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Come see our latest crafty project... you can find it here!

Dance Recital 2011

After months and months of practice... the girls finally had the opportunity to perform their dances. Unfortunately, this year they were separated into two different recital times. Ugh! It made for a long day. But, so worth it... they were beautiful!

Merilyn performed "A Dream is a Wish" from Cinderella (I think?) and was absolutely darling. Very animated and theatrical. We loved watching her perform!

Ali and Natalie were amazing. They were so sharp and professional! I couldn't believe how talented the two of them were up there on the stage. (Of course, I am a bit biased...)

It was such a great day to watch my girls perform. A positive thing that came out of having two performance times was that they each got to watch the other dance. That was also fun for me... seeing the looks in their eyes as all of the dancers swooped, swirled and boogied. :) Thank you for the roses, Gramma, it made our big day even more special.

Vegas... Part 2

I was able to go to Las Vegas again! This time I was with Travis, Kristen and Matt. We all wanted to do something fun for our 40th birthdays... but our original dreams of going on a cruise were dashed after so many of our school days were cut this year! Vegas was also on our birthday party list and I had such a fantastic time in January... I knew we would have a blast.

We left the Saturday after I got out of school (another reason why I needed to be done and out of my classroom!) and were lucky enough to spend Sunday with Ross...who happened to be there for the day.

After being in the rain for what seemed an entire year, the HOT weather was an adjustment for me. The outside thermometer said 110* on one of the days! Ugh!! I am not a fan of hot weather - at all! But the fact that I was in the pool, and in the shade of a palm tree, made it bearable. :)

Kristen with the drink of the day.

I think the pool (with our books, magazines, and icy beverages) was the best part!

Each morning was spent by the pool, and then back to the room for lunch and naps. We would go out to the strip at night when it cooled off... down to 90*! HA!!

Another favorite memory of our trip... Laughing until I cried!

It was the perfect, relaxing getaway for us - especially at the end of a stressful school year. It was good to get back home to my girls... and of course, my Portland weather.

It's That Time of Year...

Packing up for the summer. The only difference this year is that I'm packing it all up and moving. Due to the budget cuts and lay-offs, I'm changing grades - and rooms - for next year. (I'm fortunate enough to stay at the same building.) It will be good to go through everything and sort and purge... but it the meantime it's all been thrown into boxes with no rhyme or reason. (It all needed to be packed up and ready to go by the time I left for vacation!)

A few photos of my new classroom.

I'm actually looking forward to the challenge and opportunities of a new grade level... It's a good time for me in my career to be inspired and motivated!

Our Weekend

-staying up late & sleeping in
-eggflower soup at Canton Grill

-playing Hangman with Daddy while waiting for shrimp and rice

-driving through the rain

-dark & gloomy weather

-scanning pictures of my dad

-feeling ready to create an album for him

-Barbies, Pollys & forts

-discovering Daddy's Star Wars toys

-going to see Rio (super cute)

Happy Birthday Mom!

Mom was in Hawaii for her birthday (poor thing) so we had a belated celebration for her at Rheinlander. The girls loved the accordion music, and couldn't believe the man playing knew all of The Sound of Music songs!! They danced and sang, and danced... while the adults laughed and ate. (You can't beat the cheese fondue! Yum!!)

The favorite dance of the night was the Chicken Dance. (Even Charlotte got into the action!) The accordion player loved that he had such a dedicated audience. :)

Happy Mother's Day!

I got to sleep in ( a little... the girls were pretty excited about their breakfast plans!) and then Ali brought me a menu of the breakfast items I could choose from. After a quick nap, I was served a fabulous breakfast in bed... complete with gourmet coffee!

I spent most of the day reading (or napping!) and working on the scrapbooks. A perfect day for me!

We met Grandma Sandy at Benihana's for an early dinner. It was, once again, delicious.

Photo above taken by Merilyn Grace.

I am so blessed! Life is good.