A day in the life

Sneak peak at a day in the life of a dancer on competition day!!

6:30 am alarm clock on a Saturday is just mean.  Good thing her butterflies get her up and going (after I drag her out of bed)

Something yummy to eat.

Hair

Makeup

 Before & After

Ready, set, go!

Drive

Arrive and find dressing rooms.  I'm getting pretty good at quick costume and hair changes here.

Dance #1:  Story to tell.  Lyrical.  Watching Ella perform lyrical this year brought me to tears.  I thought she was the most beautiful girl ever.

2nd dance: Power. Hip Hop.  She is able to show a sassy side.

Lunch break at Wendys

Killing time in between performances.

3rd dance: Matilda.  Jazz.

This is what Parker thinks of the whole thing!  Actually, he was a trooper.  He thought Ella was in every dance and was so well behaved.  He just got a little tired.

Friends

Ella's dad is also a trooper. Not many dads attended but her dad was there for every dance.  

Car ride home selfies.

Since we are just too darn tired to make dinner, we eat out.

Celebrity Dance Competition was a success.  We found out that night that "The Edge" took overall studio Grand Champions!  This is so exciting for the girls, teachers and Jamie & Julie the studio directors.  We have loved dancing here and it is awesome to see their hard work and dedication pay off!!

Easter 2014!

EASTER 2014~

The kids had a ball this Easter!

Our Easter eggs this year were monsters.  Pretty much a good Easter theme, right?  The hair kept falling off the eggs and Parker was so distressed about it.

The East Bunny came Sunday morning and they had fun cleaning up after him.  Parker was a little upset at the mess he left.  Just like Ella did when she was that age.  My kids have a little OCD.

Trying to get family pictures..... this sums it up.                                                                                        

Hey, 2 actually worked!

East egg hunt for 15 grandkids = 142 eggs.                                                                                             

Ella and Noami are completely inseparable.  From behind, pretty much twins.

Dads idea of a holiday :)

A big thing this Easter time was posting your feelings about #becauseofhim.

It gave me a chance to reflect on my testimony.  Which is simply: I know that the Savior lives.

Everything is possible because of HIM.  I can be with my family forever because of HIM.  I can try harder everyday and move on from my mistakes because of HIM.  I have survived really hard things because of HIM.  And in the end, my ultimate goal is to be exalted with my loved ones, in total peace and happiness.  This is only possible because of HIM.  

I love the Savior and I know that he lives.  That is my testimony.

Spring break 2014 aka Winter break

Spring break this year was freezing.  And cold.  And overcast.  4 out of the 5 days the kids spent indoors.  It was still great having no school, homework, carpooling or dance!

                                  These poor kids standing inside, looking out at the snow falling.

So we play dough'ed it up!

                                                                   And watched movies in bed

Ella and grandma made pillow cases for a project called "a million pillowcase challenge"  These cases will be donated to hospitals, homeless shelters and nursing homes; pretty cool!  I did some sewing as well to finish up a new quilt!

Finally, a sunny half warm day!  The 4 of us went to baby animal days.  Parker would NOT touch the animals unless we forced him.  We saw the cutest and cuddliest baby bears.

Our super nice backyard neighbors work at the American Heritage Center.  We visited them and they taught us about woodworking and old school lady's fashion.

Ella and I went with some friends to "The sound of music" It is one of my ultimate favorite stories and the production was fabulous!  Ella has been singing and playing the songs on the piano every day since.

And to top spring break off, Dustin made us the best dutch oven ever.  It took 3 hours from start to finish, but so worth the wait.

iphone photo dump

Who knew I used my phone so much to take pictures.  I really thought I only had a handful on the phone, but I had hundreds.  Here are some of the winners:

Orange Julius mustache

Ella got bangs after 6 months of begging and pleading.

Grandma Alley got Ella her own sewing machine for Christmas.  They sewed a pillowcase together for the first project.

6 months after getting her left arm cast off, Ella hurt her right arm.  Luckily no cast this time, just a brace.

Parker is one BIG help!  He is learning all about boy stuff from his daddy.

Ella taught her class how to make beaded lizards.  She also did amazing on her oral book report "Little house in the big woods"

Ella performs at the HI-LO review.  The mini's did their hip hop routine.

Parker is doing wonderful in the "Up to 3" program.  He still doesn't like the other kids in class, but he has learned a lot.

Way back in the fall we went apple picking with Grandpa Benson.

Family Time.

Some Christmas pictures I forgot when I posted about Christmas.  

Crazy kids