May was a busy month. So busy I pretty much forgot to tell you about Zach's birthday. Yup. Mom of the year on this blog. Geesh.
Zach turned 14 on May 9th! We decided to keep it low key and The Avengers had come out a week earlier (I think). All of us really wanted to see it, so I told Zach he could take one friend. Then I realized that we only have one car and it seats five people. Kurtis volunteered to stay home and watch it another time, so we wouldn't have to rescind the invitation, or buy a mini van.
We loved that movie! It was so much fun! After the movie, we came home and had pizza and cup cakes, and opened presents.
Sunday, Zach advanced in the youth program of our church from a Deacon to a Teacher. My parents came, Kurtis blessed Zach with more priesthood responsibilities, and we ate steak (except me. Steak is gross. I ate chicken), and had more cake.
See, they really loved the show.
Zach's birthday cupcake!
The birthday boy!
Kaleb and Riley got him Minecraft toys. I asked if they thought he was too old for those things and they disagreed with me (of course). I guess Zach would disagree with me, too.
Money is always an excellent gift for a boy his age.
He's been wanting this for awhile now.
And this was what he asked for, so of course he's excited.
The cake I baked for Sunday.
We sang to him, he blew out the candles, and we ate the deliciousness that is whatever kind of cake that was.
In May, Riley had to do is 6th grade wax museum. He got to be King Nebbakuneezer. No, I don't care that I more than likely spelled that wrong. He showed me a picture of the costume he wanted, and I made it. Lucky for him, he told me in advance, so I had time to make it. And lucky for me my bestest friend Nicole gave me a new sewing machine for Christmas. It works so much better than my old one that ate more fabric than the project ever required. Well, sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't. I'm just saying I'm grateful for the extra nice gift.
Because it turned out amazing. I mean, I did such a great job on this project. I feel like someone who can actually sew.
For his crown, I got a sand bucket from the dollar store and spray painted it gold. Then I took some gold sequin ribbon and wrapped it around the hat and used it to make gold diamond shapes on it.
I also got some yellow flip flops from the dollar store and spray painted them gold, too. I don't really recommend that, though. The paint will come off and get all over your feet.
I went to all that trouble to make a hat and spray paint those flip flops and he forgot to wear them!
Although, to be honest. I'm fine with him not wearing the flip flops. But not the hat!
Oh, well. He still did a good job.
My grandmother also came and visited us in May. We all got together and had dinner with her one Saturday evening while she was with my parents.
She got to meet Ansel for the first time!
And she got to meet Milo for the first time!
These two cousins are a week apart. Such a couple of cuties!
Well, I haven't posted my Sacrament Meeting Art in a really long time, so I think it's time to do some.
Sacrament Meeting Art #12: June 14, 2015.
Another one from my cousin in Arizona. I do believe this is sunrise.
It's gorgeous there. I should visit more. And honestly, now that I think about it, I don't think I have ever visited him there. :/
Here is the original. See. Gorgeous. Not that I would ever get up that early.
Sacrament Meeting Art #13: June 28, 2015.
This one took me a couple weeks to finish. My cousin's wife is an excellent photographer and they went on a vacation to Roanoke Island. I'm so jealous. It's gorgeous and I love the ocean. This one is of her kids as they were walking to the shore. I can't show you the original because Instagram won't let me save her picture to my computer. This doesn't really do it justice.
Sacrament Meeting Art #14: July 5, 2015.
Happy Independence Day everyone! My friend took a trip to New York and posted some of her adventures on Instagram and facebook. I love the Statue of Liberty. I can't hardly wait to go see it one day.
Here's the original. If you post your Instagram pictures on facebook, too I can save them to my computer. Just so you know. I love the haze in this picture. It's a truly beautiful image.
Sacrament Meeting Art #15: July 12, 2015.
My friend Goldie moved away, and she posted this on facebook awhile ago, but I found it and just had to do it. It's also a sunrise. It's so so gorgeous. I love the blues and the contrast with the orange of the sunlight. The world is magnificent.
On March 14th, I drove myself to a theatre I had never had the opportunity to perform before and auditioned for their upcoming show. They asked me to come to callbacks on the 17th. I was thrilled!
Callbacks were really fun, but I was nervous when I saw that the director knew some of the people there from previous shows. A lot of directors in my area have their favorites. It's fine. I understand wanting to work with your friends. You know them. You know if they will show up and work hard.
But let me tell you how excited I was when I got a phone call in a day or two asking me to play the part of Myrtle Mae in Harvey!
Oh, oh, oh, so excited! I had been in Harvey in high school so I knew the story. It's an amazing story. There's a movie out by the same name with a classic star known as Jimmy Stewart. If you didn't get to see my show, you should check it out.
But I had such a wonderful experience there! I made awesome new friends and I got to work with one of my favorite local actors for the first time in eight years. He's amazing and I'm so glad the stars aligned in order for me to work with him again. He played my uncle. The main character. I also got to work with a friend of mine who directed me in Death By Chocolate and Angel Street. The marvelous Diane Robbins! But I should say, I don't have any pictures of her because I was on the stage when she was and couldn't take any. :(
Let's just get to the pictures already!
That's Josh and Dave. Josh played Elwood P. Dowd. Elwood sees Harvey. Harvey is a pooka. A big white rabbit. Nobody else sees him. It's embarrassing to Veta (his sister, my mother)
So she thinks he should be put in a mental hospital.
Dave played Dr. Chumley. The head of Chumley's Rest (AKA, the mental hospital).
Here they are talking about Harvey.
And Dr. Chumley reminisces about what he would do if he could.
This is Andrew. He played Dr. Sanderson. But one day, Katie (who plays Nurse Kelly) couldn't be there, so he played her part, too (he's so talented). This is the part where Ruthie kisses Elwood. So he sniffed him instead. Hee hee. Good times.
After Veta goes to Chumley's rest, Dr. Sanderson assures Elwood that he is not in fact the crazy one, but it's his sister, Veta.
That's Katie. She played Ruth Kelly, and she's awesome. She's kind and a really good artist. Oh, and she works with autistic kids in real life.
Elwood likes to pass out his card and tells people to call him anytime.
He makes friends wherever he goes. Whether they realize it or not.
Ruthie and Dr. Sanderson are in love. But Dr. Chumley says no romances in the office, so they just fight instead.
This is Alin. She played Betty Chumley. The wife of Dr. Chumley.
She's awesome, and lets everyone know they made a mistake by committing Veta instead of Elwood.
We didn't have an scenes together, but we had fun hanging out backstage.
Finally. This is Meredith. She played Veta Louise. She was so fun to work with.
I love her guts. :)
This is Ethan. He played Wilson. The orderly at Chumley's rest. He was fun to work with, too. Wilson checks out Myrtle Mae and thinks she's the bee's knees. He's also the orderly that took mother to her room and put her in a hydro-tub.
This is actually one of my favorite pictures that I took.
Dr. Chumley is so angry with Dr. Sanderson for committing the wrong patient that he fires him. This is Andrew's face as he's being fired. How could you fire a guy with a face like that?
Nurse Kelly was pretty sad about it, too.
Ethan smiling because he forgot his line. :)
Veta gives Dr. Chumley an art lesson.
Elwood gave Ruthie flowers.
That lady sitting in the chair in the audience was my director. I loved working with her. She said nice things to me all the time. ;)
Wilson does not like Elwood. He is crazy and somewhere along the way, he lost Dr. Chumley!
But Elwood doesn't like him either and tells him to go find some other friends to play with.
This is a good face. I like it.
Here's a picture of Myrtle and Wilson meeting for the first time.
Katie took a bunch of pictures of me during Act 2, but most of them are blurry or I think I look terrible in them. It's a problem. :)
That's me as Myrtle Mae, my mother, and Stan who played Judge Gaffney. He was the family lawyer who was always taking care of Veta. This is after she returns home from Chumley's Rest.
And this is a promotional shot.
Myrtle Mae is not a very nice person. She's spoiled and only wants to meet a man and get married. She hopes Wilson is that man, but Veta will have none of that!
Harvey ran at the Center Point Theatre June 12th through July 3rd.
I was not ready for it to end.
My favorite quote from the show:
"Fly-specks. I've been spending my life among fly-specks while miracles are leaning on lamp-posts on 18th and Fairfax." (Dr. Chumley)
My favorite line that I got to say was when Myrtle Mae and her mother were throwing a party at the start of the show. She was promised that Elwood would not be at the party, but he showed up and humiliated her by introducing Harvey to all of her party guests. Veta is also upset, but tells her they've got to smile through it and act like nothing happened. Myrtle responds with:
"Oh, mother. People get run over by trucks everyday. Why can't something like that happen to Uncle Elwood?"
Oh. Did I mention this was a comedy? Yes, that line was supposed to be funny, so laugh! Or else!
