CONGRATS, Tori ...you MADE IT!

The Junior High here keeps kids until 9th grade. They don't start High School until the 10th grade! So, Tori is FINALLY on her way to High School! She got through this year (and it was one of the toughest) with a 3.6 GPA (DESPITE her teachers, LOL!). She worked hard and I am SO PROUD of her for her efforts! She also had her first "formal ball" this year and bought her own dress! Now, she and her friends have jobs working at the local waterpark for the summer! So far, they are having a blast!

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3!!!

YES! We got to do a few days (basically a 30-hour weekend) working on HSM 3 at East High School in Salt Lake City! It was CRAZINESS ... over 1,000 "extras", but they had it SO WELL organized that it didn't feel like that many! The top pic, if you look very closely, shows what the "check-in" line still looked like after we were checked in and eating breakfast. It went all the way down the block of 1300 East in SLC!

The production company was ADAMANT that NO pictures be taken, so the only pics we have are sitting outside on the grass eating breakfast...and a few outside shots of the school! Tori got to bring some friends to this one, so it made the long days go by a little faster, although, we don't know what happened to Stacia ... she came the first day and we've never heard from her again. Being an "extra" is a TOUGH job and LONG hours!

Kenny Ortega, the director (look him up on his IMDb page ... he has AMAZING "credentials"), was so personable. Tori and her friends got to go talk to him and he seemed genuinely interested in their pursuit of "acting" and gave them some advice! They also got hugs from Corbin Bleu (wish I could have taken pictures, but they were literally confiscating anything that could send information ... and deleting the entire memory before giving them back). They were in heaven after their hugs!

We got to do a whole scene (for the opening of the show) where the girls are right by Vanessa Hudgens ...so we might catch a glimpse of them in the movie! Hopefully we will get to do some more on this show before it wraps in June!

Chelsea and the Real Salt Lake Game Dedication

Tori and I were invited to attend a Real Salt Lake soccer game on Saturday night, May 10th. They were honoring Tori's friend, Chelsea, who had been hit and killed by a car the night before Tori's 15th birthday. Chelsea was an avid soccer fan, and player ... and had dreams of becoming a professional when she grew up. Real Salt Lake heard about this and told her family they would like to dedicate Saturday night's game to Chelsea. Chelsea's mom, Stephanie, made personalized shirts for the few that got to go with the family down onto the soccer field for the dedication. Tori was one of them. We are honored.

Chelsea's picture was displayed on the jumbo tron.

Chelsea, here's hoping you are playing on that big soccer field in the sky! We love you and miss you!