JAM Session

This afternoon, Lindsay, Makenna and I made some strawberry jam. The last time I made jam was about 2 years ago and we still have a few jars in the freezer. I decided it was time to do it again before we run out completely. Here I am putting the sugar and surejell into the pan. Lindsay blending up the strawberries.

I got the fun job of taking the stems off the berries and washing them

Pouring the jam into the jars, while Makenna cleans the sides of the jars (look carefully and you can see I totally spilled jam in between jars)

Finished product! We did 2 batches of jam and have enough strawberries to do another.

This was a fun afternoon, being able to spend with my girls and teaching them how to make jam. I didn't learn until a few years ago, when my awesome neighbor Jenny came to teach me.

Hopefully afternoons like these will be helpful to them in the years ahead of them. Now, I guess I better make some more bread, nothing better than fresh jam and hot bread!

Kenna hits D.C.

WARNING: A WHOLE LOT OF PICTURES!
Makenna had the opportunity to take a trip to Washington D.C. with a group from her school. Every summer for the past about 10 years, the history teacher, Mrs. Bailey has taken a group of kids back to our nations capitol, 2 years ago Lindsay went and I wanted to be a chaperon, didn't happen. I told Chris when kenna goes, I'll be a chaperon. Still didn't happen. Going to D.C has been a dream of mine forever so I'm so jealous that my girls have had the chance to go! Okay, it's on record, when Emily goes, I'm Chaperoning!! Mrs. Bailey has these kids running from sun up to sun down. Their days are filled with seeing anything and everything.
Here is a picture of the capitol building.... Makenna goofing off with her friend, Natalie at the court house in Colonial Williamsburg.

Marine 1 coming in for a landing, yes, Pres. Obama was on it!

Aerial views of the capital and the white house.... They actually did get 'clearance' and were able to go in the White House for a tour!

Get in line everyone, goofing off, again!

The Vietnam Memorial, look closely and you can see Kenna taking this picture.

Kenna holding up the Washington monument (nice fanny pack)

Washington Monument.....

The Lincoln Memorial.....

The National Cathedral.... She says this is absolutely huge!!

Kenna with Abe Lincoln's hat, at the American History Museum

She got a bit tired and decided to take a nap on Rosa Parks....

When she woke up, she had to stretch out her back.......

In front of the Washington Monument.

Botanical Gardens

Hanging out with a few of her peeps!

At the amphitheatre in Arlington National Cemetery.

Changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.. She learned a lot of information about this and about what an honor it is to be chosen to be one of these guards. She said it was super hot and she felt bad for the guards as they can't even raise their hands to wipe the sweat off their foreheads. They are decked out in wool uniforms. She did say on the phone this day (her first full day in D.C), that the heat back east is "unbearable."

The actual tomb....

Posing in Arlington National Cemetery

The Arlington house, on the cemetery grounds.

Chillin' with her friends on the tram through the cemetery

Standing in front of the capitol building.

What an amazing opportunity she has had these past 10 days. Even though I am so jealous, I'm grateful for the chance she had to go on this fantastic trip! For now, I live vicariously through her and Lindsay's memories!

How does your garden grow.....

Monday for Family Home Evening, we went out and planted our little garden. It's rather late in the season but with the weather we've had, we haven't had a evening to get out and do it. Hopefully we'll see some veggies come out of the garden even though it's so late. Here is Lindsay planting some peas. Baylie and Jace are really trying to help. Lindsay and Emily planting radishes with Jace in his best 'strike a pose' look!

Chris, Ali and Emily planing some red potatoes. YUM YUM

Baylie, Me, Jace and Ali showing off the tomato plants.

Chris filling the protective plastic around the tomatoes with water.

We were grateful for a nice evening to get out and get our garden planted and are anticipating the yummy veggies that it will produce!

Emily in Mexico

Emily had the opportunity to go to Puerto Vallarta Mexico with Grandma and Grandpa Root and her cousin, Haley. Emily had a great time, one of the first things they did was head to the beach and get their hair braided. Here is Coco braiding Emily's hair and Lucy braiding Haley's. All done! I love the beautiful background, makes me miss Puerto Vallarta! There's a lady selling things and the box looking thing on the rocks is where you can go get an evening massage. At night it's all lite up with lights. It was very tempting when I was there. I do believe it or not, miss trying to bargain with all the people selling their items on the beach!

Emily did a ton of swimming in the resort pool!

Here is a view of the pool from their room at the resort. It's the Sheraton Buganvillias!

More swimming, with Haley

Here is an iguana that lived on the "island" at the resort pool.

They also had the opportunity to go on the pirate ship. Emily said this was her favorite thing, besides swimming.

Here are some of the pirates that performed the show on the ship.

They got to go on a city tour too. Here is one of the statues along the Malecon. This particular statue is the one welcoming visitors to the city.

They got to make a few crafts at the resort kids club.....

Emily with the sunset behind her.

Emily had a fantastic week with grandma, grandpa and Haley. What a fun opportunity for the two girls to spend a week in Mexico with them. She has already told me that Puerto Vallarta is definitely a place she would like to go back to. I told her now she knows why mom and dad love it! Thanks mom and dad for taking her, she loved everything (minus the jellyfish)!

New Ride

With Lindsay getting a new job, we found it necessary to find a third car for our family. We have been looking for a while knowing that it would one day be inevitable. I found this cute little car on KSL. The girl that was selling it had just moved to Ammon from Salt Lake so it was convenient that we didn't have to travel to Utah to get it. I had test driven another car on the same day we called this girl and the other didn't even compare to this car. As soon as I saw it and drove it, I knew this was the one I wanted. I drove it to Chris at work and he liked it too, the only problem is that it is a stick shift and Lindsay doesn't know how to drive one. We figured she could learn and she has driven it a couple times and has done well. She'll get the hang of it in no time. Here it is, a 2000 VW Passat. It's super cute and VERY FUN to drive, it's a V6 so it's a very zippy little thing and I am having a great time zipping around town in it. Maybe the yukon is what Lindsay will be driving permanently...............

It looks black but it's really midnight blue!

Obsessed!

Jace is totally obsessed with all things toy story. Each time we are in a store, he oooh's and aaah's at all the toys. If a commercial comes on the T.V, he runs from where ever he is to come watch it. He wants every toy that he sees related to Buzz or Woody. I'm not sure when this obsession started but I think it was even before he watched either of the first two movies. He is definitely anxious for Toy Story 3 to come out, he keeps asking if it starts tomorrow almost daily. It just makes me laugh because I recall about 11 years ago when my nephew Zachary was 3 (he is now 13),was all about Buzz Lightyear and Woody and had almost every toy imaginable!! This cute little boy just makes me laugh and it's fun to see how excited he gets over such simple joys! I found this Toy Story 3 shirt at the grocery store, of all places, this morning and he wanted his picture taken and then texted to Makenna (who is in D.C). He's got his favorite plush Woody and Buzz as well, which he sleeps with and will even tuck under the covers for occasional naps, not him, just them! It's just too cute!

Spring piano recital

Tonight the girls had their Spring recital. Emily started playing again back in January with a new teacher and shortly after Lindsay and Kenna switched to the same teacher. They have all come along way and I couldn't believe the songs their teacher was having them play. They seemed to be above their levels but she has really pushed them and it has showed. They all worked extremely hard to get them learned and the evening was really nice.
Emily has really surprised me these past few months and has done amazingly well. Her former teacher thought her hands were too small so we took a break, they haven't grown much but she's worked really hard.
Here she is playing, 'Girl' it's a song by John Lenon but this arrangement was done by David Lanz. Makenna played, 'before the last leaf falls," also an arrangement by David Lanz. It was pretty long and took her awhile to learn it and for those who know Makenna, I'm happy to report these past 5 months have been complaint free (at least about piano). She was really scared, her words, before playing but she got up to the piano and did awesome!

Lindsay played, 'tarantella' by Albert Pieczonka, edited by Lynn Freeman Olson. This is a fast, upbeat song which is usually not Lindsay's favorite kind but she loved this song and only took a few weeks to learn it (it's 8 pages). She has really thrown herself into it and has learned several arrangements of hymns these past 5 months too, she even played in Sacrament meeting this past Sunday.

Here are the 3 girls after the recital. I love that they are developing such a great talent.

Lindsay, Emily and Kenna with their teacher, Jeni Cutts.

It was a fun night and the girls all did great! I keep telling Kenna that Jeni will have her up in Sacrament meeting in no time! Jeni is in our wards primary presidency and she's already told Emily she'll have her play prelude in a few months : ) I'm all for it. I think it's good for them to be able to play in front of people and the more they do it, the more comfortable they'll be playing for others! They get to take the summer off and this fall, Ali will join them! Way to go girls, keep working hard!