The kids and I are here in Tucson, Arizona, antipating another week and 1/2 of ways to help around Nana and Poppa's house... mom's having a total knee replacement surgery tomorrow morning.

We've been here 2 1/2 days and already, we've had many adventures.  I'll post more throughout the next couple of weeks to keep you abreast on our adventures here in 112 degree Tucson!

 

Summer Vacation... so far, so good!

We just returned from a fantastic weekend in Charleston, South Carolina celebrating not only Greg's 38th birthday but also Father's Day.  This year, both special holidays occurred on the same day, June 19th, so we made the most of it and went somewhere extra special for our special guy. 



Grampy Turcotte with Skay at Crescent Beach



For most of you who know us at all, we aren't ones to stay still for too long, and in just May and June, we traveled to Hilton Head, SC; Jacksonvill, FL; St. Augustine, FL; Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; Charleston, SC, and had Greg's parents to visit us here in Vidalia to boot~ I guess this shows just how much we like to invest our time and effort into little weekend and day trips to foster wonderful memories for the fam.  We have all been involved with Vacation Bible schools and volunteering up at church, playing keyboards, teaching Sunday school, and leading small groups also.  We like to stay busy... but you'd be surprised by just how much the kids and I (Karen) are at home.  We can be homebodies, for sure, during the week.  If you check in on us, you'll often find the kids and/or I reading a good book, doing some kind of artsy fartsy project, playing the piano, rocking out to the rhythm of Daniel and his new drum machine, playing in the sprinkler while on the trampoline (this is the only way to survive hot and humid GA summers in our backyard) having a friend or two over, or playing a game around the table. 



Here are a few more pics from our summer adventures.  Thanks for checking in with us.  We love you!











Historic Downtown St. Augustine
Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse in the U.S.

Spring Recital

Well, we've wrapped up another wonderful year of piano instruction!

It has been so wonderful to see Owen, Cassidy and Carolina learn so much this year during our piano lessons.  Owen has come a long way in learning to read his notes and play with more fluidity and expression.  Cassidy has become confident about her counting and has blown me away with her how she's playing with such wonderful dynamics now!  She's had a musical transformation.  Carolina has blossomed into quite a musician as well, having overcome theory struggles with minor and major key signatures and playing with style.  The girls have both learned to play handbells this year as well.  All my students have really "taken" to transposing and it delights me to see them WANTING to transpose their songs when they have free time now.

I have welcomed Jospeh Branch, Cassidy and Caroline's little brother, to my studio as well and he has taken off!  I began him in the "Little Music for Mozarts" books and he did so well, he made it through the first three levels in ONE semester!  Wow!  He was able to perform a solo and a duet at our recital last night, and he is quite the confident little player!  He has a real ear for music and he is very bright and responds well to challenges.

Marshia Pierece and I joined our two studios again for the recital this semester.  Each student played two pieces  and everyone did so well.  I was so proud of them!  Each of the kids then accompanied Milligan Williams with boomwhackers and shakers to "Lean on Me" at the end of the recital.  Marshia and I, of course, had to "ham it up" with cheezy movements as we led our audience in singing along.  It was great fun!  I treated all the kids to DILLY BARS for DQ at the end as a surprise, and what a surprise it was!  Enjoy the pics from our recital.