Memorial Day Weekend

Jim, Cheryl, and their family came to visit for the weekend. We are trying to get in every last minute with Reid before he leaves on his mission (Denver, Colorado - North) in August. We have so many fun memories of having these cousins together. This weekend included lots of movies, TV, good food, hide and seek at IKEA, and s'mores around the fire. Thanks for coming!

Orchestra and Choir Concert

There are so many kids involved in music in our middle school that they had to have 4 different concerts this year to allow the parents to fit in the auditorium. We attended 3 of them. This concert included Taylor playing in the orchestra and singing in the 7th grade choir.

I am continually amazed at the music program here. Taylor has learned how to play the violin completely for free and all on school time. I have never taken her to a lesson and only had to rent the violin on a yearly basis. Her middle school orchestra consists of over 100 students and they are amazing. This year Taylor was 1st chair, 2nd violin - which is a real honor. It means that she is the best violin player for the second part (like alto instead of soprano) and gets to sit in the first row circle. Next year she is considering trying out for a select ensemble, but might also try to play piano for jazz band - we'll see. (I accidentally recorded the orchestra in HD - so the file is too big for me to upload.)

Above is the 7th grade choir singing and below is just the seventh grade orchestra.

Last Day of Seminary

This was our first year having a child attend Seminary (Ed taught a few years ago). Dallin got up every morning of the school year to attend a scripture study class at our church beginning at 5:45. It is a very challenging task for the kids and parents who get up with them and drive them, but well worth it. I really enjoyed getting to chat with other parents to start my day and get some personal scripture study in as well. Dallin and the other kids will tell you that their days just go smoother when they begin with Seminary and even though they were tired, they really enjoyed it.

The last day everyone pitched in to have a breakfast celebration and we were able to get them all together for picture. I am very proud of Dallin for finishing his first year and setting such a good example for his siblings. We have many more years of early mornings to come... but three months to sleep in before it begins again:)

Choir Concert

We really enjoyed the end-of-the-year choir concert for Dallin and Taylor. Dallin sang in Robe and 9th grade choir and Taylor played the piano for one of the songs. It was an amazing display of the talented kids and teachers in our community.

The Franklin Institute

I got to go with Cami on a field trip to the Franklin Institute. It was a fast and furious day. You could spend days looking around this place and we really only had a few hours, but we made the most of them. Here are a couple pictures of our cute Cami and her friends.

Yes, that's a giant heart.

Partners in Crime

When Zoey sneaks on the couch, Hudson is never far behind. The clue that he knows he's not supposed to be there is that he sits almost on top of her. I caught them the other day and have to admit it was very cute.

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful Mother's Day. Ed and the kids made all the meals and got me a great gift to go with my favorite food - guacamole!

I love being a mother and am so grateful for my three beautiful children. They brighten my day and keep me on my toes. I have also been blessed with a wonderful mother and mother-in-law. These ladies are a great example to me in so many different ways. Happy Mother's Day!

Woodland Drive

We decided to drive by Ed's childhood/teenage home in San Ramon. I met his family for the first time in this house and Dallin learned to be crazy on the diving board here. I thought it would be good to document it.

For Carter and Jonah

We saw this car pulling out of our hotel as we were pulling in. I was trying to get out the camera while Ed was stealthily following them. It was a John Deere car - bright green with all the decals. I thought the boys would think it was cool.

Scenery from Alcatraz

Who knew it was so beautiful on Alcatraz?
I got a few great pictures and loved the gardens.

Alcatraz

After our day in Monterey, we all traveled up to San Francisco to meet Bill, Austin, and Kennan. We started by touring Alcatraz and continued to Fisherman's Warf. We had a great time catching up and loved Alcatraz. It was a beautiful day and we were so glad to spend more time with family. Shelby was such a good girl again. She really loved one of the last stops at the park where she finally got to crawl around.

All the kids showed up in green:)

Shelby and Ed were friends by day two.

Touring around on Alcatraz

Creepy cell.

Can you tell we loved this cute baby?

Austin and Kennan loved the sea lions and the wind nearly blew us away!