So I stole this from my sister, but I couldn't resist....

8th Grade

- Who was your best friend?
Jenny Anderson...I was still trying to figure out if Shannon was friend or foe.

- What sport did you play?
Volleyball, basketball (Go NINJAS!), and track...

- Did you buy your lunch?
We all ate school lunch in the cafeteria. And I mean seriously, who wanted to eat pb&J when they could have cheese zombies? Judy and Pat were the best.

-Skipped shool?
No one skipped school. Where would you go?

Did you get suspended/expelled?
No. There was fear of consequences not just at school...but at home.

- What was your favorite class?
LA/SS with Mrs. Lynch. She made me want to be a teacher. We made commercials and read Sara Plain and Tall. I also loved art with Mrs. Johnson when she let us paint our names in the secret closet. I miss the old school with the old gym and the fire escape.

- What was your school's name?
Endicott-St. John Middle School...Gooo Wildcats!


-Would you go back if you could?
In a heart beat. Those were the days.

-Where did you sit at lunch?
Where all the kids sat...at the tables in the cafeteria.

-Who was your science teacher?
Mr. Johnson, his advice..."Go to college so you don't have to work at McDonald's for the rest of your life." He also taught woodshop. I made a bookshelf. It is still at my parent's house to this day.

- Who was your English teacher?
Mrs. Lynch...Oh man, she's great.

- Who was your social studies teacher?
Mrs. Lynch, too....that was my favorite class. She was my favorite teacher.

-Who was your math teacher?
Mr. Herd. Or was it Hurd? Gosh, I can't really remember much about him except that he had a distinct smell and that we made a game call ConMop (I think it stood for consumer monopoly) and we were in the newspaper for it. He also taught computers. Can you say Oregon Trail??? There was another game where you went into the woods and had to use a whet stone....I don't think I ever knew what a whet stone was but I loved that game...

What were your outfits in the eighth grade?
Well, if you were cool, you had stone/acid washed jeans (tapered of course...with zippers on the bottom), jean jackets, baggy t-shirts, big hair with scrunchies...

- Did you make prank calls?
Once, Jenny, Jessica (what was her last name...Larson I think) and I called Joe Gering and sang "I just called to say I love you" because Jessica had a crush on him....but that may have been before 8th grade...if we made prank calls it was because we were at Tenaya's house playing Girl Talk. I probably called Conor Kleweno but hung up as soon as someone answered.

- Who did you like?
I suppose that was during my Conor Kleweno phase....although I think Ryan Schauble ruined my relationship with Staci Garrett forever that year.

- Was it your favorite year of middle school?
Our middle school only had two years and I spent 7th grade in Wheaton, Il. 8th grade was by far the best.

-Do you still hang out with the same people that you did when you were in middle school?
Jenny is married with tons of babies in Seattle, Shannon has her hands full with twin boys back in St. John, I can't remember the last time I saw Nicole Hennigar (I don't even know her new last name!), Andee and Staci...I'm lucky if I see those girls once a year at the TLC Christmas Eve service...I don't think I've seen Mel since graduation...Dana either...did I know Tammette in 8th grade? Well, it's been years to say the least...Andee, Jenny, Shannon and Tammette made it to my wedding....I think that may be the last time I've seen any of them....

-Do you think middle school or high school is better?
Hmmm....back home, there isn't much difference. I spent 8th grade with the exact same kiddos I graduated with.

The mean Mrs. Rhoden

Today one of my students told me that my class sucks. She said that I expected too much out of them and that I grade too hard. She told me to cut her some slack. Even though it hurt my feelings, I am glad that they know I expect their best...even though they won't give it to me.

My husband, Charles

I realized that I didn't have any pictures of my amazing husband on this silly website, so I figured it was about time...

Ode to Charles, I love you very much...

Christmas with kiddos...

We spent our Christmas vacation with Charles' family.

Here is a special greeting from

Aurora, Jenna, Alexis, Trinity, Romeo & Gabe

Life's Questions...

Do you ever wonder what God wants to do with your life? I can remember for years knowing that God wanted me to open a youth center. Even though I was a poor naive college student, I knew if I had a million dollars and a building, I could do it...and I knew God would provide it...even though I didn't know when, where or how. But He did. But now, I feel lost. I have no real direction or purpose. I'm teaching 9th grade English. Today we made board games based on the epic poem, The Odyssey. I has been fun, but my heart really isn't in the classroom. But where is it? I love my husband. I am so blessed by him. You have no idea. I love being married. He is so good to me. But trying to figure out God's will for your life is so much harder when there are two separate people involved. Two separate sets of feelings and emotions. Two separate visions and preferances. No worries, though. It is a fun adventure nonetheless (is that a word? one word? see...I'm supposed to be an English teacher!). "You never know what a day will bring." says Charles.

Turkey Day '08

This is my family on Thanksgiving day. We are crazy. Katie, brett, Leigh, Jared, Nicole, Andrew, me and Charles...we miss Karl and Sara...oh, and Brook and Nick, too....

I tried to kill Jared. He cut the summer sausage too thick.

MD 3

So I'm laying on the hide-a-bed in my parent's living room watching the Mighty Ducks 3. I don't think I've ever seen this one. We are officially in Seattle! We went to Mars Hill for church yesterday. I have heard many interesting things about their pastor. I was a very non-traditional worship experience. We spend lunch on pier 55 at Red Robin (my absolute favorite!) while we watched the Seahawks beat up on the Bears and went to the Old Curiosity shop. Starbucks is right next door, so after a peppermint mocha, we drove down to Burien where my parent's are looking at buying a home. I love this city. I love the northwest. When we met up with my bridesmaid extrodinare (sp??) Alicia, it was as if we were never apart, even though it has been a year since we've seen each other. Don't you love friends like that?


P.S. Erin is having a baby!