Hudson

Hudson loves to sing while Taylor is playing certain pieces on the piano.  He really likes Viva La Vida by Coldplay and Twelve variations of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Mozart.  He stands under the piano so he can feel all the vibration, but if you walk into the room to see him or try to take a video he stops.  We have been trying to capture him on film for a few months now.  Unfortunately, I was holding my phone sideways when I took this and I don't know how to flip it.  Sorry.

More Flowers

Baby Birds

We had another nest outside our game room window.  Four baby robins hatched and grew up right before our eyes.  It was easy to see if you stood on the couch, but it was really hard to get good pictures.  Here is what I captured in the few short weeks we watched them.

You can just barely see that there are blue eggs in the nest.

Right after they hatched

  

 The day before they flew out of the nest.

 

Primary

After a little more than 2 years, I have been released as the Primary Chorister and called to teach Dallin's Sunday School Class.  These changes are always a little bitter-sweet.  I really love teaching the gospel through music to the young children, but I look forward to studying the Book of Mormon with the teenagers.

I told the kids in Primary that my journey with them was coming to an end, but I wanted to take them on a journey for our last day.  We walked around the outside of the building where the kids and I had place things like flowers (to sing faith), popcorn bags on the tree (guess which song!), pictures of the temple, etc.   It was a fun time to be able to sing some of the classic songs of Primary and bear my testimony to the kids about the way music teaches and touches the spirit.

 Jr. Primary

 Sr. Primary

Group Hug!

Young Women 5K

Our young women have been training physically a spiritually this year.  They are reading their scriptures and meeting spiritual goals while working toward running a 5K.  Saturday was the big day and unfortunately it was very hot and humid.  It made it hard to breathe, but the girls toughed it out anyway.  I really appreciate the YW leaders in our ward for all their efforts to help the girls be successful in all aspects of their lives.  Way to go Doylestown YW!

Zoey's Art Show

Zoey had her end of the year art show.  She goes to the same preschool that Cami attended.  It was fun to be invited to walk around with the Olsons and let Zoey show us all the great projects she has been working on this year.  Thanks for inviting us Zoey and GREAT JOB!

Flowers

Band Concert

Cami has found HER instrument in the flute.  She plays it every day and has breezed through all the music for  5th graders.  Her teacher moved her up into the 6th grade group and when she saw the band director for our middle school he said he had heard about her.  As you can imagine, that really made her day!

We really loved getting to see her concert and love hearing the flute every day in our home.  She and Taylor just ordered a book of duets and hopefully they can prepare something for church soon.  Way to go Cami - we are so proud of you!

Spring Orchestra Concert

Taylor's spring orchestra concert was amazing.  I always get a little emotional at these concerts because I just feel so grateful that my kids are having the opportunity to participate with so many talented teachers and peers. Taylor played in several groups and her quartet sang during changeovers.  They played Clocks by Coldplay and during one difficult part all the other kids in her section quit playing.  I was thinking why didn't Taylor tell me she had a solo?  She was just as surprised as we were :)  Way to keep playing!  Here are a few short video clips from the concert.

LAX Banquet

Taylor's Lacrosse banquet was really nice.  We had dinner at a restaurant, the coaches gave out awards, and the Seniors gave speeches.  It was a little tough listening to the seniors talk about how much they loved all the girls since most of them were cruel and horrible to the freshman, but we smiled and clapped politely.  Taylor won the Offensive MVP for JV.  This meant a lot to her because it was voted on by the girls, not the coaches.  Her coaches gave her a hard time this year for missing Sunday practices and having to come late occasionally due to orchestra or choir.  They even benched her for leaving early once for a concert which was part of her grade!  I haven't been a big fan of the coaching style, but I am a fan of the experience of the team and the close friendships forged through hours and hours of hard work.  Her teammates know she is committed and that they can count on  her to give her best at all times.  We are so proud of her hard work and scrappy style.  When you are as small as she is, you have to work twice as hard to keep up and make your presence known on the field.  She does... and then some :)

She has some great friends on this team, including Maggie who really showed character this year.  She made varsity as a Freshman and had to endure a lot of things the coaches shouldn't have allowed (see above where I said the Seniors were mean).  In the end, these experiences build character.  I keep reminding the girls of the kind of Seniors they want to be.  Luckily they have some great older girls taking that spot next year.  I think Taylor is ready to actually come home after school for the first time in months... and maybe even take a nap!

(As a side note, we called ahead about needing GF food.  The chef actually brought Taylor and I a bowl of cold, plain pasta.  She was proud that she had left it plain as the sauce had gluten in it.  For some reason it struck me as hilarious that anyone would think that I would be pleased with cold, plain pasta and Taylor and I got the giggles.  The chef was confused and we just sent her away.  Why would we want to eat that?  I mean just because we are gluten free doesn't mean we have no sense of taste.  Anyway, it was really hilarious to us.)