Throw Back ThursdayGirl's on Hike

Here is Danni and Angela hiking near Woods Canyon Lake.  Danni was 11 and Angela was 9.  Girl's Camp is next week and I wanted to share this picture.  They have the sweetest relationship and I'm bless to see it every day.

Memorable MondayAngela's Junior High Yearbooks

Angela just finished junior high and I wanted to share some yearbook photos.  She really wasn't in the yearbooks, except for choir pics, so here are the yearbook covers and choir photos. Choir was a big part of Angela's life at Taylor.  She learned so much these past two years.  All of her classes were not special ed classes, so she learned to work with her peers this year.  She didn't have an aide following her around, so she had to learn to get from class to class.  She learned how to contact me through the office.  She learned my cell phone number.  I couldn't be more thrilled with the progress she made in junior high.

7th Grade Yearbook 

Premiere Choir

8th Grade Yearbook

Divea Choir

Graduation

Josh and Danni have great friends that graduated from high school this year.  They are really going to miss their friends.  Josh and Danni performed at graduation so they were there to watch their friends receive their diplomas.  After graduation, they both attended the Mesa High graduation party at the Inter-Stake Center.

Right before Josh and Danni headed off to graduation

Josh and Mitchell - couldn't find him in his camp and gown

Josh and Jordan Reddy

Josh and Jacob

Josh and Omar

Danni and Cali

Throw Back ThursdayAngela in preschool

Throw Back Thursday  - Here is Angela after her first preschool graduation.  She attended preschool for 2 years.  Now she is off to high school!!!!!

Angela's Promotion

Taylor Junior High held their 8th grade promotion on the last day of school.  She is in team 8-3, so her ceremony started at 12:00.  It was a great short ceremony where Mrs. Piraino talked for a few minutes before the staff at Mesa High accepted these students as the new freshman class.  The student president of team 8-3 also spoke.  The students then came up to receive their certificate.  Angela had on a huge grin just before they called her name.  It was a priceless moment and I couldn't have been prouder of her.  

Congratulations Angela!!!!

Mrs. Piraino

Special Guests including the student speaker and MHS staff

Angela at the ceremony

Angela's certificate

Angela and I after her 8th grade promotion - now on to high school

Memorable MondayEnd of Year Concerts

May 6th - Porter Elementary Concert

Josh was invited by Mr. Anderson to play with the 5th and 6th grade band.  It was fun to go back to Porter for a band concert.

Josh returning to Porter

Josh performed with the Porter band 

May 8th - Euporia

Danni is taking a PE class called Elite Fitness.  It's a tough class that she had to qualify for.  These students in this PE class to a performance at the Euporia dance to show off what they can do.  Britt is in dance, so she was also in Euporia.

Danni and Britt

May 12th - Choir Talent Show

Danni and Cali sang a song from Enchanted titled "I see the Light"  .  Danni has an amazing voice!!  She wore her prom dress because she said it looked like the dress that Rapunzel wore.

May 13th - Choir Concert

Danni's choir performed tidbits of The Lion King.  Danni had a little solo in one of the songs too.  I love hearing and watching Danni perform on stage.  She lights it up.  It was an amazing concerts - one of my favorites.

May 14th - Band Concert

This is always a great concert for the band .  Josh was honored for making regionals, trying out for all state, and recognized for solo and ensemble participation.  He also earned his music letter this year.  Josh had an amazing junior year with the band.  This is Jacob's last band concert, so it was a bitter sweet concert.

Jacob and Josh

Josh with letter

May 15th - Taylor Choir Concert

Angela had her last Taylor Junior Concert .  She sang "Go the Distance", "I See the Light", and "Roar" at this concert.   I really loved watched Angela sing in the Taylor choir over the years.  She knows her lyrics and sings from the heart.  She has grown so much over her time at Taylor.   

May 15th - Orchestra Concert

After Angela's choir concert, I raced over to Mesa High in time to watch the Full Orchestra.  Orchestra has allowed Josh to play the clarinet.  Since Josh is only in orchestra for a semester, I always feel like a guest at this concerts.  I love listening to string players, it reminds me of when I was in orchestra in high school.

Josh and his clarinet

May 16th - Harvey Awards

Drama has the Harvey Awards.  Danni pleaded for me to skip these awards and I did.  Her friend, Cali won for the best play and director for the his play in Comedy Central.  Danni was a little upset because Danni helped write and directed the play as well.  Mrs. Stones recognized that Danni did help out, but she didn't get recognized at the Harvey awards.  Danni did earn her letter for drama this year.  

May 17th - Swing Dance

Mesa High had their annual swing dance and it was a great hit.  Josh didn't do Jazz Band this year, so he danced the night away.  I had a great time with hanging out with friends.  One of the highlights of the evening was when Joella danced with Mr. Cosselboom.  

Mr. Cosselboom dancing with Joella

Throw Back ThursdayMy Letter

Throw Back Thursday - Here is a picture of me in my Letterman Jacket.  Since Josh received his letter last night, I wanted to show off my letter.  My best friend in high school and I were the first one to wear this style of jacket.  The old ones needed a make-over.

Memorable Monday"It Was Mom"

It's the highest, holiest service assumed by humankind.  It's the definition of selfless service.  It's both a daunting responsibility and a glorious opportunity.  The divine role of motherhood is a gift from God and key to His place of happiness for all His children.

"Life, every life, every heart beat, began with a mom, who willingly accepted a divine role, a thankless job, a sticky, sleepless, and stretching career.  For 9 months, 90 months, 90 years she taught us right from wrong. left from right, baking soda from baking powder, she slept little and worried much.  She laughed, bathed, rinsed, and repeated, and repeated.  Who taught us to love God, to love others, to love ourselves, who prayed with us, prayed for us, who read to us, taught us what the words meant.  It was mom who was the champion, the cheerleader, the chief inspiring officer, who was the Queen of bedtime, dinnertime, holidays, Holy Days, early mornings. later nights, music lessons, life lessons and the everything we cling to with all our heats.  It was, It is, and forever will be Mom"

Looking back over the years - I just wanted to say - Thanks Mom!!!!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was so crazy this year.  I planned to come home from Disneyland early in the morning and get a few hours of sleep before going to church.  I love the messages on Mother's Day plus the treat, of course.  Well, plans didn't turn out and I arrived at Taylor during Sacrament Meeting.  Angela and I were greeted by Jim, Danni, and Emily.  It was great to see their shining faces.  I love my children dearly.  Josh went to Sacrament Meeting and brought me home the treat from the ward.  That was so sweet of him.  I'm the luckiest mom in the world and I need to be the best mom for the children.

Christmas 2005

Mother (muhth-er) - Someone who will love you unconditionally till your last breath

Disneyland 2014

Angela went to Disneyland with the Taylor Choir.  I went with her as a chaperon.  We were delayed in getting there due to a blown tire, which happened in the back of our bus.  It was quite an adventure.

When we arrived in Disneyland, we spent most of the first day meeting some Disney characters.   We met Maleficent, the Fairy Godmother, Pluto, Mickey, and Minnie.  The girls loved seeing the characters.  We went on a couple of rides - Disney Monorail, Disney Railroad, Autopia, Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough, and toured most of Mickey's Toontown.  We saw the fireworks show and went shopping.  A lot of popular rides, like "It's a Small World", "Pirates of the Caribbean", and the Nemo submarine.

We headed to the studio where they performed a couple of songs that corresponded to a movie scene.  They performed "Gonna Take You There" from Princess and the Frog and "He Mele No Lilo" from Lilo and Stitch.  This was one of the highlights of the whole trip.  They taught the kids have to make soundtracks and layovers.  It was rewarding to watch a scene and hear their voices.

The next day, we spent the whole day in Adventures in California and rode a lot of different rides and even saw the Aladdin show. We joined with another group whose leader knew more about Disneyland than I did.  The girls really enjoyed "Toy Story Midway Mania", "Soarin' Over California", "Flik's Flyers", "Mickey's Fun Wheel" and  "Radiator Springs Racers".  Angela went on a scary roller coaster ride "Goofy's Sky School" with a friend.  She didn't know how scary it was until she was on it.  What a brave girl!!!  At the end of the day, we saw the amazing water color  show.  They girls had a blast that day!!  

Here are some of the highlights of the past two days.

Throw Back ThursdayMothers

Throw Back Thursday - Happy Mothers Day to two of the most amazing moms!!  Thanks for everything!!!  This was taken after Angela's blessing.

Memorable Monday4th Grade Spring Pics

Angela and Emily had school spring pics taken.  Since the older two didn't, I found some cute pictures of them taken during the spring.  I love to show off my kids side by side, if you couldn't tell.  It's great to see the similarities and differences.  They best part is that they all get along, most of the time.

Spring Pictures 2014

 Here are the kids 3rd grade pics side by side.  You can really tell how much my older kids have grown up over the years.  It's fun to see their younger pictures again.

3rd Grace Pictures

Fathers and Sons

Jim and Josh went to Fathers and Sons camp-out this year.  It's been a while since they went due to Josh's crazy school schedule. They took a tent, but slept out in the fresh air.  I'm so glad that they went and their pics say it all.  They had a blast!!

STEM night

Porter held their first STEM night.  STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math,  Josh and Danni came back to Porter to help with the event.  They helped at the station making Brush Robots.  It was a great success and I'm glad to have all my kids at Porter for awhile.

Josh and Danni

Brush Robots

Emily playing with magnets

Throw Back ThursdayAngela at OT

Angela has come so far.  When she was 9  months old, she was diagnosed with Global Development Delay. She received 4 therapies a week for a year and a half from 18 months until she started preschool at 3.  I had her IEP meeting today and I realize how far she ha come since her therapy days.  She has had amazing therapists and teachers  along the way.  I didn't talk about days much because it broke my hear, but I'm truly gratefultfo the help and services we received when she was young.  Thanks to those who helped Angela and will help her in the future.