COUSIN TIME

This post is dedicated to our cousins.

We love YOU!!!

Cousins make the good vacations...not just better...but BEST!!!

And a little more crazy...in a wonderful way!

WHALE WATCHING AND HELICOPTER FLYING IN JUNEAU

We took some time to walk up and down the Main Street in Juneau.

These pictures make me laugh.

We knew that we were going to be spending few hours in a boat, whale watching.

And after that our plan was to take helicopters out to the glacier.

We did not want anybody to get motion sick, so in the morning, before exciting our cruise ship we all took some medicine.

It worked great.

Nobody got sick. 

However, it made everyone tired.

But we did see some whales.

These are from top of the Mendenhall  Glacier.

It was a little chilly...but so amazing!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARKUS

Who gets to go on a cruise on his birthday???!!!

Markus is a one lucky boy!

Happy Birthday Markus!

We love you!

CRUISING TO ALASKA, STARTING FROM SEATTLE

School ended on Wednesday.

We did not waste much time to start our summer festivities.

Friday morning we flew to Seattle, where we met rest of our family - grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Let the fun begin!

Sonic Bloom - Giant Solar Powered Singing Flowers.

Walk by the 40 foot high flowers and they react to you as well as to sunlight - motion sensors set off a chorus of harmonic tones.

Everybody else had come a day or two earlier to town.  They were sightseeing, and we were waiting for them to come and meet us, and have dinner together.

Niko worked up a sweat to get up on this tail scuplture...

But he finally made it...and Maija got up with the help of others

Still waiting....

Cooling down...while waiting...

Niko asked to get his picture taken by former home of NBA's Seattle SuperSonics.

Once we got back...the waiting was over.

Now...let the FUN BEGIN!

Maija checking out the view from the Space Needle.

END OF THE YEAR BAND BANQUET AND AWARDS

Another end of the year for the High School Band program.

Markus works so hard and dedicates so much time for the band program, so when he got recognized as Most Improved Junior, I was super happy for him.

He loves the band and band loves him!

And here he is, with some of his best friends.  

Wearing the coordinated bowties.  All planned, of course.

Here is couple of wonderful video clips.

Band this past year.

Click here for the next one.

NIKO'S FIFTH GRADE GRADUATION

It is time to move on!

This past week we celebrated Niko's 5th grade graduation.

The kids had prepared for us a great performance of songs, and some spoken words.

I am so grateful for the great elementary school experience Niko had.

Good teachers and good friends.

He is ready to open up a next chapter in his life.
Moving to Middle School.

Congratulations
Class of 2021

Here are couple of clips from the evening performance.
Niko is standing in the front row, left of the chorister.

Roar

The Power of the Dream

SMALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRESENTS "NEVADA"

Maija, along all the other 4th graders, had to choose an important person from the history of Nevada.
Maija chose to research, and do biography on James Nye, the first governor of Nevada.

To go along with this project, their music teacher prepared a performance with them.  

It was a wonderful evening of musical performance.

 The 4th grade kids sang songs about Nevada.

Maija was lucky enough to get picked to play an instrument as well.

Here is couple of the songs they performed, and you can watch more in our YouTube channel.

Clementine

Shine, Las Vegas

Maija is third from the right in the front in the clip above.