Memorable MondayHighway 89

This is one of the main roads from Phoenix to SLC.  This is right when you start to climb up to Page and if you look down, you could see the beginning of the Grand Canyon.  This was one of my favorite spots on our trip to SLC.  I was sad to hear that the highway was damaged due to a landslide.  I remember LOTS of trips to SLC and driving up this road.  

NAU Jazz Festival

Friday morning at 5:00 am the Mesa High Band students arrived at school for the long bus drive up to Flagstaff.  The big Jazz Band performed first at 9:30 am, so they had to have an early start.  The kids were tired but too excited to sleep.

What a great pic of the clouds as the sun was rising.

The clouds were super low as we headed up north.  We even ran into some fog.

Josh just off the bus 

The Big Jazz Band played first and they received a superior.   Josh performs with the trumpets with this band.  I attended the clinic after they performed and the judge was very impressed with them, especially dealing with the change in evaluation.  The did an amazing job!!

MHS Big Jazz Band

Josh performing

After the Big Jazz Band played, then the MHS Jazz Combo performed.  There was one song that focused on the talents of the flute and clarinets.  I really enjoyed listening to that song.  This band  received an excellent rating.   These kids get together once a week on their own time to be in this combo class.  Josh is getting college credit for this class.

Mesa Jazz Band Combo

Josh and Cody playing the clarinets

After they performed, the students attended clinics and watched other jazz bands.  They even found time to make a snowman in honor of Mr. Brooks.  They kids had a great time and we ended the evening with a concert by the NAU Jazz Band and a guest artist Brice Winston. 

Brice Winston talks to the kids in a clinic before performing fo them that evening.

Josh and I at NAU

The snowman is Mr. Brooks and the little guy is his son.

Snow capped moutains

Josh getting in the snow fight

The kids had a great time and we all slept on the way home from the NAU Jazz Festival.

What is Graupel?

It snowed in Mesa or shall we say, graupel fell from the sky. Phoenix has the weirdest names for our weather events.   It was an amazing event for us living in the Valley of the Sun and everyone took pictures to document this event.  We didn't get enough to make a graupel snowman, but it stuck to the ground for a while.

Graupel on our property

"Graupel - also called soft hail or snow pellet - forms when snow in the atmosphere encounters super-cooled water.  Ice crystals form on the outside of the snow and accumulate until the original snowflake is no longer visible.

Super cooled water - water that started as snow or ice crystal in the atmosphere will pass through a warm layer of air causing melting.  That same droplet will pass through another cold layer near the surface and becomes super cooled."

So much on the Diamondback Stadium,
they didn't know what to do.
  So,they closed practice for a day.

Beautiful double rainbows from my backyard

Graupel and rainbows - it doesn't get prettier than this

Memorable Monday"Would You Rather..."

• Watch, Star Wars, or Star Trek? - Star Wars, especially the original 3
• Read on a Kindle or paperback book?  - I still prefer to read a paperback book.
• Go to a play or musical? - musical - I love to watch the performers sing, dance, and act - triple threat.
• Go to the theater or a movie? - theater - I love to watch live theater.  I can watch a movie at home.
• Hike or bike? - Hike, I'm scared that I might fall off a bike.
• Wear jeans or chinos? - I love jeans and pajama bottoms
• Crash with friends or stay in a hotel? - hotel, I love having my own bathroom
• Visit Europe or Mexico? - Europe, I live too close to Mexico
• Vacation in Hawaii or Alaska, and why? - Hawaii - I love beaches and warm weather
• Go skiing or snowshoeing? - Snowshoeing - I'm scared of going really fast
• Travel by plane, train, or automobile? - Train - I would love to sit by the window and watch all the beautiful and different scenery.
• Enjoy a houseboat or speed boat? - Both - I would love to vacation on a houseboat and go for rides on a speed boat.
• Go climbing or zip lining? - Neither, I do not like adventure
• Have a night out or evening in? - I would like to go out, I stay home enough as it is.
• Watch TV or read a book? - Watch TV, but I do like to read.
• Go canoeing or waterskiing? - Canoeing - I don't like to go fast or fall.  I've tried to waterski several time and didn't get up.  I can canoe though.
• Camp in an RV or stay in a tent? - Camp in an RV on the rim, but I like to sleep in a tent too.
• Use Facebook or Twitter? - Facebook, but I need to check out Twitter to see what my kids
• Choose a free trip or money?  I would love a free trip, but I need money to get out of debt, so I would choose money.
• Win the lottery or find your perfect job? - I don't believe in playing the lottery, so I would want the perfect job.
• Swim in a pool or the ocean? I like to swim in a pool, and wade in the ocean.
• Travel by sailboat or cruise ship? - I love love to travel on a cruise ship, that sounds like the perfect vacation.
• Watch sports or play sports? - Definitely watch sports!!
• Play dodgeball or kickball? - Kickball - I don't want balls thrown on me

Photo Shoot

Danni and Britt headed to the church building for a photo shoot.  These two girls take great pictures of each other.  They are beautiful girls inside and out.

Britt

Danni

Memorable MondayPersonality

How would you describe your personality?  

Timid
Appreciative
Musical
Idealist

Peaceful
Approachable
Cordial
Educated

"Happy Birthday Jim"

Happy Birthday to one of the greatest guys I know.  He has a great sense of humor and he teases he and the kids.  His timing makes his jokes so funny.  He works so hard so that the kids and I can have what we need.  He loves his family and it shows.  Happy Birthday Jimmy!!!  We love you!!!!

MORP - Highland Style

Josh was asked by Heidi to go to MORP with her and since she attends Highland High, he attended MORP at Highland.   Heidi is a good friend of his and he was excited to go to MORP with her.  

The theme was 50's

Josh and Heidi

Memorable MondayJosh's Broken Arm

Josh broke his arm not once but twice.  Poor kid!!

1- The first time he broke his arm was when he fell off the ledge in our back yard.  He landed on some rocks which fractured his arm.  We didn't realize it immediately when it happened, but later in the day he was still whimpering.  Josh usually doesn't whimper that long after an injury.  We took Josh to the emergency room and learned that he did break his arm.  Since Josh was young and into stuff, we had to watch him.  We wrapped his cast in a garbage bag to give him a bath.  One day, I was tending to something else, Josh got his cast into peanut butter.  I cleaned it up the best that I could, but the cast was getting soft.  We took him to the doctor and they took the cast off.  He had had it on long enough to do the job.  That was great news to me.

2- The second time that Josh broke his arm was when he was riding his scooter at church and ran into Zack who was on a bike.  Josh just earned his Arrow of Light and was playing outside getting ready to go home when the accident occurred.  We took him to the emergency room and got it splinted.  A few days later, he got his cast.  We had a huge trip to Utah planned which was a little tough with a cast, but Josh adapted well.  Josh was near a lot of water on our trip and seemed to keep the cast dry.  We went to the lake to go fishing and caught a fish with that cast.    We went to Lagoon, where we bagged his arm to go on the Rapids Ride.  I didn't want to miss that ride.  He took care of his cast even though we were super busy during that time.  Josh's arm healed well and the cast did the job.  He was really glad to get the cast off.

Josh's cast

Check out Josh's fish and cast

Priest and Laurel Dance

Now that Josh is a priest, he attended the annual Priest and Laurel dance, also known as Mormon Prom.  He went with a couple of friends from his priest quorum.  Bishop Johnson arranged and paid for a limo service for these great guys.  After the guys picked up their dates, they came over to our house for dinner and pictures before heading to the dance.  Josh had a great time!!!

In front of the limo

Off they go to pick up their dates

Josh and his date - Aubrey

The party

Three great guys

Ready for dinner 

Heading to the dance