Yukie, Wakana and all of our new Friends!! What a great end to the summer!

Ok... so I'm exhausted... went to bed at 1:45 am and got up at 3:30 to take our Yukie and Wakana to their drop off to the airport, but I just had to do a quick post. What a wonderful experience this has been.

Some of our highlights:

• The Hiroshima Peace Festival Concert


• The Bees Game and Picnic -- so much fun watching these girls in a bouncy house and inflatable slide.


• Closing Concert -- how cool was it watching 3 completely different styles of Japanese choirs, a Kenyan choir, an Indian dancing group, a Japanese marching band and orchestra, Japanese modern and traditional dance groups ... what a great night. And to top it off, watching all 300 + kids singing and playing together on stage... it didn't matter the language, the skin color or age. (I could just image a little glimpse of heaven as I watched it.)


• Late nights (every night not to be until at least 1:00 am) playing volleyball, learning to do origami, trying to explain how to turn on a shower, dancing to the Flower Song or Japanese Regaae.


• Eating a traditional Japanese breakfast of noodle, sauce, Miso Soup (kelp). It was actually really good and so much fun watching them cook and having fun watching us enjoy it!


• Watching and listening in amazement as I learned about the Kenyan orphanage and the mud huts they live in... and yet seeing their faith in God and love for life!


• The friendships!!!!

I'm amazed that in just 7 days (and that is with the girls gone 7:30 am - 10:00 pm on a couple of days) we could grow to love and get to know these two sweet girls so much... and we really can't understand a word we are saying to each other. When we dropped them off at the bus this morning and said goodbye Yukie just starting crying and crying. It is hard when you know you will likely never seen a person again... and yet somehow in such a short period of time they have touched your heart forever!

In Harmony Music Festival -- Hiroshima Peace Concert

Yukie and Wakana
After the Concert
Kaylee and Cam with their Candles

Tonight our family experienced a once-in-a-lifetime event. As part of the In Harmony Music Festival the girls choir is involved in (more about that on another post) we participated in a Peace Concert to commemorate the Hiroshima bombing. The mayor of Hiroshima was there and spoke. As he told some stories from that day and subsequent years a little boy behind us said "Did this really happen?" After he spoke 4 choirs sang -- two from Japan, the Singing Children of Africa (Kenyan orphanage choir) and our choir One Voice Children. What an incredible group of talented kids.

They were all great, but the Kenyan kids totally blew me away. They had brightly colored outfits and literally "rocked the house." They danced and sang and were just amazing! I couldn't help but notice how up beat and positive and joyful they were, and yet the circumstances in their country and lives and definitely the most challenging of all of the groups there. They are so full of life, smiles, hugs and talents.

After the concert everyone went out to the outdoor amphitheatre for a candlelight vigil. (Rocky Anderson was there... but I participated anyway.) The girls choir sang as everyone held their candles and I got to hear Kenzi sing one of my favorite solos she does.

I looked around and saw kids from all over the world singing and laughing together.

After we took Yukie and Wakana (the girls staying with us) to Baskin Robins -- they seemed to LOVE IT!!! They oohed and aahhh'd over the temple and state capital. When we got home they had bags full of gifts for us. Fans, chopsticks, Japanese crackers and cookies, toys, placement, and on and on. They made origamis for us and they gave us the coolest paper balls. We blew them up and played volleyball in the living room for 1/2 hour -- there we were me and my girls who speak NO Japanese and these two cute girls who speak very little English.. giggling, laughing and just having a great time. I guess laughter really is a Universal language!!

I knew when we signed up to host these girls it would be a great experience, and it is living up to everything I hoped it would be for my family and hopefully for all of the kids who are here participating!

A surprise visit from the Ossola Family

A few weeks ago I got a surprise call from my great friend... Claudia (Robertson) Ossola. She and her two kids were in town for a family reuinion and the girls and I happened to be in Draper near her hotel. We met for dinner and went back to their hotel where the kids swimmed and quickly became best friends! We only got to see each other for a few hours but it was so great to see them!! My Lauren and her Lauren (who by the way big Lauren is actually named after my little Lauren... long story) are so much alike and immediately became BFFs and want to be sisters and live by each other.

I guess it just runs in the genes. Claudia and I were roommates at BYU our Jr. year and then she went on a mission to Switzerland. After we were both married and had graduated from BYU, we ended up working together at UVSC together for 5 years. We did projects together, traveled together, lived next door to one another in a townhouse with adjouning walls, excercised together, hung out on weekends with our husbands together, watched 90210 together (I'm embarrased to admit) while our husbands were off to school or church stuff... I probably spent more time with Claudia then I did with Dave! Oh the great memories we have... lots of business trips and laughing that people really listened to us 20-something year old silly girls about our jobs, trip to DC, getting lost in downtown DC and almost dying, getting lost downtown LA on a business trip during the Rodney King riots and realizing how close we could have been to dying, sharing a hotel room with 4 women, laughing with Marietta at work in order for all of us to stay sane, Tim flying us all to Colorado for the Rush Bake Sale, Calanetics, the funny aerobic woman on our workout video, pies, getting snowed in and having an all night husband/wife Anne of Green Gables party, talking, talking, talking, crying together about my moms cancer and death, miscarriage, lack of pregnancy and challenges that she has faced that I could never even imagine. Through it all Claudia has been one of the greatest friends I could ever ask for. She has such class and grace and dignity... I marvel at her ability to focus on her cute kids Lauren and John Michael and always stay positive. She moved to California and then to Colorado several years ago, but fortunately we've been able to stay in touch... sometimes more frequently than other times.

It was so great to see you Claudia! Your kids are darling... just as I knew they would be. You really are the best!!!

My Favorite Things! (ok... so I'm on a song title post kick...sorry)

When Lauren was 1 we bought Dave a hammock for Father's Day. It was the best gift I've ever given him. It hangs under the huge tree in our backyard and for 9 years now it has been the place for the world's greatest naps with Dad and hammock night.


Three of my favorite pictures in the world are the kids at one point in their lives having a nap with Dave on the hammock. (I've got to see if I can find the ones of Lauren and Kenzi and I'll add them.)

During the summer the kids rotate having "hammock night" with Dad and get to go out at bedtime and snuggle in the hammock. They have astronomy lessons, discuss great inventions they will make someday and talk about the most important things in life.

That's What I Like About You!!!

There are lots of great things about Dave, but two of them came to mind on Saturday morning as I walked out in the backyard. He is very creative and is a very hard worker. Every summer he gets bored and creative at the same time and we end up with some cool new things in the yard. (Last summer it was the tire swing!!!)

Earlier this summer he built a firepit (see cutting phone lines post). He decided we needed a cute little patio to go along with the firepit up in the pines. For Father's Day I got him two Andirondack chairs and this weekend he started (and almost finished) the little patio.

The thing I love the most about these projects is having the kids help him. As soon as Cameron found out he was outside Saturday morning he got on his gloves, got his tool kit and spent the few hours "helping" dad!

Lauren also immediately when back a spent the day helping him design and put it together. (Kenzi likes watching and bringing out sodas ... that is her way of helping.)

It turned out great and we've enjoyed it already. (We just need to work on the estimating. He bought 3 bags of sand and ended up needing more like 15. I think by the end of the day between both of us we had made at least 5 trips to Loews for supplies).

What Do You Do in the Summertime?

So my siblings and friends from my childhood tell me I have too good of a memory. They say I remember everything... especially things we don't really want to remember.

Nevertheless... I have four very distinct summer memories from when I was pretty young that have come back to me this summer as I've watched my own kids outside. My kids love these things and when I watch them it just makes me smile.

1. Playing in a little pool in our backyard (probably 3 or 4). At the end of the day standing on the edge of the pool with my mom to let the water out. The water felt so warm after being in the hot sun as it trickled over my feet ... and I loved the feeling of the soggy grass afterward. I can still remember exactly where the pool was in my backyard the first time I did this.

2. Doing the slip-n-slide on the side grass. (I know it is awful on the grass Dave, but my nostalgic side just can't say no to the kids.)


3. Playing nightgames with the neighbor kids. Kick-the-can was our favorite. Ghost in the Graveyard seems to be the popular game in our neighborhood now.

4. Eating sherbet icecream with my friend Lezlee Smith. The summer I remember this we were on a lime sherbet kick and had one everyday. Now the Hess kids love the sherbet and popsiscles too!!

4th of July -- Stay-cation

Due to a variety of circumstances, we are not taking a big family summer vacation this year. Instead, we got to enjoy our own (stay-cation -- stay at home vacation this week). We had a week of visitors and fun. Mandy (my niece from Washington), the Jones' (Dave's family from California) and the Bauers (one of my BFFs from when I was 2 who now lives in Idaho) all descended upon the Salt Lake valley this week.

It was such a fun week... I'm a little exhausted tonight... but well worth the fun! Highlights include (kids when you say at the end of the summer we didn't take a vacation just re-read this and remember the massive fun week we had with our family and friends.)

Mandy, Rachel and Hess Kids

Cam & Kenzi dancing in a ballroom at J.S. Memorial
Grandpa, Jana, Mandy & Hess Kids

Cool Cam & Cute Mandy

I think we wore Kenzi out... this was only day 2!!

Cardiac Canyon at Cherry Hill was their favorite place to play!

A log jam on the ride... Lauren loved it... Kenzi not so much.

Katie/Jackie/Jana Wall -- Rachel Cottle -- Mandy Wall -- Kaylee Lyman -- Hess Kids

Cam has turned into a swimming maniac this summer -- he loves to swim under water! We went around the Lazy River at least 20 times ... and he never would get in a tube.
Lauren, Austin Bauer and Drew (Bauer's friend).

Lauren LOVED a day at Lagoon with big kids only!

Brent, Austin, Lauren & Nat getting ready for a ride.
Jac & Madison showing off their great teeth/healthy mouths at Lagoon.

(Nat the dental hygienist should be so proud.)

Cameron & Jacqueline Bauer enjoying the cul-de-sac fireworks.
Mike Cottle and Jacqueline at Timp Caves.
Jacqueline & Madison in the caves.

(Sorry Dave... I have no proof you were really there so you'll have to do that hike again. Dave said you only need to do that hike one time in your life with your kids.)

* BBQ at Grandpa's and Cousin sleepover

* Play day with Mandy (including yes Becca and Scott a trip to the U of U bookstore)

* Late night tennis

* Cherry Hill with the cousins.... the kids LOVED that!!!!!!!!

* Playgroup Water Fun

* Watching Trevor play volleyball at the Jr. Olympic Tournament (Trev you are so cool and so good)

* Temple Square/Joseph Smith Movie/Lunch at Joseph Smith Memorial new cafe (Yum!! Mandy you are so cute by the way.)

* Cleaning Rice Eccles Stadium after the Real Soccer Game (great fundraiser for Lauren's soccer team -- she thought it was the greatest late night ever. We watched fireworks and then cleaned the stadium for 2 hours. While the parents ran the leaf blowers the kids went on the field for an hour and played soccer. Dave didn't think it was too fun, but I thought it was a great experience for Lauren. Maybe getting to bed at 2:00 am and then getting up at 6:00 am the next morning wasn't too great.)

* Ward 4th of July Breakfast and kids bike parade (the kids LOVE decorating the bikes).

* Climbing Timp Caves with Bauers and Walls and Cottles (thank heavens for the cloud cover. Dave, you know it wasn't as bad as you think it was.)

* Dinner out at Wingers (finally....who new every restaurant closes at 6:00 pm on the 4th of July but Dave had unending patience as we drove from restaurant to restaurant and then when we finally go to eat ordered two entrees and ate most of Kenzi and Cameron's food too).

* Fireworks in the cul-de-sac

* Lagoon from 10:00 am - 11:00 pm (for Lauren and Bauers only -- thanks for taking her she loved it!!)

* Group sleepovers with the Bauer kids and the Hess kids on the floor every night! (How many blankets and pillows do such little bodies need?!?!)

* Fun family dinner with the Jones, Aaron and Jenn, and Katie and her cute friend. (We have such great family. Great pork chops Dave... if anyone wants a good recipe let me know.)

* Watching Jacqueline record a Jenny Phillips song at a studio (great singing Jacqueline)

More Playgroup Summer Fun

I love the fountains at Gateway... watching the kids screaming (you can hear Lauren for miles) at the top of their lungs during the huge water fountains during the songs makes me want to be a kid again... but not enough to go stand in the middle of the water with them. Here are a few photos of the kids and friends at our neighborhood playgroup a few weeks ago.

Singing, Snakes and More Summer Fun

The girls' choir (One Voice Children's Choir -- by far away the greatest thing I have my kids participating in) sang in two outdoor festivals last Saturday. The KSL/FM100 Family Fair at the Gateway and the Millcreek Venture Festival. They had a great time singing their patriotic songs and then wandering around the festivals. I forgot my camera at the KSL one at the Gateway, but here are some of the highlights of the day.

There was an exotic animal display... you'll notice there isn't a picture of me anywhere near the snakes.

Whose kids are these ... I hate snakes!!

Cameron even petted the 24-foot python... although he wouldn't go near its head or let us wrap the yellow around his neck. I guess he got a little bit of Grandma Wall's snake phobia!

Our choir director Masa getting drenched in the dunking booth... it was cooold water!

The choir singing the Star Spangled Banner -- a great acapella version they've done at the Jazz Game, Blaze Game and several other places this year.

Lauren and Kenzi both ventured up the climbing wall. Cameron wanted nothing to do with that part of the day!