Piano Recital

After finding out our piano teacher was taking a break from teaching to be a full time mom we went on the search for a new piano teacher.  The kids and I were very sad because we all LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Tracy Brown, the piano teacher.

Once Hunter knew she wouldn't be his teacher he decided to take a break from piano and just stick with violin for now.

While searching for a new piano teacher we came across, Rea Schmitt.  She has ended up being the sweetest little piano teacher!  Kiersten is loving her!

Sister Schmitt had a piano recital in September.  The other students had been practicing their pieces since last school year.  But as Kiersten was a new student she only had a few lessons before the recital.  Kiersten was such a trooper......she practiced a lot and memorized two pieces to perform just like Sister Schmitt asked of her.

What a great kid!

After the recital, and right after taking this picture, Sister Schmitt made the sweetest comment about Kiersten.  I was a little embarrassed because she said it in front of two other moms, without commenting about the other ladies kids.

Sister Schmitt said, "I just have to brag about Miss Kiersten!  She is my best student!  She always comes to her lessons prepared and it seems the more I push her the more she excels!  She is just a JOY to have as a student! She is the dream student!"

That just made getting Kiersten to lessons on Friday mornings so worth it!

Kiersten you never cease to amaze me!

Thanks for your example!

Grandpa and Grandma B

We are always full of excited when Grandma and Grandpa B come to visit!

This is all the grand kids with them!

We absolutely love Grandma and Grandpa B!

Grandpa B is such a character.  He loves to tease and joke around.  But he has a sweet heart and every time I get to see him he has at least one sweet comment to say to me.  Who wouldn't love that!  This visit he told me he thinks I just get better looking every time he sees me.  But now that I think about it, maybe he was joking........LOL!  No he really is a kind man and we all love to hear his stories of his life.

Then there is Grandma B.........to me she is the ideal grandma!  

I didn't know either of my Grandma's, they passed away before I was born.  But I would hope they were a lot like Grandma B.  She is AMAZING!!!  She has made quilts for all her great-grand children, she makes the most beautiful personalized Christmas Stockings for  each of us and every new addition and has make a ton of the Christmas decoration that hangs in my house each year.  Besides being amazingly talented in those areas, she has a heart of gold!

She is so sweet to my kids and she has those eyes that twinkle when the kids are talking to her.  I just her to pieces.  For starters, anyone that raised my wonderful mother-in-law has to be a phenomenal mother herself.  But she didn't stop there she is also a phenomenal grandma and great-grandma!

We Love you both to the moon and back!

We are so glad they were able to fly down from Utah for a visit!

County Fair Time

It's that time of year again.....Fair Time!

Kiersten and Hunter both played their violins.  They both did great!

Neither of them placed in the top three but they still played fabulous! 

Kiersten played a piece called "Kitchen Sink Blues" so she came up with this outfit to go with it.  What a creative kid she is!

Logan was thrilled to get to dance at the fair!  

He was even more excited that his teacher aide, Miss Hannah came to watch him.  She is such a sweet heart and the topic of much discussion at our house.  Pretty sure every boy at the school has a crush on her!

Logan took first place with his hip hop dance.  Which was 0% rehearsed......this kid just has rhythm!  Way to go Logie Bear!  He is my dancing boy!

Once we were at the dance portion of the talent competition Hunter found out that there was only one person in his age division that was dancing.  Him being the money conscious kid that he is decided that a for sure second place and $20 was worth dancing for.  So he got out there and "winged it".....he looked pretty cute doing it! I couldn't believe he would be that brave.....he is kind of getting to the age where he is more self conscious.....but not today I guess!

We watched a hola hoop guys show while at the fair....and Hunter got picked to go up on stage!

Hunter gets his hola hooping skills from his dad!

Hunter put this outfit together himself.  He can be quite the fashion savvy kid!  And I love it!  I think he is catching on and he realizes he ends up with more clothes, shoes and hats because of it!
But one day his wife will appreciate it!  
I tell that to Justin and he says, "she might not when he is spending all their money on clothes for himself and not her."
I just tell him "well Hunter is smart enough to grow up and make good money.  Then he can afford to buy both him and his wife classy looking clothes."
I do love a sharp dressed man!

Because the boys were both in the top three for their dancing we had to go back on Saturday for the Finale Show.  They danced even better the second time!

So proud of my kids!  Kiersten also performed with the Company dancers on Friday night!  I forgot to get any pictures of that...darn it!

Logan was very excited to get a 1st place and 2nd Place ribbons for his art work entered in the fair.  He was even more thrilled when he found out he had earned $5 in price money as well!
Way To Go Logie!

3rd Annual Haunted House Party

We decided to have our Haunted House on a Saturday this year so that Justin could help us decorate.  Boy was I grateful for that idea.........it was mine by the way!

We also decided to have it in our unfinished basement this year............great idea.........also mine.

Two for two! YAY!

This was some of our haunting crew....

They play the part well.

Kiersten invited Hannah Wall again this year.  She lives across the street and is a really sweet girl.

Here are a few more scary creatures that were apart of the event.

Oh it's actually some handsome boys under those masks.

Hunter was thrilled that Carsyn could come help and of course Logan invited Ryker to be his partner in the haunted house.

Here are some pictures of the haunted house.

This year we made treats so our guests could snack on something yummy while they waited for their turn to be scared.  Now picture all these with only black lights on, spooky music playing and Justin being the scary tour guide.

They did a whole school theme......crazy school teacher and all!

It was great since the basement was unfinished the kids could put fake blood where ever they wanted. 

All these spiderwebs really lit up with the black lights on.  We also had many strobe lights, some of the decorations moved and made noises which only added to the fright!

Here are all the dead students bones that didn't do their homework.

One friend of mine, Amber Ashby told me a few days later that her little girl did her homework without any hassle for days because of the little fright she got in our haunted house about not doing your homework.

Unfinished basements are creepy enough but you add some scary halloween decorations, loud freaky music and you have yourself a really good haunted house.

I was hoping to make invitations and deliver them to all our neighborhood friends.  But that didn't happen so all I did was text some families that live near by that I thought might enjoy coming.

The Medusa head with moving snakes was a big hit!

We had these realistic hairy rats laying all over the place.  Yeah they freaked me out.

We had a great time as a family decorating the haunted house.  It was all done Saturday morning. 

The kids absolutely LOVED it when a kid would cry or scream during the tour.  And boy when the neighborhood girls around Kiersten's age all went through it was the highlight for the scare team let me tell you!!!

These are all bloody body parts!

We ended up having over 70 PEOPLE go through the haunted house......WOW!!!  It was a record for us!  I was the host taking care of all our friends, the treats and what not up stairs.  While Justin was the scary tour guide and the kids and their friends where part of the haunted house.  With that many people going through the kids ended up running back to back haunted house tours for OVER TWO HOURS! 

 It was crazy!

They LOVED it but next year we have thought of ways to improve their experience.  Starting with drinks and snacks for them to have in the haunted house, while Justin is getting the next group!!!

It was so much fun and defiantly a tradition that will stay I think!  

Our haunted house just keep getting bigger and better! Next year we hope to incorporate a chainsaw!!!

So let me know if you want to be added to our guest list!

10/20/2012

Hunter's Dinosaur School Play

This year the music program at the school is separating the plays by grades.  The older grades 3rd-6th had their play this fall.  It was a dinosaur play.

One thing Mrs. Delane always does it put on an amazing show!  She really goes to a lot of work and it is impressive what she can get those kids to do.

She had black light portions through out the play...........super cool!

Hunter had a few speaking parts as well as a little dance part with these streamers.

Another black light part.  All in all it was a great performance!  The kids all did great on their singing, dancing and speaking parts. 

Fishin' @ the pond

On Friday afternoon the kids decided to go down to the pond with our friends the Hughes and try out some fishing.

I love it that my kids don't even care if it's a tiny fish they are just thrilled to catch something.

It's a catch and release rule at the pond for now so this little guy will live to be caught another day!

He didn't even get to enjoy the taste of the worm.

Some days I feel like this little fish. 

 I work hard to get things done that I didn't even get to taste the sweetness of the day.  Makes me want to be better so I can make sure to "get the worm" in life!

Logan caught two fish in about 30 mins so he was thrilled.  Hunter and Chase had been fishing with no luck but they left early to head to the football game.

All in all it was another fun time at the pond!

Insurance

We have several friends who don't have insurance.....we just aren't those type of people.  Mostly because with our luck we can't afford to not have insurance!

Hunter climbed the basketball pole at school, while he was waiting for the car line to die down so he could ride his bike home.  He climbed it to the top and then got out onto the rim of the basket and hung there.  Then he realized he couldn't get back to the pole and he had to drop..............without any shoes on I might add.  

It ended up really hurting his heel.  It hurt for a couple of days so I finally took him to the doctor. 

After an X-ray we found out it was not actually fractured, but there was some bruising and swelling that they doctor didn't like so Hunter had to wear a walking boot for a couple of weeks.

This kid is the main reason we meet our insurance deductible each year....ha, ha.....

So glad it wasn't broken and hey we got to keep the walking boot......I am sure we will use it again with our luck!