New Camera!!! (and some much needed "ketchup" )

It is high time for a new blog post. :-) I do have a tendency to delay posting until I end up with so much to post that it covers pages and pages. :-)

"Wellllll....." you ask, "what's new????"

*ahem*

-I got a new camera for my b-day!!!

-Dad and Connor and I went skiing (a first for Connor and me).

-I am teaching pre-ballet to adorable little girls

-I turned 17!

-We documented "Fat Tuesday" (not that Tuesday, in and of itself, is particularly "new":-))

-Connor participated in FPU's strings day

-Max and Jenny had their "groomsmen's dinner"

-I am writing a research paper on Lady Jane Grey

Well, there's everything in one breath and not in any particular order or anything.

Now I'll explain a little more with some pictures.....

These are some of the first experimental pictures that I took with my new camera.

I still have lots to learn about all the different settings that my camera has, but I am having a blast experimenting.

We all had a great time skiing. Even though it was a first for Connor and me, we enjoyed the day in the mountains thoroughly.

from the lift





the lesson ( "pizza! pizza! pizza!" )

Shaver Lake at sunrise

We basically lived off of string cheese that day.

and........well.....just make a wild guess and you'll probably be right

And now for my adorable pre-ballet students. I have loved teaching these girls. It's so much fun to hear them repeating all the French words and combinations.

"plie! echappe saute! plie! and stretch!"

It was such fun to celebrate my 17th birthday with a celeidh. (hmmm...did I spell that right? With those kinds of words there is always that possibility of needing "l-m-n-o-p" somewhere in there along with some random "z"s and "w"s. :-) I was still just learning how to use my camera that evening, so some of the pics didn't turn out that great.

Mrs. Clark had to eventually come to the stage and clap out the beat so that we didn't get off.

The sweethearts

what dancing does to Timmy

Words just aren't needed

playing with Mr. Potato head

Dancing the "Lizzy/Darcy dance" with Dad and Mr. Davis

We forgot to bake a cake.....so they sang "happy birthday" to me and gave me a quarter of a Costco muffin with a candle in it. :-)

And then there's FAT TUESDAY.....( beginning at 8am and ending at 8pm.)

Writing class



My writing instructor



Girls ensemble


Connor's attempt at waltzing with three girls at one time. This was in the evening after community choir.




Max and Simon played a little bit after community choir


Some much needed "sister" time








Connor, Simon, and Nichole at the FPU strings day evening concert









On Friday, Max and Jenny had Max's groomsmen over (minus Jeremy because he was sick) to dinner to thank them. Sally and Kendra and I helped with some cooking, baking, and other preparations and got to join in on the delicious meal, too. We enjoyed some singing afterwards with Max at the piano, Garrett and Aaron on guitar, and Simon on his Cello.



Kisses from Auntie Sally



Jaelyn's perspective



Olivia could win a "great facial expressions" award if there was one

And of course there's school, too. Right now I am doing a research paper on Lady Jane Grey.

"Black Monday"

February 12, 1554

Lady Jane Grey (Dudley) - Queen of England for nine days, executed for "treason", and a moving example of faith even unto death