This is just in case anyone is wondering. I put a pretty picture on the top just in case you weren't really wondering :D
Hey guys, are you ready to see the Santa Clara Vanguard perform their 2010 program Bartók!, consisting of musical selections from Béla Bartók's "Concerto for Orchestra" and "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta" This is my second summer marching with the Santa Clara Vanguard. We usually rehearse at a school near the show sites. Check the Santa Clara website for more information about where to find us, I usually don't know until the morning of but if you have a question just send me a txt or call me or something. I will try to answer asap. Here is our 2010 performance tour schedule! We're in Utah for three days so you can come visit if you would like it's up at Roy High School though so don't feel bad if you can't :)

June
20 Sun - "Family Day Preview" Pleasant Hill, CA
25 Fri - Clovis, CA Contest
26 Sat - DCI West-Stanford, CA Contest
27 Sun - Atascadero, CA Contest

July
2 Fri - Vista, CA Contest
3 Sat - Walnut, CA Contest
4 Sun - Rose Bowl Exhibition, Pasadena, CA
5 Mon - Riverside, CA Contest
******7 Wed - Ogden, UT Contest*********
9 Fri - Loveland, CO Contest
10 Sat - Denver, CO Contest - Drums Along the Rockies
13 Tue - Hutchinson, KS Contest
14 Wed - Omaha, NE Contest
17 Sat - Minneapolis, MN - DCI Regional Contest
18 Sun - Rockford, IL Contest
20 Tue - Van Buren, AR Contest
22 Thu - Houston, TX Contest
**23 Fri - Dallas, TX Contest**
**24 Sat - San Antonio, TX - DCI Regional Contest**
27 Tue - Ocean Springs, MS Contest
29 Thu - Gadsden, AL Contest
30 Fri - Murfreesboro, TN - Top 8 Contest
31 Sat - Atlanta, GA - DCI Regional Contest

August
2 Mon - Centerville, OH Contest
3 Tue - Massillon, OH Contest
4 Wed - Erie, PA Contest
5 Thu - Rome, NY Contest
7 Sat - Allentown, PA - DCI Regional Contest
9 Mon - Toledo, OH Contest
12 Thu - DCI Quarter Finals - Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
13 Fri - DCI Semi Finals - Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
14 Sat - DCI World Championship - Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
15 Sun - SCV Season-end Awards Brunch, Indianapolis, IN

For more information on the Santa Clara Vanguard and information on DCI, Check out:
www.scvanguard.com

Also, HUGE thanks to everyone that helped me with donations and supporting me and what not. I really really appreciate it!!!! Thanks!

What a great weekend!

First of all I finished this cute little quilt for Pauly-Wog's (Amanda's boy) birthday.  He loves, loves, loves Thomas & Friends.  Sylvia helped me by serging the edge as a binding.  Chelsea took it to the mail place, so I'm confident Pauly will get it in time for his birthday.  I hope he likes it.  I just quilted it on my sewing machine (a first for me.)

Second of all . . . . this little baby doll came with Chelsea to visit for the weekend.  Chelsea went to a children's clothes swap with Shayla.  She got this cute hat for Afton-the safari-girl!  Tyson came down from Logan on Friday night, but Chelsea and Afton came down on Thursday evening after Afton's appointment at Primary Childrens Hospital. 

Third of all . . . . . we had our big (52 people-including some non-Brown family members) Brown Family bounce house and slide party.  I won the use of this bounce house on Facebook from this company called "Jump for Joy".  I was just sick about the weather being so crappy all day, but the kids had a blast anyway.  We had to move all the food under the patio because it was raining, but eventually the sun came out a little bit.  Some people sat under the porch and some sat in the garage, but the kids played on.

 

Tyson and Afton

Cute Logan Long (with his cute new haircut) came with Mitchell.

Lexie, Lynn, and Sylvia played GIANT ball, volleyball.

Mr. Cheesy face, Dallin Long.  He loved to just sit in the bounce house.

Ivy Star Neilsen in mid-jump and Zoey Green having a blast.

My baby doll Jocelyn and Cory. Jojo didn't feel very good, but she gave it a good shot.

Alice Brown and Shayla.  Alice brought her bff's little boy Owen.  He quite enjoyed the toy.

Afton with chololate on her lips from the scotheroos Jamie brought. 

Jojo

Baby Kenya, Katie, and Addison Brown were in town so Katie could compete in a triathalon.  We were glad to have them at the party while they were in town.

What cute girls.  Lexie, Jojo, Chelsea, and Afton swinging in the swing before I swung in it and busted it!! SORRY!

Some of the adults trying not to freeze!

Lexie and Chelsea trying to keep warm.

Jojo swinging when the sun was actually shinning. 

Thanks to everyone who came and made it fun. 

Tyson's Graduation Weeekend

This is the cutie that came out to greet me when I arrived in Logan on May 7th.  Shayla sent up this bouncy zebra for Afton.  She loved it. 

This is the cute dress/panties that I bought for Afton and Jojo.  They look so cute in it.

Chelsea worked all week on the food that she served at the Graduation Luncheon for Tyson.  She made divine Cafe Rio salads and burritos.  While they were in the kitchen getting the food ready, I was outside in their cute little back yard decorating the tables and the wall with grad cuteness!

Lisa Hathaway and Chelsea in the kitchen working on the food. 

Valerie Hathaway and Tyson laying out the dressing, salsa, and pico de gallo that Chelsea put into individual serving cups for everyone's convenience.  (She thought of everything!)

Some cuties that came to the luncheon.  Zoey "cutie" Green, Ellary "darlin" Green and Lily "Hollywood" Neilsen.  They all stayed at Tim and Brandi's for the weekend. 

Jessica Neilsen and Jamie Green were trying to stay warm at the first of the lunch, then when we finished up, it warmed right up.

Ellary Neilsen wating for some yummy chicken or pulled pork. 

Gordon got to visit with sweet little Elsie Neilsen while others got their food.

Annette Neilsen, Lily Neilsen, Dakota Green, Jessica Neilsen, Ellary Green, Brandi & Tim Neilsen.  It was so fun to have everyone come to support Tyson.

Gabraylie, Jamie, Dakota, Cora, and Deskin Green.  Tyson, Chelsea, and Gordon enjoying the food.

My baby doll Jojo in her cute birthday outfit.

I made Annette look like Gramdma Whetten with "a shawl for my legs Dolly".  Alice Brown came up with Cory, Shayla, and Jocelyn.  So fun to have her there.

Shayla and Cory Bott with Deskin and Jamie Green in-between.

Tim Neilsen was entertaining Afton with his phone app that giggled and talked.  She thought it was pretty groovy.  Brandi and Elsie looking on.

Chelsea trying to hold two squirmy baby dolls Afton and Jojo.

Tyson in his line up to actually graduate.

Tyson on stage receiving his empty diploma cover.

Afton interested in Daddy's funny hat and tassel.

Afton making sure everyone knows that we are standing under some very large bull nostrils!!

We had such a great weekend with the Hathaways, and we are so proud of Tyson. 

Hi everyone!! So I'm leaving in about 2 weeks to tour the country with the Santa Clara Vanguard again. I still have more to pay on my $2100 fee and I desperately need some help! I know that not everyone can just give away money, but if there is any amount you can spare I would really really really appreciate it! Anything and everything would help. Even $5 would help me out.

If you're not able to donate I completely understand, your support will be more than enough :) Thanks everyone!!

--Lexie

DIY

When I was down at Renae's Spring Cleaning project, I saw Reesee's old (maybe 60 years old) metal chair that was all rusted out and yucky.  So I got the idea to (as a surprise to Renae) "steal" the chair and re-do it. So during Spring Break when Karl was home and Renae was in the middle of tax season, Karl snuck the chair up to our house. 

Gordon helped me big time.  He took the chair apart by having to saw the nuts and bolts off.  We sanded and wire brushed the chair for days and days.  In between snow and rain storms we primed, painted, and sealed it.  I think it turned out so great. 

Before

Gordon bought shiny new nuts and bolts and put the chair together.  It was freezing outside on May 1st!!!!!

Tah Dah!  I think it turned out so cool. 

This will test the strength of this metal chair!!!

I took the chair down to Annette's Spring Cleaning project and surprised Renae with it.  Annette said that she was the last one to paint that chair for Reesee and Rudolph back when she was in High School.  

It was a fun project, thanks to Gordon it turned out better than it would have if I would have done it myself.

Hummmmm . . . . . . I think I have another little DIY project in mind!!!  Stay tuned!   

Spring Cleaning Co-op @ my house

Jamie taking a little break after all the cleaning was done. (BTW . . . her second cleaning service project of the day!) Thanks Jamie! Mitchell also came to help. He was a great help in being tall and moving the heavy stuff. Thanks Mitch!

(I am a Blogging SPAZZ, so just pretend that this is the first picture of the Blog!!) 
 
This Spring Sylvia, Renae, Annette, Jamie, and I put together a cleaning co-op to go to each others homes and help out with big projects that we didn't or couldn't do by ourselves.  It has been very fun for me.  First we went to Sylvia's, then Jamie's, then Renae's, then it was my turn.  I was so excited.  I made a big chart list of everything I wanted done for the day, and everyone came.  I cooked hambergers for everyone then we got busy with the list. 
 

Sylvia had to come in the morning (everyone else came at 1:00) because they had weddings to go to.  She did a bunch of work before she had to leave. 

Renae and Jamie took down all my nasty dirty curtains and hardware.  I am going to make new curtains for the living room and the dining room. 

The before- take-down picture

The after-take-down picture (with darling baby Afton looking out the window.) 

I didn't take pictures of all the projects, which I feel bad about. 

Thanks to everyone who came (Jamie, Renae, Sylvia, Mitchell, Chelsea, and Shayla).  Chelsea and Afton came down from Logan which made it extra fun.  Cory and Gordon helped here and there also (thanks boys).  It was so great.  "I love it when a plan comes together"!

Next . . . . . . we go to Annette's and then on up to Logan and Smithfield!  Woo hoo