Spring Has (Finally) Sprung

The windows are open and the cherry blossoms are in FULL bloom! I love the smell! It will only last a couple days, but it is always my favorite time of year.

I am so bad at this blogging thing. Actually, I'm bad at most everything except running to the next activity. But, as a wise empty nester recently shared with me, these days are short indeed. With Scout 16--and driving!--and PinkOne 13, we don't have too many days left. I'm trying to soak in each day/event/time together to save for when they fly the coop.

Spring saw the Family Easter Experience at church, two dance recitals--they ROCKED! and Driver's Ed for Scout along with all the usual things like homeschooling, housekeeping, etc.

Dog training has also started up again for 4-H and this year Scout and Emma are trying "off leash". The first week Emma actually sat at the agility course and cried until it was her turn. Too funny! She loves being off-leash. They have a lot of work to do, but the potential is definitely there.

An Entire Weekend

WOW!!

For the entire weekend--Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon--my house will be quiet. Well, as quiet as the puppy and I want it. :-)

PinkOne is headed off to the Junior High Retreat and DH is a Faith Guide (adult leader) so he is going too. I thought I was going to get a weekend with the boy--very unusual around here--but he got a call from the Youth Pastor and one of the Teen Leaders can't go at the last minute. Scout was very responsible about clearing his work schedule--he owes Daniel LOL--and getting his Sunday obligations--sound board for the kid's program--covered. So at the last minute, Scout is off to be a teen leader. I think he'll be a great one.

The Youth Pastor is still looking for another female Faith Guide, but PinkOne has vehemently asked that I not go. And I agree with her. It's not a bad thing really; I consider it a good/growing thing for her. As a homeschooling Mom, I feel it is really important for the kids to have other adult leaders for their activities.

So what to do this weekend?!? Unfortunately, Emma won't let me sleep in--my heart's desire--but I just might get the sewing machine out and make a mess on the dining room table. And I won't even have to put it away when it's time to eat.

September Memories

DH and I took a little trip--just a couple days--to one of our favorite places on earth to celebrate our 20th anniversary. It was pretty good weather, great conversation and fun to just chill with each other. We've decided to make it an annual trip, so I'll have to remember the camera next year. LOL

I'm in love...

Aren't they cute?! Their wool is gorgeous and so soft. Alpacas may have to be in my future somehow. (Way in the future though.)

PinkOne

She is healing just fine and the sling is gone. She can start to do push ups; a couple each day. So far so good. She did fine with her dance tryouts too--two extra group invitations. Since she watched the neighbors' cat last winter while they were vacationing for several months, she has the money for one group. We pay for one, so she didn't have to turn one down this year. She is very excited. The dance studio shuffled things around this summer, and put her in a new group. She is sad to leave her best buddy, but is loving her new group. It is a move up for her and we are so proud of her dedication and work ethic. I can't believe this is her 10th year of dance!

Scout

Tonight Scout passes on the Senior Patrol Leader position to another scout. He has learned a lot and grown in so many ways. But he is excited to go back "into the ranks" as he puts it and let someone else be responsible for the planning, etc. His new responsibility is Webmaster, so he won't even have to attend the monthly planning meeting. At the Court of Honor last week he earned a couple more Eagle required badges. He should wrap up his last required badge tomorrow night. The Eagle project is already in the works...

He got a job! Scout is a working man 10 hours a week. He is a page at our local library. It is the best first job ever. Mrs. K has known him since he was 1 1/2 and I brought him to storytime. He loves working for her. And the paycheck wasn't too shabby either. LOL He has visions of a snowboard--and a car.

August Memories

Yeah, yeah, I know. But here we go...

The Hike of the Year

The guys got back from hiking Philmont Scout Ranch safely. No bears--thank you Lord!--and all in one piece. I'm told they earned their man card with this one. Over 86 miles hiked and up to Mount Baldy and ...(some other mountain I can't remember). The pictures are amazing and a trip Scout will never forget. He loved it so much that he says he wants to move to "a house in the mountains in New Mexico". Guess it was that awesome!

THE Fair

Good year all around. PinkOne got FIRST--thank you very much!--for Junior Showmanship with her rabbit. Scout and Emma got a first for agility! They did well with obedience too--HA! (ho would have ever thought it; Emma is maturing into an awesome dog.) PinkOne's chickens went for a whopping $60 at the Silent Auction; thanks, Grandpa ;-). Scout won the pie eating contest--3rd year in a row. LOL Scout did well in rabbit showmanship also--but he doesn't think so. He's such a perfectionist! It was his first year as a Senior and he placed 6th.

Weather was great except for Thursday when we had tornado warnings. We finally made a dash for the car and headed for home only to find out that a tornado had actually cut through our subdivision at home! We had power, but most everyone else in the sub did not for several days. We were also blessed with no damage to our house or yard. There were homes damaged, but no one was hurt.

Misc. Happenings

Scout had a Senior High Youth Group retreat that was a blast; so I'm told. LOL He especially loved the afternoon of paintball with his buddies.

PinkOne fractured her radius/elbow during a dance class. She kicked really high--yeah!--but her other foot slipped out from under her--no!--and down she went. She finished up dance--of course--but started feeling the pain on the way home. We iced her, but by morning it was still hurting. Several trips to various doctors/hospitals later and we had it confirmed; broken. She didn't let it stop her though; dance try-outs were the next evening. She did her best with her arm in her sling.

Harry Potter or Sleep?

Apparently PinkOne thought it was a good idea to read Harry Potter rather than sleep Sunday night. (I handed her book 2 half an hour before bedtime and she only had 4 pages to go at breakfast. Busted!) Hhmm.

No, it was not a good choice. We've rectified the situation by instituting a wake-up time every morning. (Yes, I know most people have this. But as homeschoolers, and dance keeping her out until late several nights a week, I've been lax on this issue.)

This morning I let Emma wake her up. (HA!)

Dance Competition--3/28

With makeup on and everything loaded into the car, PinkOne and I headed about an hour away on Sunday morning, early. (According to PinkOne WAY. TOO. EARLY. That's how much this one loves to dance!) We were there right on schedule--8am. She had 3 dances this time around and each of them did well. Not as well as she would have liked, but I can see such growth in PinkOne. The next competition is the first of May. Lots of time for improvement.

We were home by 5:30pm--just in time for my birthday dinner. Happy Birthday, to Me.

Happy Birthday, PinkOne

We took PinkOne for an ultrasound of her heart last week--she is experiencing shortness of breath when exercising--and we heard her heartbeat on the monitor. It was just like when I was pregnant with her--that awesome sound of your baby's heartbeat. Only now my baby is turning 12.

We still aren't sure what's going on with her breathing. They did a battery of tests and prescribed an inhaler. Most of her test results have been normal and first-glance at her ultrasound pictures seemed fine too. The true test of the inhaler will come this Saturday when PinkOne has Hip-Hop practice. This is her extra competition group and they work really hard. I'm praying that the inhaler does the job, although I'd love for the symptoms to just go away and make the inhaler unnecessary.

But tomorrow we celebrate the blessing of PinkOne with lunch out as a family, cake with Trader Joe's "ice cream" and presents. I'm sure there will be some dancing too. This child can't move without dancing, especially when she's happy.

Catching Up--Recital

PinkOne did awesome. Grandparents and Daddy were equally impressed by the growth they saw in her. We all watched the show on Thursday. That weekend Scout and DH had a Boy Scout camping trip, so it was just us girls for her recital on Saturday. I got up, did some weeding in the garden and then woke up PinkOne for a lesiurely pancake and bacon breakfast. I was so wrong!!! I got a call from the other Class Mom on duty that day asking if we were okay at 10:45. I'd gotten the times messed up. PinkOne was scheduled for the 11am recital, NOT the 2pm recital. Her jazz group was the 4th dance in. Yeah, not a lot of time.



Now, it's a real production to get her ready. I grabbed all her costumes and makeup. PinkOne threw on her first costume and her hair in a ponytail. I raced to the high school. PinkOne ran through the doors while I parked. Apparently she made it just in time to run onstage--from the opposite side of the class--into her spot as they started.


Man! I NEVER want to live that one again! PinkOne showed great maturity and grace under pressure. She is growing up into a beautiful young lady.

Moving Day

I'm moving over here from my old blog. I'm really frustrated with not being able to post many pictures on my old blog, so here I am. I'm not real tech-savy, but I'm hoping to move everything over here eventually.




PinkOne has been talking about donating her hair to Locks for Love for a while now. Recitals were over and she decided to go for it. Once Miss Patty assured PinkOne it will grow back quickly--about 1 inch a month--she was ready to go.




I think she looks awesome! Yes, I know she looks much older, thank you. I'm enjoying my denial ;-).