A Busy Week

Dear Elder Leete,

 We have had a busy week.  Dad flew off to New York early Tuesday morning and came back late Friday night.  He enjoyed the conference but described it to me as “drinking from a fire hose”. I guess he was getting an overload of good information.  He liked the location of his hotel- near Times Square so roamed there in the evenings.  He saw Lion King and said that it was phenomenal.  I guess he knows now why we all wanted to see it the last two times it was here in Portland. . . .  He spent the day Friday being a tourist before catching his late flight home.  He took the ferry to the statue of liberty and Ellis Island.  He even squeezed in a quick tour of ground zero before racing to the airport and barely making his flight.  He had a good time and showed us all his pictures this evening.  It wore him out, he went to bed early tonight, and isn’t feeling too good.  We’ll see if he makes it to work in the morning.

 Here back at the ranch we enjoyed the high school choir concert on Wednesday.  Dad had the camera, and mine isn’t working- so this was the first ever concert that we didn’t record.  It was very good.  It snowed, so we had to unbury the car and drive thru snow furies on slippery roads to get home.  Rachel talked me into a night walk in the green space that evening, so we bundled up and headed out at 10pm (Melissa was already in bed).  It was very beautiful and quiet.  Just a little strange to see all the cherry blossoms on the trees covered in snow.  It stuck, so the next morning school was 2 hour delayed.  It was sunny and warm so by the end of the day it was all melted except for some patches and snowmen. After school Melissa talked me into going on a walk with her in the sunshine (quite a contrast from the night before).  We saw that the snow did a number on the cherry trees- many lost some big branches all over the neighborhood.  But I was happy to see the blossoms still there.

 Thursday was the band concert.  They also sounded great.  It just was a little long.  There as a man sitting behind me that was visiting and was totally impressed- he was a grandpa that had been a music teacher at one time- he gave a standing ovation and later I saw him talking to the band director.  I agree that Westview does some pretty awesome stuff- a lot of talent in our area.

Tuesday Rachel planned a fun activity for YW that we all enjoyed.  Everyone came dressed in black.  We played volleyball in the dark with glow necklaces and glow bracelets all over the net.  We had a glow in the dark ball.  It wasn’t glowing too well so I went home and got my old volleyball and we broke a glow stick and smeared it all over the ball.  It looked way cool.  After that we took down the net, put on the bracelets and played soccer.  Rachel had bought only two colors of glow necklaces so we could tell who was on what team.  The deacons joined us later- then it started to get a little crazy….  Everyone had a good time.

Yesterday it was the Winter Classic.  Dad and I worked the doors for a couple of hours so got to see most of the Winter Percussion performances.  I decided that none of them were as good as when my kids were performing!   Westview looked good- they definitely have a style that I recognize.  We weren’t there for finals so I don’t know what the final scores are.

 The girls are now on spring break.  Tomorrow, Monday, Rachel has it planned to go get her drivers permit.  She also has lacrosse practice all week.  Melissa will be having Star Wars marathons- broken into several days- with Cami and Keturah.

 That pretty much covers our week.  Hope yours went well and you had success.  Share with us some of your missionary stories.

Love you lots,
MomJ

Holiday Band Concert

We enjoyed a very festive Holiday Band Concert at Westview High School.  The Jazz Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble played.  To make transitions not so boring, each section of the Wind Ensemble played carols from different locations of the autitorium while they reset the stage.  It made for a very nice concert.  Here are recordings we made of the groups Melissa and Rachel played in: 

Wind Ensemble, Melissa on Tuba

Sleigh Ride

by Leroy Anderson

Wind Ensemble, Melissa on Tuba

Auld Lang Syne

Traditional Scottish Melody

Arranged by Chip Davis as recorded by Mannheim Steamroller

The Low Brass (Invisible) Trio

The First Noel

They also played Carol of the Bells but we weren't ready to record that one- bummer it sounded really good! 

 Concert Band Rachel on clarinet

A Fantasy of Carols

 by Jay Bocook

Concert Band Rachel on Clarinet

A Clebration of Hanukkah

by Howard Rowe

June 8-14, 2011

Wed June 8 Me and my folks went to the Jr. Grand floral Parade.  It was in the Hollywood district- on the other side of the river near the residential area (where we parked) and old town stores (kind of like downtown Beaverton).  It was a long parade- mostly all middle school bands and various youth groups.  Unicycles, drill teams, cub scouts etc.  It was fun.  After Rachel marched by I followed to meet her at the end.  They took 3 busses to get there, but only had 2 to get them home so I gave her and 2 of her friends a ride home.

 

That evening for combined mutual activity the priests took us on a hike up to Pittock Mansion.  I was a driver so dropped my carload at the trail head then drove up the rest of the way.  We set up yogurt with toppings by the front lawn of the mansion for when they got there.  They had been sent up with maps on different trails in groups of 4.  Each group had a very heavy back pack to carry up.  Adults were stationed along the way to suggest other trails.   When all the groups reached the top they ate yogurt parfaits, enjoyed the view and Nathan and the Bishop lead a discussion of their journey up the trail.  The theme this month was Endure.  The bishop said the hike didn’t quite turn out how they had hoped- the guys with the backpack were being studdly and didn’t share the burden with their group.  Also everyone stuck to the trail on their map.  However they got some great discussions and thoughts shared.

Thursday June 9^th  was graduation day! It took us a long time to get there with bumper to bumper traffic.  We were to be there at 6:30- made it there after 7.  Melissa and the band took another route than we did , they left at 5 and got there as people were let in at 6:30.  The band sounded good- they were in the bleachers this year behind the podium in the corner.  The Chiles center was packed.  We sat in the bleachers  behind the graduates.  The choir sounded good.  The speeches were nice- the whole program seemed a lot shorter than last year, but the graduating class was huge and it took a while to read through all the names. It was a pretty mellow ceremony- only one beach ball came out and it was quickly confiscated. (Jessica said that her class was pretty boring). We took pictures and made it home with barely enough time for Jessica to open her cards and gifts.  She took a piece of her graduation chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting to eat in the car as I took her to the school to catch the bus at 10:30pm.  I picked her up the next morning at 5- she was tiered, but had a great time.  She won some smiley faced boxers and a camera.

Saturday, June 11, was the Grand Floral Parade.  We met up with Sis Walker at her usual spot to enjoy the festivities.  It was a cold day- but no rain.   Rachel brought her friend Serena- they had fun shopping at Pioneer place and drawing rainbow pony on the street. Grandma and pa now can boast that they have been to a rose parade in both California and Oregon.

 

After the parade, the band had a party at the Oak Hills rec center, and Rachel and Serena went swimming at the pool.  The clouds cleared and it was a beautiful sunny day.  Jessica and Melisa went to another grad party that evening.

Grandma and pa left here Monday morning- next stop for them at Uncle Jon’s, then off to Uncle Jim’s to meet up with some cousins visiting from Australia to tour the Disney studios and go to Yosemite. 

Things are calming down here now that the concerts, parades, and graduation is over and that company is all gone. Melissa has been doing finals.  Must not be too hard cuz I haven’t seen much studying going on around here. Jessica has been sleeping in and then spending time with Nate.  Today she, Lanea, and Chelsea kidnapped the guys  from the band room after finals and took them blindfolded to OMSI for the Narnia exhibit.  They are now upstairs playing Mario carts.  Brother Chin and Adam are now our Home teachers and visited this evening.  Melissa and Jessica have been spending her spare time preparing for girls camp.  Grandma helped when she was here painting.  Rachel has been exiled from the bonus room where all the camp secrets have been stockpiled and worked on.  Tomorrow is Rachel’s 8^th grade graduation party.  I will be going to help in the BINGO room with Mrs. Kennefick.

Tuba Girl

Melissa plays the tuba in band. She plays the Sousaphone in marching band. She is so cute in her Barret! There are only 3 tubas in the band. There are only 2 girls in the low brass section. She won't change to melophone like her brother tries to persuade her to do. She likes to play the tuba!

Her violin teacher can't believe it. "Trumpets (brass) and violins are supposed to be enemies!" She says. "That is part of being a violinist in the orchestra!" (Melissa also plays trumpet.) When ever the subject of Tuba comes up in their violin lesson she tells her this joke:

"There was a boy who was learning to play the tuba. He came home from his first lesson and his dad asked him what he learned. He said that he learned to play the note C. The next day when he came home from his lesson his dad asked him the same question again and the son answers that he learned two more notes: G and A. The next day the son came home very, very late. His dad asked, 'Where have you been?' The son answered: 'I was playing at my first Gig!'"

Her teacher thinks this is very funny. However, Melissa is very proud of the notes that she plays on the Tuba.

There's an 18 Year Old Boy in the House

Yes, Kevin turned 18 on October 16, 2009. We woke up early to celebrate before he had to leave for school at 6:40am. We had a birthday breakfast. All he wanted for his birthday was money. That's what he got. He had band practice after school from 4-6, and then a football game at 7. So I took a cake in during their dinner break for the band. (Also Togo sandwiches for our family). Did I say "a cake"? Well actually I took in 4 Costco cakes.

He requested chocolate with cream cheese frosting so I got two of those, then 1 white cake with strawberry filling and cream cheese frosting, and one chocolate cake with chocolate filling and chocolate frosting. I wanted to make sure there was enough- the kids had complained that last time a cake was brought in there wasn't enough to go around. There are 137 kids in the band. There was enough to go around. . . and around. We took 1 and 1/2 cakes home with us! We ate it for the next several days. The weather was so nice, Brian, Rachel, and I went to the football game. It was homecoming. We enjoyed seeing the kids in the band. Anyway, that was Kevin's birthday. I think he had fun - he always has fun with his band friends!
Something fun that his friends did for him was to decorate the van. They did it a few days early, because Jessica gets the van on Fridays afterschool to go to piano lessons. (They had filled it with balloons one friday, and she was surprized- they had to pop them quickly so that she could see out the window and get to lessons on time). This is what they did: (I got the photos off of facebook)

Summer has Come and Gone

Wow, I can't believe that I haven't blogged since May!

The School year ended with lots of concerts and recitals, the Rose Parade, and Lizzy Graduating. Summer jumped right in with Young Women's Camp for Jessica, Melissa, and Rachel; 11 yr Scout camp for Brian; Jessica getting her drivers licence; Kevin going to High Adventure; Jessica going on High Adventure; and Jennifer finishing up her spring semester at BYU Idaho and joining us at the Greenall Family Reunion! That all happened in June and July. August we breathed, laid around, Kevin worked on his Eagle Project, then Band Camp Started and we are now Back to School! 3 kids in High School and Marching Band. Rachel at Meadow Park Middle School in 7th grade, and Jennifer is home and enrolled in a few art classes at PCC, house sitting/pet sitting here and there and looking for a job. I was released as the RS Secretary a few weeks ago, and am now the 1st Counselor in the YW working with the Mia Maids. Life goes on. Here is some snap shots of some of our activities:

Symphonic Band plays for last concert of the season. Kevin on the Horn, and Jessica on the Saxophone.

Kevin sings in Concert Choir
Jessica sings Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. She also played a piano solo for "A little Night Music" the concert that took place right after the Choir Awards Concert.

Rachel Plays cello with her teacher

Lizzy graduated from High School carrying her daughter Eve. Congratulations Elizabeth! We are so proud of you for sticking with it and graduating.

Cedar Mill Stake YW Camp: Fit For His Kingdom - Boot Camp 2009

Jessica was 1st yr Counselor. Her cabin group was the Boogie Woogie Bugle Babes of company B.
Melissa was in the 3rd year cabin: Candy Stripers.Rachel was a 1st year. Her cabin was the GI JanesSisters on Bishopric Day in Oak Hills Ward OrangeRachel and her buddies Kevin High AdventureA Day at the Beach. We went to meet some friends for a bonfire to burn homework- we couldn't find them- the tide had come up and they had to leave. By the time we got there the tide had gone down. We weren't able to build a fire because we didn't bring any matches, but Rachel, Melissa, Brian and I enjoyed the scenery. Rachel and Melissa even drove the suburban!4th of July- Look we had Cousins move into town!!!! We are so happy to have Wendy, Ben, Xander, and Eliza Webster so close by!Kevin and buddies march in the 4th parade to help raise awareness for his Eagle Project: Raising money and building a percussion rack for the Westveiw Marching band.Melissa and Keturah wait in line for the opening of the latest Harry Potter Movie.We enjoyed Shakespeare in the Park two times this summer- King Lear and A Midsummer's Night Dream.The Greenall Family Reunion was a BLAST! It was at Coram Ranch by the Shasta Dam. We tie died t-shirts, had a talent show, scrapbooked, played Foosball , pool, & ping-pong, did water games in the pool, road motorcycles, built boats for a challenge, went thru Shasta Caves, floated down the Sacramento River, toured the dam, relaxed, ate great food, and enjoyed being together. The cousins had a blast together. We were even all here together for about 10 minutes so we could take this group picture (Julia was leaving for work, and Jennifer had just arrived from BYU I!)Melissa played the national anthem for one of her swim meets.Melissa and Rachel swam with the swim team this year. Melissa helped out with a younger group for one of her Personal Progress Projects. Here they are at the team tie breaker meet.Kevin made a couple of trips to the beach with his friends. He also had band buddies over to sand the rust off of the van and paint it!Time for Band Camp to start- lugging Melissa's Sousaphone down the stairs to the van.Rachel and her friends go ice skating for one last fun summer activity. So that was our Summer!