Bike Buds

Jeremy and his Little (from Big Brothers Big Sisters) have been working on two of our bikes, which got rusty from the rain in April. They finished de-greasing, spray painting and coloring them yesterday!
Everything silver that you see on these bikes used to be covered in rust. Jeremy's secret to rust removal: Dip a wad of tin foil into Coca Cola. Rub the tin foil on the rust. Watch as it magically disappears!! Then for fun, use spray paint and permanent marker to decorate the metal. These guys chose silver paint and red & black marker.

Another Year Done!

Another year of teaching is successfully finished!! I have now been a professional teacher for 3 full years. Weird. I always thought that teachers who taught that long were like veterans or pros!

Here are some highlights from this year (not in chronological order).

5th Grade Square Dance and Show. Written by SarahLynn Zavoral
4th Grade Narrative Musical Mime: Coyote and The Swallowing Monster. Arranged by SarahLynn Zavoral

3rd Grade Show: So You Think You Can'T Dance? Written by SarahLynn Zavoral
2nd Grade Musical: BugZ. 1st Grade Musical: The Beat of the Drum. Written by SarahLynn Zavoral

I don't quite feel like a pro or a veteran. Mostly, I feel exhausted. Luckily, the summer will be spent relaxing and doing lots and lots of planning for next year. And I can finally get some personal things done that are way overdue, like going to the dentist!

Goin' to Grad School

The talk of getting a masters degrees is not something new. Jeremy has always wanted to get an MBA in marketing, and I have always wanted to get my masters in education and hopefully someday a PhD in education administration.

About two months ago, we were at our weekly beach football game. We won our first game of the season, and all the players invited us to go to a bar for lunch and beers. We went the week before (don't worry, we didn't drink!), so I was a little hesitant to say yes again. There was a lot of chores to be done at our new place that day. But as soon as I thought of saying "no," a strong impression from the Spirit came to me that we should go to the restaurant and enjoy the company of our new friends.

During our lunch, we were sitting next to a girl who had just finished her MBA program in marketing at USC. Jeremy started to ask her questions and before we knew it, he was scheduled to go to the information meeting that she was speaking at that following Wednesday.

Applications for the part-time MBA program were due in less than two weeks. Jeremy figured he may as well try to apply. Then, if he got accepted, we would decide if we should do it. He scrambled to get his transcripts ready, found people to write recommendations, and he wrote 5 entrance essays. Luckily, he took the GMAT two years ago (right after he graduated). The scores are good for 5 years, so he didn't have to worry about doing that.

Well, he managed to turn everything in about 10 days after the deadline. A few weeks ago, we got the acceptance letter in the mail!!

We have been fasting and praying ever since the opportunity came up. It's really scary to think how we will pay for it all and whether or not Jeremy can handle both working full time and doing school part-time. But after recognizing how the Lord led Jeremy to find this opportunity and after pondering long and hard about it, we feel it would be stupid for Jeremy to not take this opportunity. So we're going forward with faith, and so far we feel very good and positive about it!!

MBA orientation camps will take place a couple times this summer and then school will start in September. The part-time program at USC will take 3 years. Wish Jeremy luck! And wish me luck too, 'cuz it won't be easy for me either!

A Sad Happy Time

My little baby sister, Tanya, graduated from high school last weekend.

I remember when Desha and I talked over Tanya's crib soon after she was born, thinking how old we would all be when Tanya would graduate from high school. Dad would almost be 60! and Desha would be 30! and we would both probably be married and have kids.

Now that Tauni has actually graduated, it's amazing to think how time has gone by. To me, she is still a sweet little toddler running around the house with her long curls, dimples and pitterpatter feet, pestering me during my homework, "Sarah! Let's play house again!"

When I talk to her on the phone or mention her to other people, I instinctively picture that little sister. Even when I dream about her, she is an innocent, hazel-eyed six-year old. Not the tall, gorgeous, distant young adult that she is now.

I moved out of my parents home over 8 years ago, but I still haven't been able to accept or even face the fact that Tanya is no longer the little sister I used to have. Even if our relationship changes for the better, there will still never be a way to renew the precious times that only her and I shared in our youth. Times that even she seems to have forgotten. Gone are the days when she used to beg me to spin her around just one more time on the grass in the backyard. Gone is my little pal that I was forced to drag with me to all of my babysitting jobs. Gone is the pest that took my jewelry and dolls and got me blamed for everything. Gone are the cheers and hugs to see me every time I came home from school. Gone are the nights when she would sneak into my room to sleep with me when she was scared. Gone are the silly dances and songs, the crazy sleepouts on the trampoline, the tea parties and forts. My little friend is...gone.