Our New Utah Home, Easter and Prom

 For Spring Break we drove to Utah and moved into our new home in Draper.  It is more beautiful than I could have imagined!  We absolutely love it!  The day we moved in was a rainy day, not good for moving furniture.  But surprisingly, when we opened up the storage unit, the furniture that had been in there for 5 years was in really good shape.  We dumped a few things that were just old and didn't fit in the house but the beds, dressers, and couches were all just fine.  We hired two movers to come help us with a moving truck and between the four of us, we moved everything in and began to unpack boxes.  This home is such a blessing for us.  We still live in Arizona, but having a place like this to come to when we visit Utah will be a gathering place for our family.

 We had a really fun Easter.  It wasn't super eventful, but always a nice holiday to remember our Savior's Resurrection.

The next week Spencer had a tennis tournament and he placed second!  Yeah Spencer!  My parents came to visit and that's always a fun thing for me.  I love it when they are here!

 For Spencer's 14th birthday party, he asked for kids to bring school supplies instead of gifts to donate to kids in need.  What a great kid he is!

 Our theater room carpet came in and it looks AMAZING!

 Hailey had her end of the year concert with Gilbert Youth Choir and we are always so impressed with how well they sing!  My little girl is just so adorable.  I love her so much!!!

 Hailey and Spencer both had their Arizona Study Program Adjudications and boy, did we ever have to scramble to get them ready.  I don't know why, but for some reason, about a month before ASP the kids didn't have their pieces memorized and we were really behind the game.  I think with Kelsey graduating and Kohler coming home soon, our minds weren't as focused on piano as they should have been.  So, for FHE one night, I got a large poster board and wrote down all of their songs on a chart.  Every week, for 4 weeks, they played their songs for us on Monday night and we kept track of which ones were ready and which pieces needed more help, and how we could help them.  It really paid off! 

 Those two little miracle workers ended up, not only having their pieces memorized and well-learned, but they both achieved SUPERIOR ratings by the judges!!  I am so proud of our two talented kids!!

 Braden Campbell asked Kelsey to Mormon Prom and they had a really fun time.  He is a little shy and is a year younger than her, but she was super happy to get asked so she could go as a Senior.  They went with some of her friends and it was a really fun night for them!

Here are some of the photos Kelsey used for her Senior Grad Announcement.  They turned out so pretty.  I just don't think Kelsey can take a bad picture!

 Elder Tillman took the time to talk to Kelsey, Tom and I for over an hour about her Patriarchal Blessing and some of the unique aspects of it.  It was a special time for all of us and we think the world of him for taking so much time with her.  We ran into he and his sweet wife at the Mesa Easter Pageant.  He remembered her and it meant the world to Kelsey!

 Spencer before braces . . . and AFTER!!

Spencer's Eagle Project

We had two tragedies this past year with two students passing away that had both attended Quartz Hill Elementary.  Spencer and his good friend, Mason Romney, decided they wanted to do their Eagle Projects as a remembrance for these two students.  The principle there, Michael Hallock, suggested one boy to have two memorial benches made and the other boy to build a Gaga Ball Pit, which is a game that many 6th graders love because they play it at Science Camp.  Spencer decided to take on the Gaga Ball Pit and Mason chose the benches.  

Spencer and Jashar Brown collecting donations

Mason and Spencer posted flyers and notices that the scouts would coming and collecting donations.  Together the boys raised over $5000 for this project.  It was amazing to see and feel the support of neighbors and friends.  

This project took months and months to organize, order supplies, and finally to build.  I have never seen two 14 year old boys work so hard to put this event together.  We were super proud of them!

The man cutting the wood is the father of one of the students who died.  It was so special that he and his family came out to help.

Here Spencer and Mason are gluing the memorial plaques on the benches and the podium listing all the families who donated. 

A local landscaper donated his time and materials to make the paver benches, platform, and edging.  We can't thank him enough for all he did.  It turned out absolutely beautifully!

That's the look of two completely satisfied and proud boys.

Grandma Chamberlain was in town and she was so impressed when she came down and saw what he had done!

Mr. Hallock had a special ceremony organized at the school with all of the 6th graders.  The band played several numbers, then the boys each gave a small speech.  This project is very special to Spencer in that Kohler's Eagle Project is just a few feet away in the same playground as the Sand Volleyball Pit.  Both brother's projects are side by side.  

At the end of the ceremony, every student took a balloon, made a wish, then on the count of 3, everyone let go of their balloons and it was really powerful watching them ascend up into the sky.  Both families of the students who passed away were present and many had tears in their eyes.  

After the balloon ceremony, they opened up the Gaga Pit for kids to play.  It was so much fun watching kids have a good time playing in that pit that took so long to build.  What an accomplishment!