Happy 7 Year Anniversary Regan!

Yesterday, June 29th was our 7 year anniversary, but we didn't get a chance to really celebrate it because it was the last day of our Florida Family Vacation and we were on the airplane for 5 hours coming home!

Here are some pictures of Regan throughout the 7 years! Do we look that much different now compared to our wedding pictures? Hopefully not! Anyway, a lot has happened to Regan and I in 7 years! We have both gradatued from BYU, we have gone through 5 cars, lived in 4 places, gone through many jobs, had 2 1/2 kids, purchased a home, and had many many adventures together! I can honestly say that I love Regan more today than when we got married. I know a lot more about him, that is for sure, and I feel like I am able to communitate with him so much better now than when we were first married. Having almost 3 kids has definently brought us closer together.

We have had wonderful times together, and we have also learned how to get through the hard times together. I am grateful for Regan and what he does for our family. He does so much for us and is the hardest worker I know! He won the trip we just got home from to Florida from American Family Insurance by selling Life Insurance. He also won a very distinguished honor while we were on our trip to Florida. For the past couple of months, he has been participating in a group called Junto which is a group for people who are starting new businesses. He was selected out of many people who applied, and every week, it was like he was on the Apprentice. He had many tasks to do with a group, and at the end, he had to submit a video of why he should be chosen to receive $50,000 for his start up company.

Well, basically he was not planning on winnning the prize at the end because nobody has ever won who was not at the final meeting, and he knew we would be in Florida when they made the announcement. Well, Regan got a message from the Junto President one night in Florida saying that Regan had been selected to receive the $50,000 start up money! I am just so proud of my husband because anything he sets out to do, he gives it his all and his best! He is amazing!

Happy Anniversary Regan! I love you!

Violin Camp

From 1 violinist to the next...the musical tradition will stay in the family! Dr. Suzuki said, "Only pracice on the days that you eat!" SO that is what we will do! While I was observing other classes, Riley played Game Boy and was just as happy as could be lying on the floor playing his games!

Suzuki Institute {a.k.a Violin Camp}

Last week, Riley and I made our 1st tradition of hopefully many. We attended the International Suzuki Institute which was convenientally held in Draper at Juan Diego High School. Since Riley is just learning his Twinkles (the 1st song in the Suzuki Book 1), we attended a Twinkle Class and a Music and Movement Class all week long. When he didn't have classes, we attended concerts, ate lunch at the High School (Riley Loved School Lunch) and observed other violin classes.

His Twinkle Class was very helpful and the main thing that Riley learned was how to focus on playing and practicing his violin instead of just wandering and day dreaming. His teacher, Ms. Yong was great with him and he liked going to this class every day.

His Music and Movement class was full of singing songs, feeling the rhythm with musical instruments, and dancing. He absolutly loved this class and looked forward to it daily.

The highlight for me, as a violin player who attended Suzuki Institute since I was a little girl, and now as a Suzuki Parent was watching my little boy play all of the Twinkle Variations on the stage with everyone at Suzuki Institute. I even had tears because I was so touched by the sight. Let's just say that Riley stole the show! I have never felt like a celebrity until that final concert. Riley was on the front rown just playing his twinkles, but in between each one, the pianist would play an introduction and while she did that, Riley would start bending his knees to the beat and get so excited to play the next twinkle. The next thing I know, the whole entire audience, which consisted of 200 people started laughing so hard! At first I didn't know what they were laughing at since I was video taping, but then everyone around me started to point at Riley and saying, "look at that boy!". He was hilarious! He would be looking at the girl next to him as he was playing and really get into the music!

I didn't think much of it until a TON of people came up to Riley and I and said that he made the concert! The audience even gave the Twinklers a standing ovation and Riley had to bow 4 times! A guy even came up to me afterwards and said that they only reason why the audience gave the Twinklers a standing ovation was because of Riley! As we started walking to our car, tons of people stopped their cars to tell us that Riley did such a great job! Talk about feeling important!

All in all, Riley had a great experience and even was sad that it had to end! It was exactly what him and I needed for violin practicing! After this experience, he told me that he wanted me to continue being his teacher, and that he would "Never, Never, Never stop playing the Violin" just like Dr. Suzuki said!