Saturday, April 4, 2009

Joanie's violin and Hunter's soccer




Again, it's been a while, but here's our update.
Joanie has been taking violin lessons since the beginning of the year. She is doing extremely well. She has learned "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and this week she started on "Mary had a Little Lamb". She really loves it. Her teacher said she has been doing an amazing job. She plays every song three times a day. There are are days she isn't overly thrilled about practicing, but all it takes is a threat to not let her play the violin anymore and she'll practice.
She loves to read and will even read to Hunter when he asks her to. She has been extremely healthy and has continued to be the loving little girl as ever.
She has started coming out of her shell. We had a ward party, that was a karaoke party, a couple of weeks ago. She shocked everyone in the ward when she got up and sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" all by herself. It about caused me to have a heart attack. I stood by her and mouthed the words in her ear and she sang them. She then told the primary president that if she could sing a song for a talk she would give a talk in primary. She's been assigned one for the week after Easter. She's going to sing "Family's Can Be Together Forever."
She finishes kindergarten up in a few weeks and then will have all summer to play.
Hunter has started soccer. He's on his friend Hunter's team (it's a lot of fun). Today was his first game. It was freezing and started snowing, but he always had a smile on his face. The other little boy in the picture is the other Hunter. They are our neighbors and the boys see each other all the time.
Other than soccer Hunter has just stayed busy playing and going to school. He only has about 4 weeks left of preschool. He too should have a fun summer.
He also got up at the ward party and sang "Old MacDonald". It was really cute. I was up there with him and he couldn't sing half the time because he was laughing, which in turn made me laugh. Everyone in the ward said it was really cute. Then he also led all the kids in the song "The Hockey Pockey". The kids didn't know it as well, but the adults sure got into it.
He says he's ready to start learning the piano, so I'll begin teaching him shortly. I'll teach him for a year and then he will be able to pick an instrument and we'll get him in lessons. When asked he has said guitar and drums. We'll see what he decides for sure in a year.
We haven't had any other problems with bloody noses, which has been a huge blessing. We are still really careful, but have relaxed some what.
He too is a happy little boy and my cuddle bug. He loves to sit on my lap and just have me hold him. I love that.
Ryan continues to work. Next Friday he is supposed to be going fishing in Wyoming with my dad. He's excited to go fishing for the day. The kids and I will spend the day with my mom. Then the rest of the weekend will be spent (or at least a good portion of it) with my friend Tia and her family. It will be a lot of fun.
We've decided to plant a garden this year. We are going to put in tomatoes, corn, peas, onions and peppers. Then we will get with my parents and freeze and can what we can. I'm really excited for it.
I am doing well. I still haven't felt 100% but have been doing better. I've started writing a little more for the paper, but do that about every 6 weeks. My last story was about a gentleman who wrote a children's picture book. If you want a really cute book it's called "Wet, Bird-Feather Bread." Joanie absolutely loves it. If you'd like to read my story here's the link http://tooeletranscript.com/pages/full_story?page_label=hometown_features&article-Expanding%20Imaginations%20=&id=2129546-Expanding+Imaginations&widget=push&instance=secondary_stories_left_column&open=&. It was a lot of fun to write and then get to design the page for the paper.
I've been trying to get a portfolio of pictures put together so if we ever decide I want to go into a photography business I can. I took my friend's baby pictures a few weeks ago. They turned out so cute. I was really pleased with them. I love taking pictures and take the kids pictures whenever I can.
Not much else is going on. Like mentioned above we are spending next weekend at my parents and with friends. We hope everyone year.