Dear family and friends,

Just 8 weeks left! I have already gained almost 40 pounds. I feel really big, and it seems like I am farther along than I am.J Natalie Ann will be here before we know it.

Today is our stake conference, then in 2 weeks is the primary program. I wish my girls were more active. I have 5, one of which is already 12. Of the 4 who are still 10 or 11, I average 1 or 2 a week attendance! So I hesitate to let them have parts in the program, because I don’t know if they will really show up!

There sure have been a lot of “parties” lately (Mary Kay, Scrapbook, Stamping, etc. type parties that women host for each other). I like to go, but it is hard to want to buy anything when everything is so expensive! Plus they always plug for you to “become a consultant” and sell the stuff yourself, too. (Which wouldn’t be so bad if you weren’t all competing for the same customers!) Oh, well.

I have one more week of school, then I go off-track. The bad thing is, next week is PACKED: report cards are due, SEP parent conferences on Wednesday and Thursday, being observed by other teachers for Literacy strategies, Technology class after school on Tuesday, interviewing possible long-term subs for January on Thursday, AND moving everything for going off-track. (This is not to mention the regular planning and teaching that will of course still go on for my students the whole week.) I will definitely be glad for the 3 week break.

Well, when I go back on-track, I will only have 3 weeks till Christmas break, and NATALIE! Time is going SO fast.

Dave only has 5 weeks left of school for the term. Not much new for him: just the regular studying and working at his internship. He sure loves to learn new things on our computer: I think he could learn anything just by playing with it till he figures it out! He has made websites, presentations, and publications and never took a class or anything! I am learning how to do the same things, but I am learning at a technology class with lots of good type-written instructions. J

I am excited for the holidays. Can’t wait to see Greg and Nicole (Dave’s Bro & Sis-In-Law) at Thanksgiving, and my mom at Christmas-time. Hope everyone is happy and doing well wherever they may be!

Love,

Dave and Rachel