WICKED!!

I have wanted to see the broadway musical, "Wicked" for years.  So with it being our 20 year anniversary this year I asked Rick if we could get tickets and go see it.  So he checked around on the Internet and purchased us tickets for tonight.  I know Rick wanted to do a big trip for our 20 year anniversary, but we aren't financially able to do that right now.  This little trip was just perfect though!  The older three were all at EFY at SUU and so we brought the rest of the kids and dropped them off at my mom and dad's.  Then we headed downtown and checked into our hotel (which was right across the street from the Capitol Theatre) and rested a bit. 

We then walked around The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake.  Neither of us had been there before. It is really nice!  We went out to dinner at the Blue Lemon.  Then we went to the show and LOVED it!  We were on the back row, but the capitol theatre is not that big so it was fine.  I would really love to see it again sometime.  Then we walked around The Gateway again.  All of the businesses must close early because it was completely empty!  We went to Harmons and bought a half gallon of ice-cream and two spoons.  We ate what we wanted and threw the rest away. 

The next morning we slept in and then went walking enjoying the cool morning that we don't get in St. George.  We walked around the visitor's center and ran into a couple of people that we knew.  We stopped and visited with each of them for a while.  It was fun to just spend time with my honey -- just walking around and talking and sharing memories.  I really enjoyed it!

We checked out of the hotel around noon and headed back to my mom and dad's.  My mom had invited Shane and Alicia's girls, Adria and Rella, to sleep over too so that the cousins could play together.  She said that they got a little rambunctious!  The kids must have played hard while we were gone because after we got home Jenna lay her head on the table and fell asleep! 

Rick had tried to plan a Hand's Up Reunion tonight at my mom and dad's house, but it ended up only being three couples (Eric and Kerianne Hoth, Jeff and Julianne Peery, and us) and so we just went out to eat instead.  It was fun visiting and gabbing and the food at Gecko's was really good too.  Meanwhile, my mom and dad brought our kids out to eat at Red Robin along with Shane and Alicia's family and also Derek and Danielle's family.  I had fun with our friends but would have had fun going out to eat with our family too! 

We talked and talked for about three hours and so it was late by the time we got back.  We had been planning on heading straight back that night but by this time it was late and we were both tired.  So we ended up staying another night at my mom and dad's.  Janelle missed two rehearsals in order to come with us but I had put these dates on the conflict sheet before she ever started the play and so she was approved to miss.  We headed back Saturday instead, arriving around 2:00 or so.  The kids were back from EFY by then (Ky's dad, Roy Phillips, had picked them up).  Then we listened to their EFY adventures!

EFY: Janika, Jase, Jared

Janika, Jase, and Jared all went to EFY this week at the overnight session at SUU in Cedar City.  They had a great time!  They all arranged for friends to come with them.  Janika and Tori Salerno, Jase and Ky Phillips, and Jared and AJ Soderquist.  Usually I always have them come home and write a paragraph for my blog but I was a slacker and didn't do that.  I also don't have any pictures and so I will have to pull some from off their Facebook accounts.  This is Janika's fifth year at EFY!

July 7-19

Monday July 7:  I had an interpreting appointment this morning and so Janika and Mitch brought Janelle to the dentist to get a tooth removed.  Her appointment took a lot longer than I thought and so I actually beat them home.

Tuesday July 8:   Janelle started rehearsals for the Sound of Music on Saturday and she had rehearsal again tonight.  Rick and I interpreted tonight.

Wednesday July 9 (through July 12):  Jared left for Scout Camp today which was on the Kemps property at Cedar Mountain.  He got back on Saturday and said that he had fun.  He went on a zip line and jumped into a lake and made giant stilts and played soccer while running on them.  They were very tall!  His scout leader showed us some cool videos of him that he had taken.

Thursday 10: Yesterday Rick and I both got last minute interpreting jobs and we both ended up interpreting for six hours!  (in different places).  Rick took a day off work to do his.  I only had an hour in between appointments and brought Josh to the doctor.  He started with a little rash on Monday around his eye that spread down his face -- not really bumpy or anything, just looks like a sunburn.  I tried allergy medicine and that didn't help so finally brought him in.  His doctor prescribed an antibiotic and it looks quite a bit better this morning. Our doctor called this morning to see if it had improved any and I told him it had -- nice of him to check. 

Fri. 12:  On Friday Rick went to Salt Lake for interpreting workshops at the Deaf Center.  He brought Josh and Jaiden for a little get-away at Grandma and Grandpa Westras.  They each had to pay 40 tickets to go.  Janika had gone on an all day/evening date, and Jase had a long day at work.  So it was MUCH quieter than usual!

Sat. 13:  (Letter from my mom) Rick and Jaiden and Josh are on their way home.  We had a good time.  It was nice to have just the 2 kids, to give them more one-on-one attention, without them having to compete with their siblings to be heard.  Grandpa was a trooper.  Fri. night he took them to Dicks Sporting Goods and bought 2 new fishing poles (since he only had one working one).  Then he took them to the dollar store and gave them each $2 to spend.  Then they went swimming from about 9:15 to 10.  The stake president's daughter and friends were swimming and using glow sticks and gave them one.

This morning after breakfast, he took them fishing---Jaiden caught a duck on her fishing pole, when he took the bait!  They got him released.  No fish though!  They wanted to work for money while here, but all their their time was taken up with fun stuff.  They are good ages, 8 and 10, and can get so thrilled and excited over small things---such as stopping at a park on the way and eating out at Carl Jr.  All too soon, they will be older and not care about visiting grandparents any more.

Josh asked me this morning, "What do you and Grandpa DO when we're not here!"  (Well, Josh, we just sit and stare at the walls--------we hope it doesn't really come to that some day!)

It reminded me of when Wendy was little and we had just paid the baby sitter and taken her home.  Wendy said "Did you pay her money?"  I said "Yes."  Wendy:  "Well, SHE should pay US, because she got to come here and have fun!"

 


Monday 14:  I brought Jared and Jaiden went to the Orthodontist

Tuesday 15:  I went to the RS Activity making freezer meals.  Here are some pictures of the kids having fun in the pool with friends!

 

Wednesday 16: Sister Julie Beck was invited to speak to our Deaf Branch sisters and we were invited to come.  What a special treat!

Wednesday 16 -- Saturday 19:  Jase went on an Eagle Scout Rewards Trip to San Diego and had great time!  They took the boys on naval tours, went to the beach, went to a San Diego Padre game, visited the Mormon Battalion Museum, and went to Sea World and the San Diego temple.  He said that he put on some weight from all of the all-you-can-eat food buffets they went to! 

Just for fun

Janika and Mitch...

Tuacahn's "The Little Mermaid!"

AWESOME show!! Loved it!

 

 

 

 

 

Compare these with their pictures from three years ago!    Little Mermaid 2011

Jenna graduated from the Upstart Program

Jenna had her little "graduation" from the Waterford Upstart Program, which is a free on-line preschool to prepare kids for kindergarten.  It is an awesome program!  They had a drawing and my name was picked and so I got a whole stack of children's books and some children's music CD's!  Cool! 

Summer Reading Program

We signed up for the Summer Library Reading Program although I don't actually know how well they are doing their reading (except for Janelle who is on book two of the Work and the Glory Series).  Every Wednesday the library has different activities. One week they did a mad science lab, another week they made Albert Einstein lab coats and hats, another week they made towers with gumdrops, and the week of EFY Janika brought them to a magic show.  I love our library!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EFY Session Directing

Rick and I were session directors for EFY for a week in San Antonio, Texas!! (I have journal entries which I can add to my blog book)! 

 

   

 

  

  

Fourth of July!!

Friday 4:  Happy Fourth of July!  It was a bit strange (and kind of sad) to be gone from our family during the Fourth of July and not doing all of the traditional things that we normal do.  The EFY participants were really hyped up in the morning.  I announced the birthdays (like I did each morning) and everyone was hollering and shouting.  The birthdays came up and then I asked “Is there any other birthdays?”  Someone shouted, “America!”  Oh, of course – America!  So I said, “Happy Birthday America!” and everyone was hooping and hollering.  It was pretty crazy! 

Rick taught the morning-side and luckily the kids quieted right down for it.  Then the kids did the “Preach My Gospel” activity.  Rick and I went to lunch and then it was the Variety Show, which is always a lot of fun.  There was some great talent in the group!  Rick and I left after that to go fill up our car before turning it in tomorrow.  We also took a quick little nap and then met the Field Coordinators during dinner to review the week and what went well and what could be improved upon.  I have to say that one of the best things about this session is the food!  This cafeteria is way better than BYU’s! There was several different choices at every meal – and so I was always able to find something that was gluten free.  One of the choices was always some kind of meat – chicken, turkey, beef, etc. and some kind of potatoes and vegetables. 

Since Rick and I were out of town, Allison Williams and I had arranged for my kids to go to their house for the Fourth of July Festivities tonight. They had a BBQ and snacks and homemade ice-cream. They played with clay and lit fireworks and had a movie party. They were pretty excited about it and had a great time. Jase and Jared went to friends’ houses and Janika ended up home alone since her work shift was cancelled and Mitch was out of town and her friends already had plans.  She said she didn’t mind it though!