Sorry - two blogs in one night.
Tonight I came home from work a little shaken.
Again an incident at the Jr. High where I
work.
I call it the little prison because it really feels
like that's where we are. It's a focus school, where
the kids that can't make it in the regular schools come to as the last chance to be in a public school.
O.K. It's Friday - a good day until 1:45.
This is how the events went:
It's the end of lunch time - it's Friday the kids seem a little edgy.
4 Boys start using very colorful language, one boy accusing another boy of looking at his girlfriend. The boys start walking to a building where they can duke it out.
These kids LOVE to fight.
The secretary is out there helping monitor these kids during the lunch hour along with some teachers,and a security guard. She's trying to keep these guys
from brawling when all of a sudden she get's a hard blow to
the back of her neck. One of the guys hit her hard on the back of her neck.
Fists were flying - tempers raging.
Another student was hit hard in the mouth, a bloody mess.
The security guard and 2 teachers are trying to constrain the students the
best they can - while the secretary is brought into me.
She's shaking, very unstable. She's throwing up and
very dizzy. 3 Police cars, a gang taskforce, 1 firetruck & 1 ambulance end up at our school.
The secretary is taken by ambulance to Scottsdale Osborne. A student is taken to get stitches on his face. The security
guard is shaken up in the fight also - I don't know if he or the secretary will be
back on campus on Monday. I hope they're o.k.
I was lucky because I was just out amongst the thugs monitoring
my little defiant diabetic who lies about what food he
eats at lunchtime. We had gone into the Health Office just minutes before the excitement started. Needless to say, I was the last one
at the school on this lovely Friday afternoon filling out
Accident Reports. Wah Wah! (Besides the janitor)
I'm glad this year's almost over!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

Where will you find the Taylor's at night?
At the Ball Parks.
Senior Night for Jen's Softball.
Jen and her best bud - Lexi after their last home game ever!!
So Sad!




The 10 graduating seniors from Mesa High Softball.
Most of these girls have played together for 5 years. They have had a lot of great times together. Lots of fun memories.

Jen receiving her rose from Coach Madril.
This was Coach Madril's first year as head coach. He did awesome. He was Gay Turley's assistant for many years. Coach Madril will have some good years to come.

Jen receiving her Senior Back pack full of gifts.
Jen was most excited about the Movie Ticket. (She's actually using the ticket as I blog to see 17 Again) She also loved the QT gift certificate, + everything else.

The season started off slow for Jen because she was recovering from knee surgery, then her very first game upon returning (a month into the season) she sprained her right wrist. She overcame her obstacles and had a great year. We're sad
the season's over. Good Job slugger.

Jentay is done but Tyler's still playing!

Tyler is having fun this year. He knows some of the boys on his team - finally!
You never know who is going to be on your team because of the "draft".
Tyler as the catcher.


Ready at First Base.

Slugger #2!

I might complain because I'm never home, but really I love watching my
kids play what they love. The weather has been wonderful to sit out and watch ballgames in. No more complaining!
America's favorite past time = Taylor's favorite past time.

"Popping" to ask Jen to Prom

While we were away to work and school
a certain someone filled Jen's room
with lots of balloons asking her to prom.
I was hoping to see it, but I was too late,
they were all popped.
My reaction was "Why didn't you wait til I got home?"
Jen's reply, "I couldn't wait!"
Imagine that!!!!
Here's the aftermath.


Jen popped and popped to find out who?

A missing "O"

Jacob Matthew Young

<
Prom is May 2nd!
We're excited.

Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt - Rain or Shine!!!!
Courtney brought Jaxon to our Neighborhood Easter Party.
Jen and Jaxon gathering eggs.
The Zilm's yard was where the
1 year olds hunted for Easter Eggs.

We told Jaxon to smile for the camera. "Cheese"



Our Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt was in jeopardy for the first time since I can remember because of RAIN!
The party must go on - is what the consensus was.
The kids that came filled their Easter baskets to the brim! They made a haul.
We had great HOT homemade cinnamon and orange rolls - yummy!
And last minute (because of cold & rainy weather), we changed our juice to Hot Chocolate. Another Hit.
Thanks to all who braved the rain and came to the neighborhood party.
Does anyone know how long we have been having our Neighborhood Easter Party?

Scary times at Work!

We've had some scary things happen at work. My heart goes out to some of the students that are soooo troubled. In the last 3 days of work - we've had 2 drug overdoses - and I can't say a whole lot about the other scare except that the Secretary showed me where the bullet proof vest was!!!!
Hug your children!

What is happening in
"Your neck of the woods"
during Spring Break?




Jessica is experiencing 15" of snow in Kansas - while Jennifer is soaking up some rays in Arizona.

I Love!!!!
Springtime...Spring Break....Spring Training...Spring Fever!!!!
I thought 3:00 PM would never come on Friday the 13th.
I usually get off work at 3:30 but... Jen had a softball game and it was the Friday before spring break, no one else stuck around so ADIOS McKellips Middle School!

A Big thanks to my wonderful ward family. We had a ward campout last week-end and was I excited (no), but I was in charge of the activity. Needless to say, it turned out to be SOOO much fun. This is why it was fun:
1) Fun Ward Family
2) Huge Bonfire (night & morning) Bro. Angle made a huge metal fire pit that we kept stocked w/ fire wood. We sat around the fire and laughed and talked til 12:30AM.
3) Good Food (Thanks Amanda Raine)
4) Fun Games (The men & some woman got a little competitive in Horse Shoes)
5) Wonderful Camp site (no dirt - well, paved roads and a side walk all the way to the indoor bathrooms)
6) Indoor bathrooms - running water and also showers if you wanted.
7) Gorgeous view of Roosevelt Lake
8) Wood stove in our tent!! I can't tell you what a big difference this made in how I liked this camping trip. I get cold so easy and I don't sleep well when I'm cold, let alone in a sleeping bag. Bro. Angle again came through and let us use his big tent that had a wood burning stove inside. It was so warm and cozy!
9) Wonderful weather - beautiful clear skies, beautiful sunset.
10) Bishops message on Being Grateful for what we have and quit looking elsewhere for happiness when it's in our own front yard. Thanks Bishop - he's truly and inspired man.

I forgot to take my camera - sorry no pictures.
I also got to eat at "The Burger House" . It was my first time. Yummy.
HAPPY SPRING BREAK TO ALL!!!!!