Education Week 2010

I honestly think there are only two bad things about Education Week. Out of the entire week, only two bad things. Number one, Ammon's birthday always falls sometime during the week and number two? I can't go to more classes. With Matthew with me in Utah, there isn't any way for me to go to as many classes as I'd like. I have grown to LOVE Ed Week so much. This year was my 11th year. It makes me feel so old. What makes it so great is that there are classes to fit every stage of life. I went every year as a teenager and I loved the youth classes. I went when I was in college. There were some for that. There are some for newlyweds and for new parents plus all the amazing gospel-oriented topics you can learn about. This year, my mom, Sloan, Gav, Reese, Matt and I loaded up in the beast and and left Monday morning as usual, stopping in Cove Fort for the kids to eat and, since this was the first time they had been on a trip and were potty-trained, they got to use the potty.
I wasn't sure how it would be for the two boys, but they both traveled so well. We only stopped on the side of the road once! We stayed at the Joseph's house, right across the street from the Provo temple and the MTC and right down the road from BYU. We couldn't ask for a better place to stay. Bishop and Jean are some of the nicest people and I am so grateful for their hospitality. This was our third time staying there for Ed Week and I think it's the most perfect place for us, even with our children. They were nice enough to put up with our kids being there during the day while we went to class and they've even done so much to the house since the last time we went there. We arrived Monday afternoon, unloaded our vanful of stuff, let the kids play for a minute then left to go to Ikea. I got some great deals on some furniture and we even ate dinner there. Man, what a great place!

Places we ate during Ed Week

Monday: Ikea
Tuesday: Macaroni Grill
Wednesday: Texas Road House
Thursday: Red Robin
Friday: Cracker Barrel

About a month before we left, we asked Sister Joseph the names of a few girls in their ward who would be able, and willing, to babysit the kids while we went to class every afternoon. We were able to get them all day Tuesday so we could go to devotional by Elder Steven Snow of the Presidency of the Seventy. I would love to write down on our blog all the inspirational things I heard that week. Elder Snow talked about how important it was for us to participate and come prepared to meetings because that is how the spirit talks best to us. I found that very comforting because I am one to NEVER comment in Relief Society (even though I haven't been in there in a very long time) and I don't say much when I am in class either. He also told a really cute story about when he took his sons camping when they were just young boys. He lost his son one long day after no luck and no fish. He came back telling his dad that he went to pray that he'd catch a fish and told Heavenly Father that if he did catch one, he'd never do drugs (he was five)! His dad (Elder Snow) told his son that Heavenly Father probably didn't care if they caught fish that day. Well, hours passed, but at the end of the day, they caught one fish. And it was that same son who had prayed for that. That story was great because it really made me think how important it is to teach our children the gospel. I hope one day that Matthew will have enough faith to pray for even the simple things.

Teachers I really liked this year

Randal Wright
Margaret Pickard
Merilee Boyack
Brad Wilcox
S. Michael Wilcox

BYU Campus is so pretty
(I'm still a Ute at heart though!)

Tuesday night's dinner at Macaroni Grill. I haven't been there in so long and I have to say, I love their bread. Matthew had some "bathroom problems" that night, so I was literally in and out of the bathroom 16 times. There are so many good things about being a mom, that night and the bathroom breaks just wasn't one of them.

Grandma and her two grandsons. They both LOVE LOVE LOVE her.

A highlight of our time there was that we were able to take the kids to the Wilkinson Center to eat lunch with us on Wednesday because we didn't have the babysitters until 1:00 that day. I LOVE THE WILKINSON CENTER and the Bookstore. I could stay in the Bookstore for hours and hours. The whole feel of Education Week makes it. It's not just the classes, or the different restaurants every night, but just being in the Wilk with the thousands of other people going for the same reasons you are makes the entire experience. I have already made it a priority that I'll be going every year, even if Ammon's birthday is smack dab in the middle. (I don't think it's selfish because I'm going to better my family and I'll justify that one until the day I die!)

Last year was a little different in the fact that we went to meet my mom for lunch everyday. We only brought the kids once this time, but it was that much better because that meant we were there by ourselves everyday!

My mom's favorite teacher, by a million miles, is Randal Wright. She's been going to him for two decades. She always tells us we were raised by what he taught at Ed Week. I first went to see him my second year when it was just my mom and me. We found out some great news this year too. Next year, he'll be teaching his parenting classes again! It is perfect for us who were raised by him to raise our children now.

Last October while we were in Kentucky, my mom had Randal Wright come to her stake and speak in a fireside and he was able to eat at my parents' house and meet my family. That was a great experience for them and I wish I could've been here to hear him. What did I learn from him this year? "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." That is a huge thing for him. That is hard for me actually. I take after my mother. I could seriously be dead tired during the day and still stay up until 3 am, no sweat. I have really tried to be better since coming home and I actually notice a big difference. I get a lot more done, feel better rested and much more patient and calm if I go to bed earlier.

So, a big complaint that most people have about Ed Week is the parking. That used to matter to us, but this year, NO MORE! Sloan and I have come up with a remarkable plan on how to park and how to park at the Wilkinson Center, no less. Since we drove the beast this year, it was not easy to park and we had to help the other person park almost like we were missionaries. First, we'd drive to the walkway where everyone would come to get to their cars. We'd ask them where they were parked, and one of us would get out and walk with them to their car so we could stand in the spot until the other got there with the van. It was a fabulous system and it never took us longer than three minutes to find a spot!

People I saw this year at Ed Week

Tabby
Kenzi, Joni and Becci
Blake's mom, Heather Fronk
(she actually approached me telling me how I looked familiar. It was good seeing her again though)
The Josephs
Joanna
Mom
Sloan
Micki (although I never got to talk to her)

I love seeing people I know actually. Normally, I don't. I'm unfortunately not the type who likes to run into people at the grocery store or see people at the car wash. But, while at BYU, I don't mind. Probably because I know they're there doing the exact same thing I am, and for some reason, no negative feelings exist while attending Ed Week.

Wednesday night's dinner at Texas Road House where Cody met us in Lehi. It is ALWAYS good to see Cody. I think you know someone is a real friend of yours if you don't see them for a long time and you can still talk to them like you never left each other at all. Cody is one of them. He is one of the most hilarious people you'll know and I think about our memories together often. I will never forget what a great person he really is.

After dinner that night, we ran into the store and Sloan told Gavin to count to five and we'd be out. Well, obviously, we weren't out in five seconds and when we got back in the van, he told us that when we got home, we were to go to time out. He held us to it, and made us stay there. Needless to say, we were sad.

Loves to say CHEESE and immediately see the picture right after. (Children now and their instant gratification!)

No bathtub at the Joseph's so the kids had to take showers. They actually really liked it!

Thursday we went to Wilk and I had to get a Jamba Juice in memory of Chris. Chris always got one everyday when we would go and I never get one other than a few times a year. We ate in between classes on the days we were there and my mom gets Taco Bell everyday.

Things I have to get to eat every year
Jamba Juice
Ice cream
Brownies
Donuts
Chocolate-covered Almonds
Chocolate-covered Cinnamon Bears
(interesting fact: During Womens' Conference this year at BYU, in two days, BYU sold over 12,000 brownies. I have no idea how many they sold during the FIVE days of Ed Week, but I'm sure it had to be a ton!)

I love getting to spend so much time with Sloan. I am actually both sad and grateful that she is my only sister. Grateful because I think that she is the best sister for me. She's taught me so much. Sad because I think that if there was another one of us, we'd have that much more fun. I am so excited that Sloan is going to come to Ed Week every year too. We have so much fun together. It is just so easy having a sister that you're close to. You don't have to worry about anything. We can just go to Target and hang out, not get ready, do whatever. We had a lot of fun because we could get ready together, get the kids ready, park easily and go to most of the same classes. I can really see us in twenty years doing this exact same thing with my mom. No kids though! That's what dads are for!

Thursday was a great treat too because Joanna came down to Provo and took two days off of work. It is always good to see her. Just like Cody, I am reminded what a good friend she is. She's my best friend for a reason. I've known her since I was five. We've done everything together and I couldn't ask for a better friend. She is the most caring, patient, sweetest, most charitable person I know and I learn so much from her. She was able to stay with us that night and even though I was dead tired the next day from staying up and talking and laughing even with Matthew in the room.

Walking into Red Robin for Thursday night's dinner.

The kids love throwing coins into any fountain and this day at Provo Town Center was no different. How cute does Reese look here?!

Joanna bought Matthew this shirt for his birthday and he just so happened to wear it the day she was with us. He warmed up to her well and can now look at her picture and tell you who she is! I am excited for her to have babies (in the future) so they can play and one day get married!

The children were SO GOOD this trip. Honestly, they were. Sara and Beth, the babysitters, had nothing but good things to say about them. I LOVE that Matthew gets to have his cousins near him. He loves them so much. He asks for them all the time. He learns everything from Gavin and does everything he does. I just hope that Gavin stays a good role model forever because I think Matthew will always look up to him. We had fun with the kids this time too because we planned out beforehand all we need to buy for them for meals and had everything prepared. We even made rice krispies treats and got them cones. Meals were no problem this time around! They also got to go play outside and watch Toy Story and Cinderella a hundred times.

Friday was a sad sad day. Why? Because it is the last day. Joanna, Sloan and I got to go to a lot of the same classes. Probably one of mine and Sloan's favorite teachers this year was Margaret Pickard. We learned a lot from her and got to buy two new books that we have already learned from. The 5 Love Languages and a Love and Logic book for children under the age of six. I have actually found that I have a lot more patience and am a lot more calm after returning. I realized, It's NOT A PROBLEM! :)

The kids, us and Sara and Beth. The kids loved them and since the are 12 and 15, we told them we'd want them next year too! They said they wouldn't mind and we want to hold them to that!

Friday night's dinner was at Cracker Barrel. That is always a fun place to go. And since the weather the whole week was so great, we had a fun time rocking and sitting outside. Another great thing we got to do was after we put the kids to bed every night, we got to stay up and talk about all the different things we learned that day. I learned so much about the Atonement this year and even more about the creation. S. Michael and Brad Wilcox are such amazing teachers and I am even more excited to see them both again.

Saturday we packed up, cleaned up and headed home. We got home in good time and even though it went by way too fast, it was a great week full of inspiration, fun and great memories!