HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!

One year older and wiser too...Happy Birthday to you!  We loved playing with you this summer and think you are one awesome ninja!

BE MARVELous

Seth and I are back at school and work.  Back to the grindstone you could say.  I decided to decorate my room this year and Seth was my inspiration...he even came to help me decorate.  My theme this year is "BE MARVELous."  The kids have loved it.  I told them that when they come into my room they have to "BE MARVELous" and do their very best work.  My door looks like this...

As you walk into my classroom I also have a "Hall of Heroes" where my students will draw a picture or bring in a picture of their personal heroes.

Here is another look at the "Hall of Heroes."  On the other wall I have comic covers hanging up with comic strips.

I rearranged my room and I like it a lot.  I know get to look at the window while I am completing endless medicaid paperwork.

I also have an area with a carpet for my preschool kiddos and a couple of student computers.

It looks like this year will be much easier...I already know all of my students, their parents and the teachers.  They also know me and how I run the show so the first week went very smoothly.  Something else that is helping things run smoothly is this language chart that I created.  It has various language activities that are quick and easy.  If any of my fellow SLPs are interested in making one, give me a shout out and I'll email all of the Boardmaker sheets I created.

Atlanta Braves

Saturday we headed to Atlanta for the Atlanta Braves vs. Arizona Diamondbacks game.  We decided to stop at the Atlanta Temple for a session earlier in the day.  Then we stopped by Super H-Mart, a specialty Asian food store.  We got slightly lost looking for the store and by the time we arrived we were both starving.  We were able to order some yummy food from the food court. 

After lunch we wandered around the market.  The produce section was incredible.  We tried golden kiwi...

We stumbled across a Jack Melon.  It was the shape of a watermelon but the texture on the outside was very unusual.  I searched for this picture online...and the inside looks interesting too. 

We brought two melons home with us a Hami melon and a Korean melon.

The seafood section was very lively...they had live lobsters, fish and crabs. 

After a few more errands we headed to the game.  If we look hot in the picture above it is because we were...it was in the low 90s with lots of humidity.  There is definitely a reason Atlanta is referred to as Hotlanta.

We had a great time at the game.  We loved seeing the downtown Atlanta skyline in the background.  Our hotdogs were delicious.  Each time a home run was hit, fireworks came out of this huge Coke bottle.  We got to see 3 home runs over the course of the game.  They also had pyrotechnics go off when a player struck out.  

My favorite part of the game was doing the tomahawk when the bases were loaded.  Seth's favorite part of the game was right near the end when a fan ran out on to the field.  He was quickly tackled by the five security officers that ran after him.

We stayed until the bitter end...the final score was Atlanta Braves 8, Arizona Diamondbacks 1.  It was fun to experience a Braves game.

But not so fun driving home from a Braves game.  This may have been our last trip to Atlanta.  We have checked everything off our list that we wanted to see...and we really hate the traffic.

Millcreek

Our last night in Utah we headed up Millcreek canyon with family for a hot dog and s'mores roast.  It was the perfect way to end our summer vacation. 

Max loved showing off his newly acquired legos.

JB was the master roaster and roasted most of the hot dogs and s'mores.

Max, Emily, Jane and Benny loved being outside and even found their own rock to climb.

We got a little dirty too but most fun in life entails a little dirt too. 

UP at the Parade

Seth and I headed out for the Parade of Homes this week.  Our first stop was the UP house.  This is a replica of the home from the film.  In the front room they have the Carl and Ellie's chairs and a picture of Paradise Falls above the mantel.  Pictures of Carl and Ellie lined all the walls.  In the basement they had a fun media room and Andy's room from Toy Story.  It was absolutely charming.  My favorite part was the retro kitchen.  It was fun to check out other homes and talk about our likes and dislikes which were similar in most cases.

A night at the Bees

Tuesday I had a special date with my nephews Max and Ben. When I drove up to their house they were already in the yard jumping up and down. Our first stop was Costco where we enjoyed a number of samples. Then we had a little "quiet time" while we watched the movie UP! After the movie they helped me pick some raspberries and we savored the raspberries with some vanilla ice cream. We took a quick trip to the park and then Max and Ben built with Lincoln Logs for the first time.  We grilled up some burgers for dinner.  After dinner Benny discovered a Clemson uniform that Jacque had given us.  He was excited to find that it was just his size.  Our next stop was the Bees game.  All day long Benny had asked when we were going to go.   He was delighted that the time had finally come.

After finding our seats we headed out to the playground and bounce house.  Benny and Max were lucky enough to have it all to themselves for quite some time.  They were a little surprised when Seth and I joined them in the bounce house. 
 

After getting all sweaty we cooled down on a train ride.

  

Then we sat down to enjoy the rest of the game.  The weather was perfect and we had a delightful time surrounded by family.

Hiking in the Avenues

Monday night we headed up a popular trail in the avenues that joins the Bonneville Shoreline trail.  The trail is popular with mountain bikers who have built jumps all along the way.  Seth enjoyed resting on this bench found at the top.  The views of the valley were spectacular.

Clarkston

This past weekend we headed up to Hyde Park to spend the weekend with Seth's parents.  We had fun playing games, eating food, digging holes in the yard and spending time with family. On Saturday night we drove to Clarkston for the Martin Harris Pageant.  We enjoyed learning more about one of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon while getting cuddles from our nephew Gavin.