Dance Recital

The girls have worked hard all year going to weekly dance classes. It all paid off May 21st at their recital. Since our dance instructor teaches classes at two different towns each week, the team has to get together a couple of times to practice in the gym where the recital is held. Then both groups learn to perform in unison and become one. RaeAnne and ZoraLin have been on this dance team for three years now. It is more fun for them than work! We had the final practice Saturday morning. Many times I am working on Tuesday nights when they have dance class. This year they named their dance group the CIA's for Chicks In Action and they are that!

Kendalan and Tessa are on the tumbling team. Jordis was until December and she decided she didn't want to go anymore. They are like little pretzels and so cute! It was interesting to watch these two during the tumbling section. They couldn't keep their hands off each other and at one point Tessa had Kendalan pinned on the mat!! I am not sure that wrestling was part of the performance.






The first dance Rae and Zora was in was ballet. While watching the girls practice this routine this morning I was thinking that maybe they needed a few more hours of practice. However, tonight they were right on!! It was so beautiful I had tears in my eyes as I came out of the bleachers to help them change clothes. I noticed many of the other Mom's were also crying!!

The girls had three costume changes throughout the program. Mom's job was to help them get the right outfit on while Dad held down the bench and taped the performances. After the first couple of songs I was in the girls locker room helping Rae and Zora change into their next costume when the dance instructor came in and said "I hope you all are dressed, the tornado sirens are going off and this is the tornado shelter!" It became very crowded in the locker room! Thankfully the weather cooperated and very soon the girls were back out for their second dance of the night.

They did Pom for their second dance. It was also very good and they were all in sync. I am going to have to figure out how to upload some of the video from the dance.

Rae and Zora's last team dance was so unique! The girls were dressed in "bags" and the first part of their dance it was hard to tell who was where! Then the team was out of their bag and they finished looking GOOD!! We are so proud of our girls!! They have the team spirit and maybe I am just a little biased, but they are just so beautiful as they dance and tumble!! You ROCK IT girls!!

~~Happy Birthday ZoraLin~~

On May 17th we celebrated Zora's 9th birthday!! I can't believe that this bundle of joy is already nine years old!! We had dance practice that night and we decided to surprise her with cake. Knowing that her sisters can't keep a secret, no one knew about the cake except for Dad and Mom! We let Zora open her gift after lunch. I think she was pretty excited...the smile on her face said it all!

Wednesday night we went out to eat. Our waitress suggest "celebration" cake for dessert and we all enjoyed it!




Happy Birthday ZoraLin!! We love you jelly bean!!

Fun Birthday Party

We were invited to a birthday party for a little girl who's parents traveled with us to China in August. They had it at Monkey Buziness which is a place I had been told that the girls would really like to go. I did not tell the girls where we were going to have the party and they naturally assumed that we would be going to JoJo's house. So imagine their surprise when we arrived at a mall and I had them keep their eyes open for "Monkey Buziness". As we walked in, their eyes were pretty wide open with wonder. (Daddy and Tessa had to stay home as Tessa was running a high fever the night before.)





They were like Thoroughbred horses out of the chute when we arrived in the private room where the party was. Once they figured out that they could play on anything and everything there they were OFF! It was fun to watch them and I also saw something I never thought I would. They were running and playing so hard that they actually had to sit down and take a couple of breaks! Their little cheeks were so rosy!!

Then we had a snack, sang Happy Birthday and the kids were pushing smaller kids out of the way to get their sacks full when the pinata broke open. Well, maybe they weren't actually pushing them out of the way, but they were working as fast as they could to get LOTS of candy. RaeAnne was a sweetie after I suggested that she share some of her candy with the younger kids. Way to go Rae!





Now all we are hearing is that ZoraLin would like to celebrate her birthday at Monkey Bizness. Sorry honey, we have dance practice tomorrow night...but we have a surprise for you!! I am sure a trip back to MB is in our near future.

Trampoline back up!! Prayers appreciated!

When RaeAnne, ZoraLin and I were in China last August getting Tessa, there was a strong wind storm come through our area. Dad woke up on day and found out trampoline leaning up against our house and a few of the rings bend. We tried to put it back up with the broken parts, but there is nothing more frustrating than getting it all put together, springs on and then have it fold up on you! Thus bending the already bent poles some more. Winter was coming and along bringing more wind to our area. We admitted defeat and left the trampoline put away for the rest of the winter.





Daddy had promised his girls that he would have the trampoline up before school got out. Well, May 13th was their last day and no trampoline! So maybe it will stay up longer this time. The first official day of summer we are back in bouncing business! And this time we did put up the safety net. I thought it might add some weight to the trampoline and make it harder for the wind to blow around. Prayers please that we do not get some gusts before I can find sacks of sand to put on the legs in an attempt to keep it stable.






The girls had a wonderful time while Daddy and his two good friends worked on the trampoline. Gary brought Zia Joy over and to keep the girls busy we played "Dump". That is where I take the toy buckets and "dump" them in the middle of the room. They then try to sort out the toys in different bins and while they are at it, they sort out all the trash and broken toys. All the girls found toys that they hadn't seen in sometime and Zia Joy just found all kinds of wonderful toys to play with.

Field day

The second to last week of school was very busy with field trips and fun things to do. Field Day is a fun day that the classes get to be outside and compete in games. There were different things for different levels of kids. The classes were divided up with their teachers and would rotate through the different games. Dad and I went to watch. However, keeping up with five kids in their different classes and games became more of an obsticle course for Dad and I. About the time we would arrive at one end of the football field to watch our oldest, the class would move onto something else.

So we did get so see each child during their games and tried to watch, but the wind won after a hour or so and we decided to mosy on home. The girls came home exhausted!!

3rd grade field trip

I am w-a-y behind on my posts. ZoraLin's class had a field trip the week before school was over. We started out at CiCi's Pizza so the kids could make their own. I was really surprised how well organized these three men were. I guess they do this frequently. One pizza on the table in between two kids. First you start with the dough. Then of course, you have to spread the sauce on. Then the cheese. The next option was pepperoni. ZoraLin and her partner decided that they did not want pepperoni. The pizza guys then came around and picked up the finished pizza to bake them. In the mean time, the kids filled their drinks and in no time the pizza's were being delivered to the tables! It was amazing to me that they actually picked up and delivered the same pizza back to each two kids!! Confusing to me, but they knew the drill. Parents had the option to make our own or eat off the buffet.

Very loud, very busy but surprisingly well organized! Controlled chaos!

Then we were off to Washburn University to see the Planetarium. Very interesting to see the different constellations in the sky. I think I learned more about the stars in this one trip than I had throughout my school years! Our next stop was to be another tour, but somehow it was not arranged as it should have been. It was a beautiful day and we spent time out on the campus soaking up sun. It was a lot of fun and very educational!!