Our Day Out with Katy 2026

On Saturday, your favorite Fun Aunt and Uncle picked up our 11-year-old niece Katy for her annual birthday outing with us. She chose togo to Target to pick up a LEGO Friends set, and she found one that she really liked.

After that, we went to Swig for drinks and other treats. We then took her back home and helped her build the LEGO set:

... by which I mean that we mostly watch her build it, while we occasionally handed her the LEGO piece she was looking for. She's getting better and better at these builds as the years go by and is basically an old pro now.

We capped off the afternoon playing Mario Kart 8 with Katy and her brother, Ike. These races went on for some time, and we were grateful to spend another hour with these wonderful niblings of ours.

"The Lion King (Junior)"

On Friday, May 8, Fun Aunt and Uncle traveled to West Bountiful Elementary School to see our 11-year-old niece Katy perform in their production of The Lion King (Junior). Katy played one of the lionesses and did a wonderful job. (We might be a little biased, but so be it.)

Given that this was a Disney production, I am legally required to state that this was the greatest elementary school production of any musical of theirs, ever.

But seriously, though, this was my first time seeing any version of The Lion King musical on any stage, and I found it to be one of the better (Junior) productions I've seen carried out. The costumes, assuming they were made on an elementary school budget, were phenomenal. Much of the dialogue and music were familiar, but it also featured additional tunes previously unfamiliar to me, including the beautiful "Shadowland," which stays in your head afterward (in a good way).

Hakuna matata!

"The Pirates of Penzance"

Last Wednesday night, JB and I ventured over to nearby Woods Cross High School to see our 17-year-old niece Kira perform in WXHS's production of The Pirates of Penzance. And I think it is honestly the most fun I have had seeing that particular classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. (I think this was the fourth time? Including once at Deer Valley.) This wonderful performance was also directed by my Improvables colleague and WXHS drama instructor Liz Christensen, with whom I had performed improv five nights previously in the reunion show. (See my previous post. ... I know you will stop and now look it up.)

Anyhow, the kids were obviously having a blast, as you could see by the looks on their faces and in their acting and singing, and the audience had a ball right along with them.

The narrator for "Music and the Spoken Word" was there, and he'll vouch for me.

Kira played one of the Major-General's daughters, and can I just say that this girl has pipes? Meaning, she can sing—and I didn't know just how well until this show. She had been holding out on us before this night. She had not one but multiple solos, and she blew us away. Meaning, not like TNT, but figuratively. She also had a few lines of dialogue.