The Two Become "Bemily"

Introducing Ben & Emily Croston...
The big day went off without a hitch. Em and Ben were glowing immediately upon seeing one another and didn't ever stop. The day was the perfect beginning to a marriage made in heaven.

I am Next Level

What a view...of the sky and "my staff"!!! We are off to a great start with camp...aside from me completely forgetting to do the Cool Stretch! Kids come on Sunday...which is very exciting for everyone.

Being here has been bitter sweet. I am way more relaxed than I have ever been...but I wish I was a little closer to family right now.

"Home"

What an incredible feeling! I have never been away from 'home' for this long before...sometimes 10 months felt like forever. It is good to be here, weird but good. I keep looking for the garbage can by the toilet and expecting people to speak spanish when I go out in public. Hmph.

The Person Who Never Rides the Rides

This weekend I went on a retreat with Middle School Uth (at church). It was SWEET!!! We went to Xocomil (a water park). Aside from the fact that they don't allow girls to wear shorts on some of the rides, the park was really nice. We never had to stand in line long and the slides were all stellar. For me, the hylight was playing beach volleyball. Two of my 8th grade students(Erin & Lilia), Rene, and I attempted to mop the floor with some random people...which we did...sometimes:) I have certainly drawn crowds in my life but not from playing volleyball! We were the last people to leave the park.
We "camped" inside someone's house close to the park. We were going to camp outside but then it rained...wet ground...kids that have never put up tents before...and no tarps for under their tents...Jes and I decided tents could go up inside:) Sadly enough I couldn't even get a fire started...there's a first for everything. We ended up running into town, buying a pot, and boiling our hot dogs on the stove top...not exactly roughing it...but what are ya gonna do?
Rene shared with the kids about not being apathethic in their faith and accepting God's strength...you could tell that they were actually paying attention and really hit home. Heck, it hit home with me...and I got a new favorite song out of it...Building 429-No One Else Knows.
Amazingly enough when I told the kids to go to their tents at 11:30 they did it and I didn't have to get off my yoga/sleeping mat til morning.
Sunday turned out to be a long day...we spent over 4 hours hanging out at a tienda on the side of the road cause our van broke down. Eventually the tow truck and a new van arrived and we hit the road. The kids were all sleeping or entranced by their ipods so time flew by. When I finally got home after dropping kids off and dropping of the van I was wiped. I was so tired I actually watched a movie in Social Studies class today!!!
Oh yeah, the title of this blog, at the park Saturday afternoon it dawned on me why you usually convince someone to go to water/amusement parks who doesn't ride anything...to take pictures!!! We did not do that...and therefore I don't have any pictures:(

International Fair

March 27 was the International Fair at CAG with 35 countries represented! The 6th and 7th graders worked most of 2nd semester to research, do a report, and put together a display for a country of their choice. A lot of them really got into it and worked really hard to show of their new found knowledge. Emily is pictured above fielding questions from the 7th grade Social Studies teacher about Japan.

Middle School Retreat

Who would ever in their right mind get on a bus with 37 middle school students? Apparently middle school teachers:)

Yesterday was Middle School Retreat, meaning only part of one class first thing in the morning and then go to a water park for the rest of the school day. It was a blast! I love hanging out with my students outside of the classroom. Something happens when school is out...I don't know what...but I like it. We spent the day basking in the sun...and turning a nice crispy shade of red!

There were water slides that landed in amazingly hot pools of water... the kids didn't like it when I called it a pee pool:)

Pics from the big fingerprinting escapade

Left to Right: The largest book known to man, Sherry, me

Rene trying to break in with the cool fingerprint ID machine.

The evidence...it's really my prints...I promise!!!