2024, May 6-12

As the school year winds down, the celebrations wind up. 

A local police officer lost his life in the line of duty last week. Law enforcement personnel from the state helped bring his body back to Santaquin on Monday. His funeral is on Monday the 13th. Hallie and Eliza had the chance to watch the motorcade pass by.  

Mike found this interesting Utah-shaped LEGO creation at work. 

Here we have Kai with his new-ish stuffed toy. Hallie had to throw another one away because Kai managed to tear it apart. He can be very tenacious when he wants to be. Cleaning up the fluff is not what we like to do.

A tree that Mrs. Kelly had in her classroom got moved out into the hallway. Mrs. Kelly and Hallie are on the swing. All of the high school students/teachers are featured on the tree. Mrs. Kelly decided to move it where the preschoolers and their parents entered for their graduation so the parents could see pictures of all of the teachers.

 

The preschool program is coming to an end, and the preschoolers and high schoolers all celebrated this week with festivities and programs. Hallie brought cupcakes on Tuesday, and here some of the high schoolers are enjoying the sugar.

Here are some of the four-year-olds Hallie worked with over the past two years. They have been so much fun and it is great to see them moving on to Kindergarten.

Meanwhile, Eliza is teaching Kai new tricks. Alas, he went over to his other family on Friday, but we'll see him back on Monday.

 

Eliza came to school with Hallie on Thursday. Here she witnessed the high schoolers thinking quickly on their feet on how to keep the preschoolers busy before their parents came for the program. It was quite funny to see most of the students pitching in to act out The Three Little Pigs. 

Here are the students from Hallie's B Day 1st and 2nd period classes.

We got some precipitation and with it a rainbow midweek. 

Celebrations carried on all the way through to Friday, which was Hallie's last teaching day. She'll help Mrs. Kelly move the preschool to its new location next week. Below are a majority of the A Day teachers from 1st and 2nd period.

Below are a few of the three-year-olds from Hallie's class. All but one is coming back next year. These three-year-olds have been so much fun! To listen to them talk to each other is so insightful.

Eliza wasn't around to dissuade Hallie from taking pictures of the deer. Here's the backside of one. 

BUH had its annual open house and horsemanship show on Friday where they showcased the classes and the girls' riding skills. 

Eliza's horse Rome wasn't so sure about going into the arena. Eliza had it under control, however, and once she got him in there, Rome did his job and they worked beautifully together. Eliza has a great touch with animals, and it is fun to watch her work her magic. 

Eliza took first place in both categories in which she rode. Congratulations to her and all the other participants!

Hallie and Eliza went up to Salem Hills High to participate in a fundraiser they had on Saturday. Students sold plant seedlings for us to plant in the garden. 

Landon will work at Splash Summit again this summer. He and some friends had an orientation Saturday afternoon, and Hallie took them up. On her way back, Hallie stopped by the new home of Beehive Bazaar on State Street between Provo and Springville. 

On a walk, Mike spied this bumblebee pollinating a neighbor's garlic plants between afternoon rain showers. 

He also got some (fairly) dramatic views of Mt. Timpanogos, or whatever counts for dramatic from a camera phone.

 

Hallie found this unique way of growing strawberries as she and E went to Rockwell Ice Cream and IFA. Rockwell is having a month-long promotion of new flavors with new ones each week. Hallie bought some of the planter supplies and is hoping to try to get her version finished this week. When you live in a townhouse, you have to be creative on how to garden. Up seems to be the key for us.

Someone on Instagram who does a bee-themed armorial drew a rendition of Mike's arms, so now he's part of an exclusive club. 

On Mother's Day Sunday, E took Mom and Dad over to see Jack and Raunchy, whom we hadn't visited in several days. The boys were in serious need of some brushing. 

Diamond and Caleb sent Hallie a fun LED rose and butterfly display. Thanks, guys!

Eliza likes to baby Fergus. Fergus doesn't always like to be babied. 

We are excited as this week brings Eliza's school year to a close with a scene from a play she is in, a party that includes her taking part in the talent show, and her ballroom dance class showing their final number. 

2024, April 29-May 5

If April showers bring May flowers, and we then also get showers in May, what do those bring?

Allergic boys, apparently. Or boys being boys while Landon and friends helped our friends move some bookcases.

"I'm so over this."

We had some variable spring weather this week, with a bit of rain on Monday and over the weekend. Mike caught a rainbow (and Hallie chatting with the neighbors) here. 

After TKD on Tuesday, Hallie and the kids got ice cream. Landon liked the pose with the very tiny ice cream.

The preschoolers learned about baby animals this week. 

Hallie brought Kai, who (while not a baby) is very cute. 

Fergus did not go. Landon looked after him.

At one of the classrooms Mike taught in this week, he found this gem. 

Later in the day, he had dinner with some of his former EdD students. He felt so grateful to be able to celebrate with these amazing women who will continue to make huge impacts on their respective educational organizations. 

Landon had an orthodontist appointment on Thursday. He needs to wear his rubber bands more.

The new Dutch Bros. in Spanish Fork had its grand opening Friday. Hallie and Landon took Kai, and Mike and Eliza went after he picked her up from Yates Place. Look who is driving and who is trying to relax in the passenger seat.

Kai loves his pup cups. 

We always love getting new stickers. 

This is Phineas, Kai's doggy friend from the next block over. He's an Irish setter/poodle mix.  

He's a rather large fellow. Hallie thinks he looks like Mr. Snuffleupagus. 

On Saturday morning, Eliza competed in a taekwondo tournament, placing 2nd in two events and 1st in another. Great job, Girly-O!

We celebrated Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you) in Utah by going to the local Barnes and Noble and getting a mini-scale X-Wing fighter that matches Mike's new Millennium Falcon really well. 

Meanwhile, Hallie and Eliza went to the birthday party of one of her preschoolers. 

They have a huge Great Dane who rules the roost. 

We watched the Kentucky Derby in the afternoon as the local weather turned from partly cloudy to blustery to rainy. Cinco de mayo likewise came in rainy and chilly. We should have had chili.