Grandma Hendricks was good to us and let us borrow her cabin. Aunt Rachel was good to us and hosted meals at her cabin. Grandma and Grandpa Dennis were good to us and supplied us with food, fishing supplies and fun. Uncle Doug was good to us and let us love on his dog and threatened any who outfished him that they would have to clean his trailer. Memorial Day weekend was good to us.
We drove up Friday evening (May 28) after Ana got home from her National Junior Honor Society field trip to Downata Hot Springs, stopping in Rigby for Subway sandwiches for dinner. We spent the night at the cabin, then Seth and Bekah left the next morning (May 29) to do some morning fishing on the boat. They never got in the boat, however, due to the whitecaps on Henry's. Instead, they came back to Grandma's cabin and, after a while, we all went to Big Springs to watch the gulls and check out Johnny Sack's cabin.
Winnie snuggles with Seth at Grandma's cabin.
Rebekah looking at the head of the spring.
Ana and her sisters looking out over the bridge. There weren't any monster fish hanging out underneath, but there were plenty of gulls waiting for food. Seth tried sneaking up on one perched on the bridge, but he didn't succeed in nabbing it.
Seth, Ana, Winnie and Miriam reading the plaque outside Johnny Sack's cabin. Seth told some dumb kids to get back on the trail and leave the waterwheel and house alone.
Winnie walking on a railing with Bekah to steady her.
Seth helping Winnie touch the water. She couldn't reach it from the boardwalk.
After a delicious lunch of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs (provided by Doug; grilled by Justin; eaten at Rachel and Justin's) ...
Ana and the rest of the crew enjoy lunch on the deck at Rachel's cabin.
... we grabbed our gear and got some fishing done on the shore of Henry's Lake.
Bekah took a nap while her bait chilled in the lake.
Miriam reeling in her catch.
Miriam and Seth with Miriam's fish. It was the first fish she has ever caught, despite fishing on Memorial Day weekend for years.
Winnie with her catch.
Ana at the lake.
By the end of Saturday, our fish tally was: Seth-0, Andrea-1, Bekah-0, Ana-0, Miriam-1, Winnie-1. The fish I reeled in was on Seth's pole, but he was helping a kid get her fish when I saw it bowing, so I grabbed the pole and reeled in the fish. So I guess I'll take credit for that one.
On Sunday (May 30), we listened to our ward's sacrament meeting from Grandma's cabin. We weren't sure if the Island Park ward would be meeting (what with COVID restrictions) and we knew our ward would be broadcasting its sacrament meeting for those who didn't yet feel comfortable being in a large group, so Seth got the meeting so we could hear it. We didn't have a good enough connection to watch.
After church, a few games and lunch, we went over to Rachel's cabin for some Jackbox games with the cousins and a delicious dinner that included our trout from the day before.
Seth helps Winnie as the sisters play Xoom Cubes.
Ana and Miriam play Xoom Cubes.
Bekah and Ana read (and love on the dogs) at Rachel's.
Daisy, Kelsey, Duke and Winnie at Rachel's.
And in case two dogs weren't enough ... Winnie snuggles with Roscoe at Rachel's.
Monday Seth, Bekah and Ana met Grandpa Dennis, Uncle Justin, Cooper, Uncle Doug and Grandpa Hendricks' boat at the lake while the rest of us chilled at Grandma's cabin. Ana had a heyday on the boat that morning and caught four fish. Seth caught one. Bekah caught zero. We met up with the boaters on the shore, ate lunch together, then shuffled the boat occupants around so that Grandpa Dennis, Grandma Susan, Seth, Miriam, Aunt Rachel, Cooper and Hudson got a turn. I stayed behind with Winnie, Bekah and Ana. Nobody got so much as a bite that afternoon, and the snow fly hatch was terrorizing.
Ana on the boat Saturday morning.
Hudson catches Miriam in the fish net.
Miriam hides from the camera on the bank of Henry's.
Seth and Miriam on the boat Saturday afternoon.
After a slow afternoon, we packed up at the lake, went back to the cabin and packed up there, then headed home for the last week of the school year.
It worked best to have Ana's family birthday dinner on Saturday, May 22, so she got to start her birthday celebration a little bit early. We had chicken salad sandwiches for dinner, chocolate raspberry trifle for dessert, and a few presents.
Oakley's art she made for Ana.
The Scott cousins also gave her a big ol' bag of chocolate.
They wrapped it in Oakley's jacket (jackets make great temporary wrapping paper), so Oakley delivered the present and then retrieved the wrapping.
Unwrapping the money that was tucked away in the cupcakes Grandma Susan and Grandpa Dennis brought over.
The massacred cupcakes. Ana also received a package from her pen pal in Wales (a Wales pen, an America/Wales pin, a bookmark, a necklace); a Bonneville Ballroom duffle bag from Grandma and Grandpa Scott; and a couple strips of LED lights for her room from us. Aunt Rachel and her family were busy that night, but they later gave Ana a basket with chapsticks, hair pins and a notebook.
Then on her actual birthday (which was NOT celebrated in Island Park over Memorial Day weekend for once), she got to open another present from us. Nobody had school that day (due to online Mondays for the secondary kids and every other Monday off for the elementary kids), but we did have softball practice that evening, and we sang "Happy Birthday" to Ana then.
Bekah watching Ana open her present before breakfast. She got an IOU for some makeup, makeup brushes and an eyelash curler.
14-year-old Ana.
And as per our family tradition, Ana got to pick a restaurant for Seth and I to take her to. Ana wanted to try something new, so we went to Dee Kitchen to get pho. The bowl was as big as her head, so she ended up with leftovers.
Ana and her pho. It was delicious. At least, mine was. And I ordered the same thing as she.
Way back in April (April 18 to be exact), Miriam and Analee got to show off what they have learned this year during their weekly piano lessons. Last year's piano recital was cancelled due to COVID, so it was nice to meet together in the chapel and hear all the students' pieces. One blessing that has come about from COVID is the accessibility everyone factors in to gatherings and performances so that those who aren't nearby can watch. Grandma Hendricks and Ana's pen pal in Wales both got to watch the recital live from their homes.
It's been so much fun to watch these girls progress in their ability.
May, as per usual, was a busy month full of all the good things that come with the end of school. We had concerts, launches, parties, field trips and the like. Here's a rundown of a few of them:
Every 5th grader looks forward to the district's bike ride at the end of the year. Miriam, of course, was no exception. The 2020 bike ride was canceled due to COVID. The 2019 bike ride was canceled due to rain. We were hoping the 2021 bike ride would go off without a hitch.
And it did. Mostly. Rather than busing to Ucon Elementary and riding from there to Iona Square, the Fairview kids had to bus to the Iona stake center and meet up with the Ucon kids there before hopping on their bikes and going all the way to Iona. Apparently there weren't any buses available early enough in the morning to get the Fairview kids to Ucon, so they had to settle with a shorter ride to the park. From there on it was business as usual with playing and eating in the park and riding back to Ucon. I got to accompany the group of brightly dressed kids on their bikes.
Miriam hides from the camera and Kaitlyn covers her while they eat their lunch at the park.
Starting mid-March, Miriam participated in elementary band. Normally they limit the participants to 6th graders, but due to COVID restrictions necessitating they start the program so late, the middle school band teacher opted to let any interested 5th and 6th graders participate. This was exciting news for Miriam who has wanted to learn/perform percussion since Bekah started band.
We rented a bell kit, snare sticks and a drum pad, and started making the after school drive to Rocky Mountain four days a week. The bus wasn't an option this year, so that meant I got to pick up the girls from the elementary school parent loop, take them home, drive Miriam to the middle school at 3 and pick her up at 4. It was a lot of back and forth, which was made easier by Bekah's 6th hour parent release.
This deserves a paragraph explanation itself. Bekah was hoping to participate in Bonneville's pit orchestra 3rd trimester, but the orchestra didn't have a part for her to play. So she asked her trombone teacher (Hillcrest's band director) if his school could use her. He said they needed a French hornist, so Bekah told him if he supplied the horn, she'd play. Hence Bekah having a parent release 6th hour so she could drive to Hillcrest and participate with their pit orchestra. Their musical was finished by May 1, so after that date, Bekah would finish 5th hour at Bonneville, then head over to Rocky Mountain to help Ms. Schumacher with the elementary band. That meant I didn't have to bring Miriam home at 4; after I dropped her off at 3:15, I could head home for the day.
So back to elementary band. The kids had just a short time to learn their instruments and how to read music before having their final (and only) concert on Wednesday, May 19. Miriam played snare drum, bass drum and bell kit.
Ms. Schumacher and Miriam in the back.
Miriam playing in the concert. Having a percussion player means you can actually see her during the concert since she's standing in the back, but it also means you can't see what she's playing.
Footage of the concert.
Winnie participated in the high school's choir clinic. Usually it's held in February, but due to COVID restrictions, they waited until they were able to have a group that large meet together. So the clinic and concert were held on Monday, May 24. The elementary school kids have had every other Monday off, and this was one of their off Mondays, which meant Winnie was available to go to the clinic from 8-1. She learned about music and singing, then participated with the high school girls' choir in a concert held at the Hillcrest Performing Arts Center.
Winnie making sure we were watching her. ;-)
Winnie singing with the group.
Having fun singing "The Fox."
Footage of the concert.
Miriam got to finally launch a rocket on Tuesday, May 25. Fourth through sixth graders get to launch rockets, but due to the COVID shutdown last spring, Miriam and her classmates did not get to participate in their first launch. So this year as a fifth grader was her first time.
Miriam and her rocket.
Winnie and her 3rd grade classmates watching rockets launch.
Miriam's rocket taking off.
Lined up with her launchmates seeing the rockets take off.
Seth waiting for Miriam's second launch while on a work call.
Setting up her rocket for the second launch.
Rebekah also had an end-of-the-year concert; hers was on Wednesday, May 26 in the BHS gym. She played trombone with the jazz band (and KILLED her feature in "Tall Cotton") and euphonium, clarinet and bass clarinet with the symphonic band. They also had a lot of awards and recognitions that night for the graduating seniors and the band director who will be going to another school next fall.
Playing her feature in "Tall Cotton" with a plunger mute and the jazz band.
With the jazz band and her director passing by in front.
Receiving an award handed out by the freshmen. They chose her to receive the variety of dollar store items they had picked out because she helped all the newbies.
Carrying her euphonium, clarinet and bass clarinet and setting up with the symphonic band.
Bekah sat in the back with the tuba/baritone, but part of the time she played with the clarinets.
A lightsaber duel between the old and new band directors (the new one dressed as The Mandalorian) during a combined concert/symphonic band performance of music from The Mandalorian.
Gathering up her instruments at the end of the concert.
Bekah's concert video.
Then on Friday, May 28, Miriam had her last day of elementary band this year, and the director invited the parents back to the middle school auditorium to see them play 17 measures of one song and one other song they had worked on since the concert. This time Miriam played the triangle, crash symbols and drum set.
Mini concert video.
On the last full day of school (Thursday June 3), the elementary school kids had their field day and Accelerated Reading assembly. Due to COVID restrictions, the school hadn't been able to hold an assembly all year long. But by dividing up the assembly into time slots and having only two grades (and the kids' parents) in the gym at a time, they were able to have their end-of-the-year assembly.
Winnie was in the 200 point club, and Miriam was in the 1300 point club. Winnie earned the most points in her class, so she received a certificate and a candy bar. Miriam did not earn the most points in her class (!), but she and another girl in her class earned WAY more points than anybody else in the entire school, so the librarians recognized both of them at the assembly.
Miriam's name and photo on the screen as part of the 1300 point club.
Miriam and Avalon, the top two highest earners in the school, getting their certificates and candy bars from the librarians.
Miriam sitting with her class with her teacher Mr. Tangren in the background.
Winnie's name and photo on the screen as a part of the 200 point club.
Running up to the front to get her certificate and candy bar from the librarians.
Cheering with her classmates and teacher Mrs. Campbell.
Miriam eating her Otter Pop during field day. I volunteered to help with field day and got to help at the Otter Pop table. Easiest. Field day. Job. Ever.
