Kirsti's BYU graduation

Time to share the back-log of photos and adventures of the past six weeks!  First we go back to the end of April when Kirsti graduated from BYU.  Steve and I flew to Utah to witness this momentous event.







 
The commencement exercises in the Marriott Center were impressive (President Uchtdorf was there and spoke briefly.  He had grandchildren graduating).  Aside from the hour-long exit from the parking lot, it was worth attending.  The next morning was the convocation for the School of Fine Arts.  We had front row balcony seats in the DeJong Concert Hall.  We saw Monte Belknap and Larry Lowe from afar.  Of course, since Kirsti had the last name of Merrill instead of Lambson, neither one had any clue that she was a Lambson and that there might be family out in the audience.  The only former Columbia resident that Steve and I made connections with while we were out in Utah was Moana Burns.  I had a nice but short little visit with her at a hardware store in American Fork while Steve, Kirsti, and Ryan shopped for ceramic pots to plant Kirsti's little succulents.

BYU campus was beautiful, as always.  The flower beds were full of tulips
 
 We were able to attend the Sacred Gifts exhibit at the Museum of Art and see some of the works of 
Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann, and Frans Schwartz.  Magnificent.  And, oh, my, it was wonderful to see those mountains again! 

 

After we took a tour of Forever Green, the company where Kirsti works, we visited the Orem cemetery where Steve's folks are buried.

 
We stopped by the Cougar Stadium parking lot where our life together began 39 years ago

We checked on the progress of the Provo Tabernacle Temple construction.

We had the opportunity to attend the Mt. Timpanogos temple with Steve's sisters and their husbands Friday evening.  Katie Lambson, Steve's niece, was receiving her endowments in preparation for her marriage the following week.  This was the first time that four of the five children of Virgil and Iola were together in the temple for more than just a marriage sealing.

Steve, Maureen, Michelle, Cal, Mike

We spent Friday night and Saturday with Michelle and Mike up at Maureen and Cal's home.  This is a picture of their greenhouse.  They live at such a high altitude that the growing season is really short.  This greenhouse allows them to grow Maureen's beloved cucumbers and tomatoes a little longer



I can see why they love living where they do with views like this!

 















On Sunday, we drove to Grantsville to spend time with Michelle and Mike and their family.  We were able to visit with all three of Michelle's kids and their families.  Dave and Megan came - Dale was home sick.  Kirsti and Ryan drove up.

It was a delightful trip.

Early May had gorgeous weather.   Here is a shot of Steve and the dogs on our morning walk.






















 We finally planted our rose garden out in the front strip between the sidewalk and the street.  We bought nine “knock-out” roses – which is a variety of ever-bloom rose bush – three red, three yellow, and three pink.   



AND, I made a new blueberry bed out of retaining wall blocks and finally planted my three blueberry plants.  It is located on the south side of the house outside the backyard fence so “grand-dogs” won’t dig them up.

Music and Flowers

Steve showed me a Peanuts comic strip the other day that mirrors my thoughts perfectly. Lucy is complaining that there are too many people and time is moving too quickly and she needs a BIGGER YEAR!  Well said, Lucy.

These past two weeks have just been a blur of musical activities.  District music festival was Friday and Saturday, April 4^th and 5^th.   Both days were long ones – leave from the school at the crack of dawn and return late afternoon.  Friday was the large ensemble festival.  Chamber Orchestra – the auditioned group – received all “ones” from the three judges and they got a “one” in sight-reading. 

Chamber Orchestra in the warm-up room

Concert Orchestra received all “twos” and a “two” in sight-reading.  I am pleased with both results.  Last year, I had such a small orchestra that I could not split them by ability level and we got a “two”, mostly due to poor intonation from my less skilled players.  This year, the hard-working, talented students were rewarded for their efforts.  And, the non-auditioned players played well enough to get a two rating. 

Concert Orchestra waiting to board the bus back to Rock Bridge

Saturday was solo and small ensembles.  My students performed in two time clusters – one early in the morning and one mid-afternoon. That left a huge gap of time in the middle that allowed me to drive over to the Mexico Ward meetinghouse to watch the Saturday morning session of General Conference.  And, thanks to the iPad, ear buds, and school WiFi, I was able to start the Saturday afternoon session at the school and finish watching at the church.  It was a great compromise since I could not stay home to watch.  Sunday, of course, we got to watch every session at home.  Sadie and Trissy were in heaven having both their people with them ALL DAY. 

In addition to Districts, I have been involved in a collaborative concert involving the Columbia Chorale and their children’s choir, some university and community musicians, and several of my high school Chamber orchestra students as well as students from Hickman and CIS.  We are performing John Rutter’s Mass of the Children tonight at the Missouri Theater so the last two weeks have involved several rehearsals.  And, when I am not practicing for Rutter, I am in the stake choir Easter Cantata rehearsals which performs this coming Friday evening. 

Thankfully, no Prairie Strings weddings  YET – but that is coming headlong in a couple of weeks!

The weather has finally turned warm and the flowers have just exploded in our yard.  

 

  

 Steve has been busy applying weed control and fertilizing products on the yard.  I have already sprayed the fruit trees once -  well, twice actually because an unexpected RAINSHOWER!!! occurred three hours after my first spray.  We bought some roses bushes yesterday to plant in our front bed and we are looking for more in different colors to ultimately have about 10.  They are the “knock out” variety which means they bloom all season.  I just love to see all the new growth in spring – things that look completely dead suddenly have little leaves popping out. 

These last photos are of the amaryllis that have just bloomed this week.  These are supposed to be “Christmas amaryllis”…..   

 

 

 And, Steve and I were invited to a 60^th birthday celebration for a friend of mine from my CIS days.  The party was at Pinnicles and I took a picture of Steve to mark the event.

 

out like a lambson

My spring break is over and so is March.  The past week and past month have been pretty great. 
 

My prime project for spring break was to work on the 2013 family photo book.  I had hoped to finish it but, unfortunately, I did not.  Spending about four hours each day, and with the help of the Hans Zimmer Pandora station,  I am about 95% done, though.  All the pictures are in and organized.  I just need to add captions.   If I had spent ALL my time on the book, I might have finished but I also would have been crazy.  It was still important to take naps, walk with the dogs, practice my bass (for an upcoming concert), keep the house clean, and teach a couple of lessons, watch Once Upon A Time and do other regular things.   

 

 Trissy on one of our walks.

We had some severe weather come through on Thursday.  Some people got hail and a tornado (sirens went off in Columbia) but all we got was a rainbow!

Steve and I spent all day Tuesday in St. Louis at the temple and at the Southerlands.  We had hoped to catch the 9:00 endowment session at the temple but Sadie thwarted that attempt.  Steve and I are now totally converted to NOT giving her any people food of any kind.  She was hit with a double whammy of pork leftovers on Saturday and turkey leftovers on Sunday and by Monday night, she had terrible diarrhea!  Up every two hours to go potty throughout the night.  Ugh.  It has taken her all week and special food and pills and couches covered with sheets and several bottom baths but I think she is back to normal now. 

Anyway, back to St. Louis.  Vicki was finishing up a two-week visit with Emily and Joe and family and it was great to see her and spend the afternoon with her.   

 

 

She left for Utah Tuesday and returns to Korea tomorrow, I think.  BUT, the great news is that Joe has a new job in the Washington D.C. area and they will be moving in May.  

 

 nap-time for Lucy

Quiet-time for Noah. (note his lambie "Mai" bouquet he created)

 Quinn up from his nap.  

Steve and I also went to the Kansas City temple yesterday.  On our way home, we stopped off at Culvers (buy one sundae, get one free), Russell Stovers (duh!), and a cute little antique/vintage shop in Boonville owned by Glenna and Jim Johnson (band director of Steven & Beckie).  We also went through Rocheport and stopped by the mandolin shop operated by a fellow who plays violin the in the RTO.  The sun was shining and temperatures were nice and we had a great day.  It was topped off by the Women’s Conference broadcast, Steve’s haircut, and me staying up too late  to watch age 21 in the UP series.  This is my current set of Netflix DVD’s.  Back in 1964, a fellow in England started a long-term documentary project by focusing on 14 seven-year-olds from different backgrounds in various parts of England.  He has revisited them every seven years and up to the present day.  It has been extremely fascinating to watch these boys and girls, rich and poor, gregarious and shy as they have grown up. 

The week before spring break:  let’s see…….Rock Bridge had their Pre-Districts concert Thursday night.  Steve and I drove to Jefferson City to attend a J. Reuben Clark Law Society social Friday night.  I attended a neighborhood tea on Saturday to get acquainted with new neighbors and to plan a neighborhood picnic later this spring.  It was great to connect with old friends and meet new ones.  We have planted broccoli and raspberries in the garden.  I have three blueberry plants on my kitchen counter waiting for the threat of frost to pass before they go in the ground.  Oh my, it has been a chilly spring so far.  Spring break week started out with snow flurries (nothing stuck to the ground, though)!  The only daffodils I have blooming are my teeny ones.  Here they are with my lamb salt/pepper shakers on a pretty ceramic trivet I received from my friend Terri Anderson this week when we had lunch at Wendy’s.

 

 

Happy spring, everyone!

Marching along...

Looking back, I guess it was a pretty full week....

 

Starting the week before and continuing into this last week, I was substitute seminary teacher for the 9^th grade class.  It meant re-configuring our morning routine a bit but it worked out and I really enjoyed myself.  Thankfully, the lesson preparation time was not too long thanks to a really effective teacher’s manual. 

For the most part, our weather has been wonderful.  On Monday, I planted a third apple tree.  I got it from a fellow who lives on Skyview (down off Greenridge and across the street from a school friend of Sarah’s).  He has two entire yards full of dwarf apple trees that I have admired and been curious about for several years so this year, I wrote a letter with questions and he called me to reply.  I learned that apple growing has been a hobby of his for over 40 years, his goal is to have apples to eat from July to frost,  he experiments with different varieties by growing and grafting and he sells his surplus apples at the Farmer’s Market.  And, he had a one-year old Lodi dwarf apple that I could have for free.  So, I drove over, learned more about apple growing (Did you know that Missouri was a huge apple producing state until 1941 when the weather never turned cold and the trees still had sap in them until a bitter frost on November 11th killed them all?  Since it the war was going on, they were not replaced and Washington state became the new apple producer) and, I brought home my little tree and planted it right away.  Steve got out the Mantis tiller yesterday and tackled the gardens.  I cleaned off the deck and prepared all my planters and pots for herbs and flowers (still to early to plant anything, though)  Aaaaaand, today it is really cold.  But, since it is March, it won’t be for long.

Wednesday I took both my Rock Bridge orchestras to  a music festival at the new Battle High School.  It seemed like a good “dry run” for the district music festival in Mexico, MO coming up in early April.  It was a long, exhausting afternoon but the Chamber Orchestra got three ones  for which I was very pleased and the Concert Orchestra got a one-minus, a two, and a three which I was not surprised. 

Ivan, Alain, Jack, Boon, and Robert in their concert finery

 Battle High School music boosters were smart to bring Dippin' Dots to the festival!

 

 While one orchestra was performing, the other orchestra played "ninja" in the gym

Roman entertained us with Viva La Vida (which he still remembered from our flash mob playing of it last fall)

The next evening, my Lange orchestra was invited to play for the PTA spaghetti supper.  We played three pieces – took fifteen minutes – and I was really pleased with how they sounded.  They have come a long way since the first of the year. 

Friday night, Steve and I went to the Alger’s home to hear Ugo Perrigo, son-in-law of Lois and Dave McAllister, speak about his genetic research.  He and Jenna live in Italy and he was brought to MU this past week for a workshop.  It was great to see Lois (Dave couldn’t be there) and Ugo had some very interesting things to say about genetics and family history.  It didn’t start until 8:00, however, and he talked for over two hours so we were pretty worn out by the time we left and we still had to make a quick Wal-mart run.  Ugh.  Not in bed until midnight.

Yesterday, Steve and I brought our friend from church, Lizzy and we drove to Sturgeon where we met  up with a former teaching colleague from CIS and she took us to some new stores in Amish country.  Up until now, all we knew of was the bulk-goods store, a bakery/furniture store, and a salvage grocery store.  Yesterday, we discovered a quaint little general store called Lefties, another general/bulk food store that had shelves and shelves of different colored glassware.  So pretty.  We also visited a quilt shop and a basket shop.  The weather was perfect and we had a great time.  

 

 Steve in front of Lefties

Lizzy with her purchase from the basket shop

 the front of the basket shop

 

 chickens behind the basket shop

one of the dozens of quilts from the quilt shop

 

our haul from the Amish

 

Last night, Steve and I watched “Ender’s Game”.  We both really enjoyed it.  I, of course, have read the book several times and I thought the adaptation was well done.  Steve has never read the book but now would like to.   I was at the sewing machine and he was in the recliner but I think he actually stayed away for the whole film.  That says a lot about how he enjoyed it!  I finished Mockingjay and I really enjoyed it.  I looked forward to going to bed every night so I could read some more. 

Tonight is a CCO concert – it is the Missouri composers orchestra project concert.  All new compositions.  All but one are really quite enjoyable to play and listen to.  There is only one that is just noise.  This will be my last concert with CCO for the season as their next one is the same day as Kirsti graduates from BYU so you know where I will be. 

I will end by wishing you all an early Happy St. Patrick’s day!

First week of March

I love the month of March.  We still get some wintery weather (see last blog post!) but it never lasts very long.  Like last week – on Monday we had temperatures at zero and on Friday, we had 60 degree weather!  Steve listened to the “Garden Spot” on KFRU yesterday and learned that the time to prune trees was “now or soon” so,  after we helped my friend Lizzy haul 10 railroad ties from Menards to her driveway (which took two trips – they are unbelievably heavy), he and I started hacking away.  Steve cut down a very large and very high branch from our large shade tree in the back yard to allow more sun on our second garden spot.  Then he pulled out the chain saw and cut it up to haul away.  After watching some YouTube videos on fruit tree pruning to refresh my memory, I tackled all of our fruit bearing trees.  It was tiring work, for sure.  And, it was also one of the cold days of March with a chilling, biting wind and no sun.  I bought some pansies at Menards and here is how they look today when the sun and warmer temperatures returned…..

 

 

And, lookie what is popping out of the ground!   

 

 We’ll have daffodils within two weeks and they are a reason why I love March so much.

We celebrated Tamara’s birthday this evening with corned beef and cabbage, red potatoes, strawberry/pineapple salad, and Steve’s famous lemon raspberry bars.  Happy Birthday, Tamara!

 

I am in book 3 of the Hunger Games and I watched the first movie last week.  I hope to watch the second one this week. 

With all the snow days these past two months, I have been able to work on and even finish some of the sewing projects piled up on my sewing machine. 

Here is the newest version of the kids art stitchery.  I have it hanging in our family history room. Thanks, Emily, for the inspiration.
(in case you don't know what they represent, I took early drawings from each child and traced and then stitched them onto fabric.  from top to bottom; left to right: Julina, Emily, Elise, Beckie. Steven, Sarah, Kirsti)

This is a Christmas banner, again Emily's idea, that incorporates thirteen small counted cross stitch ornaments that I didn't want to hang on the tree any longer (because we already have too many ornaments and even "retired" some this past year).  Instead, I tacked them onto these fabric flags, stitched a red trim border around them, and made a very long banner (didn't mean to make it so long.  I should have eliminated the triangle flags in between, I guess)


Finally, here are some cushions I sewed for our rocking chair.  Emily, once again, provided the fabric.  It is hard to tell, the it has a farm animal print theme.  It goes very nicely in the family history room.  And, I have enough squares leftover to make a small quilt.  Next project....