8th grade graduation

We're still not sure what to think about Brandon graduating 8th grade and moving onto high school. How can we have a kid that old?!? It seriously seems like just the other day we were attending his Kindergarten graduation!  Time is flying! 

Here they are marching in. When Brandon is nervous, he gets giggly and smiley.

Sidenote: He was NOT happy that we made him dress up.  I couldn't believe some of the kids we wearing...literally t-shirt and shorts!

My friend was across the way and taking pictures of all the kids as they lined up to have their name called.

I am glad she texted that picture to me since this is about as good I got with terrible gym lighting and sunlight behind.

 

Brandon did awesome in Junior High and we have no doubt he will do amazing things in High School and beyond so BRING IT ON! 

end of school

Tyler and Natalie had a busy month of May and end of school year and some events and photos worth documenting.

Tyler did his 5th grade state report and chose Utah.  They had a fun "state fair" event one morning that parents could attend.  Each child made a poster and dressed up and had food samples from their state (Tyler brought salt water taffy).

He also finished the year on Principal's Honor Roll again for straight A's for the entire semester. Not a great picture with him and the principal, but oh well.

Natalie also finished with straight A's for the entire school year, but they only do Honor Roll for grades 4-6 (she is in 3rd). 

But she had her school choir performance of School House Rock Jr. Live!  She has enjoyed being in choir this year and LOVES performing!

Most of the show was solo songs with the chorus as backup singers so I didn't record all of it.  Her speaking part caught me off guard so I didn't catch all of it on video.

And this was their final song that she was clearly loving so I videoed the last part.


She wanted a picture on the set.

Her awesome music teacher is unfortunately moving to Idaho.  I hope the next teacher is as wonderful!

Now it's on to 4th grade and 6th grade!

pool and backyard install

Our backyard is finally DONE!  It was 14 weeks of frustration, but it turned out beautiful.  Here are pictures of the major steps of the process:

BEFORE 

(I forgot to take a picture before the pool was started, but this was taken the day we got the keys in September from almost the same spot).

    

DIG

REBAR

SHOTCRETE

DECK (travertine)

LANDSCAPING (which will look much better once the plants get bigger)

The other half of the yard is artificial turf...which now has the big ugly trampoline on it, but I wanted one picture of it looking nice!

 

I told the kids this was their one chance to stand on the bottom of the pool (you have to fill it with water immediately after the pebble is installed).

PEBBLE

WATER (32 hours with 2 hoses)!

We also have a pool basketball hoop which needs to be set up...and patio furniture to purchase. Our side yard has a very large concrete slab for the big basketball hoop (and sheds), but that's not very exciting so I didn't take a picture of it.

Sometimes I look out the window and still can't believe we have a pool!  This is where we'll be all summer! 

mother's day 2016

It was a really good Mother's Day this year (besides having to be up and everyone ready for 8:30 church).  It's nice now that the kids are all old enough to treat it like a special day, and our ward really went above and beyond the usual.  Brandon even spoke in Sacrament Meeting so that was extra special.  I got a nap and talked with my mom for awhile.  The kids and Kevin prepared dinner and dessert and we played games as a family in the evening.

Mother's Day holds an extra special place in my heart. Not only because I have the best mom, but because there was a time that I was unsure if I would be able to have children of my own.  The fact that I have three healthy children is nothing short of a miracle. Sometimes those painful days seem so long ago and easily forgotten, especially when being in the daily trenches of motherhood is  overwhelming and frustrating, but Mother's Day reminds me how truly blessed I am to have this amazing privilege of being a mom.

piano recital

Another piano recital!

Natalie is almost 9 and is at the end of Level 3.  This girl loves to perform and has absolutely no fear being in front of people!  She was the very first one to play at the recital. And you can see her cute new haircut too (chopped off about 4 inches last week)!

Tyler is 11 and is in Level 5 now. This guy makes me crazy! His songs usually sound pretty sloppy at home and then he plays like this at the recital! He truly loves to play and figure out new songs. Brandon better watch out...Tyler's catching up to him quickly!
With their piano teacher, Buffie Meeker, who is one of my best friends.

brandon's band recital

It's May, which means all the end of the year school events!  First up was Brandon's Junior High band concert. Here is one of the songs, "Old Glory March."  Brandon is on the far right. The good thing about trombone is that we can actually see when he's playing!

Pictures from afar in a poorly lit school auditorium are notoriously hard to take, so this is the best photo I got.

Brandon wasn't super excited about band this year (his teacher wasn't as good as last year's), and he couldn't easily fit band into his high school schedule with seminary and the STEM program classes so he won't be doing band next year. So this might be our last band concert for awhile. But I'm glad he tried it and learned two more instruments!