When I Love My Job

I am really good at complaining about my job. But I have a lot of fun experiences along the way that make me keep wanting to come back for another round. And while right now I keep telling myself that I better be scoring points in heaven for working with freshmen, I generally like coming to work every day.

My recent success is with one of my all time favorite books, Ender's Game. This is the

second year I have taught this novel, and while my students enjoyed the book last year, this year it is a runaway hit. I have bought out the local bookstores copies of one of the sequels twice (Ender's Shadow), and lent out my own personal copies of the sequels too. The biggest success in this whole experience is that of all the sequels I have leant out to students, only one has been a girl. The whole reason I chose to teach Ender's Game was to find a good guy book. It has far surpasssed my expectations. I am so excited that, even if they don't read and/or like another book we read this year, they have at least read (and actually read it, not just faked it) one book and like it.

What I love about teaching literature - any book I teach - is the reactions of the students: gasps, laughs, questions asked that show deep thinking (as deep as freshmen can get). Sometimes it's even just the dead silence when we finish a chapter that is particularly profound or intense. I love reading out loud to them so we can enjoy it together. I love when a student comes to me the weekend after I assigned a book and they have read the whole thing because they couldn't put it down. I love being part of a student experiencing a good book. Some English teachers feel grounded while teaching writing. I feel grounded when teaching a book. I love literature, and the key to finding EVERY person's passion for reading is just finding the right book for the person. What's yours?

Cascade Falls

An easy hike to a beautiful destination - sounds good to me!

A hiking we will go, a hiking we will go, hi-ho the merry-o a hiking we will go!

If you are familiar with Cedar Canyon and Navaho Lake, Cascade Falls is a leak from that resovior (if I got the story right).

Kyle, MJ and Celeste entering the cave to do some exploring (Meg, on our way back we saw your brother and Johnny donning their wetsuits heading to do this very thing. Mountain man beard and wetsuits...a winning combination!)

Southern Utah sure has its charms!

Children We Love

Before my sister Beth had her first child, we would talk about what it would be like and the things we would and wouldn't do. Beth was adamant about not letting herself "go" when she became a mother, and I believe she has lived up to that. She will be the first to tell you though that she finds no joy in shopping for herself anymore. She can't wait for her children to look cute and have pretty little outfits. While my family was visiting a few weeks ago for the blessing of little Rori, and even thinking about my own behavior while I am with my nephew and niece (and the way all of my single friends talk about theirs too), the adults in my family that are in love with these children can so easily tune out the rest of the world when they are with the children they love. I often go to see Beth with the full intention of staying only long enough to say hi or drop something off and three or four hours later I am heading home because books and toy cars distracted me. My brother in law was in love with his new niece. My father loves being a grandpa, even relishes the time. Mom buys Happy Meals just to collect the toys for the next time she will see Mikey. Claudia watches the videos of the kids on the blogs countlessly because she doesn't want to miss a thing. When adults are in love with children, they are happy. When children have an adult in love with them, they are valued as they should be. Those of us who are in love with the children in our lives are crazy and obsessed and delighted with every little thing that countless other children throughout time have done and said but it never mattered until the one you are in love with did it just the way only he or she can. They are our little pieces of heaven.