birthdays and the weekend

We've had some very busy and good days lately. Last weekend we celebrated our Evelyn turning 15 with some friends coming over for games and ice cream.  She was so cute and bubbly the whole time. Sam played prelude for church on Sunday, then we drove up to celebrate Jordan's birthday.  What cute and growing cuties!  We also all got to go do baptisms at the Lindon temple all together for the first time.  It's fun to have out new temple and a blessing to go with my family!  I love these crazies with everything in me.

 

Mother's Day and Misc

getting ready to graduate!

My family (especially Ada) put together a wonderful Mother's Day for me.  I loved every minute.  I played the piano for the Primary's Mother's day song, took a nap, ate a yummy and well thought out dinner by Jer, found out that Seth is also allergic to snap peas, played games, went on a walk, watched a movie.  It was a great day.

They made a pathway for me to my seat at dinner.

Ada played the prelude at church on Mother's day too!  She did great.  She came down all embarrassed, but there was nothing to be embarrassed for.... she did amazingly well.  Seth passed the sacrament and Evelyn was an usher.  What marvelous kids!

Ada made a Walmart run and found new sugar free snacks to try.

I took Seth for a quick date on the way home from his soccer game.

Sam's Priests group had all the moms come and we had "ice cream" and talked about fun things.  It was so funny.  Sam brought me the order sheet for the ice cream with a laugh in his eyes... both he and I are allergic to ice cream.  So I ordered strawberries and he had oreos and gummy bears.  He's a cutie patootie.

Seth drew this cat at school!  He's a great artist!  He has a good handle on proportions and perspective.

sushi date with my MTECH graduate and two of her friends.

 

Caroling

 

Jer arranged for a different type of caroling this year.  It was about 50 degrees, so we hitched up the trailer, and with our piano, violin, flute, saxophone, clarinet and voices we wandered the neighborhood.  Ada and her friends knocked on all the doors and we just went.  It was so fun.

Piano recital

Evelyn played God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen.  She was horrified the night before.  She realized that she'd been spending all of her effort in catching all of her classes up after our Japan trip and hadn't learned her song.  She spent the evening learning the right hand and played just the right hand.  I was proud of her for showing up and trying even through frustration and embarrassment. For one day's practice, she played it well.  

Seth played Frosty the Snowman.  He memorized it so quickly and was so proud to show Vivien what he'd learned.

This was a bittersweet one.  I love seeing my kids progress and learn.  Whether that lesson is "I can do hard things" or "I can perform in front of people" or "I should have prepared more"... I'm always so pleased with the progress that they've made.  This year might be the last one with all 4 of them.  With Ada graduating and Sam might need a new teacher... (his teacher only teaches through level 6 and Sam is in 6 now).   It was a really good experience to have all 4 play.  I still love our wonderful piano teacher. Vivien was in town too and was missing her recital, so we asked if she could play too.  It was spectacular.

Sam and I played a Carol of the Bells duet. It was so fun to play together with him!  I get so much joy in playing the piano... but playing with my family is my favorite. 

Ada played one of her Great-Grandma Wilcox's Christmas lullabies.  She has amazing expression and a natural flow with her music. My mom and I both had to keep ourselves from singing along with her.

Vivien did spectacularly.  She cried after because she forgot a portion of the song, but no one would have known.  She played precisely and beautifully.

Ada and Elizabeth

 

Misc

Jer is the cutest.  He has been practicing duets to play with me.  I think it's my favorite "extra" thing he's ever done for me.

Ada "playing" with the daycare.  She came out to water her garden and jumped in with the kids.

Evelyn took a turn as the usher at church.

She was stretched out so funny.

Summer daycare

My friend, Michelle, and our yearly campfire.  I enjoy talking to her.  I know this year has been rough for her and I hope she has a better one.  I love seeing her and chatting.  She's a fun friend.

I say it looks like a nose.  Seth says it's a mitten.

Evelyn gave the prayer at church the other day too.  She was nervous and wanted to say no.  But she did it and did it well!  Bro Murinaka was so cute.  He walked to our house and asked her in person.  Then he helped her not be nervous.  Good man!

Ada gave blood for the first time.  Jer goes regularly and invited Ada to go too.  She was nervous but did it anyways!  I'm proud of my kids learning to do things that scare them.  She has o- blood, so they might be asking her again.  Grandpa has golden blood.  His is O- and it's negative for all the things that they test for.... universal donor. She might be related.

 

Christmas 2024

I had the opportunity to work with the Spanish branch as their choir pianist for the Christmas program.  I enjoyed my friend, Cristina's, company and meeting all these new and wonderful people.  It was a new experience for me.  Most choirs that I've played for all have the basics on how to read music.  This choir only had two or three that could read the music, yet most of them had perfect pitch.  They would record their parts while I played and would come back the next time and not need any help at all.   It was a little hard to be away from my family during the Sunday evenings for the weeks leading up to Christmas, but it was a blessing for me to be able to experience.   One Sunday I literally played the piano for 4-5 hours of the day.  Our sacrament meeting, our choir practice, their 2 hour choir practice and then the Stake Music of Christmas.  I loved singing out our stake music night.  It always brings the spirit and my kids sing out beautifully and boldly.  Evelyn came with me to the spanish program and enjoyed listening and understanding people in Spanish.  She was so cute listening intently and responding appropriately.  I'm impressed with how quickly she's learning the language.  There wasn't light for me to read the music so Evelyn helped by holding my cell phone up to the music so I could see.  Then they surprised me and asked me to accompany the Primary singing Away in a Manger.  They had to stop the program and find the music for me, then the Primary had never actually sung with accompaniment, so they just rushed ahead without any heed to the music.  It was funny and a little frustrating.  Also, a little sad that a branch in Utah that needs at least two pianists has none.

Christmas Sunday, we all dressed in Christmas colors and sang proudly with the choir and Primary.  Seth borrowed Ada's work bow tie that changed from red to green.  He was very proud of it.

Ada crocheted this fuzzy whale for her friend as a Christmas present.

We went to the Wilcox Family Christmas party.  Almost all of the grandkids are older teens now.  Grandma and Grandpa said that we didn't have to do a nativity and that we could just talk about it.  Our cute teens went and grabbed the dress ups, assigned roles and did one anyways.  It was our best one yet.

Sharon's girls especially love Sam.  It's adorable.

We chatted and Sophie told us about taking her sister's name through the temple that week.

The three wise guys

Ada was the camel/donkey/etc... she was cute.

Isaiah found this fake beard somewhere and it was a funny thing.  It fit with him well but was such a fun addition too.

Ada, Michelle, Isaiah, Sam, Devin, Evelyn, Aubrey, Jordan

Seth, Viv, Thea

Seth like's grandma's Santa.  He carried it around all night.

Jordan borrowed my camera and took some pictures.  These two are some of them.

Uncle Seth bought everyone sunglasses and googly eyes for Christmas.  So fun.

The next morning, we joined Aunt Nellie at her new place for breakfast.  

Our family did a fun Christmas medley that we'd prepared for our Ward as our family talent.  Me on piano, Sam on flute, Jer on recorder, Evelyn on violin, Ada singing, Seth on the bells.  Then we pulled out kazoos and played Jingle bells.  That was fun.

For Christmas, Seth made this for Jeremy.  I thought that was spectacular.  Jeremy is best.