Just keep going!

It's been a rough couple of weeks. I don't want to go into all of the details but here's a brief list....my uncle was diagnosed with colon cancer, a young mom unexpectedly died due to a brain tumor, my brother was in the hospital due to his heart rate being twice as fast as it should be (he was having a major anxiety attack) and my mom has a colonoscopy tomorrow to check for problems since Chris was diagnosed. I'm praying for some good news in my mom's results. Th hardest part is that I am halfway around the world. I can't be with my family during all of this and I think that's what hurts the most. I never thought I would get homesick but I think I am a little homesick. I am very excited to be ho and spend Christmas with my family.

This weekend we were finally able to have a branch temple trip. Let me tell you...the lord works in mysterious ways. The temple trip was supposed to happen in June. It kept getting pushed back. I don't think it's any coincidence that it was moved to this weekend after everything that happened. It felt really nice to enjoy the peace of the temple and to be in the company of other branch members. I really do like my branch. It feels like home. It's very small but I think that makes it even more special. I love knowing that it doesn't matter where I am in the word...the gospel is still the same and I have the opportunity to feel the spirit in an English speaking congregation. 

I keep telling myself that it's almost over. I've talked to my mom about issues with roommates and things and she reminds me that I need to focus on the kids. She's so right. I'm not here for my roommates, I'm here for my kids. It's all worth it when I walk down the stairs and hear a chorus of "Miss Kylie! Miss Kylie!" I even get that from kids that aren't in my classes. These kids are so cute...most of the time...and I wouldn't get through this if I didn't have them. 

As of right now I only have 82 days left in Taiwan and I have so much to do. I was calendaring yesterday and I only have three free Saturdays. This is going to be a busy couple of months so hopefully the time will go faster. Until next time, stay safe in America!

My new classes

So, as I've said before I started a new semester recently. My classes are going well. I feel like I'm finally getting into the swing of things. I have three classes. One is called basic reading. This consists of seven and eight year olds who are just learning to read. I really love this class because I do a lot of the same things that I did when I taught first grade in Las Vegas. I have really tried to expand the curriculum that we are given and give the kids more time and opportunities to learn through games and other activities. They seem to really enjoy it. I have six kids in that class. Their names are Rainie, Isabella, Ginny, Alston, Charles, and Ivan. I love them all. I wish I could take all of them back to America with me.

This is Ivan, Chloe, Isabella, and Charles. We were talking about huts and they were building one.

This is Isabella. A character in our book had a birthday party so we celebrated for him.

Then there are my first graders. They are crazy but I love them. I only have four kids in that class. We have a lot of fun together. We can do that because there are only four of them. Lately we've been working on a natural disasters. We have made hurricanes and tornadoes and we are working on a volcano right now. They are having fun that's all that matters right? I really do love this class. They are the reason that I teach on Saturdays.

This is Immy with her tornado.

This is Ray and Coco with their tornado.

We are also making picture memory books for our natural disasters unit this is Peko working on her

This is Ray. When we were learning about hurricanes they built their own houses and tried to knock them down with wind...aka their own breath. They actually really enjoyed it.

My fifth graders have been a struggle this semester. At the beginning of the semester I started with six kids. They keep adding more people to my class. One boy that they added is far below my other students. I have to stay after every day to help catch him up. It is frustrating when he continues to try to get me to feed him the answers instead of thinking for himself. I know he knows more than he wants me to believe. The other boy that they have added is the class clown. He doesn't listen, he is always out of his seat, and he tries not to do the work. It is frustrating because every thing he says makes the kids starts to laugh and they get distracted too. I have tried everything and I don't know what to do next. I started a new behavior system on Monday I hope that it will continue to help their behavior. I used to love going to this class. The kids are older so they know how to communicate better. Now I dread going to that class and it is the worst two hours of my day. I really hope that it gets better or the next three months will be miserable. Luckily I have a four day weekend this weekend so I will have a break from those kids. Don't get me wrong, I really do love them. They are just super stressful. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures of them this semester because class is so stressful that I don't have time or the desire to take pictures of them.

I'm sorry that I sound so whiny this has just been a stressful couple of weeks. Hopefully my next post will be happy and encouraging. Until then, stay safe in America and I will see youin 95 days! 

I love the gospel

Well not having a computer in Taiwan has proven to be difficult. I haven't written a post since Easter. Crazy! Time sure does fly by! Now I only have 95 days left until I leave this wonderful country. I can't believe it! So much has happened since I last wrote! For starters, we ended the semester, we got new teacher and I got new classes and new students. Although my classes can be difficult I still love all of my kids. They are great! My fifth graders like to challenge me but its nothing I can't handle.

Since I last wrote I also have a new calling at church. I am the primary president. Being the president can be difficult in a branch. We are very short staffed so I also double as the music leader. :) We have recently been working on our primary program songs. It's been a long, hard road for the kids to learn the songs but they are really improving. This past Sunday was a really special experience for me. We have been working on the same songs for the past few weeks and the kids were still struggling. On Sunday as we were singing the songs they sang them almost perfectly. Our hard work is paying off. As I was standing in the front of the room my eyes started to water. The spirit was so strong in those little voices. The testimonies of young children are the best that I've ever heard. I could feel their testimonies as we were singing the songs. I love my calling and that I've had the opportunity to get to know these wonderful children and I know that I will be so sad to leave them in December. At first I was a little nervous about the new calling but as I've grown to love and know the kids I know this is the right place for me. 

Being in a new place is hard sometimes so I've had to learn how to rely on The Lord. I have gained a stronger testimony since being in Taiwan. It is so comforting to know that the gospel is the same wherever I go. Although I am really excited to come home and 95 days I know I will miss Taiwan. I am excited to get back to America and get started with my "grown-up" life but this is definitely where I'm supposed to be at this point in my life. Well it's time for me to get ready for class but I will try to post an update of my kids later today. I will be home soon! I can't wait!

Our Easter activity!

So I know my blogs have been few and far between already but now it might be even more so...my computer is broken...awesome. It is currently on its way back to America. I am stuck doing everything on my iPad. Oh well. At least I have my iPad. :)

Anyways...onto the reason for my post. Today was a fun day. We had our big Easter activity. The afternoon teachers...Andrew, Kaitlyn, Sunny and I each had a different Easter activity. Our kids had the opportunity to do all of the activities. Sunny had an obstacle course for the kids to complete. Kaitlyn did an Easter egg hunt. Andrew did Easter bingo and I painted Easter cards with the kids. It was a lot of fun....stressful...but fun. The kids were great and they really enjoyed getting messy and decorating their Easter egg cards. 

Sam working on his finger painting project.

Tiffany.  She didn't want her picture taken.

Peko.

Robbie.

Tiffany holding up her painted tissue.  We made a mess but we had fun doing it.  :)

Miss Sunny's class with their completed cards.

Miss Sunny did an obstacle course for their activity.  This is Peko attempting the obstacle course.

We had lots of fun that day.  We didn't get a lot of reading or writing done but they got a lot of verbalization practice which is great as well!  :)

Taipei adventure...day 3

Our third day in Taiwan was the craziest of all!  Our goal was to take a train to Pingxi for the lantern festival. First, we met up with Callie for breakfast, we walked around Taipei.  We found a park that we enjoyed for a little while.  Then, we got a train ticket and we were on our way to Pingxi.  We spent a little more money on this train ticket but we got to have seats for the entire ride.  It was great!  Then, we had to get on another train...this one was not as luxurious!  We were packed onto this train like cattle.  We kept getting pushed farther and farther onto the train.  I got on the train and I thought there was nowhere else for me to go but I kept getting pushed and somehow I ended up in the middle of the train.  I'm not exactly sure how that happened.  Our first stop was at a waterfall.  Then we headed over to Pingxi.  

weird statue thing at the park.  :)

a cute little house at the park.

on the way to the waterfall. 

the waterfall was so pretty! 

us and our bus tickets...and a random person that wanted his picture taken with us.  :)

definitely packed onto the train!

  

at the night market!

our lantern.

ready to let our lantern fly!

 

there it goes!

If you knew me at all you would know that I HATE HEIGHTS!  However, I stumbled across a suspension bridge.  Yes...I literally stumbled across it.  Not only is it really high above the ground...it is also very wobbly ...not my favorite experience but I can say that i did it!

Once our adventure was done we stopped at McDonalds to eat.  Then, Trisha and Erin went to another park while Sunny and I went back to the hostel, packed our bags, and then sat on my bed and played a few games of Monopoly Deal before we went to bed.  It was definitely a good day!

Taipei adventure...day 2

It's me again!  My first day in Taipei was great.  What did day 2 have in store?  The coast...a cool Chinese cemetery...crowded buses...crazy bus drivers....a strange dinner in Keelung and two night markets!  It was another busy day!  We started on the coast.  There is a bus that goes up to Keelung and you can get on and off of it as many times as you want.  We stopped at a couple of places on the coast.  Unfortunately it was raining so it wasn't as pretty as it probably could have been.  It was still really pretty though.  At one of our stops we also explored (and got lost in) a temple.  It was pretty exciting.

The entrance to a temple that we found!  :)

the waters were so rough that they closed it down shortly after we were here.

The crematorium at this awesome cemetery!

It was very windy!

This cool rock formation on the coast.

the cemetery

there was a life-sized piano at the cemetery.  yes we were actually able to play it!

it's me!

the statue of liberty and McDonalds right next to each other.  Ironic?

Once we were done with the coast we met up with Callie at a night market.  We bought Taiwan Tshirts and we ended the day with a HUGE ice cream!  It was great!

Taipei adventure...day 1

Adventure for the day...the Taipei zoo and the Barbie restaurant!  We started off the day at 7 in the morning to catch the bus to Taipei.  We dropped our stuff off at our hostel (or should I say closet?) and we were off to the zoo!  That's right.  We went to the zoo!  This was the busiest zoo that I have ever been to.  I'm sure that is partly because it is a holiday.  There were so many people on the subway and at the zoo.  It was fun but crazy!  It was hard to even stop and enjoy the animals because it was so busy and crowded.

Do you see all of those people behind me?

and these are all of the people that were in front of me.

The zoo was SO CROWDED!

I just thought I would throw this picture in.  It's probably my favorite picture of the day. :)

and of course people asked to take pictures with us.  Such is life in Taiwan.  :)

Then, after a long day at the zoo, we searched the streets of Taipei for the Barbie restaurant but we couldn't find it anywhere.  So...we decided to eat at the Sogo Department Store instead.  I had a sandwich.  Then, as we were heading for the Subway again we found the Barbie cafe!  We made a reservation for later that night.  Since we had about 3 hours before our reservation we went and explored a night market.  Don't worry I bought a fan!  I am pretty excited about it!

This is a picture of us with the guy that painted our fans.  Definitely excited about this purchase!  :)

Then we were finally able to eat at the Barbie restaurant.  Too bad the food wasn't that great.  It was still a lot of fun!  I ordered chicken strips.  It was actually teriyaki chicken (or something like that).  That's also what Sunny got.  Erin ordered Barbie burgers.  It was basically a meatball on a mini bun (don't worry she got three of them).  My favorite was Trisha's meal.  She ordered a garlic baked potato.  It turns out that hers was a pile of garlic-flavored french fries...that definitely made us laugh.  The Barbie restaurant was a great way to end a VERY LONG day!  :)

My...chicken strips?

The menu...sorry I look so tired.  I was definitely exhausted!

the cute little chairs at the restaurant.

Trisha's garlic baked potato...YUM!  lol

Hiking to the Buddha

We had one whole week off for Chinese New Year!  It was a great break but we had to find things to do.  On the Monday of our break we went to Changhua and hiked to a big Buddha.  It was a great hike along a mountain.  We walked a ton of stairs until we got to the top.  When we got there the tourists changed their attention from the Buddha to us.  I just love being a novelty here in Taiwan.  One guy asked Sunny if he could take his picture with her.  It's so strange.  When I come back to America it is going to be weird that nobody wants to take my picture.  :)  Oh well. 

The big Buddha in Changhua.

Stairs all the way up to the Buddha.

...still hiking.  :)

the view from the Buddha. 

It was a good hike!  I enjoyed myself.