July 2012

 We started off July by celebrating the 4th of July with a BBQ with family and friends and watching the fireworks from our deck.  It was a fantastic view of the valley and we didn't have to fight any crowds!  We were too busy enjoying it to take pictures however.



David & I got to participate in the filming of a music video for some friends.  One of our homeschooling families has a daughter who has a music trio. She plays the keyboard and her friends play the violin.  The video was to their version of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance in Steam Punk style.  It was a lot of fun and turned out great!  Below is a cast photo.  Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDGpYbRc78I

Raven and I were only home for a week from Paris when we headed out on our next girls adventure.  This was a 3 generation mother / daughter trip to the Big Apple.  Raven got into Open Jar Institute, a broadway acting camp, and my mom and I accompanied her for the week.

Here is Raven's group on the first night in Time's Square.  There were only 23 kids in the camp.  They held auditions all over the country.  They were a very talented, fun & polite group and Raven had a lot of fun and learned a lot with them.

My mom & I had fun exploring the city during the day while Raven was in camp.

We did the city bus tour and took advantage of the stops.  We went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the MOMA, and the Guggenheim.  Here we are on the boat tour to see the Statue of Liberty.

Each evening after the camp, we got to accompany the group to dinner and to a Broadway show.  Here is Raven and friends at the first nights dinner.   The shows we saw were Newsies, Evita, Peter and the Starcatcher & Spiderman.

We caught a speedy Pedi -cab ride back to our hotel after Newsies.  Raven is sporting her new Newsies cap.

Here is my lovely mother overlooking Manhattan from the Top of the Rock.  Some of the other fun things we did included attending the Manhattan Temple, and eating a giant Pastrami sandwich at Carnegie Deli.

Here is Raven with Emma, the other girl attending from Utah.  The program was really well done.  They worked with broadway choreographers, directors, agents and casting directors and learned a lot  and got a lot of good information.  The kids did a real audition this week.  After many call backs, two of the boys were cast in the musical 'A Christmas Story'.    Raven & I want to go back to see them.

My mom and I did a pedicab ride through Central Park.  I had a really great week spending time with my mom.  She is my best example and I love and appreciate her!

The last (of Many) group photo after Spiderman on the last night.  This week went by really fast.  

I was very pleased with the quality of the program and the people running it.  Maybe we'll be back next year!

The kids had a busy July doing things with out me as well.   Nathan went to San Diego while we were in New York.  He stayed with our friends the Clark's and went with Alan to Comic-Con.   Nathan had a blast and has talked about it a lot since and is scheduled to go back next year already.   Again,  I'm grateful for other great people in my children's lives!

London & Raven both went to Lake Powell for camp, but not simultaneously.  They were both on houseboats and did hikes and water sports.   They had a lot of fun and made friends in our new ward.

London & Nathan went to EFY at BYU the week Raven was in Lake Powell.   They learned a lot and had a good experience.   David and I agreed on a car for Nathan and surprised him with it when we picked them up from EFY.   He is the proud owner of a Toyota Prius.   It will be a good economical car for him that should last him and while and keep him safe.    I am finally ready for him to be a driver.  He has proven to be competent and safe and I will have less people that need transportation, and another driver to help me accomplish it!

June 2012

Nathan turned 16 on June 6th and spent the day with friends at Lagoon.   I can't believe he is 16 already.  He is becoming a fine young man and I am very proud of him!

Shortly after Nathan's birthday we headed to England!  We were met at the airport by my longest (I don't want to say oldest, in case it is interpreted wrong) friend in the world!  I have know Olivia longer than any of my friends,  I just wish it were easier to spend time together!  We had a lovely Sunday with their family.

 The next day they took us to our canal boat that we had rented for the week.  It is 5'8" wide and about 50' long.  It has a kitchen, two bathrooms and it sleeps 6.  We drive it ourselves through the canal system in England, which means operating the locks manually.  You can see the locks behind the boat in the picture below.  I really loved this part of our vacation.  The boat only goes about 3 miles an hour, so you get to literally slow down.  There were elderly people walking on the path next to the canal that were moving faster than us. It was fun spending time with the family in the boat and playing games each evening.

We often stopped in the canal side villages at the local pub, for some pub grub.  We met a couple of blokes who were living on their canal boats.  They met the night before and decided to meet today to have a loud shirt contest.  We happened to meet them at the same time, and David was wearing his Hawaiian shirt, so he was entered in the contest.  Some other lucky person in the pub got to be the judge, and Mike, in the Dragon shirt won.  We had a friendly lunch with them telling lots of jokes and stories and playing games.  We felt a little like meeting the crazy locals in The Three Broomsticks,  or even the Hog's Head when we were done.
The beautiful English Countryside.

After our canal week was over, we headed to the home of the Bard, Stratford-upon-Avon.  We stayed at a lovely B&B, The Forget-me-not.  We saw all of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust sites,  including Shakepseare's Birthplace, and Anne Hathaway's Cottage.  Do you like our shirts?  I think London was feeling the love.






          
 We saw three plays by the RSC while we were there.  King John, Richard III and Julius Caesar.

We spent a day at Warwick Castle.

It is a cool 1100 year old castle.  We saw several people we 'knew'.  Some of the RSC actors were there, the lady that taught Relief Society the Sunday before in Olivia's ward, our Stake President from our last stake, and a lady I took Shakespeare training with in Cedar city.  It's a small world.

 After Stratford we moved on to Bath.  It was a very windy day at Stonehenge.

We visited the ancient roman baths.  David & I also treated ourselves to a massage in the new Thermae Bath Spa.               

The Raven was one of the many pubs where we ate.  Raven tried their specialty, the Raven Pie.   We stopped in the town of Timsbury on the way back from Stonehenge.  We found the town library.  We had a lively dinner discussion in their pub.

The highlight of the Bath stay, was the Regency Ball.  It was held in the Guild Hall.  Jane Austen herself could have gone to a ball here when she lived in Bath.  We went to the dance class that afternoon.  We learned 11 new  dances.  Our dance experience really helped to pick these up quickly.

                            It was fun having the whole family there!

                        We were decked out in the latest Regency style.  

                       I'm so glad I have my own Mr Darcy who will take me to the ball!

 After Bath we were off for a short stop in London. The men folk were pretty tired - nap time in Hyde Park.

We saw the TARDIS, and a view of the city from the London Eye.  

We did the tour and exhibition of the Globe Theater before we went to see their production of 'The Taming of the Shrew.'

 The city had 50 painted pianos set up all around for people to play.  Raven is playing the one at St Paul's Cathedral.

 After London, David and the boys came home.  David had to get back to work, and the boys had Youth Conference.    Raven & I stopped by Kings Cross Station on our way to Paris.  On the Eurostar train we got our own private compartment!                             The first thing we did was take a Segway tour of the city.  It was a super fun way to get around the city and we found ourselves wishing we had them for the whole trip.

                                              Here is Raven showing off her calf!

The city of lights!

                      Raven looking very french on the Eiffle Tower.

 Raven and I had a blast in Paris.  We at yummy french food. (Pastries!)  We went shopping, had a Segway adventure, went to the Louvre, the Musee de Orsay, the Orangerie,  took a cruise on the Seine.

 This was such a fun family adventure.  I loved every minute of it!

May 2012

 Raven turned 12 in May.  We had lots of parties to celebrate.  Here is a picture of her Alice in Wonderland Mystery Party.  She also had a Space Camp Party and a Color me Mine Party to include all of her friends!  We are so glad she was born!

London's PiPod team got to go to Legoland California for competition since they won at the state level. The boys weren't fierce competitors at this one, because they decided not to participate in the robot competition on Sunday.  They did a great job and had a blast ending their FIRST Lego  League career.   I'm happy to say they plan to stay together as a team and go on to bigger and better things.

They are a great group of boys and I'm glad London has them as friends!  They have fantastic mentors that I am so grateful for as well!

The day after the boys got home from Legoland, it was time to go to Shakespeare Showdown!  Four of the boys from PiPod were also in Shakespeare this year.  I took two Shakespeare casts this year.  My Merchant of Venice cast is in the red shirts and Love's Labour's Lost is in the blue.  We were a big enough group and had exactly the same number of boys and girls, so we got our cabins to ourselves, which was nice.  They did a great job performing their plays for the last time and had a lot of fun watching the others and participating in the classes.  Nathan's & London's groups were the last two finalists in the Shakespeare Showdown again this year.  Nathan's team came in first this year,  London's was first last year.

We went to Mendocino California for Memorial weekend this year to spend time with our friends, the White's.  This is a view from their beautiful ocean front property.  It was a fun weekend and the start of our summer adventures!