Skiing at Monarch

Chris and the kids skiied on President’s Day and I came along to see them in action.  It was the boys first day of skiing.  I got the boys into ski school and Dad and the girls skiied the whole morning coming to find me in the lodge a couple times for snacks and lunch.  Then Dad skiied with the boys on the Caterpillar (bunny hill) and took them up to an easy green at the end of the day.  The boys LOVED it!  The next time they went they even got up on a couple Blue runs.  So fun!

Valentine’s Day Fun

I printed out Star Wars Valentines (thank you Pinterest) and had them sitting on the table when the boys got home from school.  They filled them out and stapled a Fruit Roll Up and packed them away for their classroom Valentine parties.

Valentine’s morning I printed out these cute Pikachu’s and we glued them to bags to hold the boys Valentines for their party.  They loved them.

Megan got these cute glass jars out of the Valentine box and added pens and paper and direction to write how you’ve been loved.  Cute girl.

I went to Matthew’s Class Valentine party and watched as he played games and ate treats with a beaming smile.  He won the ‘stack the Conversation Hearts’ game and was thrilled about it.

Valentine writing… How to Be Kind to Others. 

“I think the best ways to show kindness are these few things.  First of all try not to fight with your friend or sibling.  My brother and I fight a lot.  (Don’t follow our example)  Also, you could use kind words, don’t be a bully.  You don’t feel so well when you’re a bully.  Lastly, maybe try helping someone like your friend in school or neighbor.  For example, you could help your friend with math that he or she is stuck on.  If you are having trouble with being a little more kind (no blame on you) keep this advice in your mind.”         Luke Delmar Johnson

Important People in my Life

“These are important people in my life that I love.  I love my mom because she buys me clothes so I look good, and she makes dinner like spaghetti, witch is my favorite.  I love my Dad because he gets us more money from work, and he pays the money for vacations like Germany.  I love my brother Ryan because he served in a misison to teach Albanian people.  I also love Ryan because he helps Luke and I to not fight.  I love my sisters which are Megan, Emily and Katie.  Meg and Emily play house with me.  Katie helps me with my…     Luke plays things with me like lego and the Wii.   I love workers because they built my room and house.  Now you know the important people in my life that I love.”   Matthew David Johnson

Emily’s Middle All State Choir

After the kids got to school Emily and I packed and headed up to Denver for her Middle School All State weekend.  She auditioned back in the fall and was selected as one of two girls in her school (and three boys) to participate in the event.  Kids from all over the state came to Denver and were positioned in one of three different choirs.  150 kids in each: All Girls Choir, Treble Choir (girls and boys with unchanged voices) and Male Choir (with boys with changed voices).   Emily was an ALTO 2 in the Treble Choir – not because of her range but because according to her choir director, “she can read music like nobody’s business.”

We left frosty Colorado Springs with bags full of treats and listened to Hamilton the whole way to Denver.  Emily told me it is her life’s goal to memorize every word of every Hamilton song --- and visit Australia.  We checked into the Magnolia Hotel downtown and relaxed for a little while before heading to the Colorado Convention Center to check in.  

I sure love this girl.  She’s conscientious, organized, determined and silly.  She is fourteen, after all.  She’s a lot more interested in her clothes these days, and her hair, and her mascara.  She’s been talking about a haircut for awhile and we spontaneously cut it late one night last week.   She’s pretty fun to hang out with.  She does have her challenges but she approaches them with resolve and humility – and for that I’m grateful.

We went out for pizza at the Pizza Republico by the Convention Center and then I dropped her off  for rehearsal from 2:00-4:30.  I bundled up and walked around Denver.  I wish the skies would have been blue and the weather warm, as I am still pretty anxious to explore around Denver, but it was cold and windy.  I shopped a little, bought a black dress at Banana Republic and then went back to my hotel to relax.  I’m glad we decided to stay at the Magnolia.  It was just perfect and only a couple blocks away.  I  met up with Emily to go out to eat for dinner and then dropped her off for rehearsal again from 7:00 - 9:00. 

 

After rehearsal we walked past 16th Street to our hotel.  It was fun having some time just her and I.  Back at the Magnolia we grabbed snickerdoodle chocolate chip cookies and milk from the hotel lobby and ate them in a comfy little alcove and then headed upstairs.  {Mike and Carly had their baby at 7:30 at night – A little girl named Whitney Mary Walton.    It was fun to be receiving updates and pictures all day on the Walton group text.  So fun! }

Friday's rehearsals started at 8:15. Emily and I got up early and had a Denver omelet and fruit at Harry’s – the Hotel’s restaurant and then we dashed over to the Convention Center.  I watched them do a series of fun warm up activities and then spent most of the morning back at my hotel, (darn it winter weather) but I spent the afternoon listening to Emily's choir perform for the High School All State mixed choir (and vice versa) and then hearing a concert by an A Capella group from a nearby college.  A fun afternoon.  Dad and the kids came downtown in time for her big performance at 7:00.  It was fun to be there to support her and  I think she had a great time.