Sweet Sixteen

She'd rather borrow clothes from her mother than go shopping. She gets done "people-ing" rather easily, needs her sleep and still reads like a recluse, but oh, how she makes my heart happy. She is passionate, steadfast and a seeker of truth. She plays the guitar with a gift, filling our home with music. She is maturing into a beautiful soul full of compassion and love. So proud to claim her as one of mine. 

She was asked out a few days after her birthday...

after digging through the butter she found a note that said...

"Now that I've buttered you up... will you go out with me?  Love, Dad"

She had a great first date with dear old Dad.

They went out to dinner and to the Mountain-man Rendezvous

Just after her birthday we really enjoyed watching her perform with her Choir Aurora.

She is so animated when she performs she really just steals the show.

"Silly" in Love - February

We had our traditional heart breakfast waffles for Valentines day dinner.

The kids are learning my love language and set the table fancy, 

including festive bow ties for the boys and hats for all. 

I gave all my valentines Silly String...

because I'm silly in love with them all!

 

I mean how could you not be...

Hollie and Gavin assigned everybody a partner to escort to dinner and Hyrum was the odd man out.

So they found a girlfriend for him.

After the kids were greatly disappointed in the school's valentine tea last year,  I volunteered to help but then, by the time it rolled around, I was incharge.  

It was a lot of work, but everything turned out amazing and came together like it should.

And the kids were happy.

But one of the things I love most about these folks 

Is how much fun they are to have around.

There were a only a few days when the flooded pasture was just the right temp and iced over hard enough to enjoy playing Hockey with tree sticks and a misc puck.

 Simple Pleasures.

I like to look for Rainbows

Thank you to all who came and supported him.

Gavin definately thinks its great to be eight.

His own Scriptures!

Mission money from G. Robertson!

and a hand crocheted blanket from G. Hatch!  

He wasn't sure what else to wish for. 

Truely Blessed.

Green Canyon Choir Tour

Ode to chaperoning: the great un-known!

Following the kids on their choir tour was an adventure.  So much fun. 

Ok, in all honesty, the red-eye 14 hour drive on the bus was not fun.

But listening to them sing in all the different churches was incredible.

Arias were written and meant to be sung in cathedrals with spectacular acoustics, not high school auditoriums. Spirituals were meant to be sung in small chapels where the music fills the room, 

and gospel music in general is just taken to the next level when sung in churches.

 Day One:

Singing the the Cathedral Lady of our Angles in LA

Followed by Broadway in LA: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Walking the walk!

Day Two:

Singing in the San Diego Mission and Basilica

and then onto San Diego State for music clinics and Seaport Village for dinner.

Day Three:

Old Town San Deigo 

and Sea World.

Can I just mention that I had the best roommates.  So fun to stay up late "chaperoning" and giggling into the wee hours of the morning...gosh its been years!  Its amazing how quickly you can bond over things like late night runs to the licquor store, hotel fire alarms and having strange men breaking into our hotel room -  Stories that really only require simple explanations and are really only funny in the wee hours of the night.

Day Four:

Singin at the Methodist Church as part of their services

followed by a day at the beach.

  

Day Five:

Singing on the Midway.

Who's chaperoning anyway?

We then finished up with a trip to the San Diego Zoo

and then a long 14 hours on the bus back home. 

Botta boom, Botta Bang.

The days were long and the nights too short. 

But oh the memories...