Another Driver and Violin Concerts

So, we're trying something new with Wes again. Today we withdrew him from public school and he is going to do BYU High School online. The decision to do this came after Wes shared some of his experience this past weekend at a Skyline school dance, and it made Corey a little concerned that public school is a hell hole. The social aspect of school was the only thing keeping Wes in, and now he felt like he wants to get away from that. And this was Skyline, but Brighton is pretty much the same, and I checked if Wes will still be able to be on the hockey team if he homeschools, and he can, so I called Brighton yesterday and said we are withdrawing him. This morning Wes turned in his text books and got signed off by all his teachers as being ok to leave, and then I picked him up at 9. I would have been ok with him doing Canyons School District online (mostly cause it's free) but both Corey and Wes want to do BYU. Wes is excited to do BYU cause, after taking one Independent Study class (to recover some poor grades from 9th grade math) he really liked the way they teach and he gets it and yeah, so he wants to do all the rest of school there. So I picked him up and he's excited to be done with public school and to start, once again, a new chapter. I already had an appointment today for him to go to the DMV to get his license, and it all worked out logistically for me. His appointment was for 9:45, but that was going to be cutting close cause I had to pick up Natalie and Sophi from school shortly after 10 so we could make it to an 11:15 concert in Taylorsville, call time 10:45, but I was hopeful, with how quick Ethan's DMV appt was, that it would be the same, and it was! We got there a little bit early and it was ok and they served us, and we were in and out super quickly.

Wesley turned 16 in June, and is very happy to finally have his license. Two Spiderman heroes accompanied us to make sure everything went smoothly. 

Daniel being affectionate with Peter.

Wes dancing on his way out - 

And we thought this picture was funny cause it made him look so short! Some optical illusion.

I was able to take WDP all home and leave them there, yay, then I left to go get S and N at school cause they had violin performances basically all day today. I was glad to not have to entertain D&P while we drove around and sat and waited today. Sophi and Natalie changed in the car and then were ready to go. 

First performance was at a Senior Center, and they did two shows there as the elderly came in and ate their lunch. 

Sophi and Natalie are right front and center in the picture there, both with black masks. While they performed, I did a little bit of gospel study for this Sunday, I teach Gospel Doctrine on the Family Proclamation, such wonderful stuff! I love it. 

From a BYU Devotional talk by Elder Quentin L. Cook "A Banquet of Consequences": President Spencer W. Kimball taught, “Supreme happiness in marriage is governed considerably by a primary factor—that of the bearing and rearing of children. … The Church cannot approve nor condone … measures which … greatly limit the family.” So I read while I listened to their two performances there, then we grabbed some lunch at Chic Fil A. Then two more performances at Jordan Valley School for some cute special needs children and their wonderful caretakers and teachers. 

We were done at 3, then headed home for dinner and such, then I took all the kids in tow to one last concert for today at Mesa Elementary with their Park Lane Elementary Orchestra. 

Sophi on the front row all the way on the left, Natalie to her right 4 people. They are both looking at me -

We got there a little late, but luckily before the show started. They sat down right away, played like 3 songs, and then they were done! Most of the kids there just barely starting to play violin in September, so it was a quick performance. Sophi and Natalie are both in the advanced group. Here with their nice instructor Anne. 

So it was a busy crazy day. Probably the busiest music day we'll have this holiday season, so that is good. One pic of our missionaries from yesterday. They all have different p-days, but Melodie's mission president lets them call on their siblings p-day sometimes. She alternates joining Ethan or Hyrum each week. 

Yesterday was Ethan's p-day. Today was Hyrum's but I didn't get on the call today since I was busy and gone with the girls.