Visiting the Paulls: AL and FL.

 May 7 - 16

I've always wanted to visit those beautiful white sand beaches Lex and Jason go to in Florida, so we planned a trip to Alabama... and then to Florida. You know how I love me a nice long road trip haha.

It felt like it had been forever since we had seen Elle (not to be confused with L - Ellis) and M. I love them.

We were there for Mother's Day, so it was fun to celebrate with one of my favorite mommas.

Bill and my gift to the girls this year was to take them for pedicures. (Lucky me, I got to have two).

We went to Lex and Jason's fave taco shop - YUM!

Tuesday, May 11

We headed to Florida, with a stop for lunch in Montgomery.

Let the adventure begin.

I loved snapping pics of M and his ketchup. That boy cracks me up.

I was a little nervous because the forecast was for a rainy few days, and it rained nearly all the way to the town of Seaside.

But once we got settled into our townhome and made our way to the beach, we enjoyed the beautiful sunset.

It was a tad chilly, but that didn't keep M out of the water. He LOVED playing in the waves.

We rented a golf cart, which made cruising around town so much fun.

Wednesday, May 12

The next day was THE PERFECT BEACH DAY.

Perfect temps, the softest sand ever, occasional breezes.

(Lex took a lot more pictures and has shared them on her blog - check them out here.)

A couple of us may or may not have taken the mild temps and pleasant breeze as a reason to not apply sunscreen. A couple of us may or may not have walked away with a hefty sunburn ;-)

We also enjoyed taking turns with Jason and Lex cruising on bicycles and exploring this cute little town.

Thursday, May 13

The next day was also perfect. Those of us who were sunburned wore extra protection, but loved spending another beautiful day on the beach.

 

We found a friend:

We went back to the beach later in the evening to enjoy our last sunset in FL.

This picture kills me:

Friday, May 14

Our last morning in Seaside we took a final excursion in the golf cart with the grands.

We stopped in Destin on our way home to eat at one of Jason's favorite places:

It was super cool - over a million one dollar bills on the ceilings and walls.

The food was so yummy, and the portions were huge. Lex and I realized too late that we could have just shared a french dip, since both of us could only eat half of our servings.

Saturday, May 15

Back in AL for our last day before heading home. We fed the ducks and fish at a park in Huntsville, then strolled around an outdoor mall with a carousel. This is the same carousel M rode on while we waited for Elle's arrival in December 2019.

I LOVED the time we were able to spend with this cute family.

We drove home on Sunday. I'm pretty sure we hit crazy rain on our way home from AL about 75% of the time. Still so worth it!!

Hello Castle Rock.

A Seminary sayonara.

 Bill and I combined for an end-of-year Seminary breakfast.

This was the finale of my four years of teaching Seminary. It was definitely one of the hardest callings I have ever had, but was also rewarding and an amazing growth opportunity. I did my best. I loved my classes and the individuals I taught. I had some students that, despite my efforts, I couldn't connect with. That is the most discouraging part for me. I also had many, many students that I consider my dear friends. 

This year was a particularly challenging one because Bill and I each taught a class (vs the team teaching we had done in pre-Covid years), and they were both for students who wanted to be online only (the other option was to be hybrid, returning full-time to the classroom if local guidelines allow).

It is HARD to connect when half your students don't even turn on their camera. Our students were from all over our Stake, so I had students that attended 3 different schools (unlike the previous classes that had students that all attended the same school). The previous 3 years I had taught sophomores - this final year I was asked to teach seniors. With only a couple months left in the school year, both Bill and I had students added to our classes because their teacher had received a new calling. Everything about this year was challenging.

I'm not sure if a single student will remember a single thing about the entire year of Seminary. I missed the daily face-to-face interaction with the students, and I felt a sadness and a disappointment at the end of the year that perhaps I could have - should have - done more.

I know I did my best.

And all I can do, is all I can do. That is a mantra, not an excuse ;)

So, of the 35(ish) students between our two classes that were invited, 7 attended our end-of-year breakfast. We held it at a park near our Stake building.

We made introductions (many of them had never met in person), had a yummy breakfast, and played some Throw Throw Burrito. The weather was beautiful, and one of the students shared her experience with choosing which college to attend, which was a fantastic testimony of personal revelation. Despite the small numbers, I felt the activity was a success - and such a reflection of the year as a whole.

I really do love these kids.

Also on this day, my brother married the lovely Katie Sullivan.

It was a small ceremony in southern Utah.

I am so happy for them!

**Last day of Seminary from past years**

My first year teaching - 2018

2nd year teaching - 2019

No pic of my 3rd year - thanks, Covid :-(