How I spent my Veterans' Day...

Happy Belated Veterans' Day! I hope you thanked a soldier. Although, it's pretty easy to take that opportunity for granted around here when you're surrounded by the military.

I spent my Veterans' Day not at home with Scott, but at work. The kids were off. The teachers were not. My day started off at 4:30am when Scott left to go fishing. Then by 7am I was driving around Wasilla, half lost in the darkness, looking for a middle school. So I spent my "holiday" with about 700 Mat-Su School District elementary teachers listening to an 8 hour lecture. The guy was good, though. Dr. Randy Sprick. Look him up. If I could choose one person to observe my classroom and give me advice, it would be him. He had me wanting to go to work today. I was, however, struck by the fact that if I never would have come to Alaska, I most likely would never have the opportunity to listen to such a speaker.

What I've found here is one of those rare opportunities in a lifetime, and I couldn't imagine not knowing the teachers I work with or the lovely students in my class (yes, they all have their lovely moments). It's amazing what we can accustom ourselves to in such a short period of time.

Here is what Scott did on the Kenai Peninsula:



Doesn't it look frighteningly, ridiculously cold? I think so. I can get joy out of sharing these pictures with family and friends because I didn't have to endure the cold. He liked it though, and said that the river was actually pretty crowded with people. Some things about Alaska I will never understand...