Suzuki Violin Institute

We had violin institute for a week in June. I love institute and how it energizes the kids...mostly my daughter. This year she improved immensely, but then lost it about 2 weeks later by refusing to practice, and I was just tired of fighting her. She is doing better again, but not like she was in June at Institute.

She had amazing teachers.

We had a full schedule this year. She took an art class for fun, and Zach was able to go on her last day and participate with her there. They both had lots of fun with that.

The day Zach came they designed frisbies and got to toss them around outside. The big project was a rain stick (see below).

I am happy that she is learning a musical instrument. I think it is so important. I wish I would have stuck with the instruments I started out with so many years ago. Piano, Violin and Guitar... Yip can't play any of them.

Ali with her friend Tyler who she met last year at institute (2008) -

They had almost identical schedules in the same classes together.

One of the highlights of her week was to meet Jenny Oaks Baker in person. Alicyn had to buy one of her cd's and have her autograph it. She is so talented and nice. Ali told me "Mom, if I can get a picture with her, I will just die, I am such a fan!" I laughed to myself.

Horse Show Number 1 - 2009

We had a great Day on May 30th. I was trying to be two places at once with two busy kids. Thank heaven's for a husband and sisters. Dave was in charge of Zach and getting him to his Karate testing. I had Ali with me, we got up at 5:30 to go to my parents house and wash her horse. Grandma Diane made her breakfast with Hayley and Jaxsen, while Christy, Andrea and I washed horses (mostly Andrea and Christy - they are horse washing champs).

After that was completed Ali went with Christy to the West Jordan Arena and I went to get a cat carrier at my house and ice. Hilerie's cat Smokey decided to be a stow away and got in the horse trailer the night before, she didn't discover that until she was at the arena. ha ha ha

Anyway, on my way to the arena I stopped and watched Zach earn his yellow belt. WHEW! What a day. Dave and I have the best kids ever!

All the kids tore it up. They did so awesome and made us all proud. Hayley rode Tahoe and even though he is an old man, he still wants to rip up the dirt. Surprised cowgirl Hayley when he took off like a jet to run poles. Emily and Ty both rode Cocoa, Ali on Spinning Jet. It was a great morning and we were done by 1:00pm. Nothing like the horse shows when I was growing up that ended at 2:00 in the morning, and lasted both Friday and Saturday ALL day long.

After the horse show we got shakes at Riley's, for Dad, Zach, & Grandma J and went to Grandma Jeanne's house where Dave and Zach were helping grandma tear down her fence and clean up her yard. When Ali & I got there, Zach was flat on the couch with a fever, and Grandma Jeanne was gone with Aunt Bette.

:( Zach fought a fever all weekend and he just felt lousy. Took him to the doctor on Monday and he had Strep. Took Ali with me to the doctor also, and found out she had strep too, just wasn't showing any signs of it yet.

Here are some pictures of our fun weekend, until the fevers hit.

Violin Federation!

Ali did just great! She played for three teachers (who were judges) at 10:00 am last Saturday, April 25th at Gardner Hall at the University of Utah.









We are so proud of her and happy that she is learning to play the violin.



On our way we stopped and picked up Grandma Diane so she could come with us. They wouldn't let us take pictures during her performance, or in the room so we had to get a few outside.

All the students which were with her did such a good job.

I remember when I had to do federation at BYU when I was playing the piano. It was pretty nerve wracking, and I was always so glad when it was done and over. Ali didn't complain though.

We love you Ali! Great Job!

Keep up the practicing and the good work.

Kids Market Place

Ali came home from school and said she had her career for kids market place this week.

This is where they get to pull a career out of a hat, have a budget according to there job, and then try to live off it.

They purposely didn't let them know what their career would be so you had to come of with things you had at home. They didn't want parents to run out an buy things. So she came home from school and said that she was a sales person. We had to come up with an outfit, and something to sale (props).

Our brains tried to kick in gear, yeah hard sometimes. She deciede to sell pencil pals and hair gadgets. We made some and a name badge.

While at the market place she purchased a sports car. Later found out that it was to expensive and traded it in for an economical car. Went to the animal shelter...(I knew that would be a given) They had to pay utilities, rent etc and either break even or have some left over.

Sounds like it was a sucess she had a great time.

She was a good salesman cause she came home and we had to make more because everyone wanted one and she ran out. She was beaming because won in her class for creativity and props.

Violin Graduation

On Thursday evening Ali graduated from the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star level and moved onto the next level. All the students graduating performed at their level on Thursday night at Cottonwood High School. They received a graduation certificate afterwards.

We walked in and started scoping out a place to sit. Once settled Ali asked me if I brought my camera. "WHAT"??? How could I forget my camera? Especially on such an exciting occasion. BUT I DID! I took a few pictures of her with my cell phone, whoopee!

Ali was so nervous that her jaw was chattering like she was experiencing hypothermia or something. We went back out in the hall to have her violin tuned, and we were able to talk with Kayleen for a few minutes (her teacher). Her level played last, when it was time for her to perform, we walked out into the hall again and once I knew she was in the right place went back inside.

She did fantastic. She was toward the back so we couldn't see her face but we could see her bow, up and down up and down. She stayed with all the other students and did great. WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!

American Dog - Condo

Grandpa and Ali building Lexi a dog house on one of his days off.
They had a lot of fun looking at plans on the internet and deciding what the dog house would look like. Then they printed the plans they wanted and headed to Home Depot to make some purchases. As mentioned in our Christmas card. Ali told my dad that "we already have a hammer and nails so it will be free". She was so excited to make her dog a house. It is amazing too. It has about 2-3 inch thick insulation inside. Should be toasty and water proof.

They painted it Red, White and Blue cause he said Lexi is an All American Dog!

Scrappin Chicks

Ali and I were able to have a girls out weekend. We had so much fun. We went to the Cotton Tree Inn in Sandy and stayed up until 2:00 am scrap booking. Then woke up at 7:00 am to do it all over again. Our great friends, Alonna and Joanie were with us. We had a fabulous time chatting and sharing pictures/memories. Alonna won every contest there was to win. I hope a little of her luck rubs off on me. *wink wink*

Joanie even gave us a massage! It was Heaven

Ali did a great job on her scrapbook and I loved how she spelled things phonetically. This will be a fun tradition to have with her and we will always remember the fun together creating our scrapbooks.

The next one is in April if anyone is interested and wants to put a little money aside each week to go with us next time. Wahoooo! We would love to have you.

The bed was amazing...so comfortable, I don't think I have slept in a bed that nice at a hotel before. Maybe it was because I went to bed at 2:00, but it was great!

Suzuki Institute Fundraiser

Ali has the opportunity to go to Violin Institute again in the spring. This year it was held in June. Institute really fired her up, and she was excited to learn and practice all over again. She made new friends, learned new techniques and tips for practicing.

Miss Kayleen has organized a fundraiser again this year to help us with the price of tuition. All items are $14.00 and Ali gets 45% of the profit.

She will probably visit a few neighbors and family, if you would like to help out she would love it. She has asked me 6 times if I am going to buy something from her. She feels like she is working for her tuition by doing this fundraiser, which cracks me up. If you are interested orders/money needs to be turned in by October 29th.

THANKS! Click on the picture and it will enlarge so you can read the details.

8th Birthday Bash

Ali had a Hannah Montana Beach Party for her birthday this year. (I am really behind in my postings) It was a great party for her! She just loves all her friends so much!

THANKS to our good friends Jaynan and Nate it turned out even better than I had imagined.

I was getting everything ready the morning of the party and doing the usual running around to get last minute things. As I was setting our beach layout up in the backyard I realized that our slip and slide had popped last year and I never bought a new one. So we were going to have a dumb blow up pool, sprinkler under the trampoline and a water ring that shoots water up in the air.

We had some water games planned also. Jaynan came over to drop Jade off and started to help blow up the water balloons. In talking with her I told her about the slip and slide. She quickly and very nicely offered to let us borrow their blow up water slide for the party. WHAT A HUGE HIT THAT WAS!! They all had so much fun.

I captured a few great photos, some just make me laugh. Had to put them in a slide show cause there were to many to post just in the layout.

Ali had a great birthday and was so happy that each one of her friends that came were there. She has talked about it constantly since her birthday.

Alicyn Jeanne Bliss Turns 8

My baby girl turned 8 years old today! What a nice young lady she is turning into. I am so proud of her. My official due date was August 19th. My Doctor was going out of town and kind of talked me into inducing labor before she left. I was naive and just did what she told me she thought would be best.

I love to remember the day she was born and how much Dave and I wanted her. We were so excited. Since I was induced we had to be to the hospital at 6:00 am. On our way to the hospital I looked out my window the whole way with tears running down my cheeks. I didn't want him to know how scared I was. I was really glad that it was dark....I was trying to be tough. It was scary, exciting and wonderful all at the same time. What a roller coaster of emotions I felt that day.

Alicyn Jeanne Bliss was born at 2:46 in the afternoon on August 16th, 2000. She was 8 lbs 9 ounces and 19.5 inches long. She has been a little blessing to our lives ever since.

A couple funny things I remember:

She used to be scared of Swiper on Dora. One night when she was saying her prayers she said... "if Swiper comes to my house please make him go to Jade or Ella's instead". Oh it was hard not to burst out laughing.

One of the very first movies that Dave and I took her to was Piglet's Big Movie. She was glued to the screen and ate her popcorn. The second the movie was over she asked us over and over for about two weeks... "What happened to the bees?" In the very beginning of the movie Pooh and friends are chased by a bunch of bees and they ended up getting away. They out smarted the bees and made them go inside of something to trap them. She was so worried they were hurt. That is the only movie on DVD that I have ever seen actually wear out from watching it so much. Ali and Zach loved it when they were little. The DVD peeled apart. We don't have that one anymore.

Ali loved throwing the laundry down the stairs as I sat on the couch trying to fold it. She was pretty fast though and I ended up folding things over and over.

She is a water baby, anything to do with water and she is there.

She didn't like the Grinch either (How the Grinch Stole Christmas).

One day I went to my mom's house after work to get her and she was in the backyard on the pony. My mom told me when I walked in "I have a little bad news, Colby cut Ali's hair" He said he was playing doctor and cut her hair. I told him that doctor's don't cut hair and he said, YES THEY DO!. So I went in the backyard to see how bad and just started to cry when I saw her mullet head. She said, oh mom don't cry, it really is ok. It was just hair but man she looked like a little punk rocker 3 year old boy.

Another time at my mom's I went in the back yard and she and Colby we covered in grey dirt. Their clothes, hair, mouth, eyes, shoes were full. I said what did you do? She said, oh Colby and I were making snow angels. I asked her to show me where, so she did. It was in my dad's fire pit. They were both covered in soot.

Ali has always loved to play house. When she was young this is where her baby would sleep while she did other things that mom's do. The oven was also a place to store things that she was playing "house" with. After I melted a few things turning on the oven....I learned to look in the oven first before turning it on....still do, thanks to little Ali.

A few things about Alicyn:

*Loves her family

*Loves her cousins and friends

*Loves to play house

*Loves to wrestle with her brother

*Loves 4-H (horse club)

*Loves her puppy Lexi

*Loves her cat Simon

*Loves Ginger Ale

*Loves makeup

*Loves to hang out with Grandpa

*Loves school

*She is the sleep over queen

*Loves to go camping

*Loves Yellowstone

*Loves Sea World and wants to work there

When she grows up she wants to be a mom, babysitter, work at Sea World, Be a singer so she can be rich and buy mom and dad a huge house - ha ha!

I don't know what I would do without her. She is my sweetheart!!

Little Ali

Yesterday Ali called me at work like she does every day when she gets home from school. I look forward to that phone call and expect it at the same exact time.

This time I answered and she sounded just fine at first, then she said with a really crackly voice. Mom, ...then really started to cry...I said yeah, what's wrong?? She said, I am really sorry about this morning when you told me to keep my pants pulled up and I snapped at you (all broken up with sobs). I said, Ali, don't worry about that why are you crying about that? She said well I am just really worried that I hurt your feelings...lots more sobbing.

Just then I heard Dave open her bedroom door, Why are you crying?? What is going on? Ali why are you crying? She didn't want to tell dad and he wasn't letting up so I told her to let me talk to him and I would talk to her again after.

I told him that this morning I had tightened her pants with those buttons the pants come with cause the waist was too big. Her pants I have to buy big because she needs the length but her waist is so small that the pants never are the right size in the waist. Well I had them too tight and they were pinching her. So I loosened them, I must have too much cause when she hopped out of the car to walk in the school, her pants dropped a little. I just said, pull your pants up, try to keep them up today. She turned around and Yelled..WELL I WOULD IF THEY WEREN'T TOO BIG!! Dave giggled that she was so upset for that.

I spoke with Ali again and she was fine. I just loved that she would call me to tell me she was sorry, and she is such a thoughtful girl about everything. Especially to recognize when she makes a mistake and wants to correct it.

The Big Third Grade!

I can't believe how fast my kids are growing up. My friends told me that once they hit Kindergarten it just flies by...I didn't understand it, but I do now. Alicyn started third grade on Wednesday this week. She missed the first two days of school because we were in Alaska. I tried really hard to get "D" track so that we wouldn't have that problem but my attempts failed. She has Mr. Yates and is so excited to have a male teacher. We were able to go and meet with him on July 18th for a while and get to know him prior to our trip. I thought that would be a good idea because then when she started school two days late she would already know where her class room is and her teacher.

She is so excited to begin a new school year.

This is in the morning just before school yesterday.