Piano Recital 2016

There is absolutely nothing that compares to the anxiety of a piano recital.  Sure, other things will be nerve-racking in life - but a piano recital is it's own beast.  

Olivia presented a little bio on 

and then played

Addie presenting a bio on and then played

Olivia and Bryson played a duet

And then Addie and Sarah played a duet.  

These two don't love it anymore, but Olivia has begged us not to make her quit.  

Drew came home dying to start piano and had his first lesson 2 weeks later.  

We're going to party like it's your birthday

We planned a more "grown up" party this year.   The plan was to let the girls go to dinner and hang out . . . BUT Cafe Rio was re-modeling so we sat outside . . . I stayed . . . with Ruby . . . and we ate quick since it was cold.  They came to Walmart with me to get the rest of the S'more supplies.  

I became a "pinterest Mom" for a minute with my S'mores bar.  

They started a movie . . . we were lucky to find a PG movie, they hadn't all seen it . . .  but were interested in . . . #score

We made S'mores (fire pit dreams coming true).

And played "What are the odds?" where Ansen came out for a go and lost immediately and became "King of the dirt hill!"

And then Ashley, Avery and I played out our April Fools trick we had worked out all day.  Beehive Advisor = Co-planner of jokes. 

They made "dog poop" cookies, I planted it, we got Ansen to dare Ashley to eat it, they guessed the same number and she had to . . . Then we dared Avery to eat 1/2 of it for money . . . everyone contributed until she was up to $25 and she did it.  

Addie was threatening me to never be invited to parties again, she'll never have friends come over again, I am so disgusting, etc . . .  

APRIL FOOLS.

Addie, My Girl

We have a teenager!  A true, legitimate teenager.  

Addie turned 13 this year and we seriously wonder where the time went.  

I won't say I've "mastered" birthdays, but I did step it up as Mom . . . which is this year's main goal.  

We went to dinner at Pizza Factory and opened presents.  She wanted all art supplies, which was fun.  She also got golf lessons . . . that someone is super thrilled about (Ansen).   

And this is a girl after my own heart - she picked cheesecake. 

On her birthday we went to the Temple with the Beehives (at 5:00 am) to do baptisms.  Second year in a row . . . it seems like a nice, new tradition. 

Cheer - again.

We survived another 2-day competition.  

Ruby stayed buckled into her carseat, sleeping for almost a straight 5 hours on Day 1.  Day 2 . . . not so much. 

I took a few pictures of Olivia before I realized there was no flash photography .  

They always finish strong and then immediately look at their coaches . . . their reactions will tell them everything . . . did they do good, bad or terrible?!  

and then none of Addie.

Luckily I picked the most expensive competition of the year to enforce that Drew come to support his sisters and hang out with me. 

It was Addie's last chance for a Summit bid.  And again, they did awesome on Day 1 and then just lost it on Day 2 and there was no Summit bid (or jacket).  Poor Addie.  They've worked so hard and then do so bad at the competitions this year.  

Olivia's team has been awesome and she came home with another jacket.  

Indexing

Our ward was seriously suffering in the indexing arena . . . like zero names indexed in the 4th quarter of 2015.   So . . . we taught the young men and young women to index and initiated a friendly competition.  

If the girls won . . . the boys would provide dinner and a 5 minute musical performance.  

If the boys won . . . the girls would provide desserts of all kinds and wear "special clothes."  It was a slip of the tongue and it was meant to be "Sunday clothes."

We indexed over 28,000 names in one month and the boys won.  

We took "special clothes" to the most obnoxious level we could.

These 3 came into Beehives close together and were the tiny girls at camp last year.  I can't believe how fast they change in these years.
(There is never a normal picture with these 3) 

I really love being in Young Womens right now and I love being there was Addie. 

My 3 Girls

Addie got this darling little Gymboree outfit at a baby shower and I loved it!  It was my favorite outfit and it was one I could have never afforded.

Addison 2003

Olivia 2006

(I never took a good picture of her in it)

  

Ruby 2016

Still At It

Ah man.  It's hard to believe we're 6 years into this now.  But at least we're becoming professional at navigating the competitions (I paid for NO parking and we were on time).  We had this year's first 2 day competition - with jackets - last week. 

Olivia's team has been killing it this year and got a summit bid to Florida at the first competition of the season.  She's worked hard and has beautiful, straight leg front and back walk overs. 

They won first place and got the jacket.  Last year she didn't go to this competition so she "sneak wears" Addie's coat like this one and finally has her own.

Addie's team had a strong start, but they keep dropping stunts.  Unfortunately it's been the same flyer for the previous three competitions - which is disappointing after awhile.  Friday they had a perfect routine and we were all hopes for jackets . . . and a summit bid.

But the flyer dropped . . . to the floor.  They lost the summit bid, but they got the jackets.   I have to admit this was the first time I was crushed by the loss.  If we're going to Florida, I really want to be going for both girls.  We still have one last chance. 

Ruby and I spend quality time in the car together, I introduced the girls to blackberry shakes, I wished Grandma Sharp was still living right next to the Salt Palace, we went to Kneaders, shopping and I had fun at my first official outing with my

THREE

girls.

Ruby found a way to sleep through most of it . . . and be really cute.

Miss President

We call her Prez now.

 

Addie was elected as sixth grade class President.

 

It was a little tense and there were a few tears, but all experiences are good experiences.  We learned that no ever succeeds that doesn't try. 

 

She was just following in her Mom's footstepts -

who was also Sixth grade class president. 

 



 

Grandma Sharp sent congraulatory balloons!

 

AND . . .  Addie and Olivia got to go to Women's Conference this year, so Banna came over and we made it a date.

 

Addie is a hard worker and I love how motivated she is!

 

 

 

 

 



Back to 1988 . . .

We got into Rollerblading this Fall.  We had mine and Heather's old rollerblades and then Heather picked up enough roller blades at garage sales for the rest of them. 

 

And they've been at it all Fall.

I wish I had pictures of the beginning when Drew and Eden spent the whole time clinging to my car in the driveway, crawling around the cold-de-sac, and knocking each other down. 

 

 

We had to designate specific "roller blading" clothes because it was ruining the knees in all his new school clothes.  

 

They're profesh now and go straight down the driveway . . . and up.   

 

Drew even picked out a special prize at pre-school . . . a rollerblade sticker.

First Day of School 2014

Addie - off to her last, first day of elementary school (tear) in Miss Weather's class. 

And Olivia off to 3rd grade, where the grading is a little more real, you do lunch with the big kids and tardies are starting to count in Miss Allen's class.

 We didn't do perfect matchy- matchy like we did last year,

but we did color coordinate (not on purpose actually). 

And all that attitude is off for someone else to deal with all day.

Just kidding - never a bad behavior report for either of them.

BEFORE

AFTER

Still smiling.

And still sassy.