School is back in session

The 2009-2010 school year has begun!
I have a class of 14 very talkative, loud, and silly 11 year old boys. And 12 very quiet, cute, and shy 11 year old girls. It is going to be a very interesting year!

My amazing husband did my name wall again this year and of course I have all the other teachers jealous of how awesome my wall is.


Back to school night was Tuesday night and boy was it the best back to school night ever. I have Josh Osmond in my class. Yes, that is the son of Donny and Debbie Osmond. And yes, Donny did come and hang out in my classroom for 30 minutes. It was really fun to have him there and he and his wife are such a great pair. I will be watching him on Dancing with the Stars!

(You can see Donny in the back left of this picture)

This week at school has been really fun outside because we have the nation paragliding show happening in our school back yard, it is amazing! It is like a movie outside every recess. You should see the students just stare at the mountains in awe of the whole show!



Here is the para-glider that was low enough for a good picture. The rest of my pictures they looked like little dots in the sky.

So get ready for another fun and fun filled story year! Mrs. Strong is back in action!

And the year was 1990

The Rust Family

I would just like you to take note of the hair styles of my Mama and I. I was in 4th grade in this picture. The house in the background was where I grew up. This is proof that NJ is green.

My Beautiful Mother

There has and always will be one person in my life who knew me better than anyone, who knew my faults, my weaknesses, secrets, my joys, and my favorite things and this person was my mother. She has always been that person in my life who always found time to talk to me on the phone, to take time out of her day at work to hear about mine, to teach me about life, to show by example what a caring person should really be like.
She was an angel. She was my mother. She is now my angel.

My mother passed away last Monday, August 3rd, 2009, after a 8 month battle with Cancer. I have been back and forth this whole summer from Utah to New Jersey to be by her side, and to be with my Dad and brother, Brandon. Then in July, the 19th actually, I flew to NJ with no return flight. I was going to be there no matter what every day while she fought for her life that we knew was so close to ending. I would never take this time back, it was worth it. It was worth every moment, every scary event that happened. She was a fighter. She always made sure everyone else was okay, even when you knew how much pain she was in. She was so loved. But she will live on. She will be in my heart and in the heart of so many who thought as my mother as their angel as well.

Everyone has a Karen Rust story. This became more apparent when I sat in her hospital room each day as people came to see her. Then at the viewing when over 500 people came to share their condolences with my family I got to hear their "Karen" stories.
It is an honor to be her daughter.

Everyone shared in the smile she had when she walked in the room, everyone will remember her as a caregiver, a nurse, a runner, a friend - but for me she will be my mother, my angel.

Here is her obituary from the paper - and it is amazing to read.

I love you mama, you are beautiful.