Read-A-Thon Again!

Today at morning meeting Leata was called up to the stage. She read the most out of all of the first graders and  raised the most money in the entire school! She was so happy and excited. She earned $200. She got several prizes for her efforts. When she turned in her envelope she got a bookmark, a coupon for an ice cream cone, a pen with an etch-a-sketch on the end and a 3D puzzle. Today in morning meeting she got a big Fancy Nancy sticker activity book, a cute bookmark, a $10 giftcard to Blickenstaff's and a free pound of candy from Blickenstaff's.
Kendall told me in the middle of the day that Leata had done so well and she was a proud Auntie!

Read-A-Thon

Leata did a read-a-thon to help raise money for her school. They had from Monday to Monday to read and they kicked it off with a little reading night and a magic show with a monkey name Bobo! 

If the kids raised $25 they were to get a pen with a toy on it. If they raised $50 they were to get a 3D puzzle. If they raised $100 or more they were to get a $10 gift card from Blickenstaff's and a gift certificate for a pound of bulk candy, also from Blickenstaff's. www.blickenstaffs.com Leata was able to raise $200 because of some very kind and generous family members! She read 815 minutes! :) We read together a lot. Half of it was probably together and the other half on her own. I would set a timer and we would just read and read until it was bedtime or until we were done with a book or until we were just done. She read in the car on her way to and from school. She read at home. She read at bedtime. 

She read a lot of Junie B.Jones, Bad Kitty and American Girl books along with shorter ones here and there. 

On Wednesday she turned in her money that she earned and she got a pen with an Etch-a-sketch on the end of it and a 3D puzzle. On Monday, in morning meeting, they will give the giftcards and gift certificates out for those students that earned $100 or more. 

The rest of this week she has read the required 20 minutes up to maybe 30 but she is a little read out! lol 

Yay for reading! 

Crazy Sock Day

For Dr.Seuss' birthday Leata's school had crazy sock day. Something that wasn't too distracting but fun. Leata, being the crazy girl she is, decided she needed to wear a dress on crazy sock day and then tights with mismatched knee high socks. This was the best way to get her socks seen! :)

She was eating while I was taking this picture so she is making a funny face but the whole point is to show you how she made the most out of crazy sock day! :)

We Will Miss You Grandpa!

This has been hard for me to even start to write. On February 29, 2012, my grandpa passed away. We knew it was coming but it was still so very hard. The amazing thing is, almost 8 years ago he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and they said he had 6-12 months to live. Boy did he prove them wrong! What a blessing it was for me to have so much extra time (we saw him at least twice a year up to five times a year a couple of times) with him and in that time all of my children were born and he met every single one of them.

When my uncle called on February 20th to let us know that grandpa was going downhill fast, my mom and I decided to go the next day. There were no flights out that day. At that point if we didn't know if we were going to make it to see him. When we got there he was aware we were there and reached out to hold each of our hands. He was at home in a hospital bed. His wishes were to be at home in his last days.

That night I went to my uncle's house to stay with my 16 year old cousin so she wouldn't have to stay alone. When my uncle picked us up the next morning he said we were stopping at McDonald's on the way home because Grandpa had asked for a sausage, egg and cheese McMuffin. :) Wow! It was such a turn around. He hadn't been eating at all. He was so hungry that he ate yogurt and pineapple while we were getting his McMuffin and then still ate at least half of his McMuffin. He was very with it and chatty that entire day. It was such a blessing to visit with him and spend that time with him.

That night I stayed with him most of the night. He was talkative at first but then quickly started having a lot of pain. He need pain meds and he was very agitated. He started hallucinating and then wasn't really cognizant at all but he did keep trying to get out of bed. I sat by his side a lot of that night and held his hand which seemed to calm him. I was grateful for the time I got to spend with him that night when it was quiet and the only other person there was was his night time caretaker.

Thursday Grandpa wasn't doing well. He really didn't say much and instead of drinking his water we were having to drip it into his mouth. We were hoping that he would make it until later that night when my dad and Kendall and Adrienne got here from Belgium, Utah and England, to see him. That night, when we got back, he was not doing well but he was hanging on. Dad, Kendall and Adrienne saw him and then Kendall, Adrienne and I went to stay with my cousin. When my uncle came back to get us, he said that grandpa was up, talking and eating again! We went and he was. Friday and Saturday morning we got to spend time with him visiting with him and it was great. I went home Saturday afternoon and at that point he started to let go. He wasn't talking much after I left. Slowly he let go. Mom, Dad, Kendall and Adrienne drove back up to Utah early Monday afternoon. He was holding on while all the extra people were there.

I am grateful that I had all of my grandparents until was 30 (my grandma passed away almost 2 years ago, she and grandpa were within a week of the same age when they passed away) and Grandpa for 32 years. What a blessing that has been in my life.