Piano Recital and Memorial Day Fun

     Yesterday, May 31, 2010, was Memorial Day.  We decided to pair an end of the year piano recital with a Memorial Day BBQ.  Since last July, I have been teaching piano lessons to Natalee and Haylee along with their friends Katie and Grace Cannon.  We did a little recital here at our house and each of the girls played 3 songs.  Natalee played Popcorn Popping, I Need My Heavenly Father, and The Juggler.  Haylee played Firefly, Sailing in the Sun, and Happy, Happy Birthday.  All four girls did great!  My parents and Grandma Poetschlag were there, the Cannons, Ronelle's brother Thomas, and us.

Grace Cannon

Haylee Hardy

Katie Cannon

Natalee Hardy

Haylee giving a curtsy after one of her songs

A final curtsy from the girls

Me and my students

     After the recital, we started our Memorial Day festivities.  We started to set up the water slide and Dawn Farrell and her two kids, Ryan and Nathaniel, joined us.  Her husband Chris came later after he got off work.  The kids all had a blast going down the slide.  We brought out some sodas and started the BBQ.  We had hot dogs, hamburgers, deviled eggs, macaroni salad, chips, corn on the cob, and some of Dawn's famous peanut butter pie.  This morning, Haylee said to me, "Did you know that Mrs. Farrell's pie is FAMOUS?"  She was quite in awe that we have a friend with a famous pie. :)

Kelsey and Grace (Kelsey is too scared to go down the slide alone)

I think Nathaniel loved the slide the best

Haylee

Ryan Farrell

Katie Cannon

Kelsey didn't get to go down the slide much so she played on her castle

Haylee and Grace had a great time going down together

Joey Cannon drinking his soda

I think this might be Kelsey's first soda.  She made horrible faces after each sip, but she kept going back for more!

Mackenzie holding her hot dog 'creatively' so the wind wouldn't blow it away while she ate her cheetos

     After putting down the water slide, it was time for some Rockband!  Dawn brought her Rockband game for some evening fun.  It was fun to watch the kids rock out.  Natalee was shaking her hips to the beat while she played guitar.  Before we started, Kelsey had some fun playing on the drums.  It was very hard to keep her away from them the rest of the night while we played.  We even got my mom and dad to take a turn on the guitar.

     It was wonderful to spend Memorial Day with our family and friends.  Thanks to all the soldiers who have fought and sacrificed for our freedoms and to the many who continue to do so!