End of School Year

It's the end of the school year and that means recitals, performances, banquets, art shows, and open houses. We are in the full swing of these follow up events. In the last 10 days we attended Jonathan's art show where we saw some really great talent on display. Jonathan had artwork and photographs on display.

The artwork was a chalk picture of a bright yellow flower. He had nice shading and movement in the picture. He also had a sculpture of a runner that we liked.

His photographs were interesting-one of a football player that displayed photograph developing skills with another picture in the picture. The other picture was one that he took of his baby sisters hands and feet that we really liked.

It is really interesting to see the levels of creativity and talent. There was some artwork that would sell extremely well. It was amazing.

Just a couple nights ago we went to Michael's middle school awards assembly. It was held at the school in the evening. This was a gathering of the school's top students. There were teacher awards, attendance awards, and academic awards. Michael got the Presidential Award for academics. I think he was just happy to be done with it all. I made him take a picture. It was like pulling teeth. What a riot!

We have a couple athletic banquets for swimming and track and the Senior Awards Assembly and then Graduation! We're almost there.

Good work guys.

Is this what Calculus Does to people?

First let's just give some credit where it's due. There are GREAT teachers out there! (and in our public schools, to boot! Yeah and thank you!)

Well, here's the scoop. It's a odd phenomenon that I've never witnessed before.


It was a sighting worth recording for posterity's sake. After a full year of hard studies and countless extra hours both at school and in study group all over the northwest Las Vegas Valley, they came together with a plan. They were going to conquer the AP Calculus exam. How would this be? How could they possibly master the seemingly impossible feat? What would it take. The plan was dancing, adopting a mascot, driving their teacher crazy, and dressing for the occasion. Only in a unified uniformed state could they come out the victor!


So through their organized study groups, they came up with t-shirts, matching pant colors, paint, tube socks with stripes, ribbons for their hair and jigs to go with their stressful moments. Did they come out on top? We don't know the outcome yet. My Black and pink creation came home dazed with a test sticker attached to her cheek. It was a worrisome site but there is hope on the horizon.



I just think that others should see the proof of this craziness in the ages of education.



Behold Lauren's Calculus Comrades in all their glory. (Lauren is on the far right of the 4 girls sitting down, just in case you weren't sure at this point)





Calculus is FUN, really.


(and in case you didn't get it, yes, this is how they dressed for their very serious AP exam on wednesday)

Sportmanship is around still?

Of course it is. With all of our kids in sports, and throughout the years, in various kinds, we've seen the good, bad and the ugly. This video was sent to our family by Grandpa Ellsworth. It's pretty cool:

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3380875&categoryId=3313263&n8pe6c=2

Going Green

Well, by now most everyone that we come in contact with on a daily basis and our families know that we are moving our family to Lexington, Kentucky.

It's not a new idea for us. We've had a second home in Lexington for about 4 years now. Mark had been traveling back and forth for about that time as we've been running our business' in each state. But now we'll just change the home base to the green hills of Kentucky.

For those of you who might say, "why Kentucky?", well, Mark grew up in Lexington and we've loved it from day one. We almost moved there right out of college but couldn't get in-state tuition so we went to Las Vegas where we've been for almost 20 years.

Vegas has been so good to us. We have very strong roots here. The people we've lived by, gone to church with, shared ball fields, pools, and ball courts with, and hung out with in general mean so much to us.

We have very caring friends who have been with us through thick and thin.
This will be hard in the aspect of leaving such great people, but we are ready.

Some things that make this transition a little easier:

• The boys are all going to be in high school at Mark's alma mater and think that's pretty cool.
• Lauren will be off at BYU swimming and doing her thing.
• We have a small farm that we are thinking about utilizing.
• The kids will all continue with sports, scouting, working, driving, etc. just like here. They've met several kids through swimming and church already over the past several years. So there's a comfort in the move.
• Ultimately, we feel inspired to do it now
  
  Anyway, We'll still be around our Las Vegas home-Mark and the college kids will be in and out over the next couple years quite a bit. Sherrill will be, too. Who knows, we might not stay away!

We're going to try to see everyone around Lauren's graduation at the beginning of June.
This is a big time for us. Aside from our move, our first child is off and running soon (if she doesn't pull her hair out this week preparing for 3 AP exams).

*****We want everyone in Las Vegas to know how much we love them

and we will keep in touch.*****

Jonathan is here in Las Vegas for work. We were able to pull ourselves out of our sleep-deprived over-worked state to drive down to the strip to find him. It was a good thing we did. We had a nice visit while we explored and admired the Conservatory at the Bellagio.
We checked out the revolving doors. Michael liked to slow them down with a push of the handicapped button.
I forcefully took pictures with the guys in front of huge flowers and butterflies. Uncle Jonathan: "This is not a very manly picture."



We also walked out in front to see the water show, which I (Sherrill) have never seen in full. (I know 20 yrs in Vegas and there are a lot of things on the strip I haven't gone down to see.
Jonathan is here with some coworkers from SLC at a convention for Urban Planning. He said that it's been really interesting. He looked as tired as us!
While we were driving him back to his hotel, Ange called to chat. I guess Mia is ruling the roost (duh!). She's the cutest little star. Jonathan said that she's learning how to tease her own parents. You go girl. Get it straight early and it's all good.
We had a nice time and it was worth the time and effort to see Jonathan. I know the boys LOVE their Uncles and Aunts and WHY NOT? They're the best around!

BART and Bridges

Mark and Sherrill had a getaway without the kids! We spent a nice couple days in San Francisco sightseeing and sleeping. Yep! the first night I think Sherrill got 11 hours straight of sleep and then second night 10 hours! Guess we had some catching up to do with a house full of teenagers and a toddler.

We walked, rode the BART, the trolley and rented a car. We pulled out our tourist maps and saw the sites. We saw Fisherman's Warf, Boudin Bakery, Pier 39, and Ghirardelli Square. The aligator in this picture was about 4 feet long and all Boudin Sourdough bread! On Saturday we went to see our thoroughbred in Pleasanton, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge to eat lunch in Sasualito and drove down the cute crooked section of Lombard Street.

Sherrill's brother, Jim gave two very great recommendations for places to eat. One was Tadish's on about the 100 block of California and the other was Scoma's in Sasualito. Yummy food and great atmospheres.

We also went into the Hard Rock Cafe and saw In n Out in NORTHERN California, weird. ;) We were too stuffed to eat at either joint.

Anyway, it was well worth the trip. our last before our move in July. We definitely think that one should visit San Francisco at least once to take it all in.

And They're Off!

News Flash!!!!! They're Off! Jonathan just got his braces off yesterday. It has been about 4 years because he wouldn't miss school or sports to go to appointments. Now he has shiny, million dollar teeth.

It took him 5 minutes to eat "no, no" candies that the Ortho gives to kids when they are done. What a crack up.