Wedding and Vacation Happenings...

Going Here Very Soon...can you guess where?

We've got some exciting things coming up soon. My youngest brother is getting married in Salt Lake City to a really wonderful girl. Her name is Lauren Magleby.

I'm so happy, all my brothers have such great wives! Lucky me, I get to have awesome sister-in-laws! I love Jim's sisters too!

Then we're going on a trip taking a cruise to Bermuda! (Still can't believe we're going.)

So I just wanted to say, if we don't come back because of some rogue wave or hurricane, love you all! Just kidding. I admit, I am a wee bit nervous because we're going on a cruise and I've seen way too many movies with boats that end up sunken ships with no survivors. Well, all I had to see was The Titanic, and that did it for me. Those scenes are vividly stored in my head of just what could happen to me. I know, I'll be fine, we'll be fine. We'll take lots of pictures and we'll post them sometime this next year =).

Violin Happenings...

I've been so grateful to get a bunch of side violin gigs lately that have been keeping me busy (some weeks have been too busy.) I've enjoyed subbing at a couple of music institutes, subbing for someone in a local orchestra, recording with the OCMCO, and playing/recording with a couple of quartets for weddings and other projects. It is fun. I am really grateful performing can still be a part of my life. I am grateful to my friends whom I play with keep calling me even though I'm a Mom now and life is full enough with being a Wife, Mom, and teaching violin to a growing violin studio. Oh, and throw in there a church calling too.

Well, sometimes those side gigs turn into other opportunities. We did a recording a while back for a girl wanting to submit something to David Blaine for one of his stunts. So we showed up, we were totally informally introduced and we got to work recording something for her. Well, I can recall her asking us for our autographs on the sheet music that was composed after we finished recording. We were thinking, oh, yeah, like our autographs are a big deal because they aren't (except if it is written on one of my checks.) Maybe she wanted to keep it for her history sake.? Well, it turns out we probably should have been asking her for her autograph! We sort of knew she was once a Fanta girl, dancer for the black-eyed peas, on a few music videos, did some modeling...Well, some of you (if you watch these kind of shows) might know her as Bonnie from The Vampire Diaries. Her name is Katerina Graham. We got a call around mid-April asking us to play with her again and accompany her on American Idol for the release of one of her latest songs. We were so excited! We went to Hollywood one night and played through the music that was written for us to play with her music and it was really fun. After that night, Katerina went back to Atlanta to finish filming the end of the season for Vampire Diaries and we were told they would be in contact with us. Unfortunately, we were contacted a week and a half before the scheduled show and told that the gig was cancelled. So Katerina didn't get to perform that night and we didn't as well. We were so close, but there some things that didn't work out. She said that she would call us back in the future and thanked us for playing when needed for the past few years. Oh, I just read she got cast in Honey 2-I'm not that familiar with but she is cast in place of Jessica Alba.

It is so fun to play for those types of gigs! Just wanted to record that story somewhere. Here I am on her website katerina-graham.com recording for David Blaine:

katerina-graham.com

katerinagraham.org

Girly girl stuff

Lauren got her first hair cut by Rachel Faulkner. She did a really cute bob that I think looks great on her but to me, reminds me that my little girl is growing up! Since the cut she's looked all grown up.

I wanted to post some cute pictures of Lauren's very closest friends. These girls have had a ton of fun playing, learning, and growing up together because they live so close to each other. Cute girls! We love em!

Some Happenings...

I have to look at our photo albums to recall what we've been up to lately. Well, I forgot to post about Easter in there, that happened but I didn't blog about it. Then there was the fun train train convention that Lauren and Jim went to with Jim's Dad, and Lauren got her first pair of roller skates. Adventuring on another ground was Jim with the Boy Scouts. Jim went on a couple of trips with the Boy Scout troop he is currently serving as Scout Master. He has been doing as best as he can with his work schedule needing him to work overtime lately during the week (no complaints there) and serve in this position going on Wednesday nights to help the boys work towards earning merit badges with very little experience doing that sort of thing. Well, from the pictures I've seen and from what I've heard, he's doing great. They went on a snow camp out and then a camp out on Catalina Island. No one froze, they didn't starve(well almost j/k), and they all got back safely. ;) Jim and the leaders with him did a great job and the boys had a great time. Jim took some great pics. Again, sorry for the backwards pics.

Funny Girl...

At this age Lauren has let me know that the Wiggles go with us everywhere. So, I guess my daughter has some imaginary friends? She likes telling jokes, and tries to make people laugh when she gets in a silly mood. She now can chew bubble gum and assures me that she won't swallow it. We love her so much! See if you've heard this one before:

Lauren had her 4th Birthday!

Lauren turned 4 and had a really fun time celebrating. She got to celebrate at pre-school, then on her birthday we went to a local theme park together as a family. Then we had a few of Lauren's friends her age over that night to eat Lauren's favorite: some pizza and have ice cream cones. They had fun playing pin the number 4 on the cake and enjoyed every minute of it. (Except for the part about not getting the 4 right on the cake the first time around, but once she got the hang of it, she was pretty content with where ever it ended up.)

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For her family birthday party we had all of my siblings and my Dad up at Jim's parents home for a dinner, cake, cake and ice cream. It was great to have everyone together. We were missing a few people to really have it feel complete, but it was really great to get together.

Jim's sister helped me frost and decorate Lauren's requested "purple kitty cake. She wanted a purple and blue kitty cake. So we went with a lavender kitty with a blue collar made out of salt water taffy. She probably forgot all about the detailed request, but nevertheless Mom went to all lengths to produce what was requested. I thought it turned out pretty well. Thanks to Penny we were able to have it come together just in time! Lauren loved all her presents. From a fun harmonica, cute clothes, fun toys, much desired sleeping bag of her own to her very first 2 wheeled bike, this girl had a very BIG 4th Birthday. Thank you, everyone!

We love you Lauren!

*The pictures are in backwards order. I'm still trying to figure out why it won't let me select the pictures and move them around like I used to be able to do. Now I use Picasa. Can anyone help?

Jim had a Birthday, shout Hoo-ray!

Ok, so it's been another dry patch for me in the blogging business. That's totally why I don't consider myself a "real blogger". Wish I could, but let me tell you some of my setbacks if you care to know why...something always goes wrong when I am trying to upload some pics "real quick" and update it real quick. Well, it doesn't work that way. By the time I get one pic loaded, I'm through. This updating needs to take 10 min. tops so I can get on to other stuff. Ok, I'm done complaining and I will now attempt to update my blog. I'm sorry, I haven't checked anyones blog in so long, I still care about you.

So...Jim had a Birthday, and if you can recognize that song with those few words, you are a winner! Or you could quite possibly have been in a Primary calling as long as I. So Jim had a really nice Birthday, just adding more years to our 30's. Here's a pic of Jim's cake he got from work. We went out for dinner to an interesting place with his parents called "The Farm Stand" in El Segundo. Then had some yummy dessert ice cream cake after at his parents home.

It seemed like we enjoyed celebrating all weekend long, can't think of what else we did. H enjoyed it though.

Eh...can't get the photograph to move where I want it. Ok, so it will be in the beginning.