Maritimes part 2

Once again... sorry for the sideways pictures!

Peggy's Cove- I LOVE this place. I was a little ticked (even though it was my third time) because they were painting it the entire time we were there. I had to position myself so a rock was covering the painters! I could seriously just sit on the rocks and watch the waves for HOURS! ANd one of the best lighthouses in the world... okay maybe just the ones I have seen which really isn't that many!

This was at Citadel Hill in Halifax. It was pretty neat to learn the history and such... I really am not into history but am thinking I better shape up as I have been asked by so many Americans about Canadian history and politics... and I just sound like a dumb Canadian. A lady sitting next to me on my flight home at Christmas was reading "British History for Dummies." I think I need to find the Canadian one... I'll add it to my reading list!

Statue of Liberty- the first time I went to NYC, we just went on the Staten Island ferry- fun, neat and free! When my parents and I headed home from our trip, we stopped on the New Jersey side and went to Ellis and Liberty Island. I had reserved our tickets online- that is the way to do it if you ever go! Apparently that is the ONLY way to get tickets to go inside lady liberty! We thought about selling our free tickets to the tons of people who were looking for them... but we couldn't give them up! This is a picture from the deck just below her feet. It is a different but ,I think, cool perspective!

The Maritimes Rock!

If you haven't been to the Maritimes... you MUST go! It is amazing. Here are some highlights of our trip! New Brunswick... not the most exciting province but we did find some things to see and do!

Moncton is home of Magnetic hill... this picture doesn't do it justice- I have video of it that I will have to try and post... You drive down to the bottom of the hill and pull over by the white stick, put your car in neutral and your car totally drives in reverse up the hill! All you have to do is steer. It is the coolest thing EVER! I don't get how it works but it does. There were about 4 other cars there and we just kept taking turns doing it again and again. FUN!

Hopewell Rocks- about 30 minutes south of Moncton- you go during low tide and you can walk on the ocean floor. Some spots were pretty muddy. I was wearing flipflops and they both got stuck in the mud. They were like suction cups getting them out! I was a mess at the end but it was fun. There are my parents amongst the "flower pots".



PEI- a MUST see! Of course we went to Anne of Green Gables. It is really quite confusing though because this is just where Lucy Maud Montgomery lived growing up and they think she based the story of Anne on this house... they had the Haunted forest and Lovers Lane that you could walk through. I must say that I am now a big Anne fan. I am currently reading Anne of Windy Poplars (book 4). Maybe I should say I am a big Gilbert fan! I have also watched all the movies since I have been home. Pathetic... I know!

Cape Breton- AWESOME! I want to go back in the fall. It was a little foggy in parts but still totally worth it. It took us about 4 hours to drive the Cabot trail with a few stops at scenic views and such. It is a big National Park so they have camping and trails and stuff. A MUST see!

I LOVE this picture. Ha ha! I took this of my parents at a gift shop just outside of Peggy's Cove. I didn't turn it vertically while on my sisters camera and I can't figure out how to edit it on my parents computer so you will just have to look at it sideways. It makes me chuckle!

More to come...

Lists...

I read a book once about journal writing. The author suggested writing lists... like items in your purse or what is under your bed. So I started some lists in my journal... I got to add to my list after my Fabulous trip! I got to add Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine to my "States I have been to" list! Yeah. I am now at 25!! Then I added Boston to my "Temples I have Been to" list!! It was beautiful... of course! And finally I added Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea and Ella Enchanted to my "Books I have read" list. We went to Green Gables. It was awesome- so pretty. I am planning to spend my summer watching Anne and Gilbert. And reading the rest of the "Anne" books. I took a gazillion pictures with Kristi's camera (mine was in the shop and they called the day we left to say it was ready... sheesh!) and I will post some as soon as I get my life together!

I am free...

School is done! Yippee. It was a great last few days. Kings Dominion went MUCH better than I thought. Who knew 300+ 8th graders could control themselves!
My parents just flew in tonight... after a little shopping and some eating, we are ready for bed (actually they are already sleeping and I am trying to get organized). We head out tomorrow for the maritimes- where I served my mission. I am SOOO excited to go back. We will be stopping in NYC tomorrow! My mother always said she would never go there- but I have worked my magic! We are going to visit the temple... and we will see what else. On the way home we are going to go to Ellis Island/ Statue of LIberty. Apparently my great grandfather (maybe great-great grandfather) came to Ellis Island so that should be cool. Speaking of cool- my sister Kristi was kind enough to send her digital camera with the parents since mine is still in the shop. Okay, it is almost midnight, and it is MAJORLY storming outside- big thunders and lightnings- so I better sign off and try and get some sleep... oh yeah and maybe pack! Yikes. See ya in a few weeks!

Movie Thursday!!!

Okay so I am a slacker teacher... but it's the end of the year right? So tomorrow is our big 8th grade trip to Kings Dominion. I get to be a chapperone! Yippee. Each teacher or parent is in charge of 10 kids. They have to check in with us 3 times throughout the day. If they are late for check-in, they have to sit with us for half an hour! Who are they trying to punish! I am excited because they have a log ride- which is my FAVORITE ride at Disneyland (and it was closed down the last time I was there). I will fill you in on any happenings of the day! Monday is our "field day" which consists of 4 8th grade teams competeing with each other in such things as pizza box relay and balloon popping- whatever! Remember the good ol' track and field day when we worked our butts off! And then Tuesday- the LAST day- is over at 10:50- so it really doesn't count! Yippee! Anyways... back to my title- so instead of fighting with my students while trying to teach them something, we are watching movies! And the great thing... I get to control what movies. I am giving them 3 options- High School Musical, Sky High and Madagasgar! So far my 1st period chose Sky High- LOVE it! and 2nd period picked HSM! It has been a great morning. We shall see what my other 3 classes choose. The sad thing is classes are only 50 minutes so I only get to see the first half of them. oh well- I own them- I can watch them ALL summer.
p.s. GO OILERS! I stayed up til 11:30 watching the game last night... but it was worth it. I hope we win!

7 more days...

Of school. I am so ready for summer. Especially after today. Sometimes I wonder why I choose to work with 13 year olds. Sometimes I wouldn't have it any other way. Today I am grateful for the weekend. Hope you are enjoying yours.

A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

It is the "thing" to do with singles on the East coast to head to the Outer Banks in North Carolina for Memorial Day weekend. So of course... since everybody's doing it... I did to! Here are some highlights:

1) driving all night to get there- literally! We (Martha and I) picked up our friend Jen (who flew in from SLC) from the airport in Baltimore at 1 am Friday night and kept driving! We arrived at 5:30 and slept in the parking lot of Jimmy's Seafood Buffet. We later found out it is one of the best restaurants around!

2) A lighthouse... I have LOVED lighthouses since my mission. This one is pretty cool- but surrounded by trees... Odd!










3) Crabs- I was fascinated with 2 crabs I spotted on the beach! I couldn't stop taking pictures. Apparently I need to get out more!







4) Our beach house- it rocked. It was massive, sleeping 18 people. It had everything you need- blankets, sheets, pillows, dishes, spices- we just had to buy the food. This is a picture of the back! I went to take a picture of the front and I dropped my camera- it is now broken! Sadness!




5) the beach- There is nothing quite like it. I love just being there- reading, swimming, napping, playing- FUN! This is Jen, Martha, me (with my nasty wind blown hair) and our FHE brother Dan (with his NASTY hairy chest) at the beach behind our house!


6) Free Salads- We went to Harris Teeter (my favorite grocery store) to buy some food. We each picked out a salad from the deli and were then approached by some store big wig. He asked us how everything was and if he could help us. He said the answer for our customers is always yes. So I said -jokingly- "Can we have these groceries for free?" He replied "That is a little different... but I will give you this salad for free." He saw the 2nd one and gave that for free too. So then we pointed out the 3rd one... and we gave us that too! SWEET! So we got $12 worth of food for free. If only we would have remembered to get forks! We ended up having to eat it with our hands on the beach! Yikes.

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo....

How about you, you, you? Remember that Raffi song? So fun!

On Saturday my ward had an activity at the National Zoo in D.C.

It is part of the Smithsonian family so it is free to get in! Yippee!

It was my first time there. We met at the church and then metroed it in to D.C. It was then a hefty hike to the zoo and another hike-a-roo to the picnic spot where our ward was meeting. We ate lunch and then played "A to Zoo" scavenger hunt. My friend Martha was in charge of it and I helped her come up with the idea!!! We had to find objects in the zoo starting with each of the letters of the alphabet and take a picture of it. I was with Mike and Tim. I thought for sure we were going to win... but we came in second. Sheesh! I think we would have win except Mike was a little too into the reptile house!

Here is our T (for Turtle) picture.

I used to always want a Turtle growing up... now, not so much!