Our Super Fun Summer Schedule

Last summer I was so excited to have the kids out of school, mostly because I didn't have to wake up early to get them up anymore.  We had a kind of lazy summer and that was just wonderful.  It was wonderful for about the first half of the summer and then I wished we had a little more structure but it was too late to really do anything about it.

But not this summer!  About two weeks before school got out I started planning.  The boys were going to get all their work done in the morning and they wouldn't be able to get on the computer until after lunch.  First they were going to read their scriptures, and then read another book.  This works out because they tend to get up before I do and this gives them something quiet to do until Brigham and I are up.  Then, they practice the piano and their instrument.  Then they have a chore to do.  This is the best part, I think, because my house has never been cleaner.  I'm still in charge, largely, of the kitchen, but rooms are getting dusted and vacuumed, floors are getting swept and mopped, and toilets and bathtubs are getting cleaned.  It's wonderful!  We had a FHE before school got out to introduce the boys to our new schedule.  Nathaniel thought for sure that this was going to be the worst summer ever.  Jonathan complained a little at first but quickly got into the routine.  He loves to check things off as he finished them.  I've been using myjobchart.com to organize, assign, and print out jobs.  It's been extremely handy.

On top of our busy morning schedule, they also have activities that they are involved in.  This keeps us kind of busy, but it's worked out that they are mostly on the same days so we have "off" days where we don't have to leave the house, which is nice.

Nathaniel attends Summerhays Summer Music Jam Camp.  It's twice a week in the morning for six weeks.  We drop Nathaniel off and then head to a nearby park to play during his rehearsal.  We have two weeks left and he's already played at the Utah Arts Festival downtown by the library and City County Building.

He was really nervous at first.  Because of the performance, and because it was outside around a lot of people at the busy festival.  Also, the wind was blowing pretty hard and he needed clothes pins to hold his music down.  All this made for a somewhat stressful situation.  But once he got playing, I was really proud of how he pulled it together.  He even had a solo.  The festival was fun and we looked around a bit.  It's not something we would go to by choice, but it was a fun experience.  We even went over to the Salt Lake Library and rode the elevators.  Brigham loved it and was so sad when it was time to go.  Nathaniel doesn't like fast elevators but these elevators are glass and he seemed to like being able to look out and watch as we went up.

Jonathan just finished his tumbling class for the summer, and he even went to Cub Scout day camp.  It was two days in a row and both days he came home looking like this:

He was so dirty!  The first day I made him take a shower, but the second day I told him he didn't have to take a shower if he played in the sprinklers with Brigham.  He chose the sprinklers.  He had a lot of fun and I'm glad he could go.  Even though I had to wake him up at 7:00 in the morning!

He's also practicing the trumpet.  I can't really teach him like I could with Nathaniel but he's so excited to learn so we've been practicing blowing.

He loves it and says he gets better every day.

He and Nathaniel have really been into tall buildings lately.  Ask them what the tallest buildings in the world are and they can tell you all about it.  We took them to the Church Office Building so we could go up to the observation deck but apparently they're closed on Saturdays.  Jonathan was so disappointed.  Luckily, I knew we'd be able to go to the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

Even though it's not as tall, he loved it.

He also loves to look at all the temples on Google Earth and see if they have an Angel Moroni on top.  So while we were downtown we went over to the Church History Museum.

I figured he'd get a kick out of seeing an actual-size Angel Moroni.  I was right.

Brigham has a speech therapist that has been coming to our house.  It has been immensely helpful for him.  During the summer, his therapist does horse therapy with her clients.  So we've been driving out to Herriman once a week for his therapy.

He was so shy in the beginning.  I had to hold him to get him close to the horse.  He wouldn't even touch it.  So Beth, our therapist, held him and took him into the corral.  She was really patient and he warmed up relatively quickly.

Soon, he was riding the horse like a pro!  Good Heavens, is it cute to watch!

This activity is for the whole summer and it's also the most demanding.  It's a half hour drive out there and the session is an hour long.  It's a big chunk of our day.  It's also during lunch time so I have to pack a lunch for us to eat after his session is over.  There's a park close by that we've been going to.

It's a fun park and even though by then I'm worn out and tired of being outside, the boys can always play a little longer.

So that has been our summer schedule and activities.  It's definitely keeping us busy.  I'm actually getting less sleep than I did during the school year, and I have less free time.  Although I don't know why I thought I'd have more free time.  It's wearing me out, but so far it's a good worn out because I feel like we're accomplishing a lot.  So, I wouldn't say I'm looking forward to school starting again, but I will be okay when summer is over.

Venus Transit

In case you hadn't heard, Venus passed in front of the sun earlier this month.  Because of it's orbit angle and close proximity to us, this doesn't happen as often as you might think.  It won't happen again for another 105 years.

So, of course I was super excited to see it.  It was the other part of why I wanted Jaaromy to get me a solar filter for Mother's Day.  The day of the transit was a little stormy, and by the time the transit was starting it was definitely not looking good.  We waited a little longer to see if it would clear up but it was obvious the clouds weren't going anywhere.  Heavenly Father must think it's funny to mess with me like this since the eclipse was the same way.

I was starting to get desperate.  Should I be responsible and stay home, cook dinner and take Nathaniel to Kyuki Do?  Or should I be a little more spontaneous and pack up the telescope and the kids and drive until we're out from under the clouds?

I decided I couldn't wait another 105 years and so we packed everything up, checked the clouds and wind direction and decided South was our best bet.  We ended up in the parking lot of Jaaromy's old work.  The clouds had cleared enough that I figured we'd be able to get a good view.

As we were about to get the telescope out of the car, I realized that I had forgotten to bring the solar filter.  (sigh)

(sigh)

(sigh) Well, at least I brought my camera and our solar viewers.

And we all had fun trying to see the dot on the sun.

It was hard to see, but it was visible in the upper right hand corner of the sun.

I just love this picture because Brigham just loves looking at the sun.

Oh, and sorry about the picture quality, if you can even tell, but my camera was somehow set to a really low resolution.

And here it is in all it's planetary glory.  Totally worth the trip.

Plus, we got to eat at Wendy's.  Way more fun than staying home and fulfilling our responsibilities.

Pack Meeting

I don't usually get to attend Pack Meeting because it's on Wednesday nights when I have orchestra.  Since we're off for the summer I am free to go.  Just in time too, because Jonathan was ready to get his Bobcat.  We even pushed it back a little so I'd be able to be there.

Three of our scouts got their Bobcats at this Pack Meeting.  We worked hard to make sure our new scouts were ready.

I'm going to need another ribbon for all the pins I'll be getting.

 I've never been to a Pack Meeting since I was made assistant den leader, so they were finally able to give me my leadership pin.  I wasn't expecting it and it was really nice.

Jonathan and Skyler both got their Astronomy belt loop and pin.  They were the only two scouts that came the day we worked on it.  I was in charge of that activity and it was a lot of fun, and a lot of work.

I love seeing Jonathan participate in Scouts.  He even enjoys it, too!

Memorial Day

Memorial Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. It's low-key, thoughtful, and full of family and food.

This year was a little different for a couple of reasons.  One being that my parents aren't here.  I'm sure we could still pull together a family get-together without them, but who would bring the chicken?

The second reason probably had more to do with the difference.  Kevin and Rachel were moving soon and running out of time to get everything packed up.  So on Memorial Day several family members, including Jaaromy, went over to help.

While we certainly didn't mind taking time to help(although Jaaromy was the real helper from our family), I still wanted to find a time to go to the Provo cemetery.  I called all my siblings to see if they wanted to make a quick trip on Saturday.  Only Rachelle was able to go.

It was kind of cold and rainy that day so, for fun, I had everyone wear hoodies.  I don't know why that even occurred to me but it did and I managed to find one for everyone.  Some were a little big.  Mine could probably have fit Jaaromy.  But it was a cold day and so it was a little bit of fun.

 When we got there Brigham immediately started to run on all the headstones.  I guess he's not superstitious.

 This is our small group at Grandpa Harding's grave.  Not quite as big as it usually is.  But I did remember to bring my tripod so that we wouldn't have to worry about getting everyone in the picture or asking strangers for help.

 I don't remember whose idea it was to do a silly picture(I'm thinking Rachelle) but we did.  Don't we look great?

Grandma Nash's grave.  We brought the pinwheels.

 We were trying to justify our trip to Provo by beefing up our activities.  So we decided to go to Chuck-A-Rama for lunch/dinner because when we tried to go in Salt Lake it was way too crowded.  We were originally going to go to Wendy's.  But luckily, Chuck-A-Rama is right next door and so when I saw it we immediately changed plans. So tasty!

Then we went to Best Buy to get me a new monitor.  I wouldn't even mention this except Brigham decided to crawl around in unusual places to pass the time.

 This is how I found him and couldn't resist taking a picture.

 He came out very satisfied and very dusty.

On Sunday we went to Redwood Memorial Estates(I think that's what it's called, I really need to remember) to see Grandma Zierse.

 Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Zierse are buried right next to her, we need to remember to bring a pinwheel for them next year.

 We walked around a bit and looked at the mausoleum and then all the flags.  We even walked over close to where the bagpipes were playing.  Nathaniel was worried that hearing them would make me cry so he warned against getting too close.

I still love Memorial Day, even if it was a little different this year.

Hollywood Connections with Brigham

I should have posted about this two posts ago but I accidentally passed over them.

Brigham's Kindergarten class went to Hollywood Connections towards the end of the school year.  Since Brigham requires a little bit more supervision, they asked me if I wanted to come with them.  I was happy to.  I still put Brigham on the bus so I would have time to finish getting ready, then I went to the school and rode the bus with them to Hollywood Connections.  It was fun to spend this time with him

When we got there we tried the most low-key ride there.

I kind of assumed I was too big for the ride and so I sent him in by himself.  He did fine, and even seemed to like it.

After that we tried the Merry-Go-Round.

I rode with him this time.  He picked out the dragon and rode on that one every time after that.

Then came the balloon ride.  I didn't know what else to call it.  Each car, which looked like a balloon, rotated in place and then the whole thing spun around.

 He really enjoyed this one.  I was so fun to watch him.

I ended up riding with him every ride. I'm so glad, too.  I wouldn't want to miss this face.

He also went on the little dragon roller coaster, which he called the dragon train.  It really wasn't a good place to take pictures so I didn't get any on that ride, but it was his favorite and he still talks about it.

I'm so glad I was able to be with him for this little trip.  I absolutely loved watching him have fun on all the rides.

Brigham's First Lost Tooth

Sometimes I forget how old Brigham is.  Since his communication is behind, he often feels a lot younger than he is.  So I was kind of taken off guard when I realized he had a loose tooth.  How do you tell a kid like Brigham that his tooth is going to fall out?  In fact, this is just the first of many teeth that will fall out over the next several years.

So, I played it up.  Every once in a while I'd ask him about his tooth and he would immediately wiggle it for me.  Since he is my son, he wouldn't let us pull it out.  It had to fall out on it's own.  It was getting pretty ridiculous, it was bending all the way forward.  I was really worried that it would fall out and he would either accidentally swallow it or toss it away in horror.  I considered e-mailing his teacher to keep an eye out for it.  It was stressing me out.

Finally, one day Brigham and I were at Wal-mart and he stopped and moved to put something in my hand.  There was his tiny little tooth!  I tried to take a picture right there but it was too difficult to get him to smile with his gap showing and we were blocking the isle.  So, I took one as soon as we got to the car.

He looks so grown up, and he'll show me his missing tooth every time I ask.

When we got home I had him watch me put his tooth under his pillow.  I debated doing this at all since he doesn't really understand money, but I figured he'd understand enough.

The next morning I asked him where his tooth was and he looked under his pillow and found a pack of M&M's!  Even better.

Eclipse Party, Totally

For Mother's Day, my sweetheart Jaaromy got me a solar filter for our telescope.  It wasn't exactly easy.  I had known that the eclipse was coming up and so I told him I wanted a solar filter for Mother's Day several months ago.  I did sort of have to remind him, but only barely.  So, he got to work ordering it but with all the solar events coming up, solar filters were somewhat scarce.  Jaaromy decided to look on Ebay and we found exactly the right size.  I was feeling desperate and told Jaaromy that I was willing to pay up to $200 if we were to get into a bidding war.  I knew that was a lot, too much really, but the idea of missing the eclipse was just too much.  Turns out, there was no bidding war and we ended up paying slightly less than we would have had we gone through normal channels.  Even after we won the bid, I was a little stressed that it wouldn't come on time.  Luckily, it all worked out and we got the filter in good shape and in plenty of time for the eclipse.  Brigham and I also went to the planetarium and stood in a long line to get some solar viewers.  I ended up getting five, but I felt guilty since the line was so long and there was a limited amount.  Oh well.

The eclipse was on a Sunday and Jaaromy was teaching Gospel Doctrine that day and so he told everyone in the class to come over and take a look through our telescope.  I would feel bad if there was someone who wanted to see it but didn't know where to go.  I was actually a little surprised at how many people showed interest, so I had no idea how many people to expect.  I also texted all my siblings to let them know they were welcome.  Only Chris took me up on the offer though.

It was also the 3rd Sunday of the month when we have dinner with Jaaromy's family.  We stayed until just before the eclipse was going to start, but we left a solar viewer with them so they would be able to watch it.  Unfortunately, it was getting cloudy!  Some of our neighbors were coming over in spite of the clouds, but it wasn't clearing up.  Jaaromy was anxious about it and felt that it was somehow his fault, but we figured at least we had fun visiting with our neighbors.  It was frustrating to know what was going on behind the clouds but not be able to see it.

Then, right at the peak of the eclipse the clouds started to move away and we were finally able to see the sun.  Everyone was so excited.  The solar viewers were passed around and everyone got a chance to see it through the telescope.

It's actually an annular eclipse, which means that the moon is too far away to cover the whole sun.  If we had gone farther south we could have seen the "Ring of Fire", but we only got a crescent.  That's okay though.  It was so fun to share it with our friends and family.

We have a camera that goes directly into the telescope but it would have been way too zoomed in.  I was able to set up my regular camera and put a solar viewer in front of it to get these pictures.

 During an eclipse, the sun casts strange shadows.  This is the shadow of our peach tree.

Between making sure the telescope was aligned, taking pictures of the sun, and taking a look myself that I didn't think to take pictures of the people who were there.  Thankfully, our neighbors, the Farnsworth's, took some and were happy to share.

It ended up being such a fun evening.  I sometimes wish that I could have gone farther south to get a picture of the "Ring of Fire", but I don't think I would trade the fun we had with our friends and family for anything.

14 years

May 8th was our wedding anniversary.  It was on a Tuesday, which is the busiest day of the week for me so my expectations were extremely low for anything fun happening that day.  I'm okay with that, I've never felt things had to happen on that day for it to be special.

So, I was busy doing something in the basement when I hear Jonathan call out for me.  I didn't answer right away, I waited until he was closer so I knew he'd hear me.  Well, he found me and said that someone was at the door.  I was immediately embarrassed because I could guess how long that person had been there, assuming that he had answered the door first.

I went upstairs to find a delivery guy with these beautiful flowers for me.

Jaaromy was so sweet to send these on a day when there would be little time to think about, or celebrate, our milestone.

They were so pretty, and fun to take pictures of, too.

Jaaromy and I have been through a lot together, things that might seriously strain the relationship of any other couple.  I credit our strong relationship to both our parents who have unfailingly been positive examples of healthy marriages.

Taken from my front yard

For anyone who knows Jaaromy, knows he is a worrier.  I love, and take tremendous comfort in, the fact that of all his worries, he's never worried about whether or not I love him.

A funny flower, also in the front yard

Life has been hard at times, but I'm so glad that I have him to share it with.  He makes me laugh, and while that might sound overly simplistic, I believe that has been crucial to surviving our trials together.

Just playing with the camera here

When we first started dating, I felt the Spirit so strong, letting me know that this was right.  I was supposed to be with him.  I've been his ever since and I've never looked back.  I'm so excited to spend eternity with him.  Especially since I'm sure he will only get funnier with time.

Behind the Scenes, or rather, What on Earth I do on Wednesday nights.

I decided that I wanted to do a post about a typical concert cycle in the Utah Valley Symphony.  I almost forgot and didn't bring my nice camera.  I am so thankful for smart phones.

This was our last concert of the year, which is often a Pops concert.  At our first rehearsal of the cycle, lots of music was passed out.

 Didn't end up playing the Webber, but this was more or less our concert.  Also, we ended up getting one more new piece a week before the concert.  No big deal, right?

One of our pieces was Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.  This was by far the most demanding piece of the concert and we got right to work on it.  If you know Leonard Bernstein then you can imagine the amount of complex rhythms and meters.  Also, for us basses, that meant a lot of pizzicato.  This is what my finger looked like after our two hour rehearsal.  Side note: we had just come off a three week break which is plenty of time for my callous to fade away.  So my baby soft skin was put to the test. 

 This is me and my bass.  It's only slightly larger than I am.

 Here are my basses, from closest to farthest: Peter, Nate, Marie, and Richard.  They are fun people to be around.

 Here is a fun shot of the view from my seat that I stitched together.  I'm surprised it still worked with my fuzzy camera.  As you can see, we're off in our little corner so we can get away with all sorts of hijinks.

We rehearse in the Eldred Center which serves largely as a senior friendship center.  It will be torn down this summer however, to make room for a much larger community/fitness center.  It is my understanding that we will rehearse there next season.

After several weeks of rehearsal it is now time for concert week.  We have a dress rehearsal on Tuesday night which, for this particular concert, was crucial.  Several of our numbers involved not only singing, but also dancing(not by us!).  This is the first time we had seen the dancers and there were logistical concerns.  Since I had missed the previous weeks' rehearsal because of the Pinewood Derby, I was playing the Mary Poppins piece for the first time.  Not a big deal for me though.  Peter, however, was playing his electric bass and we had to work out amp issues.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of Tuesday night.

I remembered Wednesday though.  Just in time for our first performance.

Right before start time, the orchestra goes back stage for announcements and a prayer.  I almost forgot to take pictures, but remembered just in time to catch Peter on his way back onstage.

Nate was nice enough to catch this picture of me with the audience.  If you look closely, you can see Jaaromy looking at his phone.  He's on the right side of the isle with a blue and white shirt towards the back.

Here are my basses looking nice in our concert black.

This is my view, not as cool as my panorama from before, but you get the idea.  I can usually see Bryce, our conductor, standing off stage waiting to come on.

As I mentioned, Jaaromy came for Wednesday night's concert.  A stranger was nice enough to take this picture of us in the lobby of the Covey Center.  We've been playing at the Covey Center for a few years now and it's really nice.

Thursday night my parents came.  They have evenings free at the MTC and were able to stop by.  It has been tradition for the last few seasons to eat at the Rocky Mountain Drive In that shares the lot with the Covey Center right before the concert.  They've been well fed at the MTC, apparently, because they only had a shake, and even then it was a little much.  I was so excited that they could come.  Even though it had only been a few days since I had seen them, we had already said goodbye at their farewell and so it felt special.

The concert went really well, it was a lot of fun for us to play and for the audience to watch. The singers and dancers were fabulous.  It was a wonderful end to our '11-'12 concert season.

I can't wait for next year.