End of School Year

The school year is winding down .... which means there are events happening nearly every day in the month of May

Crazy Hair Day!

We had fun playing nerf tag for the end-of-year celebration for Girl Scouts.

We spent an afternoon downtown with friends (the Harts) at the "Living Traditions Festival".  We took the Trax for an extra level of adventure.

  

Carolyn was recognized at school for being one of two kids in her 4th grade class that finished the Excellent Eagle program -- this program is available to all students and is awarded to anyone who does 10 extra school projects throughout the year that are related to the lessons and topics required by the curriculum.  She did some great projects, including a photography project, a video and game to teach equivalent fractions, maps and presentations about the Utah biomes and landmarks she has visited, the science fair, a formal letter to the principal (asking to install waste baskets in the girls bathrooms - there were none!), and a journal about service work she has done in the community.   In full disclosure, 4th grade has been a challenging year for Carolyn.  She has earned Ds and Fs in just about every subject.  She forgets to turn in her work, fails to write her name on work, and absolutely hates doing worksheets everyday.  That said, she does quite well on tests and absolutely loves doing projects.  Some day, she will pull it all together, I suppose!

Memorial Day Hike in Bells Canyon

Over memorial day weekend, we set out for a short, leisurely hike with our friends (the Hotchkins), but ended up spending nearly 6 hours on the trail and hiked over 5 miles with the kids.  This is probably one of the longest hikes we have done with the kids.  They did great.  Though, their feet were tired by the end of it.  At the top, there was a great view into the valley.  The waterfall at the top was raging from the spring melt-off. 

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/d09s2csEC2OxNLIh1

Lizzie's Final Montessori Performance

They sang a few songs and received certificates for the year. Lizzie sure will miss her two BFFs Akasha and Ava, as they all go to different schools next year.

The last photos I found ... caught up!

I do love this blog when I need to remember what we did and when something happened.  Lately, I have not been as good at taking photographs, so do not have much to post.  And, I have really not been all that good at posting what I do have.  It seems that every several months, I post a batch.  Now that the school year has finished up for me, I have posted whatever I have from this winter (or maybe this year).

Steve visits his Uncle Jim -- this is his dad's twin brother.

The girls Taryn, Carolyn, Hayden, Lizzie.

Steve took the girls on a daddy-daughter camping weekend at Camp Cloud Rim.  They experienced the first snowfall of the year, so a lot of the fun fall activities on the water were not happening.  And my kids definitely had the wrong clothes packed for the unexpected cold weather.

Who knows?  Some masterpiece sculpture made in the living room some random night.

I absolutely love that we now have Steve's parents' music console in our home, all the way in Utah.

Mike comes to visit, and they had some grand adventures in Zion and Bryce.

The girls and JoJo playing in the fall bounty.

Lizzie's lego masterpiece.

Just everyday photos of the girls.

 

They always want to help in the kitchen, especially if we are making a cake for someone's birthday.

Hiking in Emigration - Carolyn, JoJo, Maeve, Vera

Lizzie Lost a Tooth

Lizzie lost her first tooth.  

She let it flop around in her mouth, hanging by a thread for about two weeks.

 (by now, she is down three teeth)

Winter time is Snowbird Time

A lot of our winter time is spent skiing at Snowbird.

This photo looks like a warm spring day in the mountains; just look how blue the sky is.  

The mountains are so spectacular, and I love that we meet friends and spend a whole day in the mountains every weekend in the winter.  I love that both girls enjoy being out in the mountains and are both are on their way to becoming good skiers.

Some videos of Lizzie - from her first day of the season, age 5

       On a slightly steeper hill -- https://photos.app.goo.gl/gcuJD6aVtJV4mNxk2

       On the bunny hill -- https://photos.app.goo.gl/RfW1eicNGhDjl4N03 

Go Blue!

Who knows?  Maybe someday they will go to Michigan for school!  

Another Saturday, Another March on the Capital

This time, we are asking for some gun control.  I will never own a gun. And, I do not want to take away your gun or to dismantle the second amendment, but is it really necessary for private civilians have assault rifles or automatic weapons?  Is it too much to ask for to impose some regulations on the sale of guns? 

As a teacher on a college campus in America, I have have to do a lot of drills and training to learn how to respond to active shooters and how to protect ourselves and the lives of our students on campus.  This makes me anxious.  And, when my kids talk about the active shooter drills and "lockdowns" that they have to do during their school days, I am sad.    When I think of the amount of public shootings that have happened in my children's lifetimes, I weep.  I pray that none of us will be at the site of the next mass school shooting.  And, I wish I could soothe the dark thoughts that run through the heads and hearts of those who feel compelled to take human lives in this way.  None of this is easy, but I do believe in the power of policy and regulation to bring about change and public health.  I also believe in the right of citizens and communities to come together and express their thoughts in a peaceful march like this.

This why our family attended the March for Lives.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens 

can change the world; 

indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. 

- Margaret Mead

(the back of Lizzie's sign say "Don't Shoot People")

Carolyn and I were interviewed by NPR, talking about why we came to the march.  A lot of friends and colleagues heard us, but I could not find the recorded interview, only a news article quoting us:
       http://kuer.org/post/photos-thousands-rally-gun-control-salt-lake-city#stream/0

San Diego

For spring break, we took a fairly spontaneous trip to San Diego. 

Steve and the girls drove out, stopping for a night of camping in the desert (it was cold and windy!  And Carolyn had a fever/cough), so the second night of the road trip they opted for a hotel in Palm Springs instead of a second night camping.   

 

Of course, when in Palm Springs, you have to stop by dinosaur roadside attraction in Palm Springs.  Who hasn't seen Pee Wee's Big Adventure?  They said it was probably not worth the admission price.

 

 

In San Diego, we stayed at our friends' house, Marc and Meli.  Their backyard provides a lot of fun too.

Before I flew in, they explored the tide pools at low tide where they saw a squid and lots of other sea creatures.  Lizzie found a rock that looked like a butt. 

We spent a day at the zoo, and another one at Legoland.

 

 

 

 

What a fun, unplanned trip to San Diego!