Dance Banquet

Last night was Aubrey's Dance Team Banquet.  I had to miss it because I needed to volunteer at the dance recital that night so we could earn good tickets to Aubrey's recital.  I had no idea the banquet was going to be on the same night!!!  Don went to the banquet and took awesome pictures.  Thank heavens!!!

It was a really nice night.  Don said it was just really fun and well put together.  They gave out awards to all the team members.  They were all positive awards which is super nice.  Aubrey got, "least flaky" and "all around classiest".  Those were wonderful compliments!

It really was a wonderful year.  It is so funny to think back to the beginning of Aubrey joining this team and seeing how nervous she was to leave competing for the dance studio.  It was a very hard transition to make, but she is happy she did it.  Yesterday she told me that this team is like her family.  I don't think a year ago she would of said that.  It has been a positive year!  She has really enjoyed dancing with these girls.

 

Aubrey and her friend Adryana won an award for the best jazz choreography of the year for their dance "Rocks". (Imagine Dragons)  Their choreography gets better and better.  I can't want to see what they do next year!

I really think the captains of the team set the tone for the team this year.  They were very positive with the girls and a lot of fun!  I also love how they cared about the girls and really made sure standards were kept.  They were a great example.

Mrs. Dunn is the teacher and advisor for the dance team.  I can't say enough positive things about her.  She is amazingly talented and very organized.  She kept this team running!  We appreciate all the time and energy she put into this team.  We are lucky to have her.

Aubrey friend Sydney is going to LVA next year.  It is sad to see her leave the school and team, but sometimes that has to be.  These two have known each other since elementary school. They didn't go to the same Jr. High, but then reunited on this team  Funny how life goes.

It was a great year.  Next, the new team is off to dance camp and then they have July off.  Well, kind of. The girls will take outside class and get ready for August!

Memorial Day!

I know Memorial Day means remembering those who have passed on, especially those who have fought for our country and those who have given their lives in that fight!  It is celebrated with family picnics and also means the start of summer!  I remember growing up in Connecticut and it always seems to me that it rained every Memorial Day!  Now that I am married to an educator, it seems to be a day we either go to the latest summer movie or just hang out.  It is like we need this little break in order to finish out the school year strong.  So today we got some errands done.  Then Aubrey and Ian were begging all day to go to the pool.  This always causes me anxiety!  You know, putting on that swim suit for the first time during the summer.  Hey, I love my swim suit, so you just have suck it up.  Anyway, we made it to the pool.  Ian was so happy!!  Ian and Aubrey love to swim. Then Dad showed up after he got some painting done, and then friends from the ward (church) showed up!  What fun!!!  Honestly, when the friends show up it becomes a very relaxing enjoyable for me!!  Don is a big kid!  I think he just loves playing with the kids!  After our first official day in the sun, we went home to have a barbecue and family home evening (refers to one evening per week, usually Monday, that families are encouraged to spend together in study, prayer and other activities).  I think we are ready to finish out these last 7 days of school!  Let's do this!!!

Art Show

Aubrey took photography at school this year.  She loves taking pictures, so she thought this class would really teach her how to do it.  Well, wrong!  It wasn't a good class at all.  The teacher really didn't know what she was doing and could of cared less about the students.  I could go on and on, but why bother.  Aubrey isn't the only one that feels this way.  It's sad!  Anyway, there was a school art show and she had to show one of her pictures.  Here it is.  Taken in our back yard.

Here is her friend's picture.  She gave it to Aubrey because, well, it is Aubrey.  Not bad.

It's been a learning experience.  What makes me so sad is that now Aubrey will not take anymore electives.  She said, she has learned her lesson.  She will be a student aid next year (for a teacher that is a former student of Don's) and dance.  Bummer!

Lacrosse Rising Star!

Let me start out by saying that Don and I are rookie lacrosse parents.  Yes, I played lacrosse during P.E. when I was in high school, but let's be honest.....I didn't pay attention to what was going on during P.E.  My brothers even played lacrosse in high school, but I was already out of the house by then!  So this is all new to us!  Anyway, last week Don got an e-mail that stated that Ian has been awarded the SNLA 2014 D3 lacrosse rising-star.  We were like, "What??"  I guess he was voted on by the coaches.  So we had to go to the championship lacrosse game for him to receive his award.  We were so proud!!!  This is his first year playing and he loves it!  We are in for the long haul!  We didn't even know that the boys who received this award were automatically on the All-Star traveling team.  We are not going to do it because it is a lot of traveling all summer long!  We need a normal summer.  Ian was super excited to receive this reward.  I think it was a wonderful season.

Side Note:  Just to prove what kind of new parents we are to this, some of the parents were telling me about the lacrosse drama.  I honestly didn't know any of it. I stay out of that stuff and I like it that way.  We are just happy to be here!  I went up to Don and told him, "I guess there is some drama going on."  Don said, "At dance?  What's going on?"  Ha, Ha, Ha!!!  We are too used to dance drama!

Father and Son Camp Out

This last weekend was a crazy weekend.  So many things going on.  It was insane.  One thing that was going on was the Father and Son Camp Out.  Ian was super excited for this.  They went to Horse Biscuit Canyon.  I think they go there every year.  Don came home from work on Friday and packed up to go.  Aubrey had a Youth Camp Leader retreat, so this meant that I was all by myself for a night.  It was strange for sure.

Don and Ian had a great time.  The weather was perfect!  Don said that there were not a lot of people there.  Like I said, it was a crazy weekend.  Ian had fun, and that was the most important thing.  I guess they went and were exploring the rocks when they first got there.  They were in search of something a member of our ward showed them years ago.  It got dark, so they were headed back with their flashlights and headlamps.  Ian was in front of Don when all of the sudden Ian jumped back knocking himself into Don.  Don looked ahead and there was a big rattle snake just going across the trail.  No rattles were rattling, so the snake didn't feel threatened.  It totally freaked them out.  What if Ian had stepped on it?  I don't even want to think about that.  Don and Ian just stayed were they were and watched the snake slither away, then they went on their way.  Always some excitement on the camp out!

Spring Guitar Concert

Life is crazy in May!  You know, all the end of the school year stuff.  Thursday we went to Ian's spring guitar concert.  It was so good.  There is an improvement from the winter.  Ian did so good.  He has really enjoyed guitar this year.  He just loved his teacher.  It was a fun year.

I am not good at recording anything!  Lets be real.  Here is one of Ian's favorite.  It has the advance guitar, intermediate, and beginning guitar playing together.