Up With Kids Show - Beauty & the Beast

 The week after getting back from AZ and Jon getting back from OR, Lindsey, Kate & Hannah spent the week at Up With Kids Camp.   It was a tricky week to balance that camp and getting Lindsey early most days in order for her soccer team to play in the Max Cup.   But, on Friday night, they were ready for the show.   This time, they learned the play "Beauty & the Beast."  

It was a beautiful Friday night, so a perfect night to watch the play.   Jon had to work, so he attended the dress rehearsal during the day.  Emily had soccer (she had just made the JV team - more on that soon) and Jack just flat out refuses to go to things like this.  So, it was Hailey and I and thankfully, my parents were able to come.

The girls did great!   Lindsey played the Armoire, Hannah was a village child & silverware and Kate was a village girl and then Snow White (a scene where Belle & the Beast are reading fairy tales).

Hannah's in the purple

 



 Lindsey began as a maid in the prince's castle - before being turned into furniture

 

 Lindsey as the Armoire

 

 Here's a scene with more of the costumes

 

 The silverware entrance was my favorite!   Hannah was absolutely breathtaking - you can tell from this picture how thrilled she is when she's on stage.   I love her so much and my heart skipped a beat when I saw her in this scene.  My mom leaned over and whispered "She loves this!  She's sure in her element."   So true!  

 

My favorite picture of the night - just so thrilled to be doing what she was doing!

 



 Kate as Snow White - she even sang a solo

 

 Poor Lindsey had a horrible cough this week (which ended up preventing us from going to Worland the following week).   She'd get coughing but she amazingly held it off while she also sang a solo.  Great job Lindsey!

 

 The finale

 

My parents with Kate & Hannah

 

Well done girls!

Trip to Arizona

 My sister Becky had her 3rd baby, Remmy Mae, on May 31st.  I had wanted to be there for her birth so bad, but with Remmy being born a couple of weeks early and it was right during a week of waiting to confirm another miscarriage for us.   So, I wasn't able to go right after she was born.

We knew that the first weekend of August was the Baxter family reunion (Jon's side of the family) in Oregon and we planned on going.      But, with 2 miscarriages and other family issues that have happened, I just needed to do something for myself.   Jon was so kind and so sweet to let me go to Arizona that weekend with my parents to visit Becky and be there for Remmy's blessing.  That meant that Jon would take the 5 oldest kids (I took Hailey with me) and make the drive to Oregon.   They had a wonderful time and Jon was such an amazing dad to do that.

I looked forward to this weekend in Arizona so much!    I was even able to hand deliver Remmy's quilt to her:

We arrived on Thursday early evening and it was so fun to see Becky's cute house and her cute family.  Brooklyn and Jake got along so well with Hailey and Hailey LOVED playing with their toys.   Remmy was an absolute doll and it was fun to hold her and kiss her cute cheeks.   

It's so dreamy to go on walks early in the morning with Becky, run on errands with my mom and Becky and stop at gas stations to run in and grab a Diet Coke.   We were able to go to a music class, swimming, the mall to play, McDonald's play area and to dinner at Red Robin.

 Worn out from all their fun!

 

John's parents, Marc & Betty, were also able to come into town.   One night, all the grownups were visiting and these 2 put on dress-up dresses and danced.

Thankfully, a superhero arrived to keep an eye on the girls!

 

 Brooklyn was cracking us up - she really got into her dancing :)

 

On Sunday,  we all got ready and went to Church.  Remmy's blessing was wonderful!  She looked so beautiful in the blessing dress (it's the same one that Brooklyn & Hailey were also blessed in).   Becky and John have a wonderful ward and so many amazing friends.

They hosted a get-together at their house after and it was fun to meet more of Becky's friends and also have Camille Curto (my cousin) and her little boy, Vinnie come over.  I had never met Vinnie in person before and it was fun to visit with them.   Vinnie is such a cute little boy.

I hated to see the weekend go by so fast!  We left Sunday afternoon and had a great flight home.  Hailey was the best little traveler.  She was so good and sweet and it was a piece of cake to have just one child.   I was so happy to see Jon and the other kids and was so grateful for the chance to go!

Swimming Lessons

 One of the things that has become a tradition during summer break, is taking swimming lessons at Ms. Lorie's house.  This summer, Kate & Hannah did 2 sessions of lessons and Jack did 1.    Jack and Kate are great swimmers and worked on getting better on their strokes.  Hannah went from not swimming at all to being able to swim across the pool.  She's not quite able to get all the way AND take a breath, but she definitely made a lot of improvements.

Ms. Lorie is so great with the kids - especially Hannah.   She is patient and understanding, but she also doesn't take any crap.  If she asks the kids to do something, she expects them to do it.

Hannah

 



 Ms. Lorie explaining (for the 100th time at least) to take a breath

 

 Jack became a much better diver over the course of his session.

 

 Hannah again

 

 Flipping to her back

 

 Kate also became a much better diver

 

 Hannah diving from the side of the pool

 

 Hailey was an angel at these lessons. She'd have a snack and do activities.  She was also in the middle of potty-training (which went great and fast!)!

 

 Jumping off the diving board is not Hannah's favorite thing to do, but she still did it :)

 

 Of course, it's more of a launch then a jump, but still so cute!