September 2010

Wasatch Chamber Orchestra

This summer I started playing with this newly formed chamber orchestra based out of Ogden.  Our first concert was held during the Ogden Farmer’s Market.  It was really challenging to play outdoors in a larger group like this.  Flies kept hovering over our music, the sun was in our eyes (hence the sunglasses), and it was hard to hear across the orchestra.  The upsides were that lots of different people were able to hear us play that normally wouldn’t have, like my kids!  This is the first time they’ve been to a concert that I was actually playing in! 

Just as we were about to begin I looked out, and there sitting on a table in the back were three little kiddos waving at me!  It made me so happy!  They sat and listened for a few pieces, and Eden especially got excited when she heard the ‘Little Einstein’ music (Eine Kleine Nacht by Mozart).  But when they got bored they played on the playground right next to the stage.  Three cheers for Brent for getting them all ready and bringing them to my concert!

 

  

 

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September 9th

Eden started preschool this fall at the Learning Station preschool.  There are four other girls in our neighborhood that all attend the same morning session.  Since it’s just two blocks over we all walk over in a little flock of bright colors.  Eden was adamant about wearing her favorite red dress on the first day.  But her backpack was almost as big as she was!  I think she’s going to have a great time this year, especially since Laura has started first grade and Eden is already lonely.  Plus I get five  hours a week with just Ryan!

 

Midway 10k

Ok, first of all, it was freezing!  Like 42 degrees freezing!  It was both Lanna’s and my first 10k and I have to say we did awesome.  It was an absolutely beautiful morning to run.  We passed a steaming lake, watched the hot air balloons rising in the sunrise, and laughed at geese flying over us headed north.  I think we were the only runners who cheered at every mile marker, but we had so much fun.  We finished the race together in 59 minutes meeting our goal of under an hour.  Lanna is a faster runner than I am, but she stuck with me through the first 3 miles of uphill and didn’t leave me at mile 5 when I almost passed out.  I’m just learning how to cope with hypoglycemia and running and I had been sick for a few days before.  I would love to try it again in the spring.  Lanna’s already talking about a half marathon, but I think I may stick with 6 miles instead of 12! 

After the race we celebrated by eating all the scones we could back at Gram’s and watching the Swiss Days parade with the family. 

 

Family date night!

Saturday we grabbed the kids, grabbed a pizza and went to the duck park.  After feeding the ducks some yummy stale bread we stopped by a fun, retro ice cream place for fresh peach shakes.  Yum!

 

 

Top of Utah Marathon

Brent accomplished a lifelong goal this month and completed the Top of Utah Marathon on September 18th,  in 4 hrs and 10 minutes! He says it was the hardest thing he’s ever done.  But he’s already signed up for the Ogden marathon in the spring, so go figure.  We stayed in Logan at the Schwartzes the night before and had a little pizza party for Nate’s birthday.  The next morning at 4:30am I drove Brent to the bus pickup area.  I went home and went back to bed while Brent rode to the top of the mountain.  At 7:00am the race started and he came through the finish line at 11:10am after a grueling 26.2 mile run.  I overheard some runners say that mile twenty was the half way point! 

Laura couldn’t find her shoes before we left and I forgot we needed lunches and Brent ran faster than he was expecting so the kids and I got to the finish line 3 minutes after he crossed it!  I didn’t know he’d already came through so we sat by the finish line and cheered for the other runners for 15 more minutes before Brent found us.  Maybe next time we’ll make it on time.  I’m so proud of him for tackling this amazing race and coming out alive.  He’s my hero. 

 

 

 

September 24th

A few years ago I played the Ashokan Farewell at my Grandpa Henry’s funeral and I was asked again to play it at my Great Alma’s funeral this fall.  It’s one of my favorite pieces of music and seems to perfectly portray the spirit of my Grandparent’s generation who settled the Idaho mountains.

While we were in Idaho for the weekend Brent and I were able to get away for a date.  We got ‘New Fongs’ takeout, ate it at Beaver Dick park, and then hiked up to the top of the R mountain, where we had our first date 12 years ago.  Ah, romance!

 

I love Rexburg weather in September.  We took advantage of the my parent’s beautiful backyard.

August 2010

Ryan turned two!

We celebrated by eating a yummy chocolate train cake, crafted by Daddy, opening presents, and playing with Ryan’s new train set.  He loves all things trains and loves to carry around the solitary train that we own.  We decided it was time to branch into the new world of Thomas and co.  While Ryan and I were shopping, on his birthday, he threw an enormous two-year-old sized tantrum while I was checking out.  He wanted those trains, NOW!  He’s definitely made the transition.

  I know how everyone says he looks so much like Brent, and he does, but this picture reminds me of my own toddler pictures.  Maybe it’s just that his hair needs to be trimmed and is starting to curl around his ears!

Laura’s first day of 1st Grade

The beginning of all day school!  She was so brave and went straight in with no problems!

 

Left Behind and Sad.  Eden cried the whole way home. 

August 2010, part 2

 

First of all, isn’t this an awesome picture of Laura!? Anyway, on to the story:  while we were in Idaho, Brent decided to get up super early and go run Tablerock.  Yeah, he likes to sweat.  Anyway, at about 10:30am after picking and snapping what seemed like an eternity of green beans, my parents and I threw the littles into the van and drove the hour and a half drive to go surprise him.  But there isn’t cell phone reception and it was a possibility that we would completely miss each other. 

But just as we pulled into the parking lot we saw the red truck’s rear lights come on… Brent was just about to pull out!  We couldn’t have timed things any better.  And yes, he was wonderfully surprised:)  We had a yummy picnic in the shade and the kids climbed all over and jumped off the benches.  Then we hiked for a little while on the trail.   It was green and warm and there were huckleberries on the bushes!  My parents had to go back after only an hour, but our little family kept going until we came to a beach on the river.  We threw rocks in, waded in the freezing water, and on the way back we climbed up to a waterfall.  On the drive home we stopped and got ice cream bars.  It was a fantastic way to spend the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

August 2010

 

The first week of August the kids and I went down to Salt Lake to get my violin appraised and cleaned by the maker.  After getting very lost and then found, we met Lanna and her kids at Wheeler farms for a few hours of cousins, horses, ducks, tractors, and granola bar fun.  These pictures are on my desktop and every time the computer opens Ryan points all the tractors, definitely the boy’s favorite part of the day. The girls were much more interested in the ponies being saddled.  They chattered all about how they get to ride horses with Aunt Lesha. We also spent a lot of time throwing rocks into the river. 

 

On the 14th we went up to Idaho at 5:30am to get there in time for the Jemmett Reunion held at my parent’s home.  And I forgot to get out my camera! So I’ll just say it was a wonderful day.  The kids ran around with new cousin friends, all the adults chatted and had fun, and of course we had our infamous melodrama to end the night.

While we were there we celebrated my birthday.  Brent took me to Johnny Carino’s, where we used to go all the time when were dating, and we had a little party at my Mom’s house.  She made this beautiful strawberry creme cake, my favorite!  All the girlies, Rosemary, and Lesha helped us eat it.

Just another typical day…

July 2010, part 2

 

 

   

 

Age: Six years old

Who: Laura and her friends

Where: Children’s Museum

What: a sparkly new Polly Pocket bike

Wait…who: family

Where: family dinner and cake

What: A week long celebration for Miss Laura Belle

 

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‘Start Smart Soccer’

Wednesdays at 6:00 we’d head to the park in the 95+ sun and Laura would practice kicking and dribbling and blocking.  We only forgot water the first time! She loved running around and kicking the ball and, of course, getting a treat afterwards.  She always asked for two extra to bring home for Eden and Ryan.  These pictures are from the final game playing against the 6:30pm class.  She scored an awesome goal in the far right picture with her super soccer kick.

July 2010…part 1

We hosted a barbecue with Lanna and Scott and their crew this year for the 4th (really the 5th) of July.  After hamburgers we set up the waterslide and pool in the backyard.  The kids, especially the little boys, loved sliding down and making a big splash.  The grownups sat in the shade and visited before it got too hot. 

   

 

A new little cousin!

Jessica Joe Schwartz was born on Monday, July 12th.  We went and visited her a week later.  She is a little sweetie!  The girls got to hold her, and I was really surprised by how interested Ryan was.  He kept wanting to get her a blanket or a diaper, and followed me around while I was holding her saying, ‘baby! baby!’  The Schwartzes have had a rough few weeks since little Jessica was born though.  Allie broke her arm and had to have surgery, and Sarah had to be readmitted into the hospital twice; all in the month since Jessica was born.