Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Here's some of our Holiday photos so far...

This is my Mom, Sister and I on our annual Shopping Trip! This year we stayed overnight in KC and shopped for two days. This trip is almost better than Christmas Day...we take our time, goof around, eat a lot, and just enjoy getting away together! It is so much fun! AND notice our 'matching pj's' -- my Mom really takes this shopping thing seriously. This picture was taken in the hotel lobby about midnight, I made them go to the lobby for a picture! They weren't very happy about it, but I don't care. We had to get those pj's on film!

On Dec. 14th our little church in the country celebrated with it's annual Christmas Program. As we do every year, the kids close the program with a Nativity Scene. The lighting is low, so it's tough to get a good picture - but you get the idea. Moms and Grandmas had to join the little ones on stage just to keep them there! These are the same angel costumes I wore when I was little! This is one thing I will really miss when our childhood church must close its doors, possibly next year.

You guessed it, Jace and Jalyn were Joseph and Mary in the program...

And I'm glad Jace isn't too big to sit on Santa's lap!

Jalyn did her own hair for school today!

HO HO HO and Merry Christmas! Hope you have a great one!

Bestest Sugar Cookies Ever!

I have so many photos I want to blog - but in the meantime I am eating...I mean baking...the best sugar cookies ever and thought I would pass along the recipe! Phil does most of the cooking in the house - but I love to bake yummies. Probably because I like eating them - but whatever.

Melt in Your Mouth Sugar Cookies

1 c powdered sugar
1 c white sugar
1 c butter
1 c oil
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 t baking soda
1 t cream of tartar
1 t vanilla
4 c sugar

Beat the sugars, butter, oil & salt really well. Then add eggs and dry ingredients. Make into balls and roll in sugar (I used colored sugar for the holidays). Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes at 350.

And, with only a cup of butter and a cup of oil, they're practically fat free!!

Enjoy - and Happy Holiday Baking!!

Proud to be a Dance Teacher!

I was so proud of our Dance Students last week at The Nutcracker! They did a wonderful job and worked very hard to pull off a successful show! Despite some backstage disasters...the show went off without a hitch!

I haven't seen Jamie's pictures yet, she's still working on editing them...but they'll be posted on her website soon - www.infullbloomphotography.com. In the meantime, here are some backstage photos we took.

I encouraged the 'big kids' to play with the 'little kids' and keep them busy during the show! Sometimes the waiting backstage can be a little too exciting! Here's a rousing game of Ring Around the Rosies, and shown above a Dancing Doll reads a Christmas Story to an Angel! Beautiful!

I am so proud of them...when I have doubts about doing the show, when life seems so busy and I'm not sure I want to dive into such an enormous project...I just remember that 'Cloud 9' feeling I get seeing the kids in costume, the smiles on their faces, the excitement in their eyes, and the tears in my eyes watching those angels squeal with excitement when the balloons come down! It's so worth it!! So Thank You to those who participated, those who helped backstage or on stage, and those who came to watch - Thanks for making it a special night!

The Nutcracker

Our Nutcracker Program is this Wednesday and I hope many of you can come and watch. It is such a neat program - it's not just a Dance Recital, it's children acting out a Christmas Play, set to music. There is also more Christmas songs and dancing with props in the second half. They do such a good job - you will not be disappointed. And it will definately help you get in the Christmas Spirit!

I'm even in the show as the 'Aunt' - there are several parents involved on stage. These are some photos from the last time the Clay Center group did The Nutcracker, in 2006.

Lauren gets to be a soldier...again this year! Each of the classes works on a part in the show, like Soldiers, Flowers, Mice, Snowflakes, Angels...and then we put them all together the night of the show.

Jalyn was a snowflake last time, this time she's a Soldier, a Flower and a Candy Cane.

Airika was our 'Clara' in 2006. Wasn't she cute!

I always loved this picture of the angels watching and waiting to go on stage. There are so many neat things about the show - you will enjoy it even if you're not there to watch someone specific. It is just so neat to see the kids on the stage trying so hard.

The Show is on Wednesday December 3rd @ 7:00pm at the Martyn Snodgrass Auditorium. Tickets are only $5 for adults and $2 for children - I hope you can make it!

Please Pass the Rooster

Friday night was the Football Association End of Year Banquet. It was fun to see all the boys together, and to recognize them for a fun year of football!

Here's Phil giving the 5th grade speech...it wasn't as boring as Bob is making it look.

On another 'football note', at a recent Tiger Football game, Jace and I were sitting in the stands together. He was more 'into' the games this year, understood what was going on on the field and knew some of the players. He turns to me and says, "Can you please pass the rooster?" Huh? I replied. "The Rooster, can I look at it?" After a few minutes of this I realized he was asking for the Roster....

Which reminds me of last Halloween when we were at my Moms with all the cousins and the kids were making candy trades - you know, I'll trade you my Snickers for your Hershey bar, important bartering skills. They kept wanting to trade their 'Whoopers' aka Whoppers.

Jalyn got a new PJ outfit a few years ago for Christmas that came with a matching Robe. She was frustrated one evening when I wouldn't bring her the rib, the one that matched her PJ's.

And finally, this one really cracked me up...today I was being silly at home and Jace says 'Mom, I'm really glad you're not a normal Mom'. What does that mean exactly? According to Jace, normal Moms are always helping with PEP and are always having parties at their houses and make their kids dress nice for school....hmmmm...I guess we don't have parties much - when I'm vacuuming the kids always ask whos coming over.

What did I ever do with my time before I had two goofy kids!!!

Strike a Pose

Nevermind those boring 'stand up straight for the camera, kids' pictures - when I tell my kids to strike a Halloween pose, this is what I get:

Jalyn was a Genie and Jace an army-guy. He got all new garb and Thanks to my Mom - had all Phil's Air Force Patches sewn on by Halloween Night! He's soooo into military stuff, in fact he was an army guy last year too!

I was also the room Mom at Jalyn's classroom...wait a minute, where's our little Genie? Ahh yes, shown here is Jalyn's Halloween Costume #1, the Old Lady. Jalyn lives in a Dress-Up World...if she didn't have to wear real clothes she wouldn't. She would be something different every day of the week. So a few weeks before Halloween, she has a Master Costume List, models each and every one, then asks for a scale of 1-10 rating. She then evaluates the list to determine her top 3 choices. Then she changes her mind 3, no 4 times, to come up with America's Top Costume. She packs it neatly in her bag for school, ok she stuffs it in her bag, wears it for the school party, comes home and 15 minutes before Trick or Treat time she decides to change costumes. Last year she went from a Black Cat to a 50's Girl. This year, Old Lady to Genie.

Dance Clinic in Wichita

A few weeks ago we went to a 'Dance Directive' in Wichita. It was a day-long dance camp with lots of interesting teachers and styles of dance! The highlight was getting to meet Kourtni Lind (a So You Think You Can Dance contestant from last season)! She was one of my favorites on the show and recently joined the Talent on Parade Dance Directive Staff! She was our teacher for Lyrical and Contemporary dance. The picture above is our girls (except Haley - she was in the Advanced Room) with Kourtni!
This picture shows the large group warm-up. I think there were about 100 kids there!

We split up into 2 groups, Advanced and Intermediate. Here is Allisa, Zoe, Miranda and Jalyn in the Intermediate room. Tap Dance was the first thing we learned.

I was proud of Jalyn - several times during the day she volunteered or was chosen to dance up on the front stage! She was raising her hand and answering questions - which was a little frightening in a group that size, considering she was one of the youngest ones there! She was definately 'in her element' at this day-camp! In this picture she's the one in the middle on stage!

Here is Kourtni Lind's class - and I was cracking up at how Jalyn had made her way ALL the way up to the front row! She's in the middle with the knee socks on!

We took lots of time-outs to watch each other in groups. Here's the girls being cheezy for the camera! It was dark in the room, and my camera didn't do very well with the lighting and red-eye!

I was also very proud of Allissa when she was selected as a Scholarship Winner at the end of the day! They only picked 8 kids, and she won a certificate to come for free next year! (she has on red pants in the back row!) Overall, it was a good time and I can't wait for next year!

Fall Activities

It's been awhile since I updated...so I'm just lumping a bunch of activities into one post. When I'm taking the photo I'm thinking...this will make great blog material...but then it sits on my camera...and then it sits on my computer...and then I never get it loaded here!

Football has been a major family activity this fall - Jace is playing on the 5th grade Tiger team and Phil is the head Coach. Jalyn also enjoys going to the practices and has Cheered with The Dance Company at a few games! The picture above is their 'breakdown' at the end of the game. It's so cute!

My sister took some awesome pictures of the kids at the last home game. Here is Jace catching a pass in the endzone for the extra 2 points! Isn't he awesome!

I have lots more football pics that I'll post soon...

Here's Jalyn at our Browndale Farms trip - we're hoping to make it out for Flashlight Night at the Corn maze!!

For some reason this picture didn't rotate like it was supposed to...but you get the idea - Jalyn played soccer this fall, which was fun for her! This is when she was the goalie - but when the ball would come her way she would put her hands over her face and shout NOOOO! The rest of the time she was dancing and doing cartwheels.....

Sammi Jo, my third child, likes to take her 'babies' to bed with her! She sleeps on Jalyn's bed, actually under Jalyn's covers, but she gets up over..and over..and over to bring more stuffed animals onto the bed with her. And she seems to like the expensive ones best???

Wow - Jalyn LOVES 2nd Grade!!! She is GIDDY about 2nd grade! Give that girl some homework!!!

Why don't you just relax?

My dog is such a dork...here she is, after a long morning of begging breakfast, chasing the cat, chewing on Webkin Babies, and pooping on the floor. It's a rough life, but somebody's gotta do it! This is what we should all be doing right now...kickin' back on the couch with not one but two pillows...yep - just talked myself into it! night night!

Havin' FUN at Worlds of Fun!

At the Concordia Spring Recital, our family was given an awesome gift - a Family Pass to Worlds of Fun! It was great for us because we love to go to Kansas City right before school starts, as a final celebration of summer. We usually hit the Great Wolf Lodge and back to school shopping at Legends or anywhere for that matter! I have successfully raised 2 kids who love to shop! So this year, we hit Worlds of Fun, then stayed at a little cottage on the grounds and hit Oceans of Fun the next day! It was a great time, and may be our new family summer tradition!

We met Snoopy...

We went with the John, Darci and their 2 kids - which was great for our kids, they loved it! Phil and John did the bungee-rip cord thing which was totally crazy if you ask me. None of my pictures really did the height justice, it was so high! This photo is them whizzing by us!

Jace and Jalyn climbed the rock wall...

Tori even made it to the top and almost hit the button but lost her grip! It was a 'gripping' moment....

Here's Phil and Jace riding the go-karts. Jalyn and I raced too!

And the kids drove their own buggy - it was really a fun day! So, Thank you to those who contributed to the gift, we had a great time and it was a terrific way to end the summer! Dance Classes start next week and we'll all get busy again - yeah!