THE WILHELM ADVENTURES
  • Family Life
  • Sara's Photography
  • Mike's Travel Tips/Recipes
  • Emma's Mission
  • Peter's Mission
  • Family History

MAY 2019 POSTS

5/31/2019

 
ANDREW'S LAST JAZZ CONCERT (MAY 2)

EMMA'S TRACK SEASON (MAY 3)

ANDREW'S PROM (MAY 4)

ABBY'S ES FIELD DAY (MAY 6)

PETER'S SWIM SEASON (MAY 11)

ANDREW'S SWIM SEASON (MAY 11)

MOTHER'S DAY (MAY 12)

ABBY AND HER A-TEAM TREES (MAY 14)

ANDREW'S HS GRADUATION (MAY 15)

GRADUATION OPEN HOUSE (MAY 16)

PETER'S EAGLE COURT OF HONOR (MAY 19)

JAPAN SENIOR TRIP . DAY 1 . DENVER TO SEATTLE TO OSAKA TO KYOTO (MAY 21)

JAPAN SENIOR TRIP . DAY 2 . BIKING AROUND KYOTO (MAY 22)

JAPAN SENIOR TRIP . DAY 3 . KYOTO TO TOKYO (MAY 23)

JAPAN SENIOR TRIP . DAY 4 . TOKYO DISNEY SEA (MAY 24)

JAPAN SENIOR TRIP . DAY 5 . ASAKUSA, POKEMAN CENTER, HARAJUKU, AND SHIBUYA (MAY 25)

JAPAN SENIOR TRIP . DAY 6 . NEW SANNO, AKASAKA AND SENSOJI TEMPLE, ODAIBA AND JOYPOLIS (MAY 26)

ABBY'S 5TH GRADE GRADUATION (MAY 30)

GIRLS DENVER WEEKEND (MAY 30-31)

SLICES OF LIFE



GIRLS WEEKEND IN DENVER

5/30/2019

 
​After Abby’s graduation, Emma, Abby and I headed up to Denver for a very special girls’ weekend to see Wicked and to relax and eat good food at the Four Season Hotel in Denver.  We ate dinner at the hotel and there was a special Wicked Theatre Menu with food named after the musical. The girls thought that was pretty neat. We all enjoyed sharing the chocolate ganache cake. After dinner we headed straight to see Wicked, which was just a short 2 block walk from our hotel. The girls had a blast seeing this amazing musical and spending time together. Afterwards we walked back to our hotel, got on our pjs, and snuggled in bed together while watching movies. It was great to sleep in and order room service for breakfast in the morning. We all ate the most amazing french toast and then headed to the heated outdoor pool for some late morning fun. The girls played in the pool and we all sat in the hot tub. We ordered sliders for lunch and relaxed by the pool for a few hours. After relaxing, we went back to the room and showered. Before heading home we decided to go to the chalk festival a few blocks away. We saw one row before it started to rain. Luckily, we grabbed one of the hotel umbrellas. We didn’t stay out for too long but saw some really great chalk drawings in our short walk from the hotel. It was fun to finally spend some one on one time with both girls. We all needed this girls weekend!
 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Abby's 5th Grade Graduation

5/30/2019

 
​Mike, Emma, Madeline and I got to celebrate Abby’s 5th grade graduation with her on the last day of school. It was so fun to watch all the kids march into the gym with upbeat music playing in the background. After a few remarks from their principal, Mrs. Hooper, the entire 5th grade sang “Best Day of My Life,” by American Authors. They sounded really good. Then they called each of the kids down one by one to get their ES completion certificates. Luckily, they did them by classes, so Abby wasn’t the last one to be called. I loved watching Abby’s excitement when she received her certificate from her teacher, Mrs. Lynch. You could just tell that they had a great relationship. Abby had excellent teachers at Mountain View, but Mrs. Lynch was definitely her favorite teacher. After that the kids got their certificates, they threw their class hats in the air and then sat down so we could all enjoy the cute slideshow, with pictures of the kids throughout elementary school and baby photos of each of them. Afterwards we all enjoyed cupcakes and lots of hugs and congratulations from friends and teachers. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Japan Senior Trip . Day 6 . New Sanno breakfast, Akasaka and Sensoji Temple, Odaiba and Joypolis

5/26/2019

 
Today was a fun day filled with nostalgia, cultural and play. We started out by heading to the New Sanno hotel in Hiroo where we enjoyed a fabulous breakfast buffet. This amazing hotel is for military, retired military and government employees and we spent a lot of time there when we lived in Yokosuka. It was our home away from home. The kids LOVED the breakfast buffet, especially the French toast and the omelettes. We would occasionally order breakfast to our room and we would always ask for the special strawberry jam. Today’s breakfast did not disappoint. I think Andrew ate 5 French toast slices in under a minute. Then he went back for more. I got my special strawberry jam so that made me happy. 
After a quick stop in the souvenir shop after breakfast we headed up to see the construction that was happening on the Tokyo LDS Temple. It was pretty crazy to see that the entire temple was under construction and the church building next door was totally gone. It will be exciting to see the finished product. Since the LDS wards are now meeting in Senzokuike and Kichijoji (which are both too far for us to want to travel in church clothes) we opted for a nice walk in Arisugawa park across from the temple. It was nice to have some quiet reflection there. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
After finishing up our nastalgia part of the day in Hiroo, we hopped on the subway and made our way to Asakusa to see Sensoji Temple as our cultural part of the day. This was one temple we hadn’t been to before but a popular temple to visit by both locals and tourists. It was completely packed. We started at Kamainarimon gate and walked through Nakamise dori which is the street lined with shops leading to the main temple. We found lots of various gifts here for the kids. After finally getting to the main temple we passed under the main gate called Hozomon and the Goju no To five storied pagoda which is always closed to visitors because it’s essentially a graveyard. The 2 statues that are at the Hozomon gate were modeled after 1960 sumo wrestlers. To honor them, every few years 800 citizens of Maruyama get together and create a pair of enormous waraji straw sandals. Each sandal weighs about 2.5 tons each. The main temple just past this gate (Hondo or Kannon-do) is pretty spectacular. Some of the greatest artworks from Sensoji’s collection are painted directly on the ceiling or are hanging on the upper part of the walls. The room where the services take place is also open and you can watch, but usually you aren’t allowed inside. In our haste to get out of the heat and crowds we walked back the same way we came, only realizing later that we had missed seeing the garden and stone bridge to the left of the temple. Oh well. 
​​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Back at the station, we got on the train and headed for our fun part of the day. We made our way to Odaiba, which I like to call Tokyo’s playground. There are lots of fun things to do here. After eating lunch at a pizza place, we had fun playing at Joypolis which is a fun indoor amusement park. We went on a few of the rides, played a virtual reality game, and tried our hand at the claw games. I gave Andrew 1,000 yen (@$10) and let him have fun. I told him the claw games couldn’t be won but he was determined, telling me he knew how to win. I couldn’t believe it when he actually won his favorite Pokeman character. Then he tried to get snoopy and WON that too. What??? It was crazy. He was beyond excited. We left all smiles, bought a few things at the Daiso (Japanese version of the dollar store) and got on the train to go back to our hotel. Later that night we ate dinner at Moti’s (Indian Restaurant) which was only a 10 min walk from our hotel. We were in heaven as we ate the butter chicken and naan. I first tried Moti’s when I was a teenager. It is still as good today as it was all those years ago. It was the perfect way to end our day and our fabulous trip to Japan!!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Japan Senior Trip . Day 5 . Akasaka, Pokeman Center, Harajuku, and Shibuya

5/25/2019

 
The morning started out with a run around the Imperial Palace twice with Bob Poulson...a good friend and one of my running coaches back in high school. He still coaches the high school runners for ASIJ. I ended up running almost 8 miles in the heat. I’m definitely not used to running in the heat yet. I’m glad it was a social run. Andrew and I met up with Bob later to eat udon for lunch. It was fun to catch up with Bob. After lunch we said goodbye and headed back to the hotel to rest. I think at this point we are slowing down. Disney kind of did us in I think. 

After some time resting, we got ourselves up and headed to Nihombashi to the Pokeman Cafe. When we got there we discovered that you had to have a reservation for the cafe. Oops. I quickly got online to make a reservation for Monday morning only to find out that the entire next month was pretty much full. Oh well. We walked through the Pokeman store and bought a few things before getting back on the train. 
We decided to head to Harajuku and Shibuya. We walked from Omote-Sando to Harajuku via the main road passing the Oriental Bazaar and Kiddyland...two places I remember going to as a kid. Then I took Andrew down the crazy side shopping street in Harajuku called Takeshita street. There were lots of unique stores and a lot of crepe vendors. It was so crowded but lots of fun. We hopped on the train in Harajuku and decided to head to Shibuya. We saw Hachiko first and then went to eat ramen at Ichiran. It is a popular ramen restaurant set up so efficiently. You pay for your meal through the vending machine, wait for an open stand, sit down and hand your ticket through your personal stall, and wait for your meal. In your seating area is your own waterspout for refilling water. It was so clever. We enjoyed our ramen and then spent the rest of the evening shopping in the crowded streets of Shibuya. We bought crepes and even found a Krispy Kreme. And, of course, we walked the big intersection a few times before jumping on the train to head back to our hotel.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Japan Senior Trip . Day 4 . Tokyo Disney Sea

5/24/2019

 
One of Andrew’s only requests on this trip was to go to Tokyo Disney Sea...the only park of its kind in the world. We have fond memories of this park and scary ones too as this was the place where we were when the big earthquake of 2011 happened. It was a crazy time. We weren’t worried about a big earthquake this time but instead focused on how to get in as many rides and fast passes as we could throughout the day. We started at Journey to the Center of the Earth and rode that and then got a fast pass for it. We rode the Indiana Jones ride twice and Raging Spirits. Those were our favorite rides. 
Part of the excitement of Disney is stuffing our faces with yummy treats while waiting in line. We ate cinnamon churros, caramel popcorn and Mickey popsicles. We walked all the way around the park looking for real ice cream and finally found a gelato stand. We saw parts of the Easter themed mid-day show on the water (we know...Easter is over but clearly the Japanese didn’t care) and didn’t spend more than 45 min in any line waiting for rides. That’s not to say there weren’t lines that extended all the way to 100-120 min...we just weren’t crazy enough to stand in them. The longest line we waited in said 35 min for the Nemo Searider. It ended up being 45-50 min. By the time we got to the ride...it stopped after 1 min. Technical difficulties. We hurried off the ride to catch our fast passes for Raging Spirits. They gave us a fast pass for the Nemo ride to use later but we never used them. Guess we will never know if that ride was good or not. 
​
It got pretty hot in the middle of the day so we headed down in Ariel’s underground grotto and rode the jelly fish ride. Then we headed over to the carousel in the Arabian coast section. We even went back to the elevator at the Leonardo Challenge area where Andrew was said to have pushed the button right when the earthquake started. We had to go back and snap a photo. 
​
We saw a variety of characters throughout the day. All Andrew wanted was a picture with goofy. As we were leaving the park we finally saw goofy. I told Andrew to quickly just run up next to him. The timid kid came out and he didn’t do it. I caught a photo of Andrew where the caption should read...I missed my chance😢 Poor kid. Oh well. At least we made it until 5pm...not 10pm like we had originally anticipated. I guess that’s what happens when you are not used to so much walking in the heat. Still...it was a super fun day. You really can’t go wrong when you are at Disney!!!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Japan Senior Trip . Day 3 . Kyoto to Tokyo

5/23/2019

 
We left Kyoto today and headed on the Shinkansen bound for Tokyo. After a quick 2 hr ride at speeds that would blow your socks off, we arrived at Shin-Yokohama where we got on a local train towards Yokohama. After maneuvering our way through this enormous station towards the Keikyu line, we found some gigantic lockers to store our suitcases in while we ventured down to Oppama station where we used to live. We met Kei and Koto Murata who took us to an amazing ton katsu restaurant near the station. Kei, Takeshi, Rin and Koto Murata were our neighbors for the 3 years we lived in Japan and they were some of the best neighbors we have ever had. The girls used to love playing at the park together and Kei used to teach me how to cook Japanese food at her house. I called it cooking with Kei. We have stayed in touch these last 6 years. It warmed my heart to see Kei and to catch up on life in person. Her English was definitely better than my Japanese. I think this visit meant as much to her as it did to me. As we walked to the station after lunch we just kept looking at each other saying how much we had missed each other. After a sad goodbye, Andrew and I headed up to the old house in Shonan Takatori. We managed to remember how to get there and even didn’t miss the tiny street that took us to the shortcut with the steep stairs. And yes...we didn’t stop on those stairs even though it was so hot and a million stairs to climb. After a few photos by the house we headed to the Seiyu (grocery store) to buy some treats for old times sake. We were definitely like little children in a candy store as we cleared out ALL of the Bontan Ame candies. That’s right...we took every single box. We had anticipated hiking the Takatori trail but it was way too hot and we were already getting tired so we decided to head back to Oppama station. We reminisced on the way back down about life in Japan while we enjoyed our ice cream. It was fun to remember the great life we had while living here.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
From Oppama we got on the train and headed back to Yokohama to collect our bags before making our way to Tokyo. Luckily the rush hour crowds weren’t too bad. However, after essentially all day of traveling, we were so exhausted when we got to the hotel that we both fell asleep for an hour. It was hard to pull myself out of bed. I let Andrew sleep while I explored the beautiful gardens on the hotel grounds. Then it was off to find allergy medicine for Andrew. Luckily I can read katakana because I actually found Allegra. Blessings!!! I had ordered a hamburger through room service for Andrew and I to share. It was probably the most expensive hamburger we have ever had and it was pretty awful. Lesson learned...don’t order hamburgers from fancy Japanese hotels.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Japan Senior Trip . Day 2 . Biking around Kyoto

5/22/2019

 
Today we rented bikes to tour around Kyoto....but they weren’t just any bikes...they were electric assist bikes. Oh yes. Biking really is the coolest way to see the Shrines and Temples around Kyoto. We headed first to the outskirts of Kyoto to Tenryuji Temple and the Bamboo Forest in Arashiyama. It took about an hour to get there and probably a little longer since we got a little lost at the beginning trying to get headed in the correct direction. I’ve been told by my son that I have a terrible sense of direction. I would disagree in most cases but he was right in this case. I got us going in the wrong direction at first. Andrew was the most excited to see the bamboo forest and it did not disappoint. There were crowds of people walking through the short stretch of the bamboo forest. It makes me wonder how I ever got that shot with no one in it several years ago. I think it was mostly luck with a little help from Mike who waited patiently with me for a small window of no people. It was still amazing to see all the bamboo and be in such a beautiful place. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Next we headed back to the center of Kyoto to see Shimogamo-Jinja Shrine but when we got there we couldn’t find a place to park our bikes legally so we moved onto the next shrine. They have very strict rules where you can and cannot park your bikes. Good thing is we weren’t too far out of the way for the next shrine and we got to bike along the Kamogawa river. The next stop was Ginkaku-ji Temple, also known as the silver temple. At this point we could tell we were starting to burn. Oh no...I had put sunscreen on but missed a few spots. Andrew...well he completely forgot to get his arms and they were already red. Or was it just that he didn’t listen to me when I told him to put it on 🤔We spent some time walking around the grounds and enjoyed some Katsu don and ice cream before heading to Heian-Jingu Shrine. This shrine is pretty spectacular looking. The grounds are enormous and the garden extending all the way in the back of the shrine was outstanding. We had fun walking through the gardens. ​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​At this point Andrew was uncomfortable between the burning arms and his allergies acting up so we decided to head back to the hotel. The road we took at the beginning was SUPER crowded and the sidewalk was so narrow it was hard to get around. Eventually we turned toward the river and rode along that almost the entire way back. I dropped off Andrew at the hotel and left to go find some aloe for our burns. After getting him more comfortable I thought he would venture the 15 min bike ride to Fushimi Inari Shrine with me. Nope. He was done. I really didn’t want to miss this shrine seeing as it’s my favorite. We should’ve done it earlier in the day. I had a fun ride before sunset and made it just in time for some light. It was mostly dark when I finished. Still...it was so peaceful to walk there by myself at dusk. I came back to the hotel and Andrew was starting to fall asleep. But wait...we needed to eat dinner so I dragged my tired son over to Kyoto station to the Kitchen on the 10th floor of the Isetan Building where we had a fantastic Margarita pizza and enjoyed the amazing views of Kyoto Tower.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Japan Senior Trip . Day 1 . Denver to Seattle to Osaka to Kyoto

5/21/2019

 
It was a long travel day to get all the way to Kyoto but we made it in good spirits and a little tired and delirious. Our 3 hour layover in Seattle was spent at the Centurion lounge eating a delicious breakfast. Blessings. Our 10 hour flight was spent watching movies and taking short naps. It was so strange to not have to keep a little one entertained. We landed in Kansai International Airport which is actually on an island...how crazy is that. Made it through customs without any problems. The guy at the customs desk asked me for my military ID and orders. I think he got confused with all the re-entry stamps from when we lived there before. Too funny because they were all dated 2013 or earlier. We made our way over to the ticket office and bought our Shinkansen tickets to Kyoto. Only able to read half of what the ticket said we were able to find the correct platform and waited for our train. 80 min later we arrived in Kyoto station which is huge and somewhat confusing. It was a team effort to navigate that station to exit on the correct side. Luckily we popped out exactly where we wanted to be and only had a quick 2 block walk to our hotel. Yay...we made it. We got cleaned up and headed out to eat dinner. In the amazing itinerary book Mike made us he suggested to eat at Katsukura for some tasty Ton Katsu. It took some time to figure out how to get over to that side of the station and up into the restaurant area on the 11th floor of the Isetan building. We managed to get there before the crowds and sat right down to order. The Ton Katsu (breaded pork) was ordered by size in grams. That was strange to me. Andrew said I hope you remember your Japanese because you have to order for us. The nice thing is most people in populous areas speak a little English but I ordered in Japanese anyways. A little rusty but I did it. Our meal was outstanding and as I was eating I felt like I was floating outside my body...clearly sleep depravation was kicking in. We finished eating and headed to the bread store for Andrew but most of the bread was picked over. Maybe tomorrow. Instead we stopped at a convenient store to grab treats and paid with my Suica with the tap of my phone (Japan’s version of Apple Pay). Sweet...it worked. Thanks Mike for setting that up for me. Then it was back to the hotel and into bed. What a great first day!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Peter's Eagle Court of Honor

5/19/2019

 
​Today was a momentous day as Peter finally got to celebrate his huge accomplishment of earning the rank of Eagle during his Eagle Court of Honor.  I ordered specialty patriotic inspired sugar cookies and had some really special people put together a cake for him. Emma Patterson and Danielle Rasmussen worked together to make the most amazing Eagle scout cake. It not only look amazing but it tasted so good. Peter was lucky to be supported by many of the people who worked with him throughout his scouting life. Dave Barkdull, Mark Hubbell, Clark Milner, Tex Johnson and Bill Sampson all showed up to support him. We were so happy that Grandma Anne and Grandpa Franz could be there to celebrate as well. Many of Peter’s friends showed up from church, in addition to Jackson who is one of Peter’s best friends from school. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

ANDREW'S GRADUATION OPEN HOUSE

5/16/2019

 
​We had a small graduation open house for Andrew the day after graduation. I had given Andrew several graduation announcements with the open house printed on there for him to give to his friends. It turns out that he didn’t hand out very many of them. It ended up being a small open house but I think that is just the way he wanted it; just intimate with his closest friends. The kids enjoyed looking at his senior album and munching on the delicious Pine Creek inspired cake pops, cookies, and cupcakes. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Andrew's HS Graduation

5/15/2019

 
We all got to be a part of Andrew’s HS graduation today at the Air Force Academy Clune Arena. It was such a fantastic day. It’s a little surreal to think that I am old enough to have a high school graduate. I am so grateful that my parents were able to be here to celebrate with Andrew and that each of our kids got to be there to watch him graduate. The ceremony definitely felt a little long to some of our kids, but I’m so proud of them for showing up to support Andrew. After the ceremony Andrew met his best friends outside to take photos and congratulate each other. Then we headed home to give Andrew his graduation gifts before celebrating at the Steakhouse at Flying Horse. I gave Andrew his t-shirt quilt I had made for him with all his t-shirts spanning from elementary school through high school. He loved it. My parents gave him money and a new tie. Then we headed to go eat a fabulous steak dinner to celebrate this momentous day with Andrew. 
 
​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Abby and THE A-team Plant Trees at MVE

5/14/2019

 
​Abby and her closest friends spent much of the last few months fundraising at her school so that they could buy trees to plant on the school grounds. They gave presentations in front of the entire school and had posters throughout the school explaining their project to help beautify the outside of the school. They ended up raising almost $200. With the money they raised at school and the help of some of us parents, they were able to buy 2 really great trees. All the girls met early at school to watch the trees be planted in the ground. They even gave the trees names. It was fun to watch all their hard work pay off and to be able to contribute to improving the school grounds. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Mother's Day

5/12/2019

 
I love Mother's Day not only because my family pampers me so much but because it is a reminder of how grateful I am to be a mother to my five kids. Each one of them is special and unique and they all teach me different things. I can't imagine my family without any one of them. Being a mother is such a privilege that I don't take for granted. I grew up in a house with the most wonderful mother and I only hope to emulate the kindness and love that she had for me growing up and the love she has for all of her adult children. She has been the best example to me of motherhood and womanhood. I'm really lucky to have someone to look up to as I try to always be the best mom I can be. Motherhood is hard, but it is such a blessing that brings me so much joy!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Andrew's Swim Season

5/11/2019

 
Andrew finally had a season where he got to swim all of his favorite and best events all season long. With 7 different events that he swam in, all of them revolved around the breaststroke or freestyle strokes. Both strokes were his favorite to swim. Andrew’s goal this season was to make it to State in the 100 breastroke. Although he wasn’t seriously injured, he did face some trouble with cramping in his back again this season. He found himself either not being able to finish some of the workouts or having to skip them altogether. Despite this small hurdle, Andrew still worked extremely hard and had a really successful season, coming so close to his goal of a state time in the breaststroke. He missed it in his very last race by .87 seconds. His final and best time in the 100 breaststroke was 1:09.87. During his season he cut 8 seconds off his breastroke time, maintained a sub 1 min time in the 100 freestyle, swam the 50 freestyle in the low 25’s, and showed that despite an imperfect body to work with, he could still do amazing things. Andrew was a great leader this season as he had the role as one of the team captains. He helped to lead their team to another League Championship title, the second one he was a part of during his high school swim career.  

​50 Freestyle
26.45 5th out of 10 vs Palmer
25.97 2nd out of 7 at Widefield
25.66 37th out of 143 at Indian Invite (CMHS)
25.91 7th out of 15 vs Rampart
25.99 97th out of 240 at Mustang Invite
26.27 6th out of 10 at Coronado
25.35 14th out of 26 at CSML Prelims
25.20 14th out of 16 at CSML Finals
 
100 Freestyle
58.95 6th out of 14 vs Air Academy
58.94 4th out of 9 at Liberty
 
100 Breastroke
1:17.16 3rd out of 5 vs Palmer
1:15.58 2nd out of 6 at Widefield
1:14.58 24th out of 56 at Indian Invite (CMHS)
1:18.91 7th out of 8 vs Rampart
1:12.68 51st out of 117 at Mustang Invite
1:28.15 5th out of 6 at Liberty
1:16.55 6th out of 7 at Coronado
1:11.09 12th out of 20 at CSML Prelims
1:09.87 9th out of 15 at CSML Finals
 
200 Freestyle
2:15.90 6th out of 6 vs Air Academy

500 Freestyle
6:35.00 3rd out of 8 vs FFC
 
200 Freestyle Relay
26.31 split time vs Palmer
Total time 1:47.61 at Widefield 
26.37 split time vs Air Academy
25.34 split time at Indian Invite (CMHS)
25.58 split time vs Rampart
25.15 split time at Mustang Invite
27.20 split time at Liberty
25.13 split time at Coronado
26.54 split time vs FFC
 
200 Medley Relay
Breaststroke split time NR vs Palmer (team time 1:56.82)
Freestyle split time NR at Widefield (team time 2:12.53)
Freestyle split time 25.25 at Coronado
Butterfly split time NR vs FFC (team time 2:07.46)

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Peter's Swim Season

5/11/2019

 
​Peter had an amazing swim season this year, swimming in 9 different events. Of those events, he swam the most in the 200 and 500 freestyle. I think it’s pretty safe to say that Peter is a long-distance swimmer. Peter cut time almost every meet in the 200 and 500 freestyle, taking off a total of 30 seconds from the beginning to the end of the season in the 500 freestyle. He worked so hard to try and get a state time in the 500 free but missed it by only 10 seconds at the final meet. Peter participated in many of the relay events and even did a few events he does not normally swim. Peter’s work ethic is like nothing I have ever seen. This year Peter shifted to the faster side of the pool and was seen swimming in practice with some of the faster guys. There was even a little healthy competition between him and Andrew during practice. He worked extremely hard in and out of the pool to make sure he was ready to swim hard during the meets. 
 
50 Freestyle
28.36 7th out of 10 at Doherty
 
100 Freestyle
1:02.87 7th out of 10 at Doherty
1:04.74 3rd out of 13 vs FFC
 
100 Fly
1:15.07 6th out of 6 vs Air Academy
 
200 Freestyle
2:23.48 5th out of 5 vs Palmer
2:17.98 3rd out of 7 at Widefield
2:16.22 29th out of 48 at Indian Invite (CMHS)
2:14.43 56th out of 78 at Mustang Invite
2:13.90 5th out of 6 at Liberty
2:14.94 4th out of 9 at Coronado
2:15.19 1st out of 7 vs FFC
 
500 Freestyle
6:14.56 3rd out of 4 vs Palmer 
6:00.92 1st out of 4 at Widefield
5:55.44 18th out of 18 at Indian Invite (CMHS)
5:58.42 6th out of 8 vs Rampart
5:49.07 34th out of 46 at Mustang Invite
6.00.63 3rd out of 6 at Liberty
5:52.55 4th out of 7 at Coronado
5:43.82 12th out of 24 at CSML Prelims
5:48.68 12th out of 16 at CSML Finals
 
200 Individual Medley
2:44.16 7th out of 7 vs Rampart
 
200 Freestyle relay
28.01 split time vs Rampart
29.03 split time at Doherty
 
200 Medley Relay 
Butterfly split time NR vs Palmer (team time 2:45.01)
Backstroke split time NR at Widefield (team time 2:12.53)
Butterfly split time 32.69 vs Air Academy
Breastroke split time NR vs FFC (team time 2:02.75)
 
400 Freestyle Relay
Split time 31.49 at Palmer
Split time 35.51 at Palmer
Split time NR at Widefield (team time 4:28.72)
Split time 29.01 vs Air Academy
Split times NR at Mustang Invite (team time 4:22.05)
Split time 30.04 at Liberty
Split time 33.95 at Liberty
Split time 31.68 at Coronado
Split time 34.74 at Coronado
Split time 31.04 vs FFC
Split time 34.33 vs FFC
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Abby's ES Field Day

5/6/2019

 
​Abby had her very last elementary school field day and had a blast running in the relays with her friends and classmates. The relays consisted of running only, running and jumping over tiny hurdles, and running while pushing a tire. The tire race was hilarious to watch. Although she had a great time doing the relay racing, the highlight of every field day is definitely the tug of war. Each grade has their own competitions.  Abby’s 5th grade class won the tug of war twice and lost three times. Oh, how I will miss watching Abby have fun at field day with her friends.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Andrew's Prom

5/4/2019

 
Today Andrew went to his first and last prom with Sam. I’m so grateful I got to experience the excitement of prom with Andrew. Andrew and Sam are quite the pair and I couldn’t be happier that they got to go with each other. We headed over to Sam's house where Andrew gave Sam her corsage and she pinned on his boutonnière. I had both of them made with real succulents and they were beautiful. It was tricky to get Andrew's boutonnière pinned on but after a few people helping we managed to get it to stay on just long enough for photos. We headed to a park off of Voyager to take group photos with some of their friends. They had fun posing and doing silly photos with their friends before heading off to Prom at the Spruce Mountain Ranch with the rest of their classmates at Pine Creek High School. Lucky Andrew got to take his dad's sweet ride and drive the 4Runner for the night. It ended up being a good thing too because when Prom was over and they were headed out, Sam realized that she had left her phone. The line to get out was crazy so Andrew made a u-turn and off-loaded it back up to grab her phone. What an adventurous night they had together.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Emma's Track Season

5/3/2019

 
Emma's first meet was up at Lewis Palmer MS where she ran the 1600, 800, and medley relay. I brought Madeline with me and we had a great time cheering on Emma and her teammates. Emma did well in her individual events but the highlight of this meet was when she passed a girl from another team on the last 50m of the medley relay.  She was so excited that she outran her competition on the last stretch of the race. After the first meet that took over 2 hours we decided it was best if Emma dropped the medley relay and just focused on the 1600m and 800m races.  She did well in both races, taking off time during each of the meets. During the meet at Elizabeth HS Emma got a PR of 6:02 in the mile. She cut 20 seconds off her time from the second meet. She was so excited for the last meet which was the championship track meet. Only the top runners and field athletes were asked to participate in this meet. Her main goal was to break 6 minutes in the mile. She totally did it! She ran the mile in 5:59. It was a great way to end her track season!
​

MEET 1 - LEWIS PALMER
​APRIL 9, 2019

1600 - 6:24
800 - 2:43
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

MEET 2 - CHALLENGER MS
​APRIL 16, 2019

1600 - 6:22
​800 - 2:41
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

​MEET 3 - ELIZABETH HS
​APRIL 23, 2019

1600 - 6:02
800 - 2:40
Picture
Picture

​MEET 4 - D20 STADIUM (CHAMPIONSHIP RACE)
​MAY 3, 2019

1600 - 5:59
​800 - 2:38
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

ANDREW'S LAST JAZZ CONCERT

5/2/2019

 
Today was Andrew's very last Jazz Band concert at the high school. I can't even begin to explain what a difference Jazz and Mrs. Margrave (or Flynn as the students called her) made in Andrew's life. Andrew really resonated with the Jazz style of music and he truly developed a passion for music through this program. He walked into the jazz program as a freshman, not knowing very much about jazz music or how to even play it. He picked things up very quickly and by his junior year, he joined the Advanced Jazz Band. I am so grateful that Andrew found something that resonated with him. This last concert was so much fun to watch. Andrew finally decided to solo in one of the songs. He always shied away from solos, so I was thrilled to see him solo once before he graduated. I will miss watching Andrew play the trombone. 

One of Andrew's college essays was dedicated to Jazz music and the things he learned how to play Jazz music:
​
While I have many different interests, I find music, especially Jazz music, to be the most engaging experience that I get to enjoy on a daily basis. I have always been a huge fan of music, but Jazz music peaked my interest more than any other type of music. In Jazz, there are no limits to your creativity; you can express your emotions through the ways that you play. Each song that I hear is a new story, a new experience. I often find myself losing track of time whenever I listen to or play Jazz.
            
During my freshman year in high school, I had the opportunity to join the high school Jazz band as a trombonist. I had always wanted to know more about Jazz, but I had only dreamed about playing it. Learning how to play was not easy. It took many hours of hard work to begin to develop my skills, which inspired me to learn even more. A defining opportunity came when our class went to see the Dizzy Gillespie big band. I used every moment to study how these great musicians played, from their sound to their posture. Later that night, we were able to work with these musicians and learn from their experience with Jazz music. Although we were only able to work with them for thirty minutes, I learned some new techniques. One of their trombonists told me that the best way to learn Jazz was to watch good musicians play live.
            
Since then, I have been able to work with all sorts of Jazz bands and musicians from all over the state. Having an opportunity to learn more about Jazz feels like Christmas to me. Even now, I am in a music honors society where I take every opportunity I can to teach others about Jazz. I also play in our High School’s advanced Jazz band, which was created just this year. I listen to Jazz music every day and it never gets old. I’ve learned so much about music in general because of my love for Jazz music, and I will never forget the things I have learned about hard work and the feelings that come from playing Jazz.  

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
<<Previous

    Archives

    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    February 2009

    Categories

    All
    14ers
    4th Of July
    Abby
    Accidents
    Andrew
    Andrew's Mission
    Anniversary Adventures
    Aquarium
    Arizona
    Beach
    Beaver Creek
    Biking
    Birthdays
    Bowling
    Boys Trip
    Breckenridge
    BYU
    BYU Idaho
    California
    Camps
    Cello
    Cemetery
    Challenger MS
    Christmas
    Church
    Climbing
    College Life
    Colorado
    Concerts
    COVID19
    Crested Butte
    Cross Country
    CrossFit
    Disney
    Eagle Project
    Easter
    Emma
    Engagement
    Fall Leaves
    Family Albums
    Family Fun
    Family Photos
    Family Reunions
    Fathers Day
    Field Day
    Field Trips
    First Day Of School
    Flowers
    Flying
    Flying Horse
    Funerals
    Garden Of The Gods
    Garmin Running Lane
    Georgia
    Girls Camp
    Girls Weekend
    Graduations
    Grand Canyon
    Grandparents
    Halloween
    Hawaii
    High School Musical
    Hiking
    Homecoming
    Home Projects
    Horseback Riding
    Hospital
    HXP
    Iceland
    Italy
    Japan
    Jerusalem
    Kokopelli
    Lake-fun
    Las Vegas
    Madeline
    Mexico
    Mike
    Mission
    Mothers Day
    Mountain View ES
    Multisport Nationals
    Museums
    Nike Regionals
    Omaha
    Orchestra
    Parties
    Peter
    Peters-mission
    Pikes-peak
    Pine-creek-hs
    Prom
    Pumpkin Patch
    Races
    Racing
    Reserve Duty
    Running
    Running Camp
    San Diego
    Sara
    School Banquets
    School Dances
    School Honor Society
    School Parties
    School Performances
    Scouting
    Seattle
    Senior Photos
    Senior Year
    Service
    Shooting
    Skiing
    Sledding
    Slices Of Life
    Snow Days
    Snowshoeing
    Spring Break
    Steamboat Springs
    St. George
    Swimming
    Swim Team
    Switzerland
    Taiwan
    Temple
    Temples
    Thanksgiving
    Theatre
    Track Season
    TREK
    Triathlon
    Universal Studios
    University Of Utah
    Utah
    Vacation
    Vail
    Virginia
    Washington DC
    Weekend Getaways
    Weight Lifting
    XTERRA
    Youth Activity
    Zoo

Proudly powered by Weebly