Orchestra Concert and Symphony Field Trip

 

Eliza had her pre-UIL orchestra concert this week.  This is when they perform their UIL music for parents.  UIL is at the beginning of March, so they always do a concert before it.  Eliza is in the 6th period orchestra, which is basically a freshman class, and she is the only senior.  She did not audition for the chamber orchestra because that is during 4th period and she was hoping to make Tempo for choir, which is also 4th period.  She couldn't do 3rd period orchestra because of choir or 5th period because of Black Box theatre.  It hasn't been her favorite year of orchestra as a class, but she does enjoy spending time with her friends from orchestra.

Nathan went to the Plano Symphony for a 4th grade field trip.  He really enjoyed the symphony and was glad to go.  

TMEA San Antonio

My parent orchestra went to the TMEA (Texas Music Educator's Association) convention in San Antonio for a clinic. It was similar to the clinic that we attened in Chicago in December 2024. Corey came with me to San Antonio and we stayed in a Holiday Inn separate from the other orchestra members. Most of them stayed at a Hyatt near the airport, but a few stayed in other places. Some drove down just for the day and then drove back after the clinic. We had a fun time. We got there and then went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant, La Tierra, with the other orchestra members. The food was great. 

The next day, we just ate breakfast and hung out until the clinic. Corey dropped me off at the convention center and I walked around until it was time to perform. Then we did our performance and clinic and afterward, Corey picked me up. We went back to the hotel and then met up with the orchestra members for dinner at Ida Claire's, southern food.  I thought it was delicious.  I'm so glad that we went and I love performing with the orchestra.

 

December Week 3

After getting over my illness and Jonah getting over his, we had another busy week.

I got the ornament I bought for Travis for this first Christmas as a missionary.  

I had an orchestra concert that had kept getting put off because they couldn't find a night and place that worked.  Finally they just held it in the orchestra room.  I am really enjoying playing the cello.

And Jonah wrestled at the Wylie Invitational.  Corey helped with the score table and Nathan and Annmarie helped by being towel people (they tap the ref with a towel when the time is up).  I donated muffins, which I made the morning of.  Jonah did not have the greatest wrestling day, and he wrestled JV for this tournament.  He is still learning.

 

 

Eliza's Actual Birthday

Eliza turned 18 on December 6, 2025, but this post is not about her birthday celebration.  That's because she did not have time that day to have a birthday celebration.  Instead, she had an orchestra cluster concert.  We had a ward Christmas dinner.  And she had a combined choir, orchestra, and band concert.  Corey and I were supposed to go to the In-N-Out Christmas party, but we decided to skip it this year in favor of these other events, especially since it was in Fort Worth.  

I caught this picture of Jonah and Nathan being silly with the fox hats we have.  Had to get the picture of them matching with the hats because who knows when it will happen again?

The ward Christmas dinner was really good and we had some fun games they had planned.  Nathan got to be decorated as a Christmas tree.  Unfortunately, our group did not finish first.  The theme was Luau so we all wore our Hawaiian shirts.  I wore my Hawaiian shirt, which is white with red and yellow flowers and green stems and I won an award for the most "Christmas-y Hawaiian outfit".  I really just wore the only Hawaiian shirt I have!

We left the ward dinner early to go to the other concert.  It was a busy day!  

 

Orchestra Concert

Eliza had her fall orchestra concert and for the first time, she was sitting on the outside so I could take her picture!  She has improved a lot in playing.  This year, she is in the freshman orchestra though because it was the only orchestra class that fit into her schedule.

End-of-Year Concerts and Recitals Part One

It's May, and with kids in band, choir, and orchestra, we now have concerts and recitals.  Annmarie had her voice recital and Eliza had her orchestra concert.  Also, don't my roses look pretty?

 

Wylie ISD at the Meyerson

It's become a tradition in Wylie ISD to have a concert in the Meyerson with many of their music performing groups.  Travis and Eliza were both part of it this year with A'Cappella choir and Eliza with orchestra.  I did not get to go because Annmarie had a gymnastics meet at the same time.  Corey couldn't go either due to work.  Jonah also performed with Cooper band but there were no pictures taken.

Pictures: Eliza with orchestra friends Kaylee Collett (and her brother Declan) and Laraib Mirza

Travis with Josh Ausborne, Travis with Josh Ausborne, Ybsira (sp?), and Aaron Dahl

Chicago Trip

I had such a great trip to Chicago with my parent orchestra.. from riding the L to eating deep dish pizza to hearing the most amazing symphony and choir concert ever to looking at incredible art to eating apple strudel to getting stuck in an elevator to having a six hour flight delay to participating in an amazing workshop on how to form a parent orchestra to running into Jonah's old trumpet teacher (Rylan Taylor) at the convention to getting together with an old friend (Allison Harvey Peters). What a great trip!

With friends Nicole Tan (cello) and Carmen Woitas (viola)