Throw Back ThursdayChyrisse & I

Chyrisse & I

This picture was taken while Chyrisse and I went up to Utah for Lisa's Open House.  We had so much fun traveling up to Utah.  She is an amazing friend.

Chyrisse's Visit

I got a call from Lisa saying the Chyrisse was in town for a visit.  Her sister-in-law was having a baby, so Chyrisse flew down to help.  She brought her daughter daughter with her.  She is one of my dear friends, so I dropped everything and went to hang out with her.  We talked for awhile and headed off to lunch at Lenny's.  I picked up Britt and Danni from school and they joined us too.   It was great to visit with Chyrisse and hear what her family is up to.  I love spending time with just girls.

Memorable MondayMy Senior Dance

I went to my senior high school dance with a friend.  We tripled with Tracie and Wesley, and Melody and Brad.  I don't remember much of the dance since it was so long ago, but I remember that it was great being with such great friends.

Darren and I at the senior dance

Wesley and Tracie, Brad and Melody, Darren and I

Meyer Visit

Peggy and Spencer came to visit my parents.  I love it when my dad and Peggy get together.  We get to hear great stories about my dad when he was younger.  Spencer knew my dad in high school, so he has great stories too.  They bring their camper and park it in my parent's driveway and stay for a couple of days.  I'm so glad that they make it a priority to see my parents.  I know that they look forward to their visits.

Mom and Dad with Peggy and Spencer

PROM

PROM was a hit this year.  Josh and Danni's outfits match again this year, last year they both wore purple.  It was fun to help the two of them get ready for the big dance.

My kids are AMAZING!!

Josh took Gloria to PROM this year.  She just moved into our ward at the beginning of the school year.  Gloria's sister took the amazing pictures of the couples.  After pictures, they headed to a dinner at Dallin's Grandmother's house.  The parents all pitched in and made dinner for the kids.  Josh had a great time.

Josh and Gloria

Josh and Gloria

Josh, Dallin, Devon, and Blake

A Fun Prom Picture

Group Picture

Grant Wolfgramm asked Danni to PROM this year.  Danni asked Sis. Robinson to add sleeves to her dress.  She did an amazing job and Danni loved beautiful.  Grant picked up Danni along with Brittany and her date and they headed off to the MAC for pictures.  They went to an Italian restaurant for dinner, Danni can't remember the name, and then headed off to the dance.

Grant and Danni - Check out the shoes

Danni and Grant

Fun Prom Pose

The Girls

Group Picture

Britt and Danni were is the same group again this year.  I think those two planned to be together no matte who their dates would be.  Brittany added sleeves to her dress and made the headband.  She looks stunning!!!

Britt and Tarod

Throw Back ThursdayMusical Duet

Josh and Danni performed a unique duet at a Porter concert. Danni played the snare drum while Josh played the clarinet.

Chamber Concert

Some students from the Wind Ensemble perform solos and ensembles.   The performers and audience sit on the stage which gives it a more personal touch.  It's one of my favorite concerts of the year.

Josh performed in a small ensembles that included 2 flutes, a french horn, a bassoon, and clarinet - Sadie Chandler, Katie Tellez, Emily Felix, Eric Atwell, and Josh Pace.   They performed Divertimento # 14 by Mozart.

Josh later performed a duet with David Chandler.  They have been working on this duet for quite awhile.  They performed 2 Russian pieces.  I noticed that Mr. Brooks was recording Josh as he was playing. It sounded amazing!!!

The YM in Josh's ward came to the concert.  I love it when the youth support each other in their school events.  This was a short concert and they could see and hear Josh.  It meant a lot to Josh for them to be there and to hear their praise.

Memorable MondayGoodbye Ledge

We had a neighbor that wanted some dirt to fill in a pool.  We happened to have some the formed a ledge.  We decided to have the dirt hauled away, so Bro. Kennedy brought over his tractor and he moved the dirt.  It will totally change the look of our back yard.  Thanks!!!

Clearing the dirt

Pace family posing with the tractor

Sklyine Prom

Josh was invited to Sklyine's Prom by a friend of his.  Kylie plays the same instruments as Josh - Sousaphone during marching season, and bass clarinet during the festival season.   They are both taking a clarinet class from ASU with Mr. Quamo.  They are really good friends.

Josh and Kylie

A much happier picture

21 Pilots

Danni went to see 21 Pilots with some friends.  She wanted to wear a T-shirt to the concert, so she made her own.  The shirt turned out great and a couple hours later she was off. 

Danni said that the concert was AMAZING and she had a great time with her friends.  She told Jim and I how this group got their name and how much she loves this band.  I'm glad that she had a great time.  Thanks to Britt and Lisa for the transportation and pictures!!!

Britt, Tarod, and Danni

Danni's friends

Girl's Night Out

My sister came up from Benson and we had dinner together.  It was a fun evening and it was great to be together.  

Throw Back ThursdaySisters

Throw Back Thursday - Agete is a picture of My sister and I singing "The Cat Came Back" at a family reunion in Kaysville, UT. Lisa and I spend a lot of time doing sister stuff mixed with some band stuff. We are less than a year apart. If you ask Lisa, she knows exactly how far apart we are. She's my best friend!! Love ya Lisa!!!!

The Hate Hypothesis

Love’s Amazing Power

Germany, 1945

Bill was a prisoner at Wuppertal Concentration Camp in May of 1945. George Ritchie, a soldier who was assigned to go in to liberate and relocate the inmates, stumbled upon this Polish man whose name was really “seven unpronounceable syllables” of Polish, but because he wore a long drooping handlebar mustache, George and the others nicknamed him “Wild Bill Cody.”

As the soldiers worked to relocate the inmates, Wild Bill’s help was invaluable. Not only did he help them through 15- and 16-hour days without sign of fatigue, he also still had his command of 5 languages. He was not emaciated like the others! What’s more, along with never tiring, Wild Bill showed each person such compassion. “We have time for this old fellow,” he would say, “he’s been waiting to see us all day.”

George thought that surely, with all his ability and stamina, Wild Bill had not been an inmate long. Turns out, when his own papers were checked, they found Wild Bill had been incarcerated in Wuppertal since 1939! Six long years! Surely, George must have reasoned, Bill had never had anything horrific happen to him! Wrong again.

One day, Wild Bill opened up to him, “‘we lived in the Jewish section of Warsaw, my wife, our two daughters, and our three little boys. When the Germans reached our street they lined everyone against a wall and opened up with machine guns. I begged to be allowed to die with my family, but because I spoke German they put me in a work group.’ He paused, perhaps seeing again his wife and five children. ‘I had to decide right then,’ he continued, ‘whether to let myself hate the soldiers who had done this...Hate had just killed the six people who mattered most to me in the world. I decided then that I would spend the rest of my life—whether it was a few days or many years—loving every person I came in contact with.’

”

Love was the only difference between him and all the other inmates who were skin and bones, sick and apathetic, hardly alive. “For six years he had lived on the same starvation diet, slept in the same airless and disease-ridden barracks as everyone else, but without the least physical or mental deterioration.” Wild Bill had kept his health, his intellectual abilities, and his empathy for others—all because he decided to love.

See George Ritchie, Return from Tomorrow, page 114-116.

This week is Holocaust Memorial Week, marking 70 years since this liberation of the survivors began. As these events fade from our memories, some may try to rewrite history and say it never happened. But we must learn from the Holocaust. We must celebrate victories such as Wild Bill’s.

This Wednesday evening, 7pm at Mesa High School, 16 Spotlight Drama students directed by Sandy Stones will be performing “The Hate Hypothesis” based on this true story. Only $3 admission, this student-written (by Kyle Ellingson) play celebrates the heroic ability of Marek (Wild Bill) to overcome cruelty and atrocity—and hatred—by choosing to love. Further, it takes this one step further and celebrates the power of two Mothers who instilled in two sons two different ways to deal with the hatred they are dealt. One boy is urged to seek revenge, the other to always love no matter what. Mothers truly influence generations.

Here are some pics of "The Hate Hypothesis"

Orchestra Concert

Josh is playing both the clarinet and the bass clarinet in the orchestra concert tonight.  I love listening to the full orchestra.  They sounded amazing!!!   I sat with Kathryn during the concert, so I didn't get many pics of Josh playing.  I can't see anyways, so it doesn't matter where I sit.  

Before the concert, Josh was trying to get a good sound out of the bassoon.  Other kids where trying to play his bass clarinet.  Luckily for the orchestra concert, they are sticking to their own instruments

Josh playing with the bassoon

Josh and Kaylynn are both in full orchestra, so you know that I need to get a picture of the two of them.  I love their concert attire for the night - casual.

Kaylynn and Josh - both in Full Orchestra

Memorable Monday4th Spring Pics

 Emily had her spring pictures taken and they turned out super cute.  I had to buy a picture of course.  Emily was the only one of my kids to get school spring pictures.

My kids all attended Porter during their 4th grade year and had spring pictures taken.  I love all the different backgrounds that were used.

My kid's 5th grade pictures @ Porter

Ward Youth Conference

Our ward had a three day ward conference.  On Friday night, the youth did various service projects around the area.  Saturday morning, they went down to Benson and toured Karcher's Caverns.  On Sunday, during Sacrament Meeting, the youth and leaders shared their experiences about the past two days.  Josh was one of the speakers.  That evening, there was a special fireside at the Bishop's home.  Spencer Larsen, a former NFL player, spoke to the youth about the importance of serving a mission.

My kids woke up super early to see the Caverns

The Caverns

Josh's talk

"Good afternoon brothers and sisters. Yesterday, for youth conference, the youth of our ward went to the Kartchner caverns and took a tour of the caves there. These caves were preserved and protected very well by the staff.  They had many rules precautions taken to protect the caves. The reason for such measures is because of the stunning beauty of the cavern. Just as we view the caves as beautiful, so does our father who is in heaven views us. When we were born, we were spiritually beautiful, perfectly innocent. As we grow up, however, we make mistakes as everyone does, and diminish our spiritual beauty and innocence. When in the cave, there was a spot pointed out where bats used to hang on the ceiling. Bats, just like humans do, leave oil on objects they touch. This oil had caused the beautiful rock to change color from a nice orange-ish color to a dark, disgusting black. I could compare this darkening of color to what happens to us when we commit sin. We lose our spiritual beauty and worthiness when sin is present in our life, so we must prevent it from ever entering into our lives and remove it from within our lives. A scripture relating to this I found is D&C 82:14, which states   “For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.” We must do as the staff at the caverns has done and take a proactive role in protecting ourselves from the decaying effects of sin and utilize the cleansing power of the atonement, which I know can heal each and every one of us if we let it, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

National Sibling Day

It's National Sibling Day, and I wanted to give a shout - out to my brothers and sisters.  I love when we get together and hang out.  I wish we could see each other more often.   I love them dearly and they are my best friends.

"Books Come Alive"

Porter had their reading night "Books Come Alive" tonight.  Emily's class is reading Fantastic Mr. Fox, so their reading project was to make a fox mask.   Emily also showed me her hula hoop moves aferwards.  She is GOOD!!!  We left the night with a free book.  YAY!!! 

Throw Back ThursdayPast Easter Celebrations

This past weekend, I watched my twin nieces go on their first Easter Egg hunt. They were do fun to watch. I looked back at my Easter pics and found some great ones. Here is just a sample of our many Easter celebrations.

Memorable MondayKid's 5th Easter

Kid's 5th Easter

I loved getting Easter clothes for my kids.  It was a luxury that my parents couldn't afford.  I wanted my kids to get new clothes for Easter and Christmas.  It was fun for me to get them all dressed up and take pictures.  I often had my girls match when they were younger.  It's fun to look back at pictures when my kids were younger.  It makes me feel younger too.

Easter 2015

 Easter Pageant - We went to an Easter Pageant as a family.  Danni invited a few friends to join her.  She sat a few rows behind us with them.

Easter Pageant

Easter Weekend - Both Jeff and Debbie's family rent some rooms at a nearby resort where we spent the weekend.  We watched conference, swam, BBQ, and talked.  It was fun weekend and we loved getting to know the twins better.

So fun meeting the twins

Playing at the pool

Wall family at the pool

girl cousins

Hanging out!!!

On Easter morning, we went to the church for an Easter Egg Hunt.  The kids helped the twins find the Easter Eggs.  After the hunt, Jeff's family went to Chandler and Debbie's family went home.  It was a great way to end our Easter Weekend.

Wall Family - grand-kids

Wall Family

Easter Sunday - General Conference was on Easter this year.  Grandma Wall bought the twins some really cute Easter dresses. Danni took the girls outside and took their pictures.  She did a great job.  I took my family's Easter pics after Easter.

Twins in their Easter dresses

Spring (Easter) outfits
We didn't wear them on Easter

Pace family

Easter Gift - Angela received an amazing gift from a friend of hers.  Julieta crocheted the front of a pillow and had it mailed to her.

Angela's gift

Easter Eggs - Ella and Emily colored eggs this year instead of dyeing them.  It was something new and I think they girls had fun.

Ella and Emily