Celebrating the Performing Arts

For the first time ever, all the performing arts groups at Timpanogos High School got together for one big concert on May 7. This was especially cool for us since all three of our children at THS were involved. Sarah and Jacob are on the ballroom team, and Emily plays flute in band and cello in orchestra. The dance videos begin in black, but just be patient and wait for the music to begin playing. Emily is 1st cello (the one closest to the conductor and the front of the stage). Here are their performances:

In the Middle of the Night - Ballroom Team




It Don't Mean a Thing - Ballroom Team with Jazz Band




Happy Feet - Ballroom Team




Funiculi, Funicula - Symphony Orchestra and A Cappella choir with Justin Benson, soloist




When the Saints Go Marching In - Symphony Orchestra and A Cappella choir




St. Paul's Suite, 1st movement - String Orchestra

Timpanogos Dance Theatre

Timpanogos High School has an excellent modern dance program (if you like that sort of thing). Sarah needed a fine arts credit, so this semester she took Dance 3, the class just below the dance theater team. It's an entirely different style of dancing--not at all what she's used to in ballroom--but she has enjoyed the experience. The first video is just an introductory piece of each class, but I only taped Dance 3's portion.

This piece is entitled "Give It To Me." Sarah is mostly on the right side of the stage, but it's nearly impossible to tell you which one she is since they all look alike!

The last dance she was in was called "Shaping Us." No offense to those of you who enjoy this type of dancing, but I'm personally relieved it's over. Sarah is in the back row, wearing orange and black.

Say Goodbye to the Violin Recitals

Wednesday, May 2, was a major milestone for Emily--her final violin recital. After taking violin lessons for years, she has decided to put more focus on the cello and the flute and take her talent to the next level with those instruments. Congratulations to her for all she has accomplished! I'd like to thank her teachers. First, Shaun Broderick, one of Andrew's great high school friends, helped Emily begin her love affair with the violin. And for the past several years, Christine Davis (who plays with the Orchestra on Temple Square) has taught, encouraged, and inspired Emily to do wonderful things with her talents. I hope you enjoy this video of Emily in a violin trio playing Pachelbel's Canon in D. She's the one on the right.

Gnome, Sweet Gnome

Reid's grandfather (Opa, as he was known to most) was famous for his garden. He cherished each and every plant and always made sure his yard and garden were taken care of. Opa had quite a collection of garden gnomes, many of which had been repainted over the years. Some of the older ones were made of cement, and some were made of resin. All of the Heiss grandkids enjoyed seeing those gnomes in Opa's garden.

When Opa died, the family divided up the gnomes, and we brought four of them home. They were in desperate need of new paint, and I dutifully put them on my craft counter so I could "get around to it." That was over six years ago!

I'm proud to report that our four little gnomes have finally been spruced up and have found a new home in our "Opa Memorial Garden" on the side of our house. They turned out pretty cute (and I'm glad to have the counter space available again).

Our side yard

The one with the bucket (resin)

Carrying a pole (resin)

Fisherman (cement)

The one with the wheelbarrow (cement - weighs a ton!)

Never Again

All I can say after the trip to Arizona is, "Remind me never to do that again." After a couple of uneventful days (with Sarah still mad at me), on Friday I went to dinner with Rulon & Marcy, Therena & Taylor, David & Joy, and Bethany & Bryan. About an hour after we got home, I started feeling very queasy. After a couple of hours, I was on my knees in the bathroom worshiping the porcelain throne. What a miserable night! I spent the entire night throwing up every hour or so. That's pretty difficult considering there was nothing left in my stomach after the first episode. By the time Saturday dawned, my insides decided to add diarrhea to the equation. I spent the entire day in agony!

So what brought all this on? Come to find out, Therena's little boy had this stomach bug before we got there, and Rulon & Therena both had it on Thursday. So being the generous family that we are, we decided to share. On Friday night, there were three of us in the house who were sick--me, Daniel, and Dale. Maybe family togetherness isn't all it's cracked up to be.

We decided to embark on our journey back to Orem at 8:00 Sunday morning. Thankfully, my insides were feeling almost normal by then, so I was able to drive home without incident. The weather, however, didn't cooperate very well. But instead of wind and sand, this time it was rain and snow. Sarah and her friends remained angry with me through the whole trip. I'll forever remember this "vacation" as the one I should never have taken.