Wrapping up 5th, 7th, and 9th Grades!

 Noah, Emma, and Adam deserve three BIG cheers for finishing out the year so strong! This really was  a great year for the whole family. 

Noah had a bunch of fantastic performances at the end of the year - DSM Youth Symphony is his favorite ensemble- 

followed by 6th grade orchestra, and 5th grade orchestra- this bass player was in high demand! 

Chorus was a delight, and band took last place. 

We love seeing Noah in the temple! 

He was all about the countdown dress-up days! 

And knew when it was time to take a rest in the midst of all the fun. 

When the last day of 5th grade arrived, Noah was ready for it. 

These brothers are never at a loss for fun - this is their impression of General Grievous - 

And Noah was a great helper with getting the zwip line up for the season. For as much as he hates that there are no sidewalks in our neighborhood, he definitely enjoys the yard and all that it offers!

Emma astounded all of us with her willingness to wake up SO early this year - she was out the door before 7 and almost always had a smile on her face. She rocked her first year of junior high! She made so many friends in 7th and 8th grade, and chorus was definitely her happy place. Singing tied with acting. 

And third place was orchestra. 

Emma the Ambassador, seen her with Elder Corbin E. Coombs, our visiting general authority for this spring's stake conference. 

Emma has the best smile! 

And she's always making us laugh! 

Don't let the scowl fool you- she was thrilled that I took her picture on the last day of school! 

She was just slightly less excited about the last day of school than the rest of the kids - she has so many friends that will be going on to Southwoods without her next year. But she was already looking forward to the Stilwell Summer Musical- Beauty and the Best!

And last but never least, Adam!

Adam is happiest when his schedule is full and his brain is active and engaged. 

Lucky for him there are plenty of opportunities to fill every minute of his schedule. 

Lucky for him, many of his moments are shared with Grace (and other friends, too). 

I'm going to miss the days of all four of these musicians supporting each other throughout the year! 

When the hour gets late, the sunroom becomes the practice room. 

The night that Adam found out he made Valley Singers was a night to remember- they requested that I blindfold him and drive him to a park to receive the news. This was the night that I learned that his greatest desire is to have a bigger bed, as that was the guess that he made about where we might be heading in the dark. He got a bigger bed the following week. 

A night to remember! 

I'd say Adam's top performing pick is show choir, then jazz band, then Southwood singers, followed by jazz choir, plays and musicals, concert choir, concert band, and somewhere at the very bottom of the list, robotics. This was his last year for now in robotics. 

But look at his smile after making music! 

Adam's first year of high school was definitely a hit! 

Ahh yes, the father and I were always there too. The best support team this family could ask for - it takes a team to keep this family running smoothly and moving forward! 

All About April

 General conference, the (second) best Sunday of April! 

Goodness, it's hard not to turn every event this year into the last, but this was, most likely, Leah's last regular general conference weekend with our family. 

Laney, of course, slept through it, but right by Leah this time. 

Everyone's favorite Russell M. Nelson!

We (I) have been obsessed with borrowing puzzles from the library all winter and spring long. This one is the same puzzle that Adam and Grace worked on on one of their first dates!

Another round with Gwenny the neighbor cat!

Emma masterfully helped me repair the Roman blinds from my room. She was so good at it, she's hired for all future repairs!

Adam scraped together the final hours of his freshman year Silver Cord hours. He and Noah spent a few hours cleaning up winter garbage from the neighborhood!

I can't resist a patriotic concert!

Scrappy pup! 

Snuggled up muffin cup! (Sometimes I can picture what this bed will look like, empty, in the fall, and my heart crumples up to the size of a Craisin.)

Practicing life skills!

All I ever want to do in April is take out the kayaks and see the line of red bud trees on the far side of the lake up close. I was so happy and shocked when I came home to a date with Jason one April afternoon! 

He knows how to make me smile. 

One of my favorite days in April is the Iowa Religious Freedom Day. This year it was held in the capitol building. 

Noah is learning how to use pomade. It's a bit of a process. 

Someone loves you! 

Emma rocked her roles in Dramatizers! We love the Stilwell stage. 

Adam did a fantastic job at the solo/ensemble festival, even with his mustache mishap. 

There's the mustache!

Leah received a practically perfect score on her orchestra solo performance. 

Hello spring! 

This crazy afternoon was the Challenge of the Books celebration with Noah!

There is grass on the roof of the DSM library - my favorite ritual this year was driving Noah to DSM Youth Symphony, then walking down four flights of stairs and over to the next building to pick up a book or complete a podcast, then back to the fifth floor of the Temple for Performing Arts to meet up with my friend for a 30-minute chat!

What a gorgeous practice room!

I think this is Noah's happy place. 

Noah held his own as the only 5th grader in 6th grade orchestra this year! 

Music is my favorite.

Especially when it's made in groups!

One random day my computer was attached by clone troopers!

These silly shopping buddies of mine.

Jazz band is always a delight!

I loved listening to Adam and the Southwood Singers in a workshop in Council Bluffs.

Never far away. 

More trash collecting!

These funny glasses... 

We saw Star Wars Episode III in the theater!

A lunch date with Leah!

A slipper formal for Emma!

Sometimes Laney is so ridiculous. 

We all enjoyed Adam's first high school spring musical - Anything Goes!

A gentleman always wears a coat so he can loan it to his lady. 

I can't help myself. 

I drove Emma to a stake dance in Ankeny! 

And then treated myself!

And then reminded myself how much we loved our first house, and why it wasn't all that hard to move off the street. 

I taught a stake Relief Society workshop on the worth of women!

And we made it to the temple! 

And that wasn't even all of April!