This past week was the National CEC convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. CEC stands for the Council of Exceptional Children, a professional organization dedicated to the teaching of children having special education needs. This was the very first time I've attended a CEC National Convention, and it was a fantastic experience. I learned quite a bit, discovered what a National convention is like, networked with new people, and reconnected with past colleagues. I'm not sure which was the best part, although seeing some of my past colleagues from Montana was certainly a nice surprise.I travelled with the sped department chair from our college, and we had a nice time. (Sr. Mary Karen and I are seated on the wall in the above picture of the Temple). Sight-seeing was minimal, but a few things were fit into our tight schedule. I walked over to the Morman Conference Center and enjoyed a rehearsal of the Taber
nacle Choir on Thursday night. Then late on Friday, we visited the Temple Square and took the tour. The weather on Friday afternoon was beautiful, so 
wandering around the Temple Square area was pleasant. Amazingly, the gardens were filled with fragrant flowers for such an early time of year.Our trip was quick...we flew there on Thursday and back on Saturday. The planes were full, the airports were busy. It was also good to gaze out the plane window and look down upon Western prairies and mountain vistas. For a "
Westerner" like me, it was good to get my "mountain fix" (if only fleetingly) since living in Wisconsin for 3-years. (My last view of mountains was in October 2003). I have another opportunity to see Western lands again coming up in June when headed on another trip...this time a vacation with my husband.~~S
