Quinn - Band Contest

A couple of weeks ago, Quinn's concert band participated in a regional band contest.  They played three pieces - all of which sounded VERY good!  They were judged, not against the other bands that performed, but against themselves.  The judges critiqued their playing and scored them with "gold, silver, or bronze."

After three beautiful pieces, and a night worth of waiting, the results were in and Quinn's band scored... GOLD!  Leading up to the contest, they practiced and practiced and practiced.  Their hard work though clearly paid off. As Quinn said leaving the concert venue, "I never want to play those pieces again!"

If you want to listen and view for yourselves how great they sound, click below:

Song #1

Song #2

Song #3

Fun with Friends...

 After being cooped up all winter long (and this winter was a BRUTAL one) we finally were able to get together with the neighbors and enjoy a great meal and a friendly kids vs. parents game of kickball. 

After several innings and lots of runs scored, the game ended in a tie.  I guess that means a rematch will be in the works before long.

Our Artist...

Sullivan was invited to show her artwork at the district art show recently.  What an honor it is to be part of this art show, as it showcases the best of the best throughout the district.

The sweet, talented artist showing off her work...

Sullivan titled it "Hornless Unicorn."  She had intended to have a horn in her artwork, but while she was creating it she accidentally covered the horn up.  I'd call that a happy accident because the piece of work turned out absolutely perfect.

So very proud of our little artist!

Spring Fever

Let the countdown begin... spring break officially starts in ten days!  Wahoo!!

What better way to get ready for our trip than with a good countdown punch out board.  

Inside each day's hole is a few pins for Disney.  Some are for keeps, others to trade away.

It's the first thing that the girls do in the morning before anything else.  They couldn't be more excited to countdown our time to Spring Break.  I'm just hoping that the next ten days fly by and our toes are in the Florida sand before we know it!

Nana, Papa, Band, and More..

If we weren't already spoiled already... the day after we said goodbye to Grandma Jane, we were happy to welcome Nana and Papa for the week. 

While us ladies had to go to school, Nana and Papa spent the days with Ryan.  They went to a movie one afternoon and toured the old Indianapolis insane asylum (now known as the Indiana Historical Medical Museum) on another day. While it sounds very creepy and quite morbid, all three of them seemed to really enjoy the tour. 

Here Nana and Papa were sitting in the gallery of what used to be the autopsy room - many spectators at a time watched autopsies take place back then.  Weird.

Nana and Papa were also lucky enough to be out here when Quinn had a band concert.  

The seats we were in were not the best seats for taking pictures.  If you squint just right, you might be able to see Quinn in this next picture...

On Saturday, we drove over to Cincinnati to go to the aquarium.  Fun times were had!

This is a shark bridge at the aquarium.  You cross the net on a narrow beam - meanwhile below you are sharks and other scary and exciting aquatic animals.

Aside from the outings and adventures, Sullivan twisted Nana's arm into playing a gazillion games with her.  Nana was kind enough to oblige. 

We had the best time with Papa and Nana and were sad to see them go. 

Science, Gma, and More...

I'm back.  I didn't intentionally neglect this blog.  Time and life happened; and we've been busy with some special visitors the past couple weeks!

A little over a week ago, Quinn had her regional Science Fair competition in Indianapolis.  The moms and the kids loaded up the car and hit the road early to get them to the university on time.

Once there, Quinn and Madeline got their presentation board set up.  Parents weren't allowed on the science floor during judging which lasted all morning long.  Us parents went to sip coffee and chat while we left these girls to do their work. 

After lunch, parents and visitors were allowed to view the projects while the judges tabulated the scores.  Grandma Jane happened to drive over for the weekend to see us, and was able to come to the competition to see Quinn's work too.

While the girls tried their hardest and gave it their all in effort, they were secretly hoping NOT to win.  They were not wanting to take their project much further. Their wish came true - coming in 8th place in their division.  That's nothing to be upset about - a great job in my opinion!

Grandma Jane's trip over couldn't have been better timing... Quinn was excited that she was able to see her science fair.  While Grandma was also here, we were sure to get one or two or twenty card games in....

And no trip to Indy would be complete without taking Grandma to the arcade...

Look at that last picture.  You see that correctly... Quinn has officially passed Grandma Jane up in height.  Crazy, crazy.

This furry little girl was also quite happy to see and spend time with Grandma Jane...

As always, it was great to have Grandma Jane here!

What an Honor...

You are looking at the newest member of the Junior National Honor Society.  

Quinn was thrilled to be accepted into this organization after having worked extremely hard on her acceptance essays.  As a member of this organization, Quinn has committed to serving others through countless hours of community service and volunteer opportunities.  Quinn has already begun that journey - having completed her first volunteer job this past weekend!  Here's to many, many more opportunities ahead of her!