Tuesday, March 31, 2015

AN AWESOME MESSAGE


Don Ward, who is on the Board of Directors 
with me for 
"Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge" 
sent this message to me:

I subbed at Timberline yesterday and so many of my students had you in 5th grade. When I asked one class who their 5th grade teacher was, they began to chant Mitchell, Mitchell, Mitchell. I wanted to be sure and share that with you!


AWESOME!!!



And oh...those mountains!!!

THERE ARE NO WORDS . . .




AFTER NEARLY 2 YEARS . . .



STILL CONNECTING WITH THE FORMER KIDDOS.

Monday, March 30, 2015

IT'S A SMALL WORLD (AFTER ALL)



I saw this picture on Facebook the other day . . .


The groom is Reed Allred.
He is the usher at my portal when my regular usher, Linda, takes a break.
He was married in January, and gave us an invitation.
(You know you're part of the Jazz family, when you're invited
to the wedding of your back up usher!)
The lady on the left was tagged...Lori Pathakis.
My mom taught a couple of her girls in 1st grade.
The lady on the right is Deanna Allred, Lori's mother.
Her sister is my Aunt Nadene...married to my mom's brother, Bruce!
Bruce is 9 years younger than my mom.
He went to Dixie Jr. College from 1962-1963, and lived with us.
So, Reed's dad is Lori's brother.
Lori is his aunt, and Deanna is his grandma!

When I was just out of 7th grade, I went on my first plane ride
to Denver with Nadene and her 3 kids.  
Kellie was 4, Kristina was 2, and Jason was 6 months.
We stayed for 5 days there with Deanna.
She was "Mutual President" (YW today.)
It was pretty fun.
Then, I went to Bruce and Nadene's house in Racine Wisconsin
for 3 weeks.  (Flew into Milwaukee, flew out from Chicago.)
I just saw Deanna earlier this month at the viewing of her
and Nadene's brother, Dick.
(Hadn't seen this picture yet.)
I like that this family of redheads is named "ALL RED!"

Boy, is it ever a small world!!!

TIMEHOP


I HAVE AN APP I JUST LOOOOVE, CALLED "TIMEHOP."
TIMEHOP WILL SHOW YOU WHAT YOU POSTED ON FACEBOOK
ON THAT DAY, WITH THE DAY OF THE WEEK, TEMPERATURE, AND
HOW MANY YEARS AGO YOU POSTED IT.
(THE DAY OF WEEK AND TEMPERATURE ARE NOT ON THIS ONE,
BECAUSE IT APPEARS ON THE FIRST PICTURE ON THAT DAY.
I POSTED MORE THAT PARTICULAR DAY.)



Sunday, March 29, 2015

ANOTHER LONE PEAK STATE CHAMPIONSHIP



LONE PEAK HAS WON ANOTHER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!
THIS TIME, IT WAS "WINTERGUARD."
IT'S THE COLORGUARD WITH THE BANDS, THEIR COMPETITION.
LONE PEAK WON THEIR CLASS, BUT OF COURSE,
ALL OF THE AMERICAN FORK TEAMS WON THEIRS!

I HAD 3 FORMER STUDENTS ON THIS CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM!
ANNIE CARLISLE
KATIE DUBOIS
LIZ NEVES
CONGRATS, GIRLS!!!


Saturday, March 28, 2015

WE SWIPED RIGHT


There's a new matchmaking app.
When you see someone you don't like, you swipe
left on your phone.
If you like them, you swipe right.
Only when both parties swipe right, do you get the information.

Carson Vance is one of my all time favorites!!!
I've known him since he was born!
His grandpa (RIP) taught with me my first 17 years.
I went to his parents' wedding.
Carson was my student in 5th grade.

Well, Carson and Brittni both "swiped right."
They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20.
Their reception in Alpine was March 27.
Of course, I gave them a Jazz game!




Greeted to the wedding by
Elder Garett Vance
of the
Arizona Tuscon Mission
(LOVE CARDBOARD CUTOUTS)


THE BRIDE AND GROOM
(AND DOORS #1, #2, AND #3) 

 "Auntie Ann" with the groom and bride

Friday, March 27, 2015

FORTUNATELY, UNFORTUNATELY


FORTUNATELY . . .  THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
 MADE IT TO THE "SWEET 16" OF THE
NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT.

UNFORTUNATELY . . . THE DUKE BLUE DEVILS
(WHERE MY COUSIN, JASON, TEACHES)
 WERE THEIR OPPONENTS.
FAIL.
63 TO 57 

R.I.P HOT ROD






Former longtime Utah Jazz broadcaster Hot Rod Hundley dies at age 80

Published: Friday, March 27 2015 6:45 p.m. MDT

   
Share21 Share15 Tweet2 0 1


Hot Rod Hundley waves to the crowd during the half time retirement ceremony honoring him at the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, January 29, 2010. The Utah Jazz are playing the Sacramento Kings. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — The longtime, legendary voice of the Utah Jazz has been silenced.
"Hot Rod" Hundley, whose colorful sayings and home-spun humor served him and Jazz fans so well as the franchise's lead broadcaster for more than three decades, passed away Friday at his home in Phoenix while surrounded by his family.
The cause of death was not immediately made available, though he had been battling Alzheimer's disease.
Hundley, who was a former collegiate basketball star at West Virginia and the No. 1 pick in the 1957 NBA draft, was 80 years old.
“West Virginia lost a dear friend today as Hot Rod Hundley has passed away,” current West Virginia coach Bob Huggins tweeted Friday. “He will be dearly missed. Rod was not only a friend of WVU, but a dear friend to our basketball program. I will miss him very much. RIP Hot Rod.”
Known for his signature catch-phrase, "You gotta love it, baby!" Hundley was the broadcast voice of the organization beginning back in 1974, when the franchise was located in New Orleans, then followed the team to Salt Lake City in 1979 and continued his play-by-play duties until retiring following the 2008-09 season.
“Hot Rod was the voice of the Utah Jazz for 35 years, and his voice was synonymous with Jazz radio,” Jazz franchise owner Gail Miller said in a press release. “The expressions he used throughout the game broadcasts are legendary. He had the unique ability to make the game come to life so that you felt as though you could see what was happening on the floor when listening to him call the games.
"Rod was a very special talent and will be missed by our family as well as Jazz fans everywhere. Our thoughts and condolences are with the Hundley family.”
In all, Hundley broadcast 3,051 Jazz games during his career, including many of the signature moments in franchise history. He served as the team's play-by-play announcer for the Jazz’s simulcast television and radio broadcasts for 31 years, then spent his final four years at the microphone for the team's radio broadcasts.
After his retirement, the Jazz honored the ever-popular Hundley by hanging a banner, emblazoned with his name and a microphone, from the rafters of EnergySolutions Arena. And in 2010, the team’s media center at the arena was dedicated in Hot Rod's name and includes numerous photographs of Hundley and a montage of his most famous sayings.
In January 2014, it was announced that Hundley had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Then in December of last year, Deseret News columnist Doug Robinson wrote a story about Hundley's worsening health condition, sadly noting that the longtime broadcaster was having trouble just stringing complete sentences together.
Hundley's passing was felt Friday around the NBA, particularly by members of the Jazz franchise.
“Rod was a true professional, a great personal friend and remains a legend in the NBA broadcast industry,” Jazz team president Randy Rigby said in the press release. “From his start with the franchise in New Orleans in 1974 when the Jazz were an expansion team, Hot Rod built a fan base that remains unmatchable.
"With his signature ‘You gotta love it, baby!’ to ‘With a gentle push and a mild arc, the old cowhide globe hit home,’ Rod will be remembered as a true scholar of the game and will always remain a member of the Jazz family.”
"I am saddened by the news of the passing of my longtime friend, Rod Hundley,'' Hall of Famer Jerry West said in a statement reported by the Associated Press. ''I first met Rod when I was 18 and he encouraged me to attend West Virginia University. We were Laker teammates and never lost contact.

CALLED TO SERVE . . . JADE



Not sure why Jade's mom has an obsession with fake mission calls.
Isn't it a federal offense to tamper with the U.S. mail?
When CaLea opened her mission call, she was called to serve in the
Utah Ogden Deaf Mission.
Her actual call was to the Korea Seoul South Mission.
Gina and Alan Casper cook it up.  He has copies of the letter head.

Jade's "first" mission call was to Antarctica Emperor...speaking "Penguinese."
Her "second" call was to the Utah Vernal Deaf, speaking ASL.

The "third" and real call was to the "Iowa Des Moines" mission, speaking English.
She will be 19 on July 6, and enters the MTC on July 29.
She won't see CaLea before she leaves.









LIZ


Liz Finlayson, Paul's oldest,  won a 1 year scholarship to BYU!!! 
She won 1st place in the Environmental Science division, was an  International Science Fair finalist, 
Utah Valley Forum winner, and also won some cash!!!
Last year at the Science Fair, she won $80,000 scholarship to Westminister!
This year, she was also the first ever female Sterling Scholar in Science at Lone Peak!
She went all the way to State with that!!!
And, it all started with the 5th grade Science Fair!!!



Thursday, March 26, 2015

CLOGGING CUTIES


Another "Stay At Home Aunt" Adventure!
I went to Goshen Elementary to watch a clogging assembly
featuring Haley and Lily.
I had donated $50 each to Cole and Haley's teacher's foundation account.
Cole's teacher wasn't there,
I met Haley's teacher...adorable!

Haley and Lily have both been taking clogging this year.
They have both caught on FAST!  Haley has always been graceful.
Lily is the youngest in the class, and she is GOOD!!!





















 A "Darling DIVA" in the making!






And then, I drove the back roads through Elberta, to Saratoga Springs.
I dropped in at Vista Heights Middle School, and since Courtney's been
receiving good grades...I bought her yearbook!