Natalie and David come to visit.

While Rachel and Heather were in St. George going to EFY in July, my niece and nephew, Natalie and David came to stay with us. We took them into LA one day. Our first stop was the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grauman's Chinese Theater. I'm not that impressed with the stars in the sidewalk, but I do get a kick out of the hand and footprints.

Can you tell which star's shoe prints my kids wanted their picture with? 

 

After Hollywood, we headed to Chinatown where we got a rockin' hot deal ($1 each) on some boba mango smoothies. Yum. They hit the spot on a summer day.

Gwen and Natalie couldn't resist the piano sitting and waiting to be played. They each took a turn and finished with a duet. 

December Catchup

Here's a bunch of stuff that went on last month. Stan took most of the kids to a grand reopening of a park near his office. They had a free pancake breakfast, balloon animals, cookie decorating and standing in line waiting to ride the trains. This park has miniature (but still large enough to ride on) steam powered trains.

I didn't go because it was my first time teaching bookbinding at our local art museum. I stressed and worried and had so much fun when I finally got to teach :)

Heather and Gwen took part in their piano teacher's annual Christmas recital.

Here are snatches of each of the pieces they played.

I took Michael to the Kindergarten/First Grade Christmas Party at school. Each kid made about eight different projects. This is a wreath made out of smashed Shredded Wheat cereal, Elmer's glue, green food coloring and beads.

Later in the month, Michael, Naomi and I went on a field trip to the International Printing Museum. It was fascinating.

This is their replica of the press that printed the Gutenberg Bible.

The linotype was amazing. I loved the clacketty sound it made.

I got a kick out of the juxtaposition of technologies we saw in the break room on the way to the restroom.

One of the best parts of last month was getting to spend time with Summer (who, of course, I don't have pictures of). She caught a ride home from the Y with one of her roommates and her friends. They stayed a couple nights while they went to some tourist attractions. they were all so nice and a delight to have as guests. I thought this was a fun pictures of the three girls, Veronica, Christina and Maggie with their Macs.

Henry favors Apple products, too :) I probably got to spend the most time talking to Henry for two reasons. One, he slept in the living room on the couch and got woken up earlier than anyone else by kids running around and, two, he spent awhile each day waiting for three females to finish getting ready. He is a great guy.

I went to Stan's company Christmas party with him. His coworkers are all so nice. This picture was during the white elephant gift exchange which I counted as a rousing success because the gift we brought was taken from one person by someone else and because Stan got the books he wanted. Can you tell I am a dyed in the wool introvert? Even though I was having fun, enjoying conversations, relishing the food, my hands are still twisted in a knot trying to survive being around all those people :)

Last month, we made 50+ treat plates. It is a good thing I have so many capable people working in the kitchen. This is definitely a group effort each year.

Heather wrapped her Christmas gifts beautifully.

For New's Year Eve, we ate fun food and played board games. Here is Naomi poking some caviar to see what she thinks of it.

Happy 2012!

Saturday

We went to the beach - yay! My three bathing beauties did not inherit my fear of seaweed. Underneath all that vegetation, they are all wearing new swimsuits. The funny thing was, because they were cut differently and because Gwen's was a "slim", my 10 year old ended up with a size 12 and Heather, my 12 year old, is wearing a size 10.

Nothing says May like new swimsuits, right? Summer and Rachel also have new ones, but I was lazy and didn't take many pictures. I'll post some another time. If you are shopping for a modest swimsuit, they found some cute ones at Lime Ricki.

After the beach, we rushed everyone through the bath and shower and were late to Summer and Rachel's piano recital. Saturday was a rotten day for digital memories because, besides not taking many beach pictures, I didn't get any good videos of Summer playing the piano. Here is Rachel, though, playing my favorite of her two pieces , "Linus and Lucy".

After we got home, Naomi had fun standing in front of the air conditioner!

Concert Videos

Elementary Strings Concert



Piano Recital



Choral Performance



High School Orchestra Concert

Hodgepodge Part 1

It is the end of the school year and our calender is overflowing with concerts, dance recitals (more on those later), piano recitals, school plays and all around fun, fun, fun. Here is Gwen dressed up as a volcano...

...and Heather as an Iroquois.

Snippets from the older three girls' spring piano recital...

Mo Colors

Naomi is pretty good with her color names, especially when bribed with candy :)