loved so much and to embrace it again. I can't wait until next Sat. when I get to go again.

                                               Lorena and Grandma, March 27, 2011

Lorena visited last weekend. She's such a little doll! Oh my, the stuff she says and does absolutely charms me and cracks me up!! She's totally my girl.  Even though I hadn't seen her since Christmas, she ran to me with open arms when she saw me!  She says, "Uh Oh!" when she has a little accident or when she's done something she shouldn't.  I gave her a cute pair of bunny ears and she now talks about bunnies as she wears them.  She loves Easter eggs with a couple of fishy graham crackers.  She also likes peanut butter easter eggs. She's a climber and will stand up on the kitchen table if you take your eyes off of her.  She minds quite well and when she wants to do something she shouldn't she will look at you to see if you mean it and if you do -- she obeys! She has to sit on her Daddy's lap until the sacrament is over and then she is allowed to have something to do or play quietly next to her parents on the bench. She shakes her head no and shakes her finger at other babies and children when they are noisy in church. She calls the cats "gatita" and she's got a great pencil grip! At 22 months, she's doing great and I can't believe how absolutely cute and sweet she is. Her temperament is sweet and easy and she's a joy to be around. So much growth and development for a little girl who came into the world weighing 2.5 Lbs. Ok, enough about the joy of my life.

This weekend I'm loving General Conference.  The words of living prophets and apostles refresh and renew. Lots to think about! More later.

Till We Meet Again

My friend Neal Whiteford passed away on Saturday evening. Joan was with him. Joan has shared with me that they had sacred experiences during his final days. In her words, "the veil has been very thin during these last few days."  She is being supported by the Comforter. She is not alone in her mourning. We are having the opportunity to serve in small ways. We will miss Neal.  He has become a refined, righteous priesthood holder. Joan has proven herself to be a faithful, loving companion. I'm so glad I've known Neal and I will be delighted to see him again.

His passing has brought back many of the feelings I had a few months ago when my Dad passed away.