Blog Jumbalaya

Well, here we are again..taking forever to update the blog. But we really have been super duper busy. Doing what exactly I can't say..maybe you'll get a taste of our lives from these videos. Above is footage from the big race around the playground (part of our weekly class competitions that Court and I started with Student Council..we also did a jump rope competition)

Since our last post, we've went to Flagstaff for the day with Stan and Beth. It's always nice to get off the reservation for awhile and do something different. So, we always enjoy a good old trip to Flag..in fact, were going tomorrow to do some banking & get a double serving of delicious Starbucks salted caramel hot chocolate! We have a half day of school tomorrow and then were off Thurs. and Friday for Thanksgiving.

I (lauren) have been working in the office in the mornings and doing lots and lots of secretarial work. I'm enjoying it..and my favorite part is going to get the mail 2 times a day. I always drive the old mercury to the post office..its giant and has the longest front and back ends known to man. I love it for two reasons..1. I feel like I'm in a getaway car and feel the need to swerve and fishtail around every corner (but don't worry Mom..I don't) 2. It's the exact same car that Grandma Dorothy and Grandpa Sandberg had when I was little.. I mean exact..same color, same upholstery..everything..and everytime I get in it..memories flood my heart and soul.

Everyday after lunch, I'm in charge of A.R. (which is a reading program where the kids take tests over the books they read). It's not much work..all I do is type in a password (which is lauren) but the kids watch my fingers with eagle eyes..so I've had to spend some time practicing typing my name faster than the speed of light. After doing A.R., I usually have a few computer classes..and the kids play learning games..and I keep them under control. So, that's what an average day in my life at the school looks like. I think it's very safe to say that I have made it through my first period of homesickness..it was pretty bad last week and the week before. This week has been much better thus far. Courtney and I were both feeling the same thing..I probably had more homesickness..but, we were both just kind of confused/annoyed with the situations we have to deal with at school daily...one thing that lifted us from our unhappy state of mind was talking to Jeff and Andrea. It was just really encouraging and comforting to talk with some of our best friends from home. As you know, for a while I struggled with nightmares and just felt like Satan was trying to intimidate me. For the first month or so, the nightmares were too much for me to handle, but in the last few weeks, I feel like God has given me a new confidence in him. I'm no longer afraid to fall asleep at night, and haven't had a nightmare in long time. All I do is say "in the name of Jesus, Satan get out..and something along the lines of "Satan you can't mess with me..I belong to Jesus" and immediately I feel the peace of Jesus come over me and fill my room. Some of you may know that those phrases aren't new for me, I've been saying them for years..but I've never said them with such unwaivering confidence in Jesus. I've also been working really hard to dig into his word, which has always been a struggle for me. It's getting easier and I'm enjoying it fosho. I have a little more venting to do....I'm not sure how to put it..but sometimes I just question my purpose here. I sit in an office and do officey stuff..I monitor the computer lab...it just doesn't feel like I'm accomplishing much. And I know this is Satan trying to mess with me and confuse me. I also know that God brought me here for a reason..and I guess if the only reason is for us to become best of friends with Stan and Beth, then that will wonderful. But, I do feel like there is something more..and I need to know what it is..so, I'd appreciate if you could pray for me in that area. thanks. Now that I've become Debbie Downer..I'll try to be a little more positive. I am incredibly excited for Christmas Break!!! I can't contain my joy. I have fully immersed myself in the spirit of Christmas. I'm mading new holiday playlists for my ipod, drinking loads of eggnog and hot chocolate, finalizing my christmas list, thinking warm christmasey thoughts, and dreaming of feet upon feet of snow! I love and miss all of you! and Happy Thanksgiving in case I don't talk to you before then!

It's Court Now...

Ok so last week I had the second graders rewrite a nursery rhyme. Like little boy blue or little miss muffet. ^ The video is of Steven.. one of my favorites reading his poem.

Translation: "Little Boy Zackery come blow your nose. The pencil is in your nose."... a young Shakespeare you might say. Second grade has been alot easier this week. I had a really bad last few weeks and the worst of it was probably sunday night. I was just feeling really frusterated with being here and with my students and just tons of other things and I couldn't really explain it even to myself. But earlier that day I had been listening to my iPod while Lauren and I were doing a mass amount of dishes and the song "This is Life" by Laura Woodley came on. There's a part in that song that goes "I come in empty and I leave filled, bring my sickness and I leave healed. Broken hearted you mend every piece, i come in captive and I leave free." and it was like a wap on the back of the head. The whole time I had been feeling crappy ( or "sick") about everything I had just sort of been hoping it would go away and just saying "God I trust you to take this away." When what I really needed to be doing was bringing my sickness to God.. telling him how I felt and actually ASKING him to heal me and my frustrations rather than just wishing it away or assuming it would be gone the next day. So later that night I just kind of laid it all out there for God and asked him to show me my purpose and to show how to love my students and ways to fill their days with joy.. and Monday was one of the best days I have had here... and today was even better. In addition- the korean boy in my class is improving on his english with leaps and bounds. We took a class walk today down to the wash (which is amazing.. me and lo are going to walk down there on thursday and do a little photoshoot for you) and I told them all to take a big rock and throw it in to the wash and he just kept yelling " THROW A BIG ROCK!!!" which lead me to clap and jump around like a fool. He also called me grandma later on... perhaps a setback but at least its english. I think that's about all I have for now and we had a few more videos to post but it isnt working so we'll have to try tomorrow.

Love you all.

Court