Joining the Band!

Before spring break this past school year, the third graders in our school were treated to a showcase of instruments they could choose to play in the band or orchestra the following year, in 4th grade. Students were able to choose two that they wanted to try out after spring break. Then the day after break, a whole day was dedicated to pulling students out one by one and allowing them to try each of the two chosen instruments and in the end, choose one they felt most comfortable with that wanted to play next school year! Or in summer band camp, if that worked out. Daniel's two trial instruments were the trombone and drums. He came home after the trial day and very excitedly reported the trombone was the final choice! Apparently the instructor said he was a natural at it and would be a leader- which made my boy beam! Daniel was so proud! It was all so exciting!

We received many papers about the band program for our school district and they had an informational night for parents to attend and just like that...we're a band family now! Daniel was eager to do the summer band camp, which fit our plans for the summer just fine and I wanted to keep his fire and eagerness going, so of course we heartily agreed to enroll him in band camp. Plus we really liked the daily lesson component to band camp- that would just really give Daniel a boost and get him more ready for doing band in the fall back at his school. I had to attend a very crazy registration night to get him into this band camp, but it all worked out and we got the time slot we wanted. Next step was to rent an instrument! Daniel was very excited to pick up his trombone and try it out. It's been so cute to watch Daniel's excitement grow!

Band camp started immediately in June and went for 3 1/2 weeks. Daniel was eager to get started and he practiced daily. He always wanted me there watching while he practiced, too, so I got many personal concerts, all of which I loved! I took many pictures and videos because as the month of June went along and each day of band camp passed, Daniel got stronger and more confident and it's been amazing to see the progress from the beginning of camp to the end. I'm so glad I thought to take as many videos as I did just to see this amazing transformation and progress. I love it!

At the end of band camp, we attended Daniel's very first band concert!! That was such a treat. Both grandmas were able to come, too, and we just all loved watching it all unfold. (Annabel's eyes sparkled as she watched the different instruments and tried to decide which one she might like! So cute!) So fun! We're so proud of Daniel's hard work this summer! And now we have school year band to look forward to, too! Doing band in the school year with all his friends should be so fun for Daniel- I'm excited for him.

Keep up the good work, Daniel!

We have a trombone in the house now!

This was the day we picked it up. 

And every visitor to our house since then has been treated to a mini-concert! Daniel has just been so excited to show everybody!

Another of Garfield's last school year pictures with us!

Then, before we knew it school was out and band camp started a week later! Daniel practiced every day at camp and again at home. He always gave me concerts, too!

Here Daniel is practicing his "buzzing" with the mouthpiece. It was very interesting to hear the teachers at the concert talk about everything that had to go into learning how to play- starting with the mouthpiece, posture, handling, mouth formation, note positions, concert positions, and just...everything!

An early-June concert at home!

Second week of band!

Second week of band concert at home!

Last week of band!

Last week of band concert at home!

Daniel's first band concert!! We're so proud of Daniel!

And now Annabel can't wait to join band, too! Such a fun adventure for our family!

We're so proud of Daniel for showing an interest in something new and working so hard at it! Way to go, buddy!

Cavalcade of Planes

We enjoyed the Cavalcade of Planes at the small airport near us. We have gone pretty much every year for many years. Last year it was without me though (something that is still hard for me to wrap my head around, that they did all this while I was in the hospital- it's just a weird feeling)...this time I got to go, too! It's always a fun family outing to go for an hour or so. And see...Garfield is already joining our summer fun!

Happy Birthday, Garfield!

Garfield joined our family this summer!! Permanently!

I'd known pretty early on this past school year that I wanted to get Daniel his own Garfield when third grade was over. So when school got out- Garfield joined the family! Daniel was beyond excited to have his own Garfield! And Garfield still comes everywhere with us.

Side story: I'd wanted Garfield to be waiting for Daniel when he came home from school on the last day of school, but when I went to look, that morning (yes, quite last minute, but darn it- I knew where it was!), for the Garfield I'd bought waaaay back in November- do you think I could find him? Nope. I was actually quite a mess about it and even Annabel knew about Garfield, because later that day she whispered to me, "Mommy, I thought you got Daniel a Garfield?!" I started crying all over again and confessed to her I couldn't find it. Anyway, I ended up ordering another one of course, logic being that then I would find the first one...nope, never did. Still haven't. He is poof gone, literally. So this new one came later that weekend, thanks to Amazon's prime 2 day shipping- and you know what? He's still just as loved. Of course! Daniel does know about the original one, too- I confessed. So the joke is whenever we can't find something, it must be next to Garfield. Or when we do find something we announce "Guess what I found?" and everybody looks up excitedly but alas it's never Garfield. So, we laugh about it now. Still, I'd sure love to find that one someday (and yes I ordered a different one this time just in case the first one is ever found- then at least they'd be different versions). Ah well.

Anyway, during the school year at some point, we'd looked up Garfield's birthday thinking that it would be fun to celebrate it. June 19th was his 40th birthday. You bet we celebrated! We made mug cakes, which was a lot of fun. Something different. And of course we sang "Happy Birthday" to Garfield, too!

School's Out!

Memorial Day weekend was a time to celebrate the beginning of summer since school was officially out!! The kids were SO excited and we had a great weekend of fun to kick off our summer!

We went mini-golfing in the morning that Saturday, came home and had lunch, and then that afternoon we took the kids fishing for the first time! After an hour of fishing (we didn't catch anything, but man those kids sat and waited and watched for the longest time, demonstrating a patience I didn't know they had!), we all hopped into our kayak and enjoyed a nice kayak ride in the lake there. Yes- all four of us fit in our two person kayak! It was such a fun adventure. The whole day was awesome!

We followed that up with a trip to Centennial Beach the next day! The kids enjoyed playing in the sand and they did a little swimming, too. It was perfect weather for the beach that weekend- a great kickoff to our beaching days!

Gymnastics fun in the basement was a good way to stay cool that weekend, too!

All in all, that first summer weekend was wonderful!

Mini-golfing fun!

Ben had the kids practice fishing off the side of our deck (not casting of course, but just reeling). Clever daddy.

Now for some real fishing. 

(Well, with plastic worms that came in our kit. For now. Real bait could wait.)

We saw a water snake!

Annabel was so proud of how far she could cast! She's pointing in this picture how far it went.

Big proud smile!

Kayaking time!

Annabel must have been a mermaid or a fish in another life. She is forever wading in the water...farther and farther out, too!

Annabel casting her reel! She's quite proud!

Centennial Beach fun!

Cool gymnastics moves in our nice cool basement!

Annabel is constantly practicing gymnastics moves in our family room, too!