Piano Recital

Emily and Lindsey have been taking piano lessons from a wonderful friend, Andrea Jeppesen. Andrea has patiently helped them learn and enjoy playing the piano. The girls were always so happy and excited to go to lessons and were great about practicing each day. They have really learned a lot and done well - thanks to Andrea. Andrea put together a recital the other night and it was wonderful. We met an auditorium at a local music store and listened to some beautiful music from kids in our ward. Emily played "The Entertainer" and Lindsey played "Circus March." They had worked hard and did great! Andrea presented each student with an award and a cute gold medal (a ding dong wrapped in gold foil attached to a ribbon). She also had delicious sugar cookies for everyone!

Andrea has a darling little boy, Jonas, and is expecting her second little boy any day, so she is taking a break from teaching for now. Andrea - thank you so much for your time, talent and patience! We will always remember you and wish you the best as you embark on your new adventures!!

Andrea and her cute students

(First Row - Ethan Rasmussen, Mary Curtis, Sarah Curtis, Lindsey, Emily, & Luke Mills

Second Row - Andrea, Eve McCarter, Jill McCarter & Mikey Mills)

Fits

Kate and I are sitting here eating lunch and she decided to cut her melted cheese sandwich into even smaller pieces. She asked if I wanted a piece, so I said "Sure." The next thing she says to me is: "Mommy, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit." (That is a direct quote from our favorite rec center teacher, Jodi).

Kate - I will sure try to not throw a fit about the size of my smushed melted cheese sandwich piece!

Cavaliers & Sixers fans

Those who know me, know that I cheer for the Utah Jazz! But, our family just finished cheering on the Cavaliers & Sixers teams!! Lindsey and Emily were both able to play Jr. NBA basketball this winter and had a great time. Lindsey was on the Cavaliers team and did great! She had a great coach and got to play with her friends Ethan Rasmussen and Joseph Larson. She learned so much and got better and better with each game. She was a great defender and even scored a basket (except they didn't count it because she had forgotten to dribble the ball when she went to the basket - she probably gets that from me!). Emily was on the Sixers team and one of only 2 girls in the entire age division. Emily worked so hard and got so much better over the course of the season. She was a great defensive player and did everything her coach asked her to. She had great coaches and great teammates. Her coach's goal was for the team to learn what it meant to be a team and they sure did! Everyone was so unselfish and never upset by the mistakes of others.

Great work Emily and Lindsey! We'll always be your #1 fans! (Unfortunately, our camera has decided to take pictures that are pink and covered in lines....grrr! So, I don't have any good pictures to post).

Just Because....

I had a special treat this weekend...from an incredible person! One of my greatest blessings in my life is incredible friends! INCREDIBLE is the only way to describe my friend Kirsten! She surprised me this weekend with a beautiful, wonderful, new quilt (the picture doesn't do it justice)! It was a "just because" quilt! I couldn't believe it. She is one of the busiest people I know - she has 4 kids, a super busy husband in his first year of surgery residency, a busy church calling, PTO responsibilities, she's a friend to everyone and is always doing things for others. Somehow, she found the time to make me this quilt. As someone who quilts, I know how much time it takes to make a quilt and knowing her, she sacrificed lots of hours of sleep!!! I am so touched and so grateful for a person in my life that makes me want to be a better person, for someone who I look up to and for someone who is an incredible friend! Thank you so much Kirsten - I will cherish it forever!!!

Artist, Animals & Antibiotics - Oh, My!

It's been an interesting week...

Let's start with Artist! We got a note home from the school telling us that one of Emily's pieces of art would be on display at our local Municipal Building for the next couple of weeks. They had a reception for the artists, so Jon, Jack, Emily & I went over to see her art work. Lindsey had a piece of art displayed over the summer as well, so we're really proud of these two girls!

Secondly, is Animals! I had a friend who's guinea pig died this week and she called and asked if I would help her take it to the vet to be cremated. The kids and I went to her apartment. I had taken a box and I used a towel to get the guinea pig out. Now, I don't mind animals, but I am not an animal lover. But, thankfully, I just did it and we were able to help her. (I had a similar experience with a dead bird about 2 years ago as well, so I must not be too bad doing it).

And, finally, Antibiotics! I came down with a breast infection on Monday and Lindsey came down with strep today. We love antibiotics and they work so great!!!

Adventures in Indianapolis - Indoor Waterpark

After we left the Children's Museum, we went stopped and ate dinner and then went to our hotel. I think indoor waterparks are such a great idea and I'm hoping that they start making their way out west too!!


The kids were so excited to swim, so they changed and they swam. The water area has a little kid pool with a ship in the middle of it with a huge bucket on top that fills with water and every 10 minutes or so, it all dumps out. There's also a pool with basketball standards in the middle of it, as well as a section with a lazy river and slides to go down. It's really cool! They also have free life jackets, so we strapped one on Jack and Kate and let them enjoy!

We pulled the kids out of the pool about 8:15 and took them to the room for baths and bed. Lindsey could hardly open her eyes because of the chlorine, but she was up and ready for more swimming the next morning. The Rasmussen's room was right next to ours and both families were kept awake longer than we wanted because of teenagers swimming in another pool and kids running in the halls. But, thankfully, we all slept pretty good.


The next day, we told the kids that we could stay at the hotel and swim as long as they wanted. They would swim for awhile and then get out and rest, or eat lunch, or have a snack and then go back in. At first, Hannah hated the water, but the second time we tried, she tolerated it pretty good.


The crazy moment of the day happened when we were all in the lazy river and then jumped out to get in the hot tub. Within seconds of getting in, Lindsey starting coughing uncontrollably, then Karli did the same and threw up and Kirsten felt sick too. We got all the kids out of the hot tub and figured that either it was going from the cold water to the hot water too fast, or there was so much chlorine and the jets were too strong.


We stayed until about 3:30 and then started our journey home. It was such a treat to get out of town for a couple of days and not have the phone to answer or responsibilities to do. We love the memories that vacations form and it was extra fun to share them with such great friends!

Hannah being very unsure about the water

Jack, Emily & Ethan relaxing by the pool

Jack - looking more like an alien than a little boy

Kate & Hailey

One tired girl

Another tired girl

Adventures in Indianapolis - Museum

We were able to spend a fun weekend in Indianapolis as a family and with our wonderful friends, the Rasmussen's. While living in Columbus, we've tried to take the kid's overnight to an indoor waterpark each year as a break from the long winter. For the second year in a row, we headed to Indianapolis, Indiana. We were lucky enough that the Rasmussen's were able to come as well, so it was even more fun!


We left on Friday morning and drove the three hours there. We stopped at the hotel to pick up tickets to the Children's Museum that came with our package. They said we could check in while we were there, so we did and then headed over to the museum. It was our 4th time at the Children's Museum there and it was great. We ate our sack lunch and then started enjoying the exhibits.


The Rasmussen's arrived at the museum about 2 hours after we did and when they got there, we met them in the lobby to give them their tickets that we had picked up. The kids were excited to then go see a new Lego exhibit they have there, so we headed to that. In the middle of the museum is a spiral ramp and that's how you get to the different floors of the museum. The kids ran up the ramp to the next level and went into the exhibit. The adults walked up and we started looking at the fun Lego stuff they had. I circled the exhibit and noticed that I couldn't see Kate or Hailey. I told Kirsten and she started to look too. Sure enough, those two were no where in the exhibit. I figured they had ran after the big kids, but didn't see them get off on the next level, so they must have kept going up the ramp. I started going up to look at the other levels and the other exhibits that Kate had just played in. Kirsten and Jon started looking as well and found the two girls at the front of the museum, being carefully questioned and guarded by workers.


The workers there are so great and had quickly noticed a little red head and little blonde walking around by themselves and took them to the lobby. When Jon and Kirsten got to them, the workers had been able to find out that the blonde's name was Kate and that the red head's mom was named Kirsten. They were as happy as could be, with no cares in the world. We were so grateful that they had stuck together and that the workers were alert and aware of them and took good care of them.


We went back to the Lego exhibit and then to the dinosaur exhibit and blown glass exhibit before finishing our museum visit with their daily parade. We had a great time and have loved our visits to that museum! (Next blog post - the indoor water park!!)

Kate loves all of the water exhibits! She had a soaking wet shirt (even after my attempts to dry it under the hand dryer) for awhile.

Jack and Ethan at the Lego Castle exhibit

Damsels in Distress - Brynlee, Kate & Hailey

What a great family!

Do you comb their hair every day?

This is a question I was asked a long time ago...I think even when we just had Emily and Lindsey. Well....take a look at Kate's hair in the mornings. This is how she wakes us every morning. (I'm still trying to figure out how she does this). I think if I didn't do their hair every day, I'd be arrested for neglect.

Hannah - 6 months old

Our baby is already 6 months old! I can't believe it! This sweet little spirit continues to be such a joy in our family. Hannah loves to smile, snuggle, laugh and melt hearts! She loves to roll around on the ground and chew on her toys. She gets really excited now when she sees Jon and will sit on his lap for long periods of time while he's working on the computer. She loves her brother and sisters and looks around to see what they're doing all the time. I could kiss her little neck and head all day long! We love you little one!

Hannah's stats:

16 lbs. 14 oz. (60th percentile)

27 1/4 inches long (92nd percentile)

head size - 90th percentile