End of the Year Craziness - The Piano Recital

To add to all the end of the year craziness, Michaela and Andrea both played in a piano recital AND a violin recital although we forgot to capture the latter on film. If piano recitals aren't crazy enough, try rearranging your entire house and having 15-20 students come perform at your house...and getting them ready, etc. They all did great! Michaela is pictured above taking her bow.Andrea is announcing her piece.

Afterwards, all my students surprised me with individualized thank you notes, some beautiful flowers and a some necklace and earrings. It was very thoughtful of them. I took a picture holding my flowers with some of the moms, but all the kids were off running around and enjoying their refreshments, so no pics of them. One of the funniest thank you notes said, "Thank you for teaching me piano. I love coming to piano lessons but I Despise practicing!" LOL!

End of the Year Craziness- The Dance Recital

Michaela and Andrea were so cute in their last dance recital. It is fun to see how they are progressing with each one. The first dance Michaela did was snow white and the next one was a Mary Poppins medley where she was chimney sweep.

Andrea was thumbelina in the first number (see the pic above with wings) and then they did a flower song which I can't remember the name of.

I think Andrea is 3rd from the right.

Passing time back stage.


Mary Poppins Medley...Michaela is a chimney sweep in the far back...somewhere...not sure where.

The girls got roses from Mom and Dad (with the help of our friend Brooke). We forgot to buy some before the performance and normally they sell them at the door, but of course, not this year. Our friend shared some of the roses she had got for her girls. Thanks Brooke!
Their teacher gave all the kids crowns as they came back on stage...it was a fairy tale theme and they danced like princesses!

End of the Year Craziness-The Last Games of the Season

The last game of the season. The girls had fun playing soccer, but both decided to take a break from it for this next year. (Michaela is #5 in the pic.)

Michaela's team with Coach Aceves and Assistant coach Ryan...the blue lightening.

Steen and Luke are best buddies! They were cheering for their sisters playing soccer and wishing that they could play too!

Coach Ryan and Assistant Coach Dad with Andrea's team...Blue Stars!

Coach Ryan was an awesome coach and got trophies for all the kids on both teams! The kids love the trophies!!!!

I didn't get a picture of the girls with their trophies, but you can see a kid holding one in this pic. They have soccer balls on the top that twirl around. Way cool!

5am and 43 degrees

So what do these two pictures have in common? 5am? 43 degrees Farenheit

They were the time and temperature when we left for the Salt Lake Marathon Bike Tour!

This was my first official bike ride. It was 25 miles long. The first 6 miles were probably all downhill...of course, not having to pedal very much did little to warm me up. It was probably worst for my toes that felt like popsicles.

Here I am with my new jersey. No that is not helmet head...I just didn't realize until I took the picture that I hadn't brushed my hair yet...it was 4:30am in the morning!

The ride was great...nothing too difficult. Steven was very nice and stayed with me the whole time, eventhough he could have easily left me in the dust.

There was one little mishap...however, these were not my battle wounds, but Steven's. Note in the pictures that it is dark still. Well, Steven had on his sunglasses (it helps keep the wind and bugs out of your eyes) and he ended up trying to ride on a painted line in the middle of the street that wasn't really a painted line but a raised median. Actually, just before he did a flip and a roll, someone else did the same thing because it was really hard to see. Steven was bleeding pretty bad and now has a thumb nail barely hanging on. His back was also hurt, but luckily the bike was OK.

Taking care of his wounds slowed us up a bit and we literally ended up at the back of the race behind EVERYONE! Nevertheless...we finished up the ride with out problems. It felt like a metaphor for life...if you feel like you're at the back of the race, don't feel discouraged...it's easy to pass up all the stragglers! If you get ahead of the stragglers...don't think you're better than them, because at the next bend...they will pass you up! Don't judge a book by a cover...the large lady on the 1 speed may be able to ride faster than you on your 'specialized' eventhough you keep trying to pass her up. Some trials are blessings...the extremely cold weather completely numbed Steven's fingers so he didn't feel the pain until much later.Life is better with a partner, even if they sometimes slow you down.

At the end of the race I was starving. They had some bananas and yogurt and ice cream bars...yeah...let's just say I skipped the ice cream bars. (Even by the end of the race, my toes were still numb.) To get back to our car and the start of the race you could take trax (which had at least a half hour wait) or just ride 5 miles back up hill. Steven gave me the option and I chose....

5 miles uphill! It was harder than the whole race! Overall it was a fun, easy ride. I don't think I'm ready for any 100 milers yet, especially with any up hills, but I just might ride again...especially when it is just a little warmer!

Midnight's Birthday

April 15th is Midnight's birthday...that is Michaela's black cat webkinz. Michaela wanted to have a birthday party for her so we invited a few friends and made cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday.

Easter festivities

Steen is wearing his 1st tie! He loves it and has been talking about how all his friends at nursery have ties like daddy and he wants a tie too! Now he has one!

Easter morning...hunting for eggs.

Coloring Easter eggs.

Reinacting Jesus coming into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday. We tried a new tradition this year where we spent 5 or 10 minutes a day highlighting what happened on that same day during the last week of Christ's life. The kids really enjoyed it. We kind of forgot towards the end of the week...but hopefully with each year, this tradition will develop a little more.

A Salute to all the Soldiers!

This is a pic of Steven's cousin, Major Roger Brockbank (in the middle) helping to train an Iraqi nurse to intubate a baby after 5 manniquins and other supplies were donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Just wanted to say Hooray for the soldiers who sacrifice being with their families to serve their countries and for their families who must also sacrifice! Thank you!