First Day of School

It has been a great summer!! We had so much fun and maybe I will post pictures. . .

Emma started 4th grade yesterday. She is so grown up. It was funny though because she met her friend at the corner and then walked to school. She didn't need mom this year to walk over with her. Here are a few cute pictures:

Emma in her first day of school outfit in front of our house

Emma with Addi at the corner ready for me to go back home :-)

Bridger's first official day of school was today. He did go meet his teacher yesterday though. I do feel like I need to explain the outfit. . .

You are probably thinking that Ben took Bridger shopping for his first day of school outfit and yes this is what would happen if that were the case. Bridger and I had gotten him a new outfit for his first day of school, it has been hanging in his closet and he has been so excited to wear it - until yesterday. While meeting his new teacher she told him it was "red" day today. Bridger didn't miss a beat he came home and laid out his U of U clothes without a second thought! He is so cute!

Bridger with Spencer - they go to church together and ran track together this summer!

This is Bridger with his friends Anthony and Fisher - they are in the same class again!

Now Bridger did let me walk him to school today and so I got this great picture of Emma on her 2nd day of school.

Capital Reef in the RAIN!!

We went down to Capital Reef for Memorial Day weekend. The last couple of years we have gone boating at Rockport but decided to change it up and head a little bit south, too bad it wasn't any warmer. It was great to get away, but not so great to camp in the rain for 4 days! Here are some pictures of our camp out - good thing we had a few hours each day that it stopped raining :-)

Emma, Bridger, and Lexi

The whole family hiking
Bridger - dare devil - just like his dad!

Emma - looking at the scenery!
On the trail to Hickman Bridge

The kids really wanted to fish, so on the way home we stopped at a lake.

It was a great trip!! This summer is full of camping and boating - I can't wait!

Bridger's Birthday

Emma gave Bridger a skateboard for his birthday. So we figured that we had better make sure he doesn't brake his head open. Therefore we gave him the helmet and pads. It only took him about 10 minutes before he was doing ollies and kick flips. Watch out Tony Hawk, here comes Bridger Hansen.

WOW!! It has been a crazy couple of weeks. Yesterday I was really stressed about the show that opens next week, but after a morning rehearsal, class, and an after school rehearsal things seem to be coming together. Now I am inviting all my friends and family to come see:

"6 Bodies"

presented by the Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts

It will be performed on April 2-4th @ 7:00pm. I would love for you to come and see what I have been up to since December. My students have worked really hard. I am actually dancing with them in one of the dances that I choreographed. I am on the program for a solo also, but seeing as I haven't even picked music yet, I'm not sure I am going to be ready. The show is in the Highland High Auditorium. Tickets are $5 and $7 unless you buy them before the show starts => they are $3 & $5.


I hope to see you there!

Just in case you were wondering. . .

We are still alive. I was worried that you may have thought otherwise because it has been so long since either of us as done anything with the blog.

Life is crazy! Ben got called to be the assistant scout master and I got an assignment to choreograph for the youth Temple Cultural Celebration. Add that to the already crazy schedule and it could seem that we did drop off the face of the earth - at least the blogging earth.

I'll Gladly Stand Up

So tonight was Emma's third grade class play. It was all about America and the freedoms we enjoy. More specifically it honored the Veterans who have fought for this great nation. Never in my life could I have imagined that I would fight back tears of pride on this night. I was so proud of Emma, and to also be an American.

America is such a great place. There is nowhere else in the world that someone can freely express their opinions and how they feel. And although people will always disagree, it is our right to disagree with each other.

One thing that was truly amazing to me tonight was the sight and sounds of 1st generation Americans singing the Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America. Here were 8 & 9 year olds from all different backgrounds singing in perfect unison. They had nothing but pride for their country.

Thanks Emma for having such good friends, and for being a good example for us all. I love you.

Free Shoes

I remember hearing a story years ago about the Dalai Lama. If I remember correctly he was getting on a subway train in New York City. As he was getting on the train, one of his shoes fell off and landed on the tracks below. Before the doors of the train closed, he quickly removed the other shoe from his foot and tossed it down to the tracks as well. Shortly thereafter, someone near him on the train asked why he took his other shoe off and threw it down below the train. He replied, what good is one shoe to me and one shoe to someone else. Whoever retrieved the first shoe, might as well have a pair.

I have thought of that story quite often over the past few years, and wondered if I would be willing to toss the second shoe below. I can admit that I probably would have gotten upset and then walked the remainder of the day with only one shoe on.

Maybe I'll go barefoot tomorrow...................................then again, maybe not.