Week of June 28- July 4th and maybe a few extra days...

Ally had her Glee performance at Hollywood Kids Academy.  She did a great job.  I am always so amazed at how brave she is to jump on stage and put it all out there.  The theme of the night was movie music.  For her solo, she sang Moon River form Breakfast at Tiffany's.  

There was also some silliness with a Harry Potter number and a skit consisting of minions

One of Ally's assignments this semester was to coreograph and rehearse her class for Zero to Hero from Hercules.  It was probably my favorite number of the night.

They wrapped up the evening by singing Sky Fall.  Like I said, she did great!  Not to mention that she is absolutely beautiful and does a very professional job doing her own hair and makeup!

She had some good friends come to support her  (Jenna, Kolby, Will, and Maddie but she ran from the camera)

The HKA Glee class

Then Jen and Jeremy (who came to Ally's show), stayed the night at our house.  Ally had an impromptu party with her friends and we all stayed up way too late having way too much fun.

The next day was Aden's 9th birthday. We celebrated with a family birthday breakfast complete with a "donut cake" from our favorite donut shop The Donut Hut.  I know it is said too often but time really does fly.  I am so grateful I get to be his mom and we have had a blast these past 9 years.  Aden has brought such joy into our lives and has made our family better each day.  He is just an awesome kid!

After breakfast, Jen and I took Aden, Jeremy, and some of Aden's friends to the Children's Discovery Museum.  The boys all had a blast and Jen and I got a chance to chat (kinda...it was pretty loud there).

The day after Aden's birthday he had to go into LOVE for more trainings and 2 shows.  His stage managers surprised him with decorations, treats, and gifts in his dressing room.  It was really thoughtful of them and it made Aden feel really special.

Here is Aden with a few of his friends from the show (Hayden and Will).

The rest of the week was pretty busy too. We hosted the cub scout pack meeting at our house on Tuesday.  All the boys and their families came over to swim, eat, and play.  I love having a home that allows us to do so much entertaining.  It seems like we have people over all the time and it is great!  In a little over a week, we had 4 parties (Ally's impromptu movie party, Aden's birthday, scout swim party, and 4th of July).  I wouldn't have it any other way.

So, that brings us to the 4th of July.  We had sort of an open house party. Around 11am we served a late breakfast of fruit and homemade cinnamon rolls.  My mom came out at 8am to help me make the cinnamon roll using a recipe from my great-grandmother's cookbook (which she let me keep!!!!!!).  I have had these cinnamon rolls before and usually they are PERFECTLY DELICIOUS.  This time something wasn't quite right because they didn't rise like they we supposed to but they were still yummy enough.  Most of my family came out and enjoyed snacks and American Ninja.  The first round of party guests were my Mom and Dad, Melissa & Jay, Jen & Jer, and Tiffany & Will. 

The kids did some crafts and we did the diet coke/mentos experiment with everyone.  Aden had to leave for the show around 2pm but he was able to get some swimming in before then.  But, shortly after he left Matt, Allison, and Aubrey came over.  We all jump in the pool and had a blast.  Will overcame his fear of the water and was soon trying to surf like his Uncle Tom.

Aubrey jumped right in and LOVED the water.  She is a little fish.  Matt literally jumped in from every spot he could find doing all sorts of flips and dives.  Tiffany and I even got brave enough to do dives and front flips off the waterfall!!

By the evening, we had round 3 of guests.  The Sprenz family from across the street came along with Gill and his wife (more of our neighbors).  We also had 4 missionaries including 2 of our favorite guys of the planet Elder Lawvneecheck (spelled totally wrong but that is how you say it) and Elder Cutrer.  We fired up the grill and had TOO much yummy food.  People even ate the jello I make every year.

Around dusk we got out the potato gun and fired mini apples.  FYI mini apples work so much better than potatoes.  They go a lot further.  After our potato gun experiments, two of the Elders went to the man cave to watch Frozen (doesn't sound very manly but whatever) and the other two went on our roof to watch all the fireworks in the valley.  The rest of us walked down the street to join our neighbors for our own amazing firework show.  The Lacey's had TONS of fireworks (legal and maybe some that weren't so legal) plus had chairs all set up for people to use.  They put on a great show until the down pour of rain sent us all running back to our houses.  :)

Tiffany's Mike made it just in time for the fireworks

After the rain, we spent a little more time with the Elders before I had to leave to pick up Aden from the show.  Sadly he missed the neighborhood firework show but the stage manager EJ let the boys run out between shows and watch the fireworks going off above the strip.  They even got to do some sparklers and pops.  But just to be sure Aden got the full 4th of July experience, we set off a few small fireworks the next night.

Today we are enjoying a lazy Sunday.  Thank goodness!!!  After church and primary meetings, it feels good to ignore the chores, work piled on my desk, countless emails, and looming deadlines.  I know the next two weeks might kill me and so I am going to cherish my evening with my family and pretend that the next few weeks will be as fun as this week has been.  :)

Week in Review July 15-21, 2012

The summer is moving quickly and it seems we can't quite keep up with everything we have planned!  We still have a lot to do for our summer bucket list, the Desert Suzuki Institute, organizing the kids portfolios, my office organization, taxes (yuck!), Schiemer Studios overhaul, and getting the 2012-2013 home school year ready!  Well, we have a little over a month left so I guess we better not waste a day.  We have to work hard and play harder and not waste a single summer day!  Here is what we were up to this past week.

This was actually last Sunday night.  We LOVE to end the weekend watching a movie together on the couch.  It is usually very relaxing but Aden got a little rough.  :)  Thanks to my new Instagram obsession, I already had my phone out and the camera setting handy.

We have had some crazy summer weather.  All the wonderful rain has brought some gorgeous clouds with it.  I love when we get clouds like this.  One of my goals as an aspiring photographer is to learn how to take great shots of clouds like this.  For now, my iphone pics will have to do.

Monday was pretty boring but by Tuesday we had enough of our chores done to hit the pool at the gym.

For some reason this picture is really dark but I love it.  The photo looks like Ally is really deep in the ocean.

Waving hello

This picture is great because Aden's hands are just touching the water as he is jumping in for a belly flop.  I love when I can capture cool movements.

I guess the belly flop didn't tickle because he did the Home Alone scream after he was in the water.

Our version of a dunk contest

Peek-a-boo

Check out these guns!

We tried (and failed) to get a picture of Ally and I.

Da da da da!  Super Man!!!

Wednesday, Ally had an activity at Sis Gardiner's home for Young Womens.  The girls cleaned tents, shared homemade treats from home and then went swimming in their amazing pool.  I was too sore from my training session the day before to be of much help so Aden and I went to pick up Grammy a birthday present.  When we came back, the girls were still swimming and there were plenty of treats to munch so Aden and I stayed for a while and relaxed.

Thursday evening, we (Tom, myself, Ally, and Aden) joined Grammy and Grandpa for Grammy's birthday dinner at Elephant Bar at the District in Green Valley.  I gave her a card that read, "(front, a cat speaking) I hear it is in style to give homemade gifts these days. (inside, fuzzy unidentified object taped to the page).  Hold on and I will cough one up for you."  I guess my Dad thought it was pretty nasty to have a fake fur ball taped to the card because he made this face when he opened it.  :)

My cute mom and dad.  I can't get over how great she looks.  

My little herd.

After dinner, we went back to their house for make your own ice cream sundaes.  Now that is what I call dessert!!!  They shared photos and videos of their recent trip to Wyoming and Yellowstone with Melissa and Jay.  I think they had a good time.  I would love to get the whole Grimmett Clan up there together one summer!

Then, Ally and I made a last minute decision to stay the night.  We watched TV, got Grammy hooked on Instagram and giggled the night away.  I enjoyed having some girl time.

Ally has an app that will create a make-over for you.  You just take a picture and then add hair, make-up, etc.  Here is what I did to Ally.  Bad lighting....she looks like a hot umpa lumpa!

This is what Ally did to me.  I guess she decided not to mess with my hair.

And she had a photo of Aden on her ipod touch so she gave him a make-over too!  

Friday I had to teach and get to the gym but we managed to squeeze in a game of laser tag with Mike, Jer, and his friend.  Of course Mike came in first!!!  Jen was a party pooper and didn't play but at least she came and took a cute picture and held my purse.  Thanks Jen!

Aden won some tickets and traded them in for Chinese hand cuffs.  Of course, he didn't know how to get out of them at first.  Ally said it was because he wasn't Chinese.  He eventually got out of them only to try it again with his middle fingers!!!!  We almost didn't get him out of that situation.

Later that night, Ally was kind enough to babysit Aden and William so that I could go see Kim's musical, The Great American Trailer Park.  I hitched a ride with Connie, Jeff, and Lindsay.  Tom and Dave came also. 

The show was really funny!

Here is a blurry picture of the set.

I don't know if the show was as funny as watching Kim play a butch, white trash, gun slinging, trucker mouth, beer drinking singer.  Not your average kindergarten teacher!

Aviana makes this face every time I take a picture of her.  She looks a little like Igor but she is really pretty when she isn't doing this.  Aviana was a tech on the show and helped with many things including costume changes.  The show was really good.  We went home after the show to save Ally from the boys.  Dave ended up coming to pick her up and take her to dinner with Jeff, Connie, Lindsay, and Aviana.  That turned into a sleepover at our house.  Dave dropped off Ana after dinner and grabbed William (who was dead asleep by then).  The girls had a fun night and we all crashed about 2am.

After sleeping in very late, we loaded up our gym bags and headed to LifeTime.  Tom had never been and so we were excited to show him around.  We did an intense workout together.  Aden went to childcare and Ally did her own workout.  Tom is really fun to work out with.  We push each other to go faster, lift more, and add more reps.  It is a fun little competition.  I think I surprised him too!  I guess I'm a lot stronger than I look.  After our workout, we took him climbing.  He loved it!  I'm hoping to convince him to join so we can go as a family all the time.

Then we hit the pool for some R&R.  This is Tom having a Zen moment at the bottom of the pool.

The Rock Star and the Hippy

Thumbs Up!

The crew

Once we were done at the pool, we raced to the store and then home.  I had to make a few batches of funeral potatoes for (you guessed it) a funeral.  I actually don't know who the funeral was for but I'm a sucker for a sign up sheet.  Every time they get passed around at church I always sign up.  So this time I had to make funeral potatoes.  I had never made them before and I don't really know how they taste.  Hopefully they came out okay because we rushed them down to the church and made it just in time.  As we left the church we saw more beautiful clouds.  You can't really see on this picture but there were rays of sunlight streaming through the clouds.  Ally calls them God Clouds.  :)

We were all starving from our workout/rock climbing/ pool time so we went to Sweet Tomatoes.  Ally had dessert that looked more like a pile of ........

Mike asked if it was Unicorn poo.  I told him it was Easter Bunny poo.  Very rare this time of year but we had it flown in special delivery.  Anything for our little girl.

After dinner we planned on hitting the skate park but the God Clouds turned into big fat rain drops.  This is Tom's pouting face.  He was really hoping to get to skate with us this weekend.

And now, Sunday afternoon.....time for a few Summer Bucket List items.  Build a Fort.  The kids and I built a fort to end all forts.  This spacious 3 bedroom no bath duplex is big enough to take a nap, read a book, watch a movie, and enjoy a snack.  The premium window front property has great views of the grounds and excellent lighting.  This luxury fort can be yours for the price of a package of clothes pins and 6 blankets.  Both kids spent the whole afternoon in there!

The evening got a little crazier!  We had a water fight.  I started it.  They we all out back playing catch and I couldn't resist.  I filled up some cups with water, quietly went out onto the upstairs deck, and made a surprise attack.  They quickly turned on each other and then came looking for me.  10 minuets later we were all soaked but happy.  Beware of some of the next photos.  Tom and Aden got a little crazy and it might be PG-13.

Aden declared himself the winner and did his victory flex and yell.

But it wasn't over until he got Ally one last time (with Tom's help).

Then, the boys wet pants were sagging!!!! So they actually wanted to pose with matching plumber cracks!  GROOOOSSSSS!

Then Aden dropped his shorts and started singing, "Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground".  I agree!  He looks like a skinny little fool!

Things calmed down a bit and we got to relax and enjoy the warm summer night.

We ended the night we chocolate fondue and a movie.

Yummy chocolate!

She is even cute when she is eating!

I guess it was another crazy week!  All in all it was a great week but the kids and I had a rough patch on Saturday. We worked through it and were able to move on and have a great weekend.  We all made goals to try a be a little better to each other this next week.  Aden is not going to talk over the top of people.  Ally is going to be more careful about the tone she speaks with.  I am not going to yell as soon as I am upset at something they do.  And, Tom is going to try to be home more this week and help out more with life here on the farm.  

I think the "teen years" are upon us and I am bracing myself for a bumpy ride.  Ally is a sweet girl and I think I just need to keep reminding her of that.  I'm so glad that she and I are close.  That closeness makes talking things through and sharing feelings so much easier.   I'm sure we will both make it out of this alive!  :)

Aden has picked an interesting time to be a, sometimes annoying, 7 year old boy.  With Ally's slight moodiness and my short fuze he is also in for a bumpy ride.  Good thing we are all working on trying harder.  My patience is being put to the test and I better find a way to rise to the occasion.

But these are all minor trials and I wouldn't want to experience them with anyone other than these three wonderful people I get to call my family.  I am grateful that my kids are my kids.  I hope I do right by them as their mother.  I am grateful that Tom was able to spend the weekend with us.  We haven't had him home two days in a row in MONTHS!  I am grateful that when he is home he is willing to be so active with us and enjoys the same things we do.  I am grateful for an amazing life and an amazing family to share it with!