Piano Lessons

Today was my first day of piano lessons with all of my new students. I had four lessons back-to-back and I was a bit anxious about how it would all go, but they all turned out great! I'm excited for each of my new students and still enjoying my old students too. Now I have one sixteen year old girl, two 7 year old girls, and three 5 year old boys. A funny mix for piano lessons I think w/ all these little guys, but so far it looks like it'll be a lot of fun.
And just a funny thing -- I always give my new students a bag to keep all of there piano things together. It seems like the bags are just about the most exciting thing about piano lessons so far for all of my new students. One of the mom's even said when her daughter showed her the great new bag "Oh yeah, I heard about these bags..." (from one of my old students) Kids are funny! :)

Just some cute pics

Drew took these of Landon playing w/ his cheetah out by our shed. I thought the colors were so great! :)



 

Grandmas and Grandpas

Tonight, my Grandparents stopped by our house for just a few minutes on their way through town. It was really great to see them and got me thinking of how I love all of my grandparents.
I have been blessed with many Grandmas and Grandpas, and have felt throughout my life the great love that they each have for me and for my family. Here they are in a nutshell.

Grandma and Grandpa Tripp - 'Tickle' askids (my mom's mom and step -dad)

Grandma Tripp is one of the hardest working people that I know. I remember well each time she visited  - seeing her with the scotch cleanser scrubbing our kitchen sink. Each time I clean and shine my sink I think of her and

 know she would be proud to see it. :) Every year, Grandma sends the absolute perfect birthday card. She has always been very generous also in helping our family in any way she can. Grandpa Ray loved his grandchildren. When they would visit, he loved to hear us sing or play the piano and I remember him being so touched by this. He loved to have the grandchildren comb his hair and would pay 5 cents/minute for a job well done.

Grandpa Pete and Joan (my mom's dad and step-mom) Visiting their home when I was young was like visiting a wonderful museum. My grandpa repairs antique clocks and his walls were full of them. He gave us a clock for our wedding ("Don't tell the other cousins, but yours is the best one I've given yet!") which we still have not found a place to hang

, but I keep storing it - maybe someday! Joan collects little collectible pieces and every year for Christmas we could expect a little animal figurine of some sort from her collection. :)

Grammi Char and Gramps (my dad's mom and step-dad)

Grammi loves books. I asked her once why she loved teaching elementary school and she said a big part of it was all of the wonderful children's books. She has been teaching for about 40 years now and still loves it at 71.  Some of my greatest memories are of watching her create the

 beautiful temple cakes she made for each of our baptisms. For several years, John went to school with Grammi and helped her in her classroom as an aid. I've loved to see the way they enjoy each other. 

Ron and Diane (my dad's dad and step-mom) Ron lived near the beach for some time when I was young and I remember boating with him and our cousins and what fun it was to get to take the wheel even. He and Diane love BYU football and travel around to see the games - so we get to see them sometimes when they stop through  Provo. 

Grandma Helen (my great-grandma, Ron's mother) Visiting Grandma Helen was always a surprise as to whether or not she would let us come in... But she really loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren. I remember writing letters to her and receiving letters in return with a dollar or two to buy ice cream of go to a movie. 

Grandma and Grandpa Brady (my step-mom's parents) This is true of all of Shauna's family, but I have felt in the years since Shauna and my dad married that we have been taken in so completely by the Brady's. They always remember to send birthday and Christmas cards and love to attend important family events. 

Grandma and Grandpa Johnston (Jordan's grandparents - mom's side) We got to spend a week in Oregon with Jordan's family last summer and it was really great to get to spend some time with the Johnston's getting to know them a little bit better. Jordan was very excited to bring back some of the great tools from Grandpa Johnston too. I've been watching some of Jordan's home videos and it has been fun to see him and his siblings with Grandma when they were very young. 

Grandma Brough (Jordan's grandma - dad's side) Grandma Brough lives up in Salt Lake so we get to visit her every so often. She is as sweet as can be and loves to show us recent pictures and hear about what we are doing in our lives. She is so appreciative of visits and letters. 

I am so grateful for all of these wonderful people in my life. 

More Mischief!

This weekend, Landon had one his most mischievous escapades yet. We went to our good friend Cassie's house on Saturday night for a BBQ and games. She and her husband are expecting their first -a little boy - in just a few months. Landon and his friend, Paul, were having a blast exploring the non-child-proofed home and leaving behind fingerprints on every sparkling surface they found. Outside wasn't much better w/ an empty lot right behind them with a big mountain of dirt - a dream play place for these little boys!

But, the real mischief came when we let them play upstairs while we started a game. We closed all of the doors so they couldn't get into anything, but after a while we started hearing suspicious noises and surprise! - Landon can now open doors!

I followed Jordan up and when I heard him call down the stairs, "Anybody have a camera?", I knew just where Landon would be... Sure enough - there he was, right in the toilet. Facing the tank, sitting right down in the water, fully clothed even to the shoes, feet and hands splashing around, and just about as happy a boy as he could be!

Yikes!

Good old Provo! :)

I just read an article about Kiplinger's "Great Places to Live, Work, and Play" with Provo on the Top 10 list. 

"It's hard to argue down a city with so many great things going for it," said Kiplinger's Senior Editor Bob Frick. "I would kind of put it in that category of places that people don't naturally think about as being very intellectual and vibrant, but they are. In addition to that, you have the whole natural beauty, clean living kind of thing...It's kind of always on our radar," Frick said. "We recognize it for being pristine and high tech."

Fun to read. :)

Just Super Cute

Tonight, we were all playing outside in the backyard enjoying the beautiful Spring coolness. Jordan was jump-roping and Landon wanted to join in --- he found a little strap, about a foot long, and started jumping up and down and all around, while holding on to the strap w/ both hands and swinging it in circles with all his might -- just like Daddy! :)

Could there be a happier boy than this?

Playing around in the car, with Uncle Nathan and Uncle Drew,  and Aunt April, and Daddy -- that's a lucky boy! 

April came down from Logan to spend Memorial Day weekend with us.  We had fun playing some games, working in the yard a bunch, taking a tree-tour at BYU w/ April as our expert guide,  and just hanging out a bit too.  :)