Christmas 2018

We had a wonderful Christmas this year!!

Family Trio

I asked Kim to pick up the cello again.  We worked on this little trio together.  Not perfect, but pretty good. 

Ding Dong Merrily on High!--Violin

Dad has really tried learning to play the violin.  He made a good effort with this piece!

Another Christmas Violin Duet--Joy to the World

We are so proud of our Lillie.  She sounds really good and has made such an effort playing her violin!

Hark the Herald Angels

We've been playing some violin pieces!!

After being away for 3 years, we made it back to Hawaii

We found some really cheap tickets back to Hawaii, so we made an appearance during Thanksgiving.  It was so great to be home.  We sure are very thankful for all our family.  Lillie had a ton of fun.  she stayed with nana most of the time.  She enjoyed time with all her cousins, and when it was time to leave, they were really sad to see her go.  We stayed at a hotel and we enjoyed the pool with family, eating all the local food, and shopping at some great malls!  It was a lot of fun!  We hope to do it again soon!

Lillie plays her violin at her first gig!!

We are so proud of Lillie!!  She and some friends from the ward formed a trio and did a gig--background music for a reception!!

Honors All County Orchestra

We are so proud of our little Lillie.  She has worked so hard on perfecting her violin.  There have been a lot of tears at times.  Violin is not a small feat to overcome, and she has done an amazing job. She has really blossomed with all her musical abilities and we could not be happier.  She was so excited for her honors orchestra concert.  She was the concertmaster and really worked hard to earn that spot!

We were equally as proud of all the youth from the ward who participated in the high school and middle school honors orchestra.  They all really worked hard.

All County Orchestra

Lillie has worked so hard at her violin.  We are so proud of her!!

Lillie Young Women in Excellence

Our sweet Lillie earned her Young Womanhood Medallion this year!!  She completed her personal progress.  We are so proud of her.  She was so diligent and motivated and completed this within a year and a half!!  She is such a dedicated girl!!  We don't know how we got so lucky with her!  She along with others in the stake was honored in a little ceremony at the stake.  Among some of her projects, Lillie wanted to go to the temple to do baptisms every month.  She researched the names of her ancestors and we went each month for a year.  She also did service in school to tutor and help mentor children with special needs.  And she learned how to sew and made slight modifications to clothes that were immodest.  She took the initiative to make the clothes modest!!  She also played the violin at the program and did an amazing job!! We just cannot say it enough, she is such a good girl!

First Day 8th Grade

We are so proud of Lillie.  She always gets good grades and is well behaved and is a budding violinist!  She puts her best foot forward everyday!!  We can't believe it is already her 8th grade year!!  What a cute girl!

Kirtland Youth Conference

We had a wonderful youth conference in Kirtland.  It was wonderful to go as a family and see the places where it all began for the church. We were able to see places that God and Jesus visited and instructed Joseph and other church leaders.  Places like the temple itself, the Newell Whitney store, the Morely farm and the John Johnson farm.  It was sobering for us to feel the Lord’s presence as we toured these sites.  It was a once in a lifetime experience to be here with our youth.  We have such good youth in the stake.

21st Annivesary

We just cannot believe it is another year.  This year we celebrated on a diner cruise on the Potomac.  It was a lovely evening!!  We love each other more than ever and grateful for the eternal marriage we have!!

Stake Conference with Elder Grant C. Bennett--June 2018

This month we had a wonderful stake conference with Elder Grant C. Bennett.  We talked a lot about ministering and making the things of God a priority, and how if we do that, other things we do would not compete.  Elder Bennett served his mission Japan.  It was fun to make Japanese food!!

Ovations Summer String Camp

Right after YW camp, Lillie attended the George Mason University summer violin camp.  It is camp of about 80 7th-12th graders.  They audition and are placed in one of two orchestras and are also all paired up in small chamber groups.  It is a very intensive week long string camp.  We were most proud of Lillie an sticking this out.  Especially the quartet.  Her teacher choose a very difficult piece but Lillie practiced as best she could and this was her performance.  Not perfect, very good, considering she has never played in those high registers before.

State Solo Ensemble--Violin

Lillie is doing so well with her violin!!  We are so proud of her!

Happy Birthday Kim!

April 22, means mom's birthday!!  We celebrated the woman that loves our family the most, all weekend!!


We love going to Cirque Du Soleil.  They had a new show called Luzia, and it did NOT disappoint!

And then the next day we continued to shower the star of the family with a dinner at a unique restaurant that only serves steak and French fries!!!  That's all they have on the menu!





PLDD 2018

2018 Violin Recital

We are so proud of our Lillie.  She did a great job at her 7th grade violin recital!

New York

Our trip to New York over the holidays, proved to be as fun as always!  First off, dinner at Perrine.  

We were really treated to a real gem of a hotel!!  They upgraded us to a suite.  It was awesome.  The London NYC.