While Bekah and Winnie stayed home with Grandma Susan and Grandpa Dennis (Bekah so she could attend the ISU jazz camp; Winnie because she's not invited yet), the rest of us had a working vacation at the annual Jostens yearbook workshop in Midway, Utah June 16-19.
Seth did a whole lot of this:
I took a bunch of pictures and spent a lot of time on the computer. We also did some of this:
(And by "we," I mean " Ana and Miri." Because although Seth and I shot photos/videos of students in the pool, we never dipped our toes in.)
And this:
Miri and Ana getting a backwards hug during lunchtime.
And this:
Miri and Ana on the carousel. I rode with them while Seth was exporting the video.
And this:
Performing "Resurrection Fern" during the talent show with a borrowed guitar, Ana's uke, and a live music stand.
This beautiful, smart, funny, talented girl turned 14 and took another step further into teenagehood.
Rebekah on her birthday.
We were able to celebrate her birthday with a family dinner on her ACTUAL birthday! Rebekah requested egg salad sandwiches, so we had that (along with fixings for other sandwiches).
Trying to hide from the camera.
Laughing at the present Ana gave her: a half-full bottle of Propel. Bekah had drunk part of it a couple of days prior. Ana thought she should wrap it up and give it to her sister.
The balloon Grandpa Dennis gave her sailing away. Winnie accidentally let go of it.
The barfing ball that Grandpa Dennis got from the dollar store as a gag present (quite literally). It was a hit with all the kids. Rebekah got cash from both sets of grandparents and her parents. She put it toward a set of 7 recorders she ordered from Amazon.
Closeup of the barfing ball.
Rebekah with the berry trifle she had as a birthday cake.
Ana trying to light the candles while Seth shelters them from the breeze. I don't know why we even attempt candle lighting when we hold birthday dinners outside.
While Seth stayed home and worked (and celebrated his birthday) and Bekah got ready and went to Deaf Camp (full name: Sawtooth Camp for the deaf and hard of hearing), I took the three younger girls on a road trip to Washington for my nephew's mission farewell.
Friday, June 7 we left Idaho Falls in the morning and stopped at the rest stop between Mountain Home and Boise for a picnic lunch. I had thought we could dine al fresco, but it was much too cold for that. So we ate in the back of the van instead.
Girls posing before eating lunch.
We drove the rest of the way to our hotel in Kennewick, swam in the pool, got cleaned up and went to Uncle Ethan's house for some pizza after Mason's high school graduation.
The next morning, we checked out some of the local spots.
The swing at Claybell Park.
The girls at the Columbia River Temple.
Then we got together with both sides of Mason's family for a picnic lunch at Leslie Grover Park.
Ana and Winnie playing with the giant kickball
The Scott side of the family that was able to come to Washington.
Silly picture of everyone (both sides of the family) there for Mason.
Miriam stole my phone. When I got it back, it had about 876 pictures like this.
Ana and Winnie climb one of the enormous trees at the park.
After regrouping at Uncle Ethan's house, we hiked up nearby Candy Mountain.
The group headed up to the top of the mountain.
Ana chillaxing on top.
After dinner at Ethan's, we went back to the hotel to go to bed.
The next morning (Sunday), I let the girls swim at the hotel pool again to pass the time before church. Then we got showered, dressed and checked out of the hotel. We attended church with the Washington Scotts and listened to Mason's talk, then went to the house Grandma and Grandpa Scott had rented for a family barbecue. The girls and I didn't stay too long, because we needed to get to Boise in time for bed that night. Our pitching machine team would be playing a game at 4 the next day, so I needed to be back in time for that.
Monday morning we woke up, had breakfast, checked out of the hotel, then backtracked a few miles to Meridian so we could see the girls' brand new baby cousin.
Miriam holding Tayzlee at the Meridian Scotts' house.
We wished we could have stayed longer, but the game kept us on a tight traveling schedule. We made it home in time to get changed into our softball gear and head over to Iona.
Here's all the extra stuff and didn't get its own blog post this spring:
Miriam checks out Bennet's birthday cake at Pizza Pie Cafe on Wednesday, March 13.
Ana, Winnie, Miri, Bekah (hiding from the camera) and Seth play cards at Grandma Hendricks' cabin during General Conference weekend on Friday, April 5.
Girls flinging snow at the cabin during our General Conference weekend trip.
Eating at Rizo's pizza while Seth was on a work trip to D.C. on Monday, April 15.
Posing on the bear bench at Yellowstone Bear World on Saturday, April 27.
Feeding the deer at Yellowstone Bear World.
Seth and Rebekah participating in the middle school's Battle of the Books on Monday, April 29. The two of them read five books, then answered questions about them against other pairs. They made it to the semifinals before being eliminated.
Winnie reading Magic Treehouse books on her new Kindle (an old one Seth set up for her) on Tuesday, April 30.
Ana posing next to the water poem she wrote that won a special merit award (and a free fishing pole) on Saturday, May 4. We saw that she won when we went to the library for Star Wars day.
The peanut butter brownies Andrea made and the hummingbird cupcakes Ana made for the teachers and staff at the elementary school on Wednesday, May 8.
The breakfast in bed Seth and the girls served Andrea on Mothers' Day (Sunday, May 12).
Winnie and Andrea enjoying ice cream at the zoo during their mommy daughter date on Tuesday, May 14.
Winnie and some of the cookies we won at a silent auction fund raiser at the church on Friday, May 17.
Winnie and Miri asleep in Miri's top bunk on Saturday, May 18. Winnie had had a bad dream the night before, so Miriam said she could cuddle with her in her bed.
Ana and Miri eating cotton candy at the Garden Bros. Circus in Rexburg on Wednesday, May 29.
Ho. Ly. Cow. So many things take place at the end of the school year. Prepare yourself for a whirlwind of adventure!
PATRIOTIC PROGRAM
The third graders sang songs Friday, May 17 in honor on our country and servicemen and women.
Singing "There Are Many Flags."
"We Love the USA" while leaving the stage.
ACCELERATED READING ASSEMBLY
All the elementary students came to the gym for the end-of-the-year AR assembly on Thursday, May 23.
Miriam playing around with friends before the assembly starts.
When your daughter and her friends realize you're taking pictures of them.
And then pose for the camera.
And then start singing along to "How Far I'll Go" from Moana.
Winnie made it into the 200 point club--the only kindergartener to do so.
Both Ana and Miri made it into the 500 point club.
THIRD GRADE FIELD TRIP
I got to accompany Miriam's class to the Philo T. Farnsworth Museum in Rigby followed by a picnic lunch and playing at the pirate park on Friday, May 24.
Miriam pushing her friend Kyree on the swing at the pirate park.
FIELD DAY
On the second to last day of school (Thursday, May 30), I got burnt to a crisp helping at field day while the girls played games, ate ice pops and got sprayed by a fire truck. We also lost Winnie's glasses and miraculously found them the next day in the field.
A soaking Winnie after getting sprayed.
LAST DAY
While Rebekah went to her last day of middle school EVER and emceed and performed in the talent show she helped organize, I went to the elementary school to supervise that talent show. The student council organized the whole thing, and since I'm an adviser to the student council, I got to help.
Then Ana and all the other students and teachers whose last day at Fairview was that day got to ring the bell and give fives to all the students at the school.
Ana performs "Remember Autumn." She and two other sixth grade acts were voted in to the talent show.
Student council members pose on the stage after being the stage crew, emcee, and opening and closing entertainment for the talent show. They performed two skits: the "pass it down" movie skit and "If I Were a Falcon."
Ana's turn to ring the bell.
Ana getting a hug from Miss Rabago, her sixth grade teacher. Miss Rabago is getting married this summer and moving to Texas, so the kids will likely not see her again. It was sad to see such a great teacher go, but we wish her well.
