Oh How Funny Children Can Be

So, I found out that it is pretty much certain that I will be working with my little friend and his class second block. First block (starting Monday) I'll be in 1st or 2nd grade, so there will be lots of fun stories!

Yesterday, one of the boys in my class had a loose tooth. He said, and I quote, "Ms. Denton, will you punch me in the face?" I laughed and said that I would not. He added an incentive--"I'll pay you five dollars!" Kids are so funny!

Nathan very much looks forward to lunch. I had to come back around lunchtime to talk to the teacher, so I was able to chat with him a little. He made up a cheer--something very close to "Have no fear, lunch is here!" It had a little bit more, but I asked him if he had a dance to it. He got up and did the robot. I could not stop laughing. I asked him if he knew any line dances (my specialty) and he said he didn't know what that was, so I showed him.

Apparently the other kids listen while I'm talking to Nathan. They came up and asked me if I knew line dances and what a line dance was. I asked if they had seen the Hannah Montana movie and they admitted that they had (some more reluctantly than others...this one little tough boy denied it at first and after a teacher look from me he admitted he had seen it lol). I asked if they remembered the Hoedown Throwdown and demonstrated a little. They got pretty exctied that I knew it.

Further, when I related the story to their teacher, she got so excited that I could teach the Hoedown Throwdown for PE. Wow. What have I gotten myself into? I did let them know that I also know other line dances and some square dancing. But boy--I've gotta get the Hoedown Throwdown down! haha

Get ready for some exciting blog posts this semester!

Oh....and I finished my midterm, final assignment, and final for my last real class today :D

My Friend Nathan

I have this new little friend named Nathan (name has been changed). I've been working with him for about three weeks now. He is a 4th grader with some serious anger management problems, but I absolutely adore him.

I needed to work with a child with disabilities for my last class at BYU. I was assigned to Nathan. He has an aide during the middle part of the day, so I come in the morning and afternoon. I am very sad, however, because tomorrow is my last day with him.

One of the things that breaks my heart the most is the low expectations everyone seems to have of him. Here are some things I've heard from his teachers:
-I don't even like him
-He's at the top of my list for kids that I'll be looking up in ten years to see if they have a criminal record
-I wouldn't be surprised if he were at the Point of the Mountain by the age of 25
-He won't make it through middle school
-We're just waiting for one big blow-up that will take him out of the school
-He doesn't belong in this school

It almost makes me cry just writing them. His aide is quitting. A week from tomorrow will be her last day. I found out today and was offered a job as her replacement, as apparently he responds to me better than anyone else. The only problem is that I start student teaching on Monday. While I could be assigned to their school, his class goes off track a week after I start, which would be completely counterintuitive to the student teaching experience.

I considered deferring my student teaching until next semester, but then thought of a much better solution! We pulled in the facilitator (the lady that goes between me and BYU) and found that my teachers tracking might just work for second block. They are going to try and pull some strings to get me in Nathan's classroom. Then, regardless of whether or not he gets another aide, I will be in the classroom too. I can spend more recesses swinging with him or playing four square with him. I even look forward to eating lunch with him and discussing his latest exploits on his new bike or the latest treasure he earned in resource.

Hopefully, after graduation I will be able to serve as his aide, either volunteer or paid. I just want to be with this sweet little boy and be one person in his life that loves him.

Life in General

Well, I guess it's about time for a new post, eh?

Sunday was the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Dedication, which was fantastic. I have some amazing notes I may share later. This morning was the first day that the temple was open for ordinances. The baptistry opened at 6am, so I figured getting there at 5:30 would make me one of the first--WRONG! There were already 3 or 4 youth groups.

When I got there, the Temple President was talking to the group. It was really cool to hear him talk to us.

Monday I begin student teaching at Draper Elementary. I'm excited because contract time ends at 3:25, so I can get to work by 4! Woot!

Also, recently I've been having lots of fun adventures with friends! This Friday we are watching the Wizards of Waverly Place premiere :D Rachel and I are planning on doing institute together. We just found out about an opportunity to teach special needs institute, so we're trying to get into that, but if not, I'll be in choir, teaching of the living prophets, and then go to forums they have with prominent LDS people :D I'm SO excited!

Well, that's all for now! Really, the best way to keep up with things, if you care, is facebook.

I'm in the Church News!

So, it was Jason Swenson, not Jacob, that interviewed me and Whitney at the Oquirrh Temple Open House. Here's the article :D

Illuminating

Grandeur and peace of Oquirrh Mountain temple opens to public

By Jason Swensen
Church News staff writer

Published: Saturday, June 13, 2009

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SOUTH JORDAN, UTAH

Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News

Illuminating the sky at dusk, the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple will be a source of spiritual light to those in the south Salt Lake Valley. It is being received with reverence and respect.

Five-year-old Morgan King issued his grandmother, Michelle Brimhall, a reverent challenge as they began their tour of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple on the first day of the temple open house.

"Grandma," Morgan said, "see if you can walk so quietly that your feet don't make a sound."

Such respect and reverence seemed to define the day June 1 as visitors of all ages and backgrounds began touring the stately granite edifice that looks over the southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley.

Walking through the placid halls and ordinance rooms of what will soon be the Church's 130th temple "was very peaceful and very sweet," said Sister Brimhall of Holladay, Utah. "The volunteers were so nice."

Clear skies welcomed visitors to the temple for its opening to the public. Ample parking within easy walking distance to the temple grounds meant folks could complete the tour about an hour after arriving. Those wandering out of the building said their visit met all their expectations.

"I absolutely loved it," said Shad Stevens of Payson, Utah, who enjoyed the tour with his wife, Kati, and daughters, Summer, 4, and Shaylee, 2.

A school teacher, Brother Stevens said he felt blessed to dedicate one of his first days of his summer vacation to be inside the temple with his family.

"We wanted to spend time in the Celestial Room with the children — that's something they don't typically have a chance to do," he said.

The Stevens family recently participated in the open house for the Draper Utah Temple, which can be seen in the distance on the east end of the valley. Witnessing this vigorous period of temple building has given the family strength during challenging times in the world.

"Everything can't be wrong if [the Church] is building two new temples within a few months of one another and within sight of one another," he said.

Most of the open house visitors who spoke with the Church News commented on the friendly volunteers who greeted them both inside and outside the temple.

Jeff Nielsen of the Magna Utah East Stake was assigned to parking duty. He spent the first morning of the open house clad in a fluorescent yellow vest as he directed cars in and out of the temple's south-end lot. For Brother Nielsen, volunteering meant burning a vacation day from work. It was time well spent.

"This is my temple, and it's not every day that you get to help out for something like this," he said.

Whitney Denton toured the temple with her roommate from BYU, Whitney Kluber. The two Whitneys said the open house prompted in them a new commitment to prepare for temple worship.

"I loved the temple's celestial room," said Whitney Denton. "I just imagined people dressed in white filling that room."

Whitney Kluber said her thoughts inside the temple drifted to her family.

"I had a feeling of togetherness and wanting to be there in the temple with my family. Not only with my future family but also with my parents and siblings."

Tens of thousands of more visitors are now expected to tour the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple prior to the dedication in late August. The open house continues, Mondays through Saturdays, until Aug. 1, excluding July 4 and July 24. Reservations can be made at lds.org/reservations or by calling 1-800-521-5105.

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/57455/Illuminating.html

Whitney and Whitney Back Together!

So, I need to be better at posting on here. I post my albums on facebook and figure that's good enough lol.

Whit K came up to go to the Oquirrh Temple Open House with me on June 1, the first day! We got there at 11am. Here are a couple of pictures as we were driving closer and closer.





We decided to only bring our cameras in. We got out, locked the doors, and Whit realized that she had locked the keys in the car. Since it was already 11, we decided to deal with it afterward.

We walked up the path, greeted by many happy volunteers. After watching a 12-minute video (introduced by two cute sister missionaries), we got to enter the temple. I haven't been to an open house since I was 10 at the Spokane Temple. I didn't take any of the opportunities to go to the Draper Temple, unfortunately. Every time I was invited, I had to work. I didn't realize how easy it would've been to request tickets online!

This temple is beautiful. The main thing I have to compare it to is Jordan River and Provo, the only temples I've really been in for that last few years. It is very small compared to them! The baptistry only has room for about 1/4 as many people. There is only one confirmation room. There is a gorgeous picture as you exit the baptismal font.

The instruction rooms were beautiful. The walls were covered with a giant mural of mountains and trees. The Celestial room was phenomenal. I could just imagine it filled with friends and family dressed in white.

The sealing room was cool. I love the mirror in there. We went during a slow time, so we were able to hear two volunteers bear their testimony of sealings. I also got to watch a family teach their children the significance of the mirrors--very cool. I just kept thinking how cool it was that I was sealed to my parents when I was 3 or 4. I wish I could remember it!


On our way back to the locked car, we were stopped by Jacob Swenson of the Church News. He interviewed us! I'll post a link if we get printed :D

Once back at the car, we asked one of the traffic directors for help getting into the car. While they were going to fetch the supplies, I got to direct a car into a spot :D



For lunch, we went to Panda Express to get chopsticks to eat at Cafe Rio.



It didn't last long! After that delicious lunch, we got 4 cookies from Over the Top Cookies and split them so we each got 4 halves. That was WAY too much cookie, but it was delicious!

After recording the following movie, we headed for home. It was a fabulous day!

Oh How I Love Elder Holland

A Return to Virtue

One of my favorite Mormon Messages so far