Lagoon Dance Competition

It's been a busy block of life around here.

Is it ever not really?

Birthdays, dance competitions, birthday parties,

volleyball finals and playoff games, AP tests,

end of school year activities, etc.

I am trying to catch up on all my blogging so 

my mom has something to look at!

Yesterday we spent a good chunk of our day at 

Lagoon waiting for the girls to compete with

their dance classes from Elite Dance.

Grace takes Jazz.

Eliza clogging.

This was the first competition for both.

They were great!  The place was a hotbed for

girls in leotards and sparkly, glittery things.

If I were a teenage boy (say around 13) I would

hang at a Lagoon for the next 3 weekends.

Lots of cute girls dancing!

I am not sure how Lizzie's clogging class did,

but Grace's dance took 2nd place in her age group

for Jazz.

There was A LOT of waiting between dances--the best

part was the half our ward/neighborhood/kids school

friends (and parents) were there!  So I had a fun

time socializing and talking with the great ladies

from my neighborhood during all the down times.

Paul Mitchell Fun

There is NOTHING better than the "Paul Mitchell" Party!!
We do this when our girls turn 8.  The thing I love?
We ALL get in the car, drive to Paul Mitchell Hair Salon.
The hair professionals THERE get to take the girls and do their hair
and paint there nails.  I get to take the girls home.
What does this mean for me (lame-o mother of hating to give parties?)
I DON'T HAVE A MESS AT MY HOUSE!
I don't have to DO ANY WORK!
Can you see the beauty in this?

 Waiting to be done up.

 Getting started.

 She's loving it!

(All the girls were, if I posted all the pictures it would be

a 5 page blog post!)

 Nails, picking a color and getting them done.

 All done and HAPPY!

 All the girls...

 Posing.

 More Posing.

 The 2nd best part of this party?  I DON'T HAVE TO BAKE (which although

I DO LOVE it...it is just easier to do things this way!)

Off to the "D.Q." (Dairy Queen) next door to have dipped

ice cream cones and open presents.  We sang Happy Birthday

REALLY (really really) loudly.

And THIS is how she felt about the WHOLE thing!

(even though this picture was taken a different day!)

It was super fun!!

 I love watching all the little girls interact with 

each other, the Paul Mitchell crew and I know I will miss

these days when they are gone!

Little "O's" Birthday. 8 is Great!

 Olivia's birthday...Kyle was on his regular trip to NYC.

We celebrated without him.

 What we woke up to ...the date was APRIL freaking 30th people!

Can you say "HATE SNOW??"

 Cake, by Mom.  Decorations, by Eliza

 Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting. Fondant flowers by Eliza.

 Opening Presents.  The ONLY thing she wanted this year?
GOMU's  (do you know what they are?) I didn't.  And MADD LIB books

(which can only be ordered online or in book orders we found out after

an exhausting search....they are still on the way!)

 Life is good.

 Happy Birthday to YOUUUUUU.....

 Blowing...

 Blowing....

 STILL Blowing....

 Apparently my one daughter without enough "hot air"....

Can she do it?

 She did it!

Time to enjoy.

It was weird texting Kyle all the birthday images so he could

"share" her day, but SUPER great that we have that technology

so he COULD vicariously live her birthday with us!

Happy Birthday to the girl who's 8th Birthday lasted for an entire week!

Oh, that we could ALL have it that good!

mothers day

I scored BOTH a diet coke AND sugar
IN CHURCH (in CHURCH!) today, really...
could my day get any better?


The men all sang a song in sacrament
with lyrics that went along the lines
of mothers being "like sunshine in the
morning" and "bluebirds singing in the
sun"...yup--pretty sure my children
always think of "sunshine" and "singing
bluebirds" when they think of me.
(ahem) 


Also, there was a talk given in 
Sacrament Meeting themed "How My 
Mother Is Like Jesus."


Fortunately, it was not one of 
MY CHILDREN giving it because 
after making the comparison
that "both my mom and Jesus had/have
shoulder length brown hair" the similarities
would end.


However "unsunshiney" and "Christ like"
I may be to my own kids...I still have 
to say that my greatest joys in this 
life have come from being a mom.


And I know I have some good qualities,
apart from having hair like Jesus, and
things I am teaching my children, that
hopefully they are learning and will
take from me to use in their lives.


I would not trade any of it (well, ALMOST
any of it) for ANYTHING!


I LOVE being a Mom.