No More a Teacher

Nothing gets me back to blogging like a major change in our lives. Brad is going to be leaving his teaching job at the beginning of January. He has taken a new job in Salt Lake at the Utah State Office of Education. He will be the state science assessment specialist. This decision has been a very difficult one. It is very hard for Brad to leave his class in the middle of the year. It is not a pay raise but for the first little while it is actually a decrease in pay. Brad will no longer have 3 months off in the summer or long Christmas breaks. He will have to commute to Salt Lake since we have no desire to move closer to this new job. So, why take this new job? Because this is the job that Brad wanted when he got his master's degree a few years ago. He has worked with the guy who had the job and loves being involved in making sure that testing is serving the purpose of seeing what a student knows not just what the student can guess by elimination. When Brad was deciding what to get a master's in and evaluating what he would do with a master's degree, he felt that besides the pay raise he would be most interested in this particular job at the State level. This job became available at a good time in our lives. Brad still has a lot of time left before retirement that he can devote to this job. He has completely enjoyed teaching but feels ready to move on. And mostly, after much prayer, this really was the right thing to do. Eventually the pay will not only improve, but will be better than what he would ever make as a teacher. It is just hard to imagine Brad doing anything other than teaching Physics at Pleasant Grove High School. Maybe someday I will adjust.
Since I am finally updating, I will give a run down on the rest of the family. I was called to be the Relief Society President in September. This has been a hard change for me. I loved working with the young women and I still miss that calling terribly. I do admit that I enjoy not having to plan an activity every week but I love the girls and miss being with them. Relief Society President is not a bad calling. I am loving the opportunity to get out and meet people I don't know. I have found that with this calling comes a great love for each of the sisters in our ward. And I have had some wonderfully spiritual experiences that let me know that Heavenly Father is helping me with this calling.
Laura has made many committments about college. She is going to go to Utah State University in Logan, Utah. She has already received a scholarship for half tuition which is really cool. She has two friends who will be going there also and she is already signed up for an apartment with them. It is crazy to think that she is going to be moving and living on her own. It is a good thing that I still have most of a year before this happens. I will miss having her around.
Joseph is turning 16 this next weekend. He is excited and is working on getting enough driving hours to get his license. He still has plenty of hours left to go but hopes to go to Payson a lot over Thanksgiving weekend because we have told him he can drive and that will give him hours more quickly than our little trips around town. Joseph has also been able to attend every BYU home game this year by selling programs with a school club. He has been able to go for free and has loved being where the action is.
Heather is also having a birthday next weekend and is turning 14. She just finished her second school play and is already anxious for spring and the next play. She really loves being involved in drama and doesn't mind the time committment that is involved. It is fun to see her finding something that excites her and allows her to shine.
Nathaniel is just a busy 5th grader who spent all of September and October getting to school half an hour early in order to put up the flag each day. When it finally turned colder I was able to convince him that he didn't need to do the flag every day and that other kids might like a turn also. He agreed and I am happy that he is not standing outside so long in the cold.
For an update on Kent check out his blog. His killing chickens story is absolutely gross!!!