WIBC/Seattle Tour- Nov 20-23

Well, the weekend really started with the midnight showing of New Moon in the wee hours of November 20th, which was FAR better than Twilight!! I have not read the books, nor am I a huge fan, but my girls are, so I've got to keep in the loop. Samantha was with a friend in one theater and I was by my lonesome in another, but that is OK. The movie didn't start on time as there was trouble (again), so we didn't get home until close to 3am, and Samantha had to be at the school to leave for her band clinic in Seattle at 7:15am!

I wouldn't mind seeing New Moon again. What did you think of it?

(p.s. my grocery store clerk at Albertsons looks like "Jacob")

Since Samantha was going to be performing at WIBC in Seattle, the family decided to make a little vacation around it. However, the rest of us didn't leave town until 5pm and rolled into Seattle around 12:30am.

That left a full day the next day to see some sights so we headed to the Aquarium.

Here the diver has a rock fish of some sort on her that is like a pet.

He comes out to claim her as his territory everytime she comes in the tank. Isn't that funny?

Huge tank!

After the auarium was Pike Place Market.

It was super cool! Brad and I loved it. It was a cool mix of Montreal and Boston.

I wish we could have gone into each little eclectic shop, bought all the neat imports and sampled all the yummy looking food! (except all the fush- YUCK!)
We ate dinner at Lowell's at the market and had a nice view of the sound

This picture is too funny not to share. This is Ethan leaving the bathroom once the girls went in after him and informed him that he had walked into the girls bathroom!

:o)

Brad was SO thrilled to be pumping his own gas again!

The next day we went to the "Experience Music Project/ Science Fiction Museum"

Even the building was "artsy" Inside was one very cool music museum. We ended up spending 4.5 hours here.

It was definitely heavy into the electric guitar and by the time we were done I did not want to hear another electric guitar solo for a very long time.

Music sculpture

All that aside it was a really neat hands on place. The kids could practice on real instruments in real soundproof studio rooms. VERY COOL!

They also had a room where you could perform and create your own music video of sorts. You picked from their selection of tracks and then went in the room and basically played rock band on a real stage with a simulated audience while they taped you and took a picture.

Here's our picture of our band-we didn't buy the dvd.
After our "music experience" we headed across the street to the Space Needle. It was the most expensive elevator ride I have ever taken! It was fun though, and cool to see the city all lit up. Seattle is a very pretty city.

We went home and got up the next morning to go see what Samantha had been up to all weekend while we were touring around Seattle.

Samantha was accepted by audition into the WIBC band. WIBC stands for Western International Band Clinic and basically involves, as far as the students are concerned 3 full days of rehearsals with different conductors and a final performance.

We are very proud of Samantha for having been accepted into this band clinic as a freshman. These are the best band kids in all of Oregon and Washington and a smattering from other nearby states. Only a handful of students from her school were selected, so we are very proud of her.

Here is some video of the band performing. Unfortunately it is very hard to see Samantha, but you can still enjoy the music :D

CONGRATULATIONS SAMANTHA!

You did a great job!

November Highlights- Lots of flute performances

One crisp fall afternoon we decided to go play in the leaves. However there are no leaf bearing trees near us (or big enough ones) so we had to head to the school to play in the leaves. Ethan wanted to take a rake, but I told him, if he wanted to take a rake over there, he would have to take it himself because I didn't want to carry it. Then he decided he wanted to ride his scooter over to the school, so this is how he managed it.

Looks pretty precarious doesn't it? (He DID make it to the school unscathed, surprisingly)

Fall leaves are so fun!
Star enjoyed it too!
Super heros!
An attempt at Charlie's Angels.
Considering the kids have never heard or seen of it... not bad :-)

Itchy, itchy, scratchy, scratchy leaves

Cool moon

November has been full of performances for Samantha on her flute.

First was the Veteran's parade

Then was the Ensemble concert in Sunriver.

Samantha's teacher, Pam Hughes, Sam and her ensemble flute trio
Samantha's Ensemble concert in Sunriver

We took the Elders out to eat at Pilot Butte Burger and Elder Yost polished off this 16oz. burger without any problem. Elder Simpson settled for the regular burger.

Our YW in Excellence night was really nice. These are our girls.

Samantha also performed on her flute at the YWIE.
Samantha, a beautiful "example of the believers"
Check out the WIBC/Seattle post for more of Samantha's flute performances this month.

October in a nutshell

We got a VERY early first snowfall here on Oct 4th. The kids were so excited! Ethan came running in my room at 6am telling me to look outside it snowed! I expected to see a skiff on the ground, but to my surprise it was coming down pretty good and had already accumulated a nice amount.

Here they are out in their jammies at 7am

It was especially wonderful that it was on General Conference Sunday, which meant we had no where to go and nothing to do. A PERFECT snow day!

October also brought Youth Conference and a temple trip for Samantha and I, so Brad kept the others entertained at the Pumpkin Patch

Lots o'pumpkins

Ethan and Abby are in the first car. The driver had a "skill testing question" and guess who won?

Yes, of course Ethan, our lucky boy!

Here is Abby shooting the pumpkin cannon.

Pumpkins are loaded into the cannon, and you aim for vehicles out in the field Let Ethan demonstrate...

How testosterone loaded is that cannon??

Some cool looking gourds

Bruce came out to visit us for a couple days which was nice. He hadn't been out to Bend yet, so it was nice to be able to show him around and spend some time with the kids.

Ethan was in a play at school: "The Legend of Damon and Pythias". He was a soldier and had a few lines. Unfortunately my batteries ran out on my camera, so I didn't get any video of our star, but here are a few pictures. The production was REALLY well done!!

They had a civil war encampment at the High Desert Museum, so we headed out to see what that was all about. Here is Abby playing a game with one of the soldiers. I got to pick up and hold up one of those rifles with a bayonet on it and wow, are they ever heavy! Makes you appreciate their fortitude and dedication.

Here, Ethan is signing up to join the troops

Pumpkin carving
The final product
This year's "goblins"
Ethan could not get over this King Size candy bar someone gave him trick or treating. He was SO excited about it!! The only way to describe it is kindof like in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Ethan kept turning it over in his hands and admiring it, and couldn't wait to eat it the next day. So funny!!