Alayna's Talent Show Solo

Alayna Talent Show - Trio

Tyler Jazz Band - 2

Tyler Jazz Band 1

Adenovirus and April Showers

Adenovirus and April Showers

Alayna went to a big birthday bash last week at the Grand Harbor water resort. She came home exhausted and said she didn’t feel well at all. I figured she was just tired from swimming so much and just needed sleep. Monday, I got a call from school that she was sick so we brought her home early. Her face was flushed, she was very hot and dizzy, and she had a hard time breathing. She stayed home Tuesday and Wednesday and finally we had Bob take her to the walk-in clinic on Thursday because she kept getting worse and we couldn’t figure out what was going on. The doctor diagnosed her with “adenovirus”. Never heard of it. Apparently it is known as the swimming pool virus since that’s how it’s usually spread. Lovely. He said she would get worse and then slowly get better. Sure enough, Friday she was worse. However, this morning she got up feeling great and was running all over the place- I guess to make up for lost time. I am so thrilled she is feeling better but wish we could stop the trying of new diseases….

(Alaynas lair for the week)

We definitely had April showers this week. We had massive thunderstorms that shook the whole house (which I loved) and rain, rain, rain. My tulips are starting to grow and the lawn is turning green. And although the temps were cold enough that we actually got hail and snow flurries this week, I am so happy that spring, sunshine, and warmth are on the way. All of Kayla’s practices and meets have been cancelled so its been a very uneventful season so far! We also trimmed our apple trees and are letting the cut off stems bloom inside. It is so cool to watch them grow!

Our 20^th anniversary is tomorrow. We actually celebrated in January with a cruise. But I made Bob some special gifts for fun. First, I made a blog book that chronicles our trip and pictures of us throughout the 20 years! My how we have changed! I have also been keeping every card and note he has ever given me and I put them all in a photo album!

A pretty neat miracle happened- my grandmother contacted me after last weeks blog to let me know she had kept every newsletter I have ever sent her and will send me copies! I wanted to cry! I have several but most were lost in moves and changing of computers, etc. I am so excited to have these copies to make the blog books! Thank you grandma!

Also, dress success! Kayla found a beautiful dress that fits her perfectly! Now we just have to make sleeves or get a shrug. Oh and Marisa, she wants you to curl her hair even though you are getting your wisdom teeth out that morning…lol!

I have also decided to knock off the remainder of my masters classes so I will graduate July 26! You know me, I already contacted my professors, ordered my books and started on assignments. Mainly because I will be doing 12 credits in a 1 month time period. So, don’t plan on hearing much from me the month of June.

(heading to the youth dance)

ALayna “the brave” and iHartbooks

Tyler Jazz Band

Tyler not only told me he had a concert, but he told me he had a solo!! So, I finally got to attend one. Here is the link to the piece they did that featured his solo. He was awesome!! I’m so proud. He also participated in the State Solo/Ensemble brass band contest on Saturday and he was in an ensemble. They don’t know how they did yet.

Alayna, “The Brave”

So, Alayna auditioned for the school talent show. She sang a song accapella and played in a small orchestra group. She was accepted into the show with both pieces. So, this Friday she performed and Bob got to go see and tape it. She sang her solo (with no fear), played in her orchestra group, sang a piece with her school choir group, and participated in her 5^th grade “Harlem Shake”. That night was the Family Fun night at the school, so we went for the family dinner and then sweet, sweet Tyler stayed with Alayna and her friends so they could play all the carnival games. Alayna even won a cake at the cake walk. She also got to go to a friend’s birthday at a waterpark in Dubuque- so she has had quite the week!!

Kayla and the 2 proms!

Kayla has been asked out to both proms which is very exciting! Finding dresses is the hard part. But I am so excited for her.

On my mind

For some reason, the idea of family history, organizing family photos, making blog books, etc has been on my mind a lot lately. I’m not sure why. Bob and I found this cool unique desk that is like a desk between two hooked bookshelves. I set up a “family history/scrapbooking” area and I just love it. What you don’t see are the ten boxes of pictures, newsletters, etc. that I went through and spent hours organizing. It was a fabulous thing to do through conference last weekend and to work on this weekend. I now have it separated into projects that I may not get to until I retire, but it is a start.

How grateful I am that I kept copies of letters I sent out to family! I kept all negatives and pictures. I even found all the letters I kept that I received from siblings on their missions (which I will send back to you for your own history books). I am so thrilled that each of my children will leave this home with a huge set of blog books that chronicle their loves here in our home. As we age, our memories fade, so I am grateful that this is something that meant enough to me to keep up with all along.

iHartbooks

I am working on my new email and new book website which you will all be dying to follow. Bob helped me take pics today. Here are a couple of sneak peeks.

Pi, Prom, and a Perfect Mission Call

Pi, Prom, and a Perfect Mission Call

We had such an exciting week full of great stuff!

Mission Call

Our most exciting news is that Marisa received her mission call this week! We were able to hook together via Google Hangout and see her open her call live. She even had several kids from her ward come see her open it! She has been called to the Fortaleza east mission in Brazil! She reports to the MTC in Brazil on August 21. She is so very excited and we are so excited for her!!! What an exciting time to be a missionary!

She also had the opportunity to go to the Festival of Colors yesterday with some friends from BYU. We hope this has prepared her for the color run!

Happy 17^th Birthday Kayla!!!

Happy Happy Birthday to Kayla who turned 17 this week! We can’t believe how quickly time passes by! We made her favorite fettuccine alfredo for dinner and had her giant cookie.

Her best friend, Merritt, turned it into a birthday week by dropping off a gift each day. It was so sweet!

She was also asked to prom this week by a sweet guy in our stake, Ben Gilbert. The doorbell rang and there was a balloon bouquet and flowers. The note said to let the green balloon go if she said yes, and the red if she said no. Alayna tried to talk her into letting the yellow one go. Anyway, she let the green one go and I think he was pretty excited. He and Scott came in to hang out with her for a while. So, now we are trying to get a dress for it. I am so excited for her!

Her friend, Blake, also did something sweet for her birthday. Kayla had been telling him that she has bad dreams a lot lately and that she often experiences sleep paralysis (where she is awake but can’t get her body to wake up). So, he made her a dream catcher that she hung above her bed. How sweet is that?

Congrats to Alayna

Alayna auditioned for the talent show by playing in an orchestra trio and singing a solo acapella. She found out Friday that she made it into the talent show with both numbers!! She is so very excited!

She also had two friends spend the night Friday night. They made this huge “Littlest Pet Shop World” in the kitchen which entertained them for hours. They also watched “Wreck it Ralph” and “Rise of the Guardians”. They spent lots of time jumping on the trampoline and painting the clubhouse. For breakfast they made green pancakes with chocolate chips. I think the whole party was a great success.

Easter

Life of Pi

I HIGHLY recommend this movie! We watched it as a family in 3D on our big screen and I think its one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. We just loved it! Marisa- we will get it for you to watch when you get your wisdom teeth out!