Under The Sea

Under The Sea
Starring Shaun
August 28, 2009

Orem High had a Hi Week assembly today. It was an assembly to welcome the students back to school for the year and a lot of the different school groups performed. Shaun is in Chamber Choir this year and they sang Under The Sea in the assembly. Shaun tried out for the solo part just a couple of days ago and was chosen to sing the solo. He is an awesome singer - and is going to become even better this year while he is in Chamber Choir.

Enjoy the show!

School Starts for Dana

Dana Starts Utah State University
Master's of Psychology/School Counseling
August 25, 2009

Last night I started my new hobby for the next 2 years, attending school as a Utah State University Aggie. I am in the School Counseling program. It is interesting that it has come full circle. When I graduated from High School I wanted to attend Utah State. I was offered a scholarship to attend there. I decided to stay home where I didn't have to pay rent and I went to BYU. So now, years later, I am a Utah State student.

Last Friday I went up to the Utah State campus for an orientation. It is a beautiful campus in Logan Utah. Here are some pictures of the campus.

This year (and every 2 years) the Masters in School Counseling is taught at satellite campuses. I will be going to class every Tuesday at 5:15 to 10:30 (unless they let us out early) in a classroom at the Utah Valley University Education Building. It is really close to my office so I can leave work at 5:00 and get to class on time. These are pictures of the building I attend class in.

There are a lot of satellite campuses across the state (probably about 10) for this program. Some of them have 1 person, and ours in Orem is the largest group with 21 attending the first class. It will be great to have so many new school friends and study buddies. When we go to class we see a broadcast of our teacher on 1/2 of the screen in the front of the room, and any power point or other computer generated information on the other 1/2 of the screen. We have microphones on each of our tables so that we can actually have conversations with our teacher who is teaching from the Utah State campus. We just turn the microphone on and it is broadcast to the teacher and all of the other sites. We also have a camera on us so our teachers can see each classroom and we can see each other when discussions or questions are being asked from the different sites. It's amazing what can be done with technology. There are about 70 students in my cohort that are scattered all over the state.

My first classes are Developmental Psychology which is about the different stages in a person's life from birth until death, and Psychometrics which is all about testing. They both seem to have great teachers, but lots of homework. I will have to work hard to keep up and do well in both of the classes. It would be about right if I could do just one class at a time. But, I will have to do my best with both.

Go Aggies!

Orem High

Shaun's First day of 11th grade
at Orem High School
August 20, 2009

Shaun started school again this week. He is now in 11th grade and goes to Orem High School. This is the last year for the original Orem High School building. Next year for Shaun's senior year the new school will be done.

This is Shaun in front of the original Orem High School

Shaun in front of the new Orem High. It is being built in the parking lot of the old Orem High. He is standing in about the same place for both pictures.

Shaun has a fun schedule this year. On A days he has Advanced Jazz Band (playing the trombone), Seminary, Chamber Choir, College Prep Math. On B days he has Drivers Education, Physics, Wind Symphony (playing trumpet), English. In addition Shaun has regular Jazz Band (with trumpet) 3 early mornings of the week, marching band (with trumpet) 3 afternoon's of the week, and he also needs to learn any of the A Cappella music because he needs to sing with them in concerts since he is in Chamber Choir. He should get his fill of music this school year.

Fun day with Christensen's

Fun at Chuck E. Cheese
August 19, 2009

The day before Shaun started school and the day before Heidi & Scott and the girls went back to Nevada I stayed home from work to spend time with them. We were scheduled to get family pictures done in the evening and we wanted to do something fun during the day. We decided to go to Chuck E. Cheese and play - we didn't get pizza there, but just played. Meghan and Claire really loved all the little rides they had. Claire also loved just wandering and pushing buttons on all the games.

I gave Shaun a bunch of Chuck E Cheese game tokens and he spent most of them trying to win the Flamin Finger. He got close but never made it to the end of the maze in the time allotted.

When we got home Meghan and Claire wanted to get into the pantry to get treats. We were trying to get lunch ready for them and so Scott had to hold the pantry door closed so they couldn't get in. They were not very happy that they couldn't get into the pantry. At one time they were both crying and trying to pull on the door to get in. They were pretty tired girls.

We went for family pictures at 6:00. We had them taken by some train tracks, and in a field. I hope they turn out good. The sun was pretty bright when we went. We used my brother-in-law's niece. She did great with everyone and took about 400 pictures for us. I loved working with her. After we got back home we gave Meghan her birthday presents. Her 3rd birthday was the week before when they were in Seattle, so we celebrated late with her. We had a lot of fun having Heidi, Scott, Meghan & Claire here for a visit.

Leona and Gordon's Wedding Day

Leona and Gordon's
Wedding Day
August 18, 2009

Leona Taylor my niece (Ray's sister Loa's daughter) married Gordon Duval on Tuesday August 18, 2009 in the Timpanogos Temple in American Fork, Utah. They are a cute couple and very happy together.

Leona is pinning a boutonniere on Gordon.

It's picture time after the wedding.
Leona and Gordon with Grandpa Weber Read Walker.

Leona and her nieces take time to make funny faces together.

The Taylor family. Jason, Roger, Leona, Gordon, Loa, Raymond, Eva.

Leona and Gordon with Leona's parents, Roger and Loa Taylor.

Nephew-in-law Richard Radditz and Ray visiting.

The family hanging around during picture time. Niece Eva, Nephew Raymond, Brother-in-Law Jack, Niece-in-Law Ruth, Niece Anna, Dad Weber Ray Walker, Daughter Heidi, & Son-in-Law Scott. It was nice to have time to visit and be with family.

Cousins Anna and Heidi with their Grandpa Walker.

The day before the wedding Ray went to remind his boss that he wouldn't be at work the next day because he had a wedding to go to. His boss said that he had a wedding the next day too. They started comparing notes, Ray said his was at Timpanogos Temple - his boss's was too. Ray said that his was at 10 or 10:30 and his boss said that his wedding was about 9 or 9:30. Ray's boss said that he was going to the Duval wedding - Ray told him that he was going to the Taylor/Duval wedding. It turned out to be the same wedding. Ray's boss is the Uncle of the Groom and Ray is the Uncle of the Bride. It's such a small world.

Little Family Picnic at Nelsen's Grove

Little Family Picnic
August 17, 2009

It was time to have a party with everyone in the Little family (my side of the family). All of the cousins were here - Heidi and Scott and their kids were here from Nevada, Shaun was home from Troopers, Carrie and Jason were home from their honeymoon, my dad and Sharon were about to go out of town, and Jessica and Andrew had their new baby that my kids hadn't seen yet. This was the only day that we could get them all together so they could visit and renew their friendships. We had sloppy Joes, cookie fruit salad, chips, jello, soda. It was good that the cousins had a chance to be together while they were all here.
Braxton and Ryan Walker

Claire Christensen

Heidi & Scott Christensen, Rachel Turner

Shaun Walker & Meghan Christensen

Lisa Turner, Becki Little

Jennifer and Jim Turner

Grandpa Harold & Sharon Little

Ray and Grandpa Weber Read Walker (he came with us)

Scott & Emily Mason

Jessica & baby Pyria Davies, Erik Little, Kyle Turner

Christian Little, Jessica and baby Pyria & Andrew Davies

The 3 great-grandkids of Grandpa Harold Little, Meghan, Claire, Braxton, Priya

Claire is now the one trying to escape

4 generations - Emily Mason, Harold Little, Claire Christensen, Dana Little Walker, Heidi Christensen, Meghan Christensen

4 generations of boys (all Walker's) - Ryan, Braxton, Shaun, Weber Read, Ray

We got a great smile from Braxton. He really smiles and laughs for his grandpa Ray Walker

Orem High School Marching Band Camp

Shaun At Marching Band Camp
August 10-14, 2009

Shaun arrived home from a summer with Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps on Sunday night. Less than 12 hours later he started up again with Orem High School Marching Band's week of band camp. It was held on Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. It was a hard adjustment for Shaun to switch from the performance level of Troopers to the level of a high school marching band. It is like a totally different sport or activity.

Shaun in the center with black shorts and white tank.
Shaun waiting for something to happen.
Shaun showing his rebellious side with a baby mohawk. He wanted one in the summer because a lot of the Troopers had them.

Shaun is a little bored with the slow pace of band camp so he pulls out his phone to text someone - naughty, naughty.

On Friday, Shaun had to leave marching band camp early to go to a Orem High School Chamber Choir retreat. It was Friday night and most of the day on Saturday.

The mohawk had to come off before church on Sunday. Shaun had fun with it while it lasted.

He looked like nice clean cut young man by the time church started, and was able to finally have a day off on Monday.