Week catch up

The last week has been very very busy and very very full of good things. I'm going to make two posts about it to make it easier on myself. One post with all the pictures from my phone and one post from the pictures from my camera. Ada did regionals for FBLA and got 3rd and 5th place. I already posted about it but I hadn't put in a picture so here's the picture of her certificates.

My brother and sister are moving. There was an extra set of couches that happened to be good timing to replace the two couches in my basement. The teenagers really like them because they fit teenage bodies a lot better than the other ones did. Between the teenagers, Jeremy, Uncle Seth and a little help from a couple others we were able to move out the other couches and these ones are out of my brother's apartment and in our basement.

Evelyn keeps saying she wants to do ceramics class again. I think she's already done the two that the school has but I'm glad that she found something she enjoys. This is a modular house that she made to fit into her friends ceramic town. She made a school and a house.

Sam did a great job at his band concert. He even had a jazz solo.

Evelyn also did a great job at her orchestra concert. Rose wanted to come so I pick her up and she came with us. Then a week later Evelyn wanted to go to Rose's concert and I dropped her off and her mom brought her home for me. I love that they support each other.

Seth had steam day at school. They were erupting the volcanoes that they had made. I volunteered to help with one of the four groups. They let me be in Seth's group and that was fun. He had fun making the lava flow. He also got a noble knight certificate. He's doing such a great job.

Jeremy has been working his tail off in the cold. He really wanted to get his new shut up before it snowed. There were some problems finding someone to do the cement but he found someone in our ward that was willing and did a great job. Then Jeremy organized all the kids and they got the shed up. Now all that's left is the shelves on the inside..

My parents gave Evelyn one of their coats which is perfect timing cause she outgrew hers. This one's ginormous on her but she does not care. She likes it that way. She goes into a corner and just shuts herself off from everybody. It's pretty funny. She says look Mom it's my tent.

We had our ward Christmas party. Sam serves the food, Sam and Jeremy sang We Three Kings, I directed the primary in singing Picture a Christmas, and stepped in last minute to lead the two congregational songs. The primary was so cute. They did a great job. Ada helped me hold the signs while I used my hand to direct.

this is Ada helping us clean up...

That's how to talk that you forgot about until right before church. He ended up residing the fourth article of Faith and giving his testimony. Not bad for last minute planning.

This was the funnest part about the last week. Our family was asked to do a musical number. We did a medley of Awana manger and Far far away.  Ada sang, Sam played his flute, Evelyn played the violin, I played the piano, Seth played the bells, and Jeremy played his recorder in a duet part with Sam. It turned out so fun and everybody did a great job. My parents came and Seth looked for them in the audience and was super excited smile and wave at them. 

We also got to sing at the stake night of music. It was so fun to singing with everybody and I played Carol of the bells for our ward choir. All of our family sang and that makes my heart happy.

For family night Jeremy read Mr willoughby's Christmas tree.... Still cute even with big kids. All the kids took turns being the voices of the different characters.

I don't think the cats will like when we have to put the presents under the tree instead of them. Or they'll find a place underneath the presents.

Evelyn is our third kid to win a goldfish from her science teacher. The last two died within a week. I'm hoping to keep this one alive a little bit longer. I'm very proud of her.

Birthday weekend

December is a big birthday month for my extended family.  My Mom, husband, two siblings and a niece. We celebrated by going to Moana 2 together, then had dinner, did puzzles and games, chatted, played music, a basketball game.... all of it.  It was so fun!  I loved every minute.

This is a Nativity set my mom made when I was little.  All of us and our kids have loved it and it's still surviving.

 

Piano recital

The kids are definitely progressing as they keep taking piano lessons.  It's fun to see their different strengths coming out.  Seth play O Little Town of Bethlehem.  Both him and Evelyn were extremely nervous.  They could play their pieces without problems at home but in front of the audience they had to take their time.  It's good for them to succeed in front of a crowd... the more they do it, the less intimidating it gets to be in front of people.  Evelyn played Far Far Away on Judea's Plains.  She was shaking... I could see her from the back row, but she played on and succeeded. Sam played The Glory of the Lord from the Messiah.  It was beautiful and in true Sam fashion, he was critical of it as soon as he heard the recording.  It's okay to make mistakes.  Ada tried so hard to practice what she'd been assigned but the week before the recital told me how much she absolutely hated both options that she'd been given... so we dug out all our Christmas music and Ada chose and learned one in a week.  I was very impressed.  She played it with a lot of maturity too.  She played The Baby Named Jesus that was written by Janice Kapp Perry and Val C Wilcox.  Because it's a lullaby that others probably had never heard, I printed the lyrics that Ada's Great Grandma had written for people to read while she played.  She did very well, and she let me sing with her once while she played here at home.  I LOVED it!  It made me realize that a lot of the songs that my grandma had written were soon being lost to time because they haven't been digitalized.  Maybe I have a new project.

Ada has been taking Guitar at school.  We'd never heard her play and it was fun to try out different guitars at the store.

 

Celebration of "mediocrity"

I don't like aiming for perfection, but I do like to do well.  I like being mediocre and would prefer to be able to be mediocre in a lot rather than excel in one thing. I love that my kids are doing well... I just hope they learn that they don't always have to win to do well. We had three wins this week. Seth got third in the class spelling bee.  He lost on the word 'impeccable'. If the first or second place people back out, he'll be part of the school spelling bee on the 18th.  Sam's esports JV2 team has been doing their semi-finals against the Utah high school teams.  Sam was MVP at the match before this last one and lost this last one at the last minute.  It's the way it goes and he's done great.  His team is currently in 3rd but they might have to play one more match to determine 3rd/4th place... out of Utah high schools.  I think that's impressive. Ada just did her first FBLA competition for the year.  She got 3rd and 5th place and is ready to go compete at State.  She was disappointed because last year she placed in 5 different events and this year just 2.  But I think it's awesome that the 2 she placed it were both ones that she's worked on really hard.  Visual Design is one that she's done both years and been marvelous at.  If she can get first place at one of those, she won't have to pay to go to Nationals.  If she gets in the top three, she can go to Nationals and compete... just not for free.  Again, I'm so proud of all the work these wonderful kids are doing and I hope they learn to love the experiences whether they win or lose!

Evelyn was supposed to read half of The Book Thief by Thursday.  She started Wed afternoon and finished Wed night.  I used to be a fast reader, but she takes the cake.

My crochet helper

I've been helping Cristina's branch choir.  Their pianist just up and moved without telling anyone.  4 weeks before Christmas.  They were going to sing acapella, but they asked me to help them practice.  I've been roped into playing for their Branch Christmas party.  I don't mind.  It's been a fun cultural experience.  I'm used to being in branches with all Ecuadorians.  This one has latinos from everywhere and they're always asking where each other are from... and what food/language/cultural things are in their hometowns. They're always so happy and joking with each other.  Many of them have perfect pitch.  Many of them don't read music but have great ears.  I can play something and they can repeat it.  Which means that I need to play the timing and notes correctly, but if I do, they pick it up quickly.  This last Sunday, they told me to be there at 4... I get their and they're all eating tacos.  We chatted and ate, then off to practice.  Cristina kept saying the tacos were magic and made everyone sing especially well that day.

Seth is moving and was getting rid of his couches.  They fit our teenagers growing bodies much better than the ones that we had down there.  They weren't too excited to move couches but they loved them once they were in.  I'm very proud of them and how much they worked together.

Jer's white elephant gift exchange at work was absolutely spectacular.  It was a "6 million" dollar piece of art.  A banana taped to the wall was just sold at auction for 6 million dollars.  I guess it made it to our house.

 

Friendsgiving

We had an after thanksgiving dinner with Beth and her kids.  It was a fun day.  We had a ham dinner and played games all day.  It was fun.

Ada, Jeremy, Sam, Beth, Rose, Evelyn, Seth, Jack

 

Robertson Thanksgiving

As always, it was delicious. Jim is doing skin cancer treatments so he's wearing gloves here.

Evelyn and Millie have "outgrown" the kids table.  Both of them were mad about having to sit with the little kids.  Maybe next year I'll switch places with them.

Millie, Walter, Seth, Isabel, Evelyn

Sam, Jonathan, Joe, Ada

Jer, Aubrey, Corbin, Jon

Ada, Joe, Jonathan, Sam, Judy, Amy, Jon, Corbin, Aubrey, Jeremy

Amy, Judy, Jim, Sam, Jonathan, Joe

Jim, Ellie, Seth, Sam, Jonathan, Joe

Ada, Evelyn, Millie

 

Pre Thanksgiving

We went to sushi with my parents and Janelle after swimming at the rec center. We saw this wall. I look just like I just got out of the pool because I did!

Seth and I were doing Christmas shopping together. We were hungry so we tried the ramen place that we'd been wanted to try.  It was good but I think I'll get a kids portion next time.  It was huge.

Seth lost two teeth and Evelyn one in the last week.