A Disney Dance Recital to Remember!

Well we had our Dance recital Tuesday, we did a Disney Theme this year which turned out to be so much fun! All of my girls were so darling, with their huge smiles up on the stage! I have never been so proud, they danced their little hearts out and they truly did amazing! I feel so lucky to have the job I do and to be able to work with such amazing little girls! I was especially impressed with my older girls and all the progress they have made over the past year, they truly inspire me with the amazing passion for dance. I had so much help this year and seriously don't know what I would do without all the amazing people who have supported me throughout this incredible journey! Anyways thanks to everyone and I already can't wait for the fall so we can get started on BROADWAY!!!

Wish Upon A Star

When She loved me-Toy Story

Zip-A-Dee-Do-Da

Let's get together-Parent Trap

Stand Out-A Goofy Movie

Mickey Mouse Club

Fly to your Heart-Tinker Belle

We had quite the crowd, we didn't even have enough seats...looks like it is time to move to the high school!

Cruella Deville -101 Dalmations

Under the Sea-Little Mermaid

Kiss the Girl-Little Mermaid

Colors of the Wind-Pocahontas

Topsy Turvy-Hunch Back of Notre Dam

Can't wait to be King-Lion King

Hakuna Matata-Lion King

Bahama Roller Coaster-Lilo and Stitch

Wanna Be like You-Jungle Book

Zero to Hero-Hurcules

Electric Parade

Son of Man-Tarzan

The Finale!

Safety Dance (He Can Walk, It's A Miracle. Also Mirrored), Glee

So if anyone missed Glee last night, this scene was AMAZING! I am officially obsessed and have to learn this dance if it is the last thing I do (ha ha ha!)

Me and Morning Glory

For nearly 5 years I have been a home owner and for nearly 5 years I have had a hate-hate relationship with WEEDS! One in particular MOrning Glory...it reeked havoc in our first house taking over the entire side yard of grass I would spend countless hours of my summer vacation pulling, and pulling and pulling that danged morning glory only to barley put a dent in it. Well once we moved to a new house, with a new yard, I figured keeping up on the weeds would be much easier and worst of all I thought "Good Riddance" to that pesky morning glory well I couldn't have been more wrong. I'll never forget coming home from a run and pulling a few weeds on the walk in, only to notice a huge thing of morning glory hiding back behind one of our rocks, but so lovingly choking one of my nice shrubs to death. You see that is what it does, it blends and chokes. The worst part is in both of our houses we have planted Vinka a plant whose sole purpose if ground cover, well too bad for me it looks very similar to that other wretched plant too. Anyways I spent the better part of a couple of hours bending over and pulling out that pesky weed again yesterday ...all I can say is it will be the death of me for sure!

Liddy-Bug Laughs

-I had just come up stairs from teaching dance and she had left a little mess in the family room. She stopped dead in her tracks and said very concerned "MOM, look at this mess!" I said that's ok Liddy and proceeded into the kitchen, this time with much more urgency she yelled "MOM, LOOK AT THIS MESS!" at which point I helped her clean it up while she sang the song "clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere..."

-She was playing in her kitchen and talking on her pretend phone, I was trying to get her to come and clean up the trains and she just looked at me and went "SSSSHHHHH" with very serious eyes, and said "Mom, I on the phone!" at which point she proceeded to say "Nana, where are you?"

-Chris had gotten home from work late last night and wanted to go say good-night to Lydia. So he went in to see if she was still awake and she was. He asked her "Do you want daddy to lay by you til you fall asleep?" she said "Yes." Then he said "or do you want me to go away" she then changed her answer to "GO AWAY!" He thought she was kidding so he laid down and she very rudely said "Daddy go away!"...he came out and was totally bumbed out...ha ha hah!

Just when I think...

Just when I was starting to feel like Che' has settled down and I can trust him with Lydia, he goes and does something like this...

One of the parents of a student I taught at Ridgecrest had given me this really nice wooden train set. I had completely forgotten about it until we rearranged everything and I found it with my school stuff. I pulled it out for Lydia and she has loved playing with it.

Usually Lydia is pretty good at putting Che in his place, but I guess not this time...ha ha ha! Hopefully I will learn my lesson for the millionth time!

There is a first for everything

Ever since Che' became a part of our family he has been quite hyper and had more energy then the energizer bunny. I have to say that Che' has finally met his match, and for the first time since owning Che' I feel a little bad for him (ha ha ha!) Lydia has always been obsessed with him but lately it is to the point where I literally feel sorry for Che', she lays on him, tries to ride him, steals his bones, tickles him, pulls his ears...the list could go on and on. I have to say though we are so blessed to have Che' because he just sits and takes it, he doesn't even flinch when she tries to jump from the couch onto his back, and when she pulls his ears he doesn't even yelp. We couldn't ask for a better dog, and a cuter daughter at that (ha ha ha!) Anyways these are a few of the pics I caught while she was outside playing with him ( please don't mind her outfit, it was a Saturday and quite the day)

Pulling Che's tail

I don't know if you can see her head very well, but she is laying on his side.

Giving Che' a huge wet one on the nose!

Happy Mother's Day!

Well I have to say since becoming a mother myself Mother's day has taken on a whole new meaning. I have learned to appreciate my own mother for all that she sacrificed and all that she did for me while I was growing up and still does for me. I have gained a new appreciation for a Mother-in-law who is such an example of being self-less with her time and her talents. I feel so blessed to have such amazing examples of strong womanhood in my life and I feel like their are many other people who have helped to shape me into the mother I am today (which is a mother in the making.)

Mom I love you so much and hope you know every day, and not just on Mother's day how much I appreciate what an amazing person and mother you are. Not a day goes by that I don't feel blessed to be your daughter. I know I don't tell you nearly enough how much you mean to me and how much I love you, both as a mother and as a "Nana"

We actually had quite the mother's day weekend. I woke up Friday Morning to a really big surprise. Chris had carpet installed in our two basement rooms. Literally our entire house was finished besides carpet in our two basement rooms and we had been talking about getting it done for quite some time now. Our third bedroom upstairs had become quite the holding tank, housing an office/nursery/library all in one pretty small room. Anyways it was the best mother's day present I could've ever asked for. We were able to move all of Lydia's toys into an official play-room (which she absolutely loves) and make a spare bedroom/office in the second bedroom down stairs. It also freed up the bedroom upstairs so that I can start working on the new nursery once dance is over for the summer. Needless to say, I have one amazing husband who knew this was something that I really wanted (but never would've asked for it for myself)

Then Saturday night we had a Mother's day dinner at my parents house with my family, my Grandma Pierce and my Aunt Roberta. It was a fun night with good food, old family photo albums and the Jazz game which despite the loss was very fun and stressful to watch.

Sunday I had no expectations of anything since I had already gotten a great gift but throughout the day Chris had a few thoughtful surprises that made me really feel special! I found a card on the counter before we went to church from Chris and Lydia that made me cry (Lydia has handwriting very similar to her daddy's...ha ha ha!) Than later on that night as I was getting Lydia ready for bed I found a little message on the tub! I tell ya it may not seem like a lot but it meant the world!

We also went to Knudsen's for dinner with both sets of grandparents and with all of Chris' family. We had a fabulous dinner made mostly by Wayne and then the highlight was we all got to talk to DARIN!!! It was so good to hear how he is doing and to get to hear a little bit about the mission from him instead of through an e-mail. This is always the phone call where you realize they are just fine, and that we needed the phone call way more than they do. We miss him so much but we couldn't be more proud of what an amazing missionary he is! He also celebrated his 20th birthday on the 7th...can't believe how grown up he is!

I feel so blessed to be a mother to such an amazing little girl, and I can't wait until I get to meet baby girl #2. I have loved every minute of being a mom and appreciate all of you mother's out there who have had such an impact on my life as well!

She is gonna be a soccer player!

Well I have been feeling the baby move for a couple of weeks, mostly the little ones that feel like gas bubbles (sorry for lack of a better description, mom's you know what I'm talking about.) But last night was the first night I put my hand on my tummy and baby girl kicked back!!! There is seriously no greater feeling while you are pregnant than those little kicks and punches!

P.S. Lydia has warmed up to the idea of a new sibling now when I ask her what she is going to have very excitedly she yells "BABY SISTER!" hopefully she feels the same once she gets here!

P.S.S. I feel like a blimp already and I'm only 17 weeks, don't remember feeling so huge so early with Lydia it is going to be interesting to see how huge I get this time (ha ha ha!)