Back to the Routine

Man, I need to update my blog. Hi. I'm Arti and this is my blog (a version of what I say to my students to start class). Anyway. Things are good. School started Monday of this week, so life continues (whether I'm ready or not). I've met all my students and we've done some work together. Boring. No really, it's been a fun few days. I picked up College English in my class schedule, which means I am teaching some fairly elite seniors. When I met with them on Wednesday, it felt like an honest to goodness college English class. It felt really good to know that they were keeping up with me. Plus I could refer to things from last year and they got the reference. Teaching seniors is going to be a blast.
All my other classes are going pretty well. We are on a block A/B schedule this year so it is weird that I don't see my students everyday. I feel like I hardly know them, but we've been in session a week. Weird.
In other news, the Browns (the couple I've been living with) went to the MTC last week. They're headed to Ghana, Africa. I think they are stopping by this weekend before they head to the airport and fly away for two years. It's been crazy without them around. Much quieter, and the food isn't quite so good :) In fact I've only really cooked once. Thank heavens for left overs, and Kassie's kind siblings.
Last weekend was the first Jim Olsen family reunion. My brother Bret did a great job getting us all together for a great camping/hiking weekend. We hiked through Orderville Canyon and down through the narrows, approx. 10 miles. It could have been a 13 mile hike but we got a lift from some nice people from Delta. They drove us on this wicked dirt road that consists of the first 2-3 miles of the hike. Kharma. The hike was beautiful. I always forget how beautiful that part of Utah is until I'm smack-dab in the middle of it. Bret, Lori, their scout friends Ryan and Brent took the lead on the hike and left Cody, Kim and me in the dust. We figure that we're very different kinds of hikers, and I'm still amazed at how sure-footed Lori is. (I try to blame it on my little legs, but that excuse only goes so far.) We had a blast though. Bret and Cody coached me through my first ever repelling experience, and then we did it again. I got a little bruised up when I fell of a log, but other than that made it through unscathed. Naturally, I've been walking gingerly ever since, but what can you do? Thanks to Mom, Dad, and Holland for watching the little ones while we hiked. It really was a great weekend.
Not much else is coming up. In fact, I'm looking forward to staying home for a while to relax from my busy summer and August. We'll see how that goes. I always seem to find something to fill my time with. Which reminds me. I've got a storage unit to empty. Anyone want some junk? Let me know.