A New Year of Piano

Regular lessons are starting up again next week, and I'm continually flabbergasted at how God has blessed my little studio. It's not so little anymore. I'm actually overscheduled with a waiting list, and an adult student who wants to start Face Time lessons in October (you know who you are, and all I can say is yay!) I had a small dream, and God is growing it, and providing abundantly for our family as well.

I've been working hard ordering books, creating a practice notebook, thinking through incentive programs, making business cards (this is real!), and brainstorming other fun ideas for my students. Fourteen! Fourteen students. This is going to be awesome!

New practice notebooks (beginner on top, older students on the bottom)

Fourteen piles of books ready to be delivered!

Frozen Pip Squeaks

I'm not exactly sure what these two have been up to, but MaKaylee and Dayna have been creating some sort of concoction involving frozen grapes, whipped egg whites and an ice cream type substance. They are marketing their creation as "Frozen Pip Squeaks" and experimenting with colors and flavors. I'm not sure this idea will take off (it's an interesting mix of ingredients) but they are working hard!

At the very least, it's nice that these girls can still get together and pick up where they left off, even if they go to different schools now.

Note that MaKaylee is still sporting her Ashland-Greenwood gear!

August Projects

I've been busy this month. One of the highlights was an Olympic Knit-Along some friends from grad school started on Facebook. The idea was to cast something on during the Opening Ceremonies, work on it while watching the Olympics and finish before the Closing Ceremonies.

Here's my Olympic project:

Pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hope-diamond
Yarn from Hobby Lobby - an alpaca, merino blend

I also finished my Monkey Socks using Crazy Zauberball yarn. I LOVE this yarn and will definitely use it again.

I also finished a mermaid tail blanket for Annie's birthday. I confess. This was not a fun project. But I love her, and she loves mermaids, and so it's done! A bonus was the yarn belonged to my late Grandma Luebcke.

A Whole Handful!

Just a few days after school started, Annie turned five. Or as her Aunt Karey says, "a whole handful." She has insisted for quite sometime on a "Cinderella Watermelon Birthday." We did our best to accommodate.

On the day of her birthday, we went to see "The Secret Life of Pets" with her friend Adeline. The next day, we were able to meet with her Nebraska grandparents for some yummy Chinese food. The watermelon cake (can't find a picture) was...interesting. (Strawberry cake with miniature chocolate chips and green frosting.) But she loved it, and that's what counts.

She also got to donate two new games to her classroom for her birthday. I think it was a success. She's already asking for an "Ariel birthday" next year.

Face Time with Papa and Nana

First Day of Preschool

The time has finally come. Annie got to have her own first day of school. After much shopping and excitement, preschool has begun. After three days, she could write her own name (forget that I've tried teaching her for two years!) And today, I was told she ventured to a new center. She has played "house" every day since school started, but today she went to listen to books instead. Her transition has been beautiful, and her teacher is an absolute gem.

First Day of Middle School

Where has the time gone? My Dayna is a sixth grader now, going to the middle school. She seems to be holding her own and adapting to new expectations, and has even come up with creative ways to describe some of the people at her school. (You'll have to ask her about "Friendly Mustache" and "Shiny Head.") She even went to her first middle school function last Friday - a tailgate before the first home football game. She's in a whole new world now, and seems to be loving it.

Glamour Girl

Annie is definitely my girlie-girl. From twirly skirts to ruffles and glitter to any kind of makeup she can find. This girl is all about fashion. Glitter on, my sweet girl!

Rockin' her new school shoes

2016 Drum Corps Finals

Dan has had a lot of fun the last few years reigniting his love for Drum Corps. He marched with the Railmen in 1993, and they have been trying to reinstate the Corps for a few years now. This year, they competed in the SoundSport competition (a smaller scale show) in the all-age, less than 50 members division. After nine months of rehearsals, the Railmen took to the road and competed at the National DCI finals.

Surprise! They won best of division, and also took best of show out of 16 corps. That's right. National champions! We're still waiting for Dan to come down from his high.

2016 Olympics, Wilson Style

Every four years, the magic of the Olympics happens. Each time around, there are special things for us to remember. This year, my friend's daughter was invited by the McDonald's foundation to participate in the opening ceremonies. How wonderful for my girls to see another Chinese adoptee on global television! This is also a time for my girls to be able to cheer on team USA AND China, and to see athletes who look like them doing amazing things. One of my favorite moments was simply watching Dan take the globe and show Annie where the athletes were from as they were parading into the stadium.

Here are some shots of our Olympic season.

Our own Breakfast of Champions

A typical evening - me with a knitting project with Dan next to me.

Welcome Home, Dayna!

Dayna was so incredibly blessed to be able to spend two extra weeks with her grandparents in Oregon after the rest of the Wilsons came home. She was spoiled, fed, and shopped 'til she dropped. While much fun was had on the Oregon side, the rest of us in Nebraska missed her terribly.

Her homecoming was very sweet. She bought gifts for each of us, including her hamster Hickory. I think he was happy to see her, too!