The End is Near!!!

Well, today I finished my last big assignment for one of my lit classes.  It consisted of reading 25 multicultural childrens books and creating activities that extend the book to help with their literacy development.  It is a rewarding assignment, but very time consuming.

This year I had 3 different literacy classes, and those are the ones that I enjoyed and learned the most in.  Reading is essential to every person, but I am always amazed at how unfamiliar some children are with literature. It seems that it should be in every house, but it isn't.  It makes me appreciate my upbringing and how valued literature is in our home.

As a teacher I am hoping to instill some of the same value into literature to my students as I was so familiar with as a child.  Just think, I will have that opportunity in 4 months!!!

Slacker

Well, I am finally getting back to the blog.  I have not been writing due to many different projects that are needing attention for the end of the semester.  It is funny that at the start of the semester I always print off what big projects are, and when they are due.  I look at them and realize that I should really start this now like the instructor said, but I will wait till the week, or the day before it is due. 
There is nobody to blame, except me.  I will put of projects like the plague.  I will even clean my room, and put away my laundry before I want to do them.  But when I finally sit down, and concentrate on what needs to be done it seems that they are never as bad as I thought, and  I am usually impressed with the outcome.  Well to everybody else out there, good luck with the end of your semester, and I  hope that you are a bit more savvy than I when it comes to projects.

Emma Louise Omodt Dignan

On Monday morning at 3:25 AM I became an Anutie again!
All day Easter Sunday, Karen, was trying to make it so she would have contractions  and start her labor, but nothing happened.
After a wonderful Easter Sunday, Karne, Ryan, and her girls went home at 8pm with the big plan of watching a movie, and then going to bed.
I received a phone call at 6 AM saying that Karen had the baby and everybody was fine, but they needed some help getting the girls ready for school and making lunches and what not.
My little brother John, Dad, and I all went in to do what we could.  While Ryan went to school to write up his lessons for the substitue, and then talk to the principle about his plans for the rest of the week. 
Emma Louise Omodt Dignan was born at home to Karen and Ryan Dignan. 
She has 4 older sisters Stella, Sophie, Sadie and Cecilia. 
Emma is 8lbs. 4 oz. 19 in' long. 14 in head. and black hair.
Her lungs work great, and according to Sadie who is 5 "her toes smell like cookie dough."
Mom and Baby are doing well, and Ryan is in a daze.

We are all overjoyed with the new additon, and are all waiting in line to hold her but the compitation is fierce. 

So welcome home Emma Louise, welcome home.

Easter Blessings

Well, I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter!!!
I know I did.

 One of my older brothers, Luke who is deployed to Iraq was able to get his two weeks leave and come home on Wednesday.  On Thursday My brother and Sister-in-Law fron N.C, and are both in the Army were able to come up for the weekend, and then my little brother J.P who was deployed to Quawait for a short about of time was home.  Even though only half of the family was here, it was wonderful.
Mike and Cathy are expecting their first child in June, so it was fun to watch Cathy 'waddle' around the farm with one of the the little girls always holding her hand.
Luke is having a great time with his wife and child, who when he left had just turned one.  Now she is talking and walking, and pulling herself up onto benches and getting into things that she shouldn't.
J.P. is glad to be back where he can wear real clothes, and can eat a 'real hamburger'.  Something that I always find amusing.

As for the reast of us, we are just happy to be able to all sit and talk and enjoy a beer together,  and watch the children  run around the dinner table chasing each other.  This reminds me of my childhood when we would go to Grandma Cochrans ( my moms' mom) and she would get together with her family.  I always thought that the adults were so lame, and old cause all they did was talk.  Well Now I am the old and lame adult!  That is what it is all about.  Sharing stories, and just enjoying each others company.

The weekend was shortlived, but it was well played.  I am always looking forward to when any family can get together and sit and talk.
 I hope that you were blessed as I was this Holy Season.

The Wedding

Well,  It was a successful weekend.  I didn't get lost in Seattle. I rode a Ferrie and it was awesome. Wore a dress and heels, and made it home all in one piece.  It was a beautiful wedding.  Tiffany looked like all brides should, glowing.  And I ran into some old high school friends that I haven't seen in a few years.

Well We danced the night the away and had a wonderful time.  I made the ferrie this morning, and was able to go to Palm Sunday Mass.  The ride home was also interesting.  In the pass it snowed so hard it was a white out for 5 minutes.  There was 3 different army convoys on the road, all of which were honked at by posser-bys and they waved back.  

And when I hit the Gorge it was beautiful and sunny.

It was a wonderful 3 day vacation that I had no idea how how much I needed it.  Looking forwad to Easter.

Road Trip and Driving in Seattle

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Road Trip

I’m sitting here on a Ferry heading to Bremerton Wa for a high school friends wedding.  In order for me to get this far I had to drive, by myself to Seattle.  Now the drive it’s self is easy but when you have to go through the City I don’t like it.  I’m a Sandpoint Navtive who lives in Coeur d alene, and hates driving in Spokane, because traffic sucks.  Now put me in downtown Seattle.  White knuckle, explicit words, and my GPS isn’t working.  Not good. 

It is illegal to drive and talk on your cell phone in Wa, but I figured that for the safety of all on the road I needed help with directions so I called my sister on speaker and had the phone in my lap.   Karen my sister, lived in Seattle 5 years ago and I was praying that she could remember the streets and how to get to where I needed to go ( I was staying at her in-laws for the night so I hoped that she remembered.)  The exit that I needed was closed for construction, so Karen had to think of an alternate route, fast.  I hit Seattle on a Friday, at 4:30 Rush hour. Perfect.

So, Karen is telling me directions on speaker, asking what exit I just passed.  I’m talking to her at the same time asking what lane I need to be in.  I’m going the speed limit which is 15 under the speed of traffic, and finally Karen tells me to get off  at this next exit.  So much better, right? Wrong.

The exit that she told me to get off at was the one that takes me trough down town Seattle.  There are no lines, just the little white bumps to distinguish that there is some sort of lane.  There are no cars in front of me to follow, they are all following me, and to top it off an Ambulance comes roaring down behind me.  Now like all good North Idaho people you pull over as far as you can when you see the crazy red lights.  Well Seattle people seem to think that turning their wheels the opposite direction is good enough.  I get over in the other lane and let the ambulance go,  but there are people following the ambulance to get to where they want to go, so getting back into the lane that I was in, was to say the least an adventure in it’s own.

This whole time Karen is still telling me what to do, and by now I’m yelling using explicit language, then telling her to take me off speaker so the little girls don’t hear me, as she is bribing them with cookies to be quite cause Aunt Katie is lost in the city.  Oh what an adventure.  To say the least I successfully got to the in-laws without hitting or getting hit by a car or pedestrian. 

Now that I was done driving I knew that I needed to get some homework done, so my goal was to go to a coffee shop and sit, and be a ‘good student’.  Well that didn’t happen either.

I realized that I had forgotten my strapless bra, which was imperative for the outfit that I had decided was worthy of a wedding.  Well Seattle here I come.  I went to Pikes Place, and just dinked around in the shops not buying but just looking and absorbing the smells, colors and sounds.   I found the Gum Wall which is amazing and disgusting all at the same time.  I listened to musicians on the street, and watched some  guy get his travel  purse snatched right in front of a cop so a chased ensued.  Finally I went to the Rack to try and find my Bra.  I was surprised at the slim selection and didn’t find any that would do the job, so I decided on a new dress!  I know, seems silly but hey I’m on Vacation, kinda.

Well I now have a new outfit, which I am excited to wear.  I'm also excited to see my friend get married, and maybe see some of my classmates.  I will write tomorrow about the wedding, and who knows, maybe put up pictures!!

Seat Covers

Well, Today has been very busy.  I worked, went to the health club, did erronds, went to the library, and then put on new seat covers in Ranger (my Car.)  I have felt that Ranger needed some extra love since the Hit and Run from the other day so I decided to finally buy seat covers.  ( I have been wanting to get some for months, but have just been too lazy.)

I take them out of the box, and am so excited for something new and exciting.  And I read the instructions, that say that it is so easy anybody can do it. It had 4 steps to follow.  You think that it would be easy!After 15 mintues of inventive language and trying to figure out how the stupid strings are sapost to come together, with the 's' hooks I finally went back inside to get my compurter, and watch on youtube 'how to put on seat covers.' 

I know that seems silly, but I couldn't figure it out.  And it was much harder then it said that it was sapost to be.  After some more inventive language, and but a better understanding I finally got my new covers on. I have to admit, it looks pretty good.  I am eagerly awaiting to go out and drive in Ranger tomorrow, who knows He may even get to go to the car wash!