Relay For Life

Dear Everyone,

It's time for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Relay is the ACS's nationwide signature event. I am on the team "Mandi's Warriors". This year our team is hoping to raise $2,500. Throughout the day and night, my teammates and I will take turns walking around the track. Cancer never sleeps, so for one night, neither will we. Will you help in the fight against cancer by making a contribution to the American cancer Society through Relay for Life?

The event takes place on May 19th at Eastlake High school, Sammamish, WA. My team and I will be walking in honor of Mandi Schwartz. She was a female hockey player from Washington who was diagnosed with Leukemia during her junior year at Yale. After a world-wide search to find a bone marrow donor who was a perfect match for her that didn't turn up a match, Mandi passed away on April 3rd 2011. She is an inspirational figure and we are honored to represent her. Our hopes are that we can raise enough, and make enough of a difference that sometime in the future, no body will have anyone to walk in honor of that died as recently as the past year. And on a personal note; I am also walking in honor of my grandmother who battled breast cancer. She has thankfully passed her 5 year mark and doing well. I love her and glad she battled it with strength and determination.

We sincerely appreciate your support. Please try to send donations to me by May 10th. There is no finish line until we find a cure.

Gratefully, Savanah Marutz.

If you unable to help financially at this time, your words of encouragement and interest are appreciated. :)

 I also have cancer in my family: Aunt Harriet had cancer, her daughter, Audrey reached the 5-year mark three times before dying. My Uncle Sherman, his wife, Leona, and their only child (my cousin), Robin all died of cancer. Grandma has many cancers removed from her face, and Grandpa Karren has had two cancers removed from his ear. Thank you for your willingness to take up the challenge of this all-night walk. Love, Gma Sally

this is the 9th grade posse

special hair for an all nighter

Savanah and Vanessa

the photo booth kiosk

Olivia had her wisdom teeth out; so the girls left the school dance early to  go spend some time with her. 

RSAR Spring Performance

this years performance for Savanah and Garrett's Art school was a collection of music history through the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's.  

Savanah in the 50's

Savanah in the 50's

Savanah in the 70's

Garrett in the 60's

another RSAR Dance Recital 2011

Fall Semester final project is to choreograph a 3 minute dance, and then perform it at a dance recital held mid December.  Each year this gets better and better.  :)  Finale number was school wide performance of Thriller by Michael Jackson, thus the zombie looks.

Tap Dance Recital

Happy Birthday!

Piano Recital

Savanah started piano lessons in Kindergarten, she got the basics but didn't have the maturity to self motivate pracitce and work through frustration.  When we moved to WA we lost our piano teacher and quite frankly I wasn't too motivated to find a new teacher.   Neither, Savanah for Katelyn was asking or wondering about it.  Fast forward to summer of 2010.  Savanah is now picking out music on the piano, downloading music online.  By end of summer I knew I had to find a teacher, she was now playing top hand of a couple of hymns. The teacher I wanted to get into wasn't really taking new students, she IS that good.  Sharla, is a member of our LDS Stake and I cornered her at a seminary kick-off fireside. I told her I have 13 year old that is teaching herself piano and wondered if she had ANY room in her schedule for another student.  Fortunately, Sharla took Savanah in and started lessons August 2010.  Getting her in lessons was like pulled the plug on a full bathtub of water. It openly the flood gates of her talent.  She loves to play the piano, she practices on her own for HOURS.  It is WONDERFUL to have the sound of music playing in our home.  This recital is just 8 months after she STARTED lessons again.  I am very impressed and so proud of her.

April Fool's Savanah Style :D

 Kitty Litter Cake - chocholate and white cake broken up topped with crushed vanilla oreos and tootsie roll POOP.    no one wanted to even try this but it was fun to create b/c it looks pretty realistic. gross.

 Fish Sticks - Kit Kate bars rolled in peanut better and then Nilla warere crumbs.

 Black Cherry Punch-  which is actually jello.

One of Savanah's Favorite Holiday.    She invited some friends over to play silly games and eat silly creation.  they all came dressed Topsy Turvy style; backwards, inside out, not matching.... you get the idea.  We got out some silly hats and props from the Halloween box and they watch Tangled at the end of the evening.

Colors in the Rain

  Renaissance School of Art and Reasoning Winter Performance:  as part of Performing Arts/Physical Education class the kids chose small groups or could stay individuals and choreographer a 2:30 minutes dance, mix the music ad put together and props and costumes.  This is Savanah's group, she is in the Red poncho, with her friends Sam and  Katie.  They did a fabulous job for girls with no dance training, at the least it is entertaining.  Pleas let her know how well she did.  :)

Sam, Katie, Savanah

From little girl to TEENAGER

Savanah was done with her daybed we got for her when she was 3 years old.  I was really surprised.  Savanah does not like change, she has a hard time giving up the sentiment I think.  Kind of like her mother.  :)  She is my pack rat too. But that is another post--- on frustration.

She knew what she wanted: white bed with drawers, lime green, some zebra, and a little pink (as all girls should have).

We took the daybed to Utah this summer for Belle to love. Garretts bunkbeds for Zac and Jake to love. We threw mattresses on the floor and let for Utah.  Once we returned home I began searching Craigslist for the perfect bed.  I was beginning to think we were just going to have to bed over and pay big bucks for a nice captains bed from Pottery Barn Teens. And Savanah was beginning to complain about sleeping on the floor.  ugh. Then I came across this. SCORE!!! it was exactly what she wanted.  and I didn't even have to sand, paint or anything.  It was good to go.

Unfortunately,  I am still on the look out for something for Garrett. :)  But I am confident it is there.

Pop Star

Savanah is going to be so embarassed when she finds out I posted this. But she really loved her jazz dance class, just not thrilled with the outfit as you might expect. It was Savanah's idea to put the symbol underneath the chairs. She is very proud of that, she has a slight obssession with this symbol in particular. I hope that doesn't imply some subconscious statement she has about our home or her lack of- in life. ????

No Generation Gap

My Grandma Karren always had a very large garden, and she preserved and ate everything she harvested. I assume that is were my father learned to garden. His knowledge is astounding to me. Knowing what to plant when, what to plant it next to for optimal efficiency. He even uses old carpeting between the rows so keep the weeds down. I know, it may be a little ghetto, okay A LOT, but it does the trick. We always had a big garden growing up and although everyone of us will tell you we HATED it, every single one of us has a garden of some size and loves it. So here is Savanah 4th generation continuing a truly wonderful legacy of hard work, self effeciency, and family legacy.

For her 10- hour Beehive value Project in the Personal Progress program at church, Savanah researched the veggies she wanted to plant and made a plot map, and planted her salad garden; peas, red orange and baby carrots, radishes, onions, lettuce, spinach. She loves radishes just like her Grandpa Jay. :)

Savanah going Dancing

During Spirit Week each day had a theme. This is Nerd Day.... and Friday was the evening Dance. Katelyn and I had fun doting over Savanah getting her ready.

6th Grade Celebration!

The theme was "Fantastic Voyage". So glad we are done with elementary. Those kids were not nice. We are leaving them all behind. :o) Savanah is enrolled at Renaissance School for Arts and Reasoning.

Savanah Jane...... beautiful, out of the box thinker, talented artist, and funny. Love, mom

Best Sleepover EVER!!

Garrett and Savanah had a friend over for the evening. Jamie got an itch to take out this small partian wall between the kitchen and the dining room. Why? Our nice fridge is in the garage because it is 1" too wide for our circa 1983 kitchen; so we have the second fridge in the house and the nice one in the garage. We miss having water and ice at the ready. We miss have our nice kitchen. So in order to make room..... down comes the little wall. We let the kids AND their friends use the hammers to get it done. They had a blast and said it was the best sleepover ever, even after we made them clean up all the drywall. :)

6th Grade Outdoor Education

6th grader hold funraisers all year to earn the money ($10,000+) for this field trip. It is an incredible opportunity. The kids canoe out into the estuary, they cleaned up non-native plants near the rivers edge, they did an orienteering course;(not my favorite I am directionally challenged). They had a swimming pool, and miniature golf. The PE and music teacher came along on this trip and helped to fill in the down time. It was extraordinarily hot and I lost interest fast in taking pictures. Sorry Savanah. We had fun though. Here is a few pictures to help remember some of the things you did.

Savanah turns 12!

I thought about this day for a long time. What a pivotal birthday; 12. She graduate primary and is welcomed to Young Women program. Charging straight toward teenager and flashing out of childhood. Elementary school to Junior high.

She doesn't play with toys anymore, and prefers to read TWILIGHT and play music instead. Pretty bittersweet. Savanah got a Chocolate Extravaganza breakfast with cc pancakes with raspberry syrup. Chocolate milk. The girl LOVES chocolate.

I wanted a nice birthday for her, but hate hosting a party, and she wanted a party. So Savanah chose everything, I just helped to implement. She wanted to take her friends to the zoo to see the new penguin exhibit. this was great, so I could limit the number to invite since I can only fit 5 girls in the van. :) Having a pass I got 2 girls in for FREE and half price for the other 2. Good deal for me. I packed a picnic dinner with Savanah's favorite place to eat: Subway I picked the girls up after school and we decorated the 'party bus' with liquid chalk and headed out. The zoo closed at 7, so we headed home. Parents were planning on picking up girls at 8 so they opened presents in the car, which turned out unique and fun. And everyone stayed seated and everyone could see. LOL imagine that! Dad picked up a 10- layer piece of cake at Claim Jumper for her birthday cake and met up back at home. As I tucked Savanah in bed that night I asked her if she had a good birthday, and she said it was the best day ever.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!