Ana is 18!

Ana spent her birthday without any family. We went to Island Park for fishing, but Ana had rehearsals, school and church, so she stuck around. (Ana is participating in a local community theater's production of All Shook Up (Shakespeare's Twelfth Night but as an Elvis jukebox musical) and plays the piano for sacrament meeting in her student ward.) So she got to open her main birthday present from us (a new phone and case) while we were gone, and then we had the traditional family birthday dinner and cake on Friday, May 29 before another rehearsal. Jason and Maxine were in town, so we had the added pleasure of their company at the dinner.

Ana checking out the T-shirt she asked for for her birthday.

Opening a card from grandparents.

The chocolate strawberry cake she requested.

Hanging with the family in the side yard.

End of school goings on

Miriam's jazz dinner: Monday, April 13

Miriam got to perform on her jazzy vibes during the annual Hillcrest/Bonneville band fundraiser. Andrea contributed as a band mom by (with Canva) designing the posters. I love contributing BEFORE the actual event. Everyone watched the kids perform and enjoyed delicious smoked pork sandwiches. 

The name of this Canva template is "Jazz Music Saxophone Festival Poster." That's the most trumpet-shaped saxophone I've ever seen. 

Miriam rocking the double mallets.

And clapping when there isn't a vibraphone in the number. 

Miriam and Winnie waiting to hear the theme for this fall's marching band show. It will be "Sun, Moon and Stars."

Winnie being harassed by a bunch of Hillcrest boys. JK. They're all tuba players, and they were excited to hear about a freshman girl who would be joining their ranks. It was actually the most heartwarming thing. As it turns out, Winnie will be playing trombone in the marching band instead. 

Miriam's state solo and ensemble competition: Friday, May 1

Miriam participated in two percussion ensembles, and they both qualified for state. That meant she got to ride a bus to Post Falls, and we followed in the van. We experienced clear roads and lovely weather and scenery on the drive, and Miriam's ensembles both placed.

Miriam playing marimba in her small ensemble. They performed "Time Dilation." Miriam started the whole piece with a little solo that introduced the melody. She accidentally "double bonked" (that's a term I made up that means she hit two notes at once) at the very beginning, and she was sure she had totally ruined her ensemble's chance to place.

Miriam with her small ensemble. In every picture I shot of her during this number, she was visibly upset because of her misstep.

Miriam performing "Rush Hour Samba" with her large ensemble.

She played the vibraphone and obviously felt better about this performance because she actually smiled/had fun during it.

Seth and Andrea on a walk in Post Falls. We walked part of the Centennial Trail between events.

And we got these AMAZING Navajo tacos from a taco truck. they had bison smoked salmon.

Miriam receiving her award for FIRST PLACE. Yeah, the song she was sure she screwed up for everyone else? It took the top place in small percussion ensembles. Her large ensemble took third place.

Miriam enjoying a loaf of French bread on the drive home from Post Falls.

Miriam's "Not Prom": Saturday, May 9

Bonneville's prom was held the Saturday we were traveling home from state solo and ensemble in Post Falls. So any choir or band kid who went to state didn't get to go. Miriam had a group of friends who organized their own dance: "Not Prom." They held this at a private venue the week after prom. Miriam got asked to the dance by Nathan Brown, a fellow percussionist.

Nathan asking Miriam to prom. He used his tunic from marching band as a costume and embraced the whole Robin Hood theme in his ask.

Ana giving Miriam some helpful instructions for pinning a boutonniere. 

Miriam and Nathan.

Miriam's group.

Winnie's Festival: Saturday, May 16

The middle school band kids get to attend Festival and play their numbers in front of judges every year in May. Then the band spends the day at Lagoon. Every other year, we've sent our kid off on the bus and let them do their own thing. This year we totally horned in on the fun. Winnie rode down with us to the middle school in Salt Lake where they performed. In fact, we got there before the bus full of kids because the Rocky Mountain Middle School choir teacher showed up way late. The kids rushed into the school, warmed up, then performed. Afterward, we all headed to Lagoon. We occasionally saw a band kid or two from our school, but our little family unit just stuck together and enjoyed the rides. 

Winnie sleeping (or meditating?) in the van on the way down. We had to leave before 6 a.m. to get to the school in time.

Winnie, her tuba and Seth in front of the richiest middle school we've ever seen. 

Winnie and the rest of the band preparing to perform.

Getting ready to ride Wicked. Because we were there on a Saturday, because there was a dance competition at Lagoon that day, because there was an area-wide band festival, and because it was some college's engineering students' day at Lagoon, there were a million people in the park. But we still managed to hit all the major rides.

Andrea and Miriam on the swings.

Seth soaring.

Family selfie at Cannibal. It was Winnie's first time riding Lagoon's most intense rollercoaster. She liked it.

Final band concerts: Thursday, May 21

Bless the band directors for coordinating. After making a few changes to the schedule, they arranged for the final middle school band concert to be performed immediately before the final high school band concert. And in the same venue. So we spent a good three hours at the Hillcrest Performing Arts Center listening to our girls perform with their bands for the last time in their eighth grade and tenth grade careers. 

Winnie soloing with the middle school jazz band. The middle school only has jazz band during the last trimester, but it was worth the wait. Winnie enjoyed playing the trombone and playing improvised solos.

Winnie and the brass section of the jazz band. This group had seven saxophones (!), one trombone and one baritone. Gotta love middle school jazz bands. Winnie also played tuba with the symphonic band, but you can never see her while she's playing.

Miriam performing her state solo and ensemble pieces during her final concert.

Cute Miriam on stage.

Playing "The Great Rubber Chicken Galop." It was a hit.

Miriam receiving an award for being an awesome sophomore. Normally the entire band votes for a favorite from each class. This year the band director forgot to include the percussion ensemble (which is a separate class from the rest of band) in the voting, so they came up with their own recipients. 

Nathan's senior recital

Just 11 days after getting home from the redwoods, Seth and I boarded a very early flight from Idaho Falls to Seattle and Seattle to Philadelphia so we could spend a little time with Rebekah and Nathan in Newark, Delaware, and watch Nathan's senior recital. It was fun to see where the two of them have been living since August and get a taste for what their life has been like over there.

We rented a vehicle so we could get ourselves where we needed to go (that process was a little wild because the lady at the desk told us to just go pick whichever vehicle we wanted in a designated section), and we stayed at a hotel only 10 minutes away from their apartment. Rebekah took a few days off to show us around and spend time with us. (As a student, Nathan didn't have the luxury of taking time off.) The highlight of the trip, of course, was the recital itself. 

Tuesday, April 7

Andrea and Seth on the first flight of the trip on Tuesday, April 7. We had requested an upgrade (something we could do on an Alaska flight since we are Alaska cardholders), and we happened to get it on both our flight there and back between Idaho Falls and Seattle.

Screenshot of our chat with the girls back home.

Walking along a trail at a nearby park on Wednesday, April 8. Rebekah wanted to spend the first day with us looking for arrowheads. We never found any, but we had a good time walking along/through creeks and talking.

Heading out into the first creek. It was extremely cold (so I'm told), but eventually their feet got numb. I stayed to the banks.

Seth piggybacking Andrea across the creek. I didn't realize how close my feet were to the water until I saw this picture.

Looking out for arrowheads at a second location in Pennsylvania.

Seth helping Andrea up a steep bank.

Walking along a park path together.

Watching Wake Up Dead Man with Rebekah at her apartment.

Nathan getting ready for his recital. The poor guy spent hours upon hours setting up for the recital, and clear up until start time, he was trying to get things working properly. The recital turned out famously despite the slight hiccups.

Sound checks and such.

Rebekah watching Nathan perform.

Performing a piece on the snare.

When you're a percussionist, you end up playing a lot of different instruments, including a bottle of ibuprofen.

Playing music along with a silent movie.

On the marimba. Nathan played eight different pieces of many different instruments.

Nathan and Rebekah after the recital. The Jackmans came from Utah, and we all went out to ice cream after the recital. We wanted to go to Coldstone, but it was going to be closing soon, so we ended up at McDonald's. 

Thursday, April 9

After spending some time together in the morning, we were able to meet up with Nathan after his classes and drive to Philadelphia. The temple was closed for cleaning, so we took pictures outside of it and walked around it before walking through downtown Philly.

At the Liberty Bell.

Outside Independence Hall. We got there too late in the day to go inside, but we got to walk around outside the building and grounds.

Independence Hall. 

A random sign we saw on a building in downtown Philly. We walked to this cool indoor market-type place with lots of little restaurants and shops so we could eat Philly cheesesteaks, but the one restaurant Nathan and Rebekah had eaten at before was sold out. We found another place within the same market and enjoyed their sandwiches. Perhaps we were enjoying them too much to take a picture?

Friday, April 10

A turtle we saw at the Russell Peterson Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington. There were a few exhibits inside, then a series of boardwalks outside to look around.

Seth on the boardwalk overlooking the marsh.

Rebekah on a random white cross we found off one of the paths.

Seth's PB&J&cheese sandwich he made himself for lunch that day. We ate a picnic at a park, and I told Rebekah that Seth would prefer the ham and cheese sandwich option because he's not a big fan of peanut butter. Then he had to prove me wrong.

Later on after Nathan was finished with class, we picked him up and went on a cute little hiking trail nearby in Pennsylvania. There were a couple of old homes along the trail that were fascinating to look at.

Checking out the ruins.

Eating dinner at Waffle House before saying goodbye and flying out early the next morning.