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| Watching the other performances |
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| Ready to dance |
Each grade performs a dance and this year the 3rd grade danced to the theme from Laverne and Shirley.
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| Dance Time |
It was such a cute performance and Shelly was so excited about it all.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
May Day
Each year Shelly's elementary school holds the May Day celebration complete with the dance around the May pole.
Each grade performs a dance and this year the 3rd grade danced to the theme from Laverne and Shirley.
It was such a cute performance and Shelly was so excited about it all.
Each grade performs a dance and this year the 3rd grade danced to the theme from Laverne and Shirley.
It was such a cute performance and Shelly was so excited about it all.
Monday, May 13, 2013
The 13th Birthday
On Sunday, Lily turned 13. It was such a fun day with the perfect combination of birthday festivities and Mother's Day love.
Awhile back Lily let me know she wanted to pass on the annual big birthday party and simply celebrate with John, Shelly, and me. I was not quite sure if that was really what she wanted. So, I asked her (bugged her) many times if she was sure that's what she wanted. And, every time she answered "yes". So, for the first time in her 13 years we had a low key family birthday.
We made it a weekend celebration starting on Friday. She and Shelly got their nails done and we had a frozen yogurt snack afterward.
On Saturday, the girls and I went strawberry picking and relaxed by the pool in the afternoon. Saturday night we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, did a little shopping for Lily (she got some new TOMS), and had another fro-yo snack.
Sunday morning I had the house decorated with 13s and some fun streamers. Then I made her favorite breakfast...bacon, cheese omelets, and cinnamon rolls. She was a happy girl. After breakfast, it was time to open her gifts.
The fun continued...the four of us went to Target and Lily was ready to embark on a fun 13 minute shopping spree. She and Shelly dashed around the store and had tons of fun and laughs along the way. She was a smart shopper spending most of her valuable time in the clothing department. This was one of the highlights of the day and I loved seeing Lily smile and laugh her on her special day.
Once we were done it was time to head to the mall for a little more shopping. She found a few more cute items to add to her collection.
With all of that shopping done, it was time for a terrific outdoor lunch/dinner. This was one of my favorite parts of the day. All of us together talking and enjoying good food and the sunshine.
The day ended with a yummy cookie cake in honor of Lily. And as I put her to bed she once again told me how great her day was and hugged me tight while she shed a few tears of happiness. And, at that point I knew that this new teenager was the same little four year old who would cry once her birthday was over. And, I think the tears are representative of how much she loves having a special day all her own. Exactly the feeling I want both of my girls to have about their birthdays. Success.
Check out this little video of the 13 Minute Sweep:
Awhile back Lily let me know she wanted to pass on the annual big birthday party and simply celebrate with John, Shelly, and me. I was not quite sure if that was really what she wanted. So, I asked her (bugged her) many times if she was sure that's what she wanted. And, every time she answered "yes". So, for the first time in her 13 years we had a low key family birthday.
We made it a weekend celebration starting on Friday. She and Shelly got their nails done and we had a frozen yogurt snack afterward.
On Saturday, the girls and I went strawberry picking and relaxed by the pool in the afternoon. Saturday night we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, did a little shopping for Lily (she got some new TOMS), and had another fro-yo snack.
Sunday morning I had the house decorated with 13s and some fun streamers. Then I made her favorite breakfast...bacon, cheese omelets, and cinnamon rolls. She was a happy girl. After breakfast, it was time to open her gifts.
The fun continued...the four of us went to Target and Lily was ready to embark on a fun 13 minute shopping spree. She and Shelly dashed around the store and had tons of fun and laughs along the way. She was a smart shopper spending most of her valuable time in the clothing department. This was one of the highlights of the day and I loved seeing Lily smile and laugh her on her special day.
Once we were done it was time to head to the mall for a little more shopping. She found a few more cute items to add to her collection.
With all of that shopping done, it was time for a terrific outdoor lunch/dinner. This was one of my favorite parts of the day. All of us together talking and enjoying good food and the sunshine.
The day ended with a yummy cookie cake in honor of Lily. And as I put her to bed she once again told me how great her day was and hugged me tight while she shed a few tears of happiness. And, at that point I knew that this new teenager was the same little four year old who would cry once her birthday was over. And, I think the tears are representative of how much she loves having a special day all her own. Exactly the feeling I want both of my girls to have about their birthdays. Success.
Check out this little video of the 13 Minute Sweep:
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Our Lovable Lily
Today my sweet little girl blossoms into a teenager. I just can't believe it. Seems like just yesterday I was holding Lily in my arms in the hospital while she blew bubbles.
And today, she is a lovely, kind, smart, athletic young lady who adds so much fun and life to our family. She's a terrific big sister who inspires and encourages her little sister.
Lily is the daughter that others wish they had and we are forever grateful that she's ours.
Happy 13th, sweet Lily. We love you so much!
And today, she is a lovely, kind, smart, athletic young lady who adds so much fun and life to our family. She's a terrific big sister who inspires and encourages her little sister.
Lily is the daughter that others wish they had and we are forever grateful that she's ours.
Happy 13th, sweet Lily. We love you so much!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Mothering
I'm chatting about Mother's Day today instead of tomorrow. The reason? Tomorrow is all about Lily and her 13th birthday. But, today I'm thinking about my mom and about becoming a mom.
My mom shared so much with me and I think some of her best advice was given to me through her actions. I watched the way she treated people and I learned how to be good to others. I watched her remain calm during difficult situations and that taught me how to handle the tough times in my own life. I noticed the way she taught my sisters and I while staying quiet and letting us make our own decisions (some bad and some good) and I try every day to let my own girls learn by making their own choices. Her actions truly spoke louder than words and I took notice of that.
As a mom, I'm working to emulate my mother's actions. I try to help my girls with the really big decisions and guide them along the way. And with the smaller decisions, I give pieces of advice and stand back to let them make their own choices. I remember learning from both my great decisions and the very bad decisions I made along the way, as my mother did the same for me. I felt as if all of this helped me as I got older and I no longer had my parents right at my side. I was now responsible for figuring out life on my own and I am grateful that they gave me the opportunity to practice all of that decision making as a child/teen.
It has made it very clear to me that these little girls of mine are watching everything I do and that seems like such a huge responsibility. I just hope that what they see in me they want to emulate as much as I did with my own mother.
Happy, Happy Mother's Day to my momma in heaven!!! And, thank you to my precious girls for making me their momma!
My mom shared so much with me and I think some of her best advice was given to me through her actions. I watched the way she treated people and I learned how to be good to others. I watched her remain calm during difficult situations and that taught me how to handle the tough times in my own life. I noticed the way she taught my sisters and I while staying quiet and letting us make our own decisions (some bad and some good) and I try every day to let my own girls learn by making their own choices. Her actions truly spoke louder than words and I took notice of that.
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| Our Family 2006 |
As a mom, I'm working to emulate my mother's actions. I try to help my girls with the really big decisions and guide them along the way. And with the smaller decisions, I give pieces of advice and stand back to let them make their own choices. I remember learning from both my great decisions and the very bad decisions I made along the way, as my mother did the same for me. I felt as if all of this helped me as I got older and I no longer had my parents right at my side. I was now responsible for figuring out life on my own and I am grateful that they gave me the opportunity to practice all of that decision making as a child/teen.
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| Me and the girls December 2012 |
It has made it very clear to me that these little girls of mine are watching everything I do and that seems like such a huge responsibility. I just hope that what they see in me they want to emulate as much as I did with my own mother.
Happy, Happy Mother's Day to my momma in heaven!!! And, thank you to my precious girls for making me their momma!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Moms
Just saw this very touching video that Maria Shriver has done with P&G about her mom. So moving:
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Chairs and Paint
In the winter, we sold our deck table and 4 of the chairs that went with the set. The table and chairs were really just in the way and received very little use. We kept the two chairs that swiveled, rocked, and had cushions, as well as, an umbrella stand. I had an idea that I would use these chairs for a nice little seating area on our deck.
For my birthday, I got a sweet wicker love seat and a coffee table. We added the chairs to the seating area and it just seemed perfect...with one exception. The chairs were a tan powder coated steel and they really didn't blend with the look I was going for.
So, I went to Home Depot and purchased two cans of this spray paint:
It has a slight metallic finish and the color is oil-rubbed bronze. The cool little trigger makes it super easy to use.
The first piece I attempted was the umbrella stand. I could instantly see that this was the look I wanted.
After waiting for about 12 days for the rain to stop, we were able to start on the chairs. John took over this task (I don't think he trusts me with the bigger projects). Before painting he sanded the rusty spots (just a couple of those) and the spots where the paint was chipping.
And viola, a whole new chair was born. I am loving the result and can't wait to get the chairs on to the deck and ready for the summer!
For my birthday, I got a sweet wicker love seat and a coffee table. We added the chairs to the seating area and it just seemed perfect...with one exception. The chairs were a tan powder coated steel and they really didn't blend with the look I was going for.
So, I went to Home Depot and purchased two cans of this spray paint:
It has a slight metallic finish and the color is oil-rubbed bronze. The cool little trigger makes it super easy to use.The first piece I attempted was the umbrella stand. I could instantly see that this was the look I wanted.
After waiting for about 12 days for the rain to stop, we were able to start on the chairs. John took over this task (I don't think he trusts me with the bigger projects). Before painting he sanded the rusty spots (just a couple of those) and the spots where the paint was chipping.
And viola, a whole new chair was born. I am loving the result and can't wait to get the chairs on to the deck and ready for the summer!
Monday, May 06, 2013
Lily's Fashion Videos
The girls spend quite a bit of time watching fun You Tube videos about hair, makeup, clothes, and shopping. So, they are often motivated to create their own videos. Here are a couple of Lily's recent videos (thanks to her film crew---Shelly):
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