Little Swimmer

Ren is one of those kids who doesn't like to put his head in the water in the tub.  He loves taking a bath, just not washing his hair.  He loves the pool, as long as his head isn't under water...  Get the idea?  

So, in prep for this summer, I thought about it, and decided he really needs to learn to swim.  We don't have a pool, nor regular access to a pool.  So, swim lessons were our best option, for daily, rehearsed swim.  

I was so shocked!  He was an awesome swimmer from day 1.  As in, he was swimming across the pool with his head under, kicking and arms moving from the first day!  Whoa.  And by the end of the 2 weeks (8 total days), he was jumping into the pool then swimming across.  He just did so well.  I'm so excited to have him more water safe!  Yay!  Look at him go!

School's Over

The last week of school is always a little hairy.  It is also really fun!  So much going on and a time look back as well as look to next fall.  Finals for upper grades (Porter and Chloe), programs and parties, books to turn in, teacher gifts to give, friends to say goodbye to.  (And I have to admit, I was exhausted from it all by the last day!)  Here are a few highlights from the week.

Ellie and a few friends got ready for the 5th grade "Extravaganza" together!  It was held at the YMCA and they danced and rock climbed and all sorts of other activities.

Me, MJ and her teacher, Mrs. Robbins.  We love Mrs. Robbins!  She was Porter's 2nd grade teacher, then Chloe's, the Ellie's, MJ's and hopes to Ren's.  :)

MJ had her 2nd grade "Famous American" poetry recital.  MJ was Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman doctor in the US.  She did a whole report on her and then wrote a poem about her too.  Check in out above!

MJ and her friends, Isabella, Morgan and Mollie

MJ with friends, Isabella and Andi

After school, MJ and friend/neighbor, Blair

5th Grade Graduate, Ellie!

Ellie and Chloe

At the end of the last day, the school does a 'clap out' for the 5th grade classes.  They walk all over the school, with the other grades all clapping and cheering for them as they take their last walk through the school.  Ellie and many of her friends were crying.  Chloe gave her a bit of a hard time about it, until I reminded her of her clap out and how she cried too.  She doesn't remember that, but I've got photos to prove it.  :)

Abby and Ellie

Ellie and Hannah

Ellie and Marisa

Ellie and Alexa

Chloe, Ellie and Mrs. Robbins

Ellie, Chloe and Mrs. Walker (their kindergarten teacher)

Hannah's wedding

Fast trip to Arizona...Congratulations!  (Hannah was about 3 when Rusty and I got married.  That is a crazy thought right there, right?)

Look at this cute couple, surrounded by sisters and bridesmaids.

Ellie and Sara (Sara is off to BYU for summer session)

Look at this lovely cake, so unusual.  I love it.

Mindy, me, Emily (Brad's wife) holding Addy and Clara.

Aren't the flowers and colors so pretty.  I love the green and the pink Hannah chose.  

Porter & Chloe

These yummy drinks kept us going back for more.  I did have to tell Ren 'no more' after drink #3.  There were so many different flavors and combos that we all wanted to taste everyone's to try them all.

This is what the kids did most of the night.  There was a huge lawn.  They just took off their shoes and rolled, wrestled, ran and played all evening!  I spent a lot of time keeping one eye on them (since 5 were mine) and they had such fun!  

Elle and Ava

Addy

Crazy Hair Day

 Ellie

MJ

Crazy Hair Day at school is always entertaining!  This year the principal even ok'd hair coloring, so the kids went all out!  MJ and Ellie were tame compared to some.  :)

I guess I'm getting a little trunky for school to get out.  This morning, I heard my alarm start ringing and I woke (not all the way, but atleast I remember it) and thought, "hey why is this alarm ringing?  It's Saturday, I'm sleeping in."  So, MJ comes in at 10 minutes before they are to leave for school and tells me the time and I start to tell her that it's Saturday, when it dawns on me that it's Friday!!!  Ugh.  They were totally late.

Beach & Books

Last night, our young men and young women groups had a combined activity at Emerald Bay.  It is a private beach neighborhood that one of our leaders must have gotten permission to use, I guess.  I got to be a driver/chaperone.  (Most of the YW leaders weren't able to attend so they called a few parents to help out.)  So, I've been in the neighborhood, just not down at their beach.  It was beautiful.  The youth played volleyball and football.  They played in the surf, some of them got soaked.  (Thank goodness no one in my car! I might have had to tell them to hitch a ride with someone else!)  It was just a fun evening.  I was so thankful for the leaders and friends that my kids get to be with.

I love to read, especially novels.  One of my new years resolutions was to add some variety to my reading, including some type of non-fiction.  Well, I haven't really done much of that yet!!!  But I will.  Until then...I just finished a book called "Moon of Manifest".  It is about a little girl from the depression times, who is figuring out her past, who she is and where she came from.  It is a recent newbery award winner.  It is very good, I'd highly recommend it.  I finished it last night and I was so distraught when I read one part of the story about a woman who moved to the US with her 4 year old son (same age as Ren).  I guess it was common back then to be sent home to whatever country you came from if you were sick or unhealthy.  So, the woman had an eye infection (something minor) but her son was fine.  They sent her back to her country, but she didn't have $ to pay for a ticket for her son.  He had to stay.  Isn't that aweful!  I can't believe this could really happen!!  I am outraged that things like this may have happened.  I know the book is fiction.  I just can't get this out of my mind.  Eventually, the woman was allowed back into the US, once she was well and had earned enough $ for her passage back.  She found her son 3 years later.  But he was established in a adopted home now and she was an outcast (because she couldn't speak the language well and was a foreigner) so she just lived in the town that he grew up in and kept an eye on him.  She never told him who she was.  Miserable, I would be miserable.

I am so thankful that I don't have to go through anything like that!

More hair stuff

Ren, Rusty and Porter all get their hair cut by the same girl from our ward, Natalie. She does a great job...especially for Rusty, who is very picky. :) Here are some photos that Rus took after Ren got his haircut one afternoon on Natalie's porch.

All done.

Isn't he beautiful?  He is so beautiful to me.

After Ren was finished, he sat down to eat a taco while Rusty had a turn.  (Porter was first so he could be done in time to go to Young Men that evening.)  Ren loves tacos, so long as they don't have cheese.  So, we have 2 non-cheese eating children.  Ren and Chloe.  From 2 parents who like (dare I say love?) cheese, that's just weird.

I Love to Sing

I sing in a group called Orange County Mormon Choral Organization.  It is so great to be singing with a group of this caliber.  It is quite a commitment to be there on a weekly basis, but luckily Rusty has been very supportive in helping me keep things going smoothly at home on those nights I'm gone.  It also helps to have a couple of in-house babysitters.  :)

This was taken from the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Bldg. at the restaurant, The Garden.  Isn't it pretty spectacular?

Our choir and our sister choir, East Valley Mormon Choral Organization, took a trip to Salt Lake City this past week.  We got to record and perform at Abravanel Hall and also perform in the Tabernacle, both located right there in downtown SLC.  It was really cool.  We recorded an oratorio "Messiah in America" written by our director, Brett Stewart.  The words are directly from the Book of Mormon, about Christ visiting the people after his resurrection.  It is beautiful and inspiring.  I've sung this a few times now and really know the music well and I love it more than ever.  I truly believe Brett was inspired in his writing.  You cannot help but feel the spirit as this music and words describe those events.  I've sung with this group for other concerts as well, and have thoroughly enjoyed it.  But this particular music has been the most rewarding.  I think it's because of the content (coming from scripture) and also the music itself was more challenging to learn.  

 Downtown was pretty and had flowers blooming around everywhere.  I really love tulips.

 Jen, me and Melanie

Melanie is a Soelberg.  She is a few years younger than me and Jen.  In fact, her sister, Adena is our age.  I didn't really know Melanie back in high school, but it was fun getting to know her this week.

 Me, Ginny, Anna and Jennifer

I sit next to these great girls.  Every week at rehearsals, we see one another.  But sadly, we don't get to know each other real well, since we really are there to rehearse, we sing and go home.  So, it was fun to learn a little more about them on this trip.  We didn't have a lot of free time, but we did seem to hurry up to get there on time and then wait to start, so were able to visit.

One of the highlights of the week was spending time with one of my good friends, Jennifer Flake (formerly Tongring).  She sings in the EVMCO.  We rented a car and stayed with a friend up in Kaysville together.  This photo is Jen and I, in front of Graham (a friend from my stake) as he is figuring out the Tabernacle organ.

We ate out a lot this week.  We stayed away from 'fast food' and tried not to eat at any place that we could eat (like a chain) at home.  So, we ate at the Lion House, The Garden, The Blue Lemon (twice, that place was so good) and a bakery right by the Deseret Book.  It was really fun.  I do love to eat out.

In the downtime that we did have, we went to the church museum and the Beehive House.  We did the South visitors center.  They have this amazing little replica of the SLC temple.  You can see inside it and it is really neat.  Of all the time I was in SLC, I still didn't go into the Conference Center!  I am so bummed.  I really wanted to take that tour.  We parked under the center.  Oh well, another time.