Ballet Boogy Baby

It is every mother's dream to have their beautiful daughter, dressed in her adorable little tutu, hair done, smile shining brightly on stage. A vision of pure perfection...

...Yeah, well, it is Ali after all - that dream lasted about twenty seconds.

Last Thursday, I attended Alison's very last dance class with Miss Diane of Diane's Studio of Dance. Ali took the class through Mona Shores' Community Services program, as did Sammi a few years ago. We know Diane well since Madison and Sammi now take classes at her Fruitport studio every week. That may be the unfortunate part of this story....I have to see her again on Tuesday.

Alison was adorable - she was dressed in a purple leotard with a dark purple dancing skirt and my mom had curled her hair and put it in a teeny-tiny pony tail. She was an angel - at least in visual terms. Don't get me wrong - she had the time of her life in the class. She twirled, she plied, she did all the fabulous dance steps she was taught - she just did them "Ali-style".

Oh, yeah, one other small point - she did them all on her own, without care for the music or Miss Diane's instruction. Oh, and I forgot, she did them in between kisses to her Mom, Grandmas and sisters and after running to the front of the stage to tell us just "one more thing".

Yep, she was the trouble maker of the group. But, she's three. And she loves to dance. And she's three. Did I mention she's three?

The first video is of the "Say Hello" song. You've got to love a little group of girls singing their greeting!! The second video is "I Can Copy Cat". This is where Alison shows off her ability to toe tap and twirl like there is no tomorrow. The last video is some rocking little number - you have to watch this one to see Alison shake what God gave her - just hysterical!! I taped most of her "recital" because Scott was in Florida visiting his Dad and couldn't make it. So, here it is, honey. You're beautiful little "mini-me" in her first performance.

I can absolutely bet the house on the fact this will not be her last. In Miss Diane's own words "she's got the drama gene"!! God help us all!!

**!Enjoy!**

It should be noted that these are the three little clips that I wasn't incredibly embarrassed to put on my blog. The other ones you'd hear me telling Alison to get her adorable little booty back on stage!! LOL

Patches of Pumpkins

October is such a great month for our family, especially living in Michigan with the changing of the season. I'm not sure what happened this month, but my work load has kept me from some much anticipated family time. I have had to work late nights and weekends recently just as a means of keeping up...and the girls have let me know without exception that they weren't happy about it.

So it was great timing when Scott's Mom and Dad suggested a little Sunday afternoon fun at the pumpkin patch:) We went to this particular farm last year and had such a good time that we decided another visit was in order.

The girls browsed the little craft shop that is set up in the barn, bought a few pumpkins, went on a hay ride (Ali stayed behind with Grandma to paint her pumpkin) and just had some good ole fashion fall fun. What made it even better was the fact that Scott's dad was here from Florida for the weekend and was able to participate in the antics!!

After the pumpkin patch, we ventured to VanderMill's for some fresh cider and donuts. It was a wonderful treat for the girls and a great break from work for me!!

Of course I brought my camera with me so I could snap some fall pictures of the girls to share. Madison helped me with some 'artistic' photos of leaves and scarecrows too. She's becoming quite the photographer and I'm always excited to see the world through her lens. Her flower pictures were included in my prior post of the October wedding for you to enjoy.

So, to all of our family and friends that read this post, may you all enjoy this changing season with your family. I'm continually amazed at how quickly the days, months and years are passing us by - don't let them go by so quickly that you don't stop to make a few memories along the way.

Forever His Flower Girl

October 11th was a good day for the Samantha. She was pampered, she was complimented, she was one of the stars of the show. Right up her alley...or aisle as it may be.

October 11th was the day her Godfather, Scott (a.k.a. Wayne), was married to a beautiful young lady named Jennifer and Sammi got to be the flower girl. Sammi was very excited about being in the wedding, wearing her Princess-like dress and walking down that aisle. She had practiced her walk. She had asked questions about how to throw the petals. And the day was finally here!!

On Friday night, I took her to dress rehearsal at St. Mary's Church in Marne. Within about five minutes, she had made fast friends with the ring bearer and was planning "play dates" for after the wedding. That's our Sammi...never a dull moment and never at a loss for social skills!! She wanted to wear her 'best outfit' for Uncle Wayne because she knew that she had a very important job to do and so she picked out this little purple number - complete with ballet flats, a new headband and, of course, my necklace and make up. She was such a good girl and did everything that she was told to do. I was so very proud of her:) She got to enjoy a little bit of the after-rehearsal celebration back in Muskegon and was so overjoyed when she opened her present from Uncle Wayne and Aunt Jen - a new heart-shaped jewelry box with her "short name Sammi" engraved in it. She opened it up and found three beautiful pearl bracelets as well. What a great surprise for this little girl. She was walking on clouds when I put her to bed that night.

The next morning, we were off to get hair done and get back to Marne for pictures. It was one of the most precious things I've ever seen. The photographer called up the little kids for a full wedding party photo and then started to rearrange the groups of people for other shots. She asked Wayne to join Jen's wedding attendants for a picture and Sammi was standing there next to him, holding his hand. I cry just thinking about the picture - it was one of those moments that will not soon be forgotten. She just looked up at him with such love and admiration...priceless.

The wedding was beautiful and elegant...a little girls dream come true. Sammi was a little scared going down the aisle, but she pulled it off without incident and did a fabulous job walking slowly like she practiced and dropping berry colored petals in front of her new Aunt Jen. And the bride...well let's just say that Wayne is a lucky, lucky man. I've never seen him more happy and I've not seen a more beautiful bride for quite some time.

After the wedding, Sammi got to hang out in the limo before the wedding party took off for a little joy ride and she thought THAT was the best part of the day! Kids...I tell you. We ended the day at Moss Ridge Golf Club for a wonderful reception. Sammi had a ball playing with all of the Florida cousins (not her real cousins, but she doesn't seem to care!!), especially Lauren. She was dancing, having a blast and loving every minute of it. She even did multi-rounds of the chicken dance!!

As a side note, my favorite part of the reception was when the wedding party danced together. Sammi was a little afraid to dance with the ring bearer so her Uncle Wayne picked her up off her feet, carried her over to the dance floor and danced with her in his arms. It was precious and heart-warming and, of course, I cried like a baby. I'd bet my lucky stars that moment will never leave that little girl's heart.

From experience I know that being a flower girl is special. My Aunt Lori and Uncle Scott, thirty four years later, still call me their little flower girl. We sometimes pull out the pictures of their wedding and giggle at how little I was, how cute my brother was in a tux, and...well, yes, we have to laugh at Aunt Denise' hat!! Sorry, honey, but it is a MUST!! Just too funny. But it is a connection with them that I will have my whole life. It is a connection that Sammi will have with Wayne and Jen her whole life.

She will always be his little flower girl...

...and that is worth more than words can say.

Scrapping Sisters

So I tell my darling husband that I want to go away for the weekend with my dear friend Kristy to go scrapbooking...an entire weekend with nothing but the view of White Lake, my Cricut and my pictures.

His response..."seriously???".

For those that don't scrapbook, I imagine an entire weekend of scrapbooking seems...well, overwhelming. And I imagine it could be if you don't break up your day with gloriously rich meals, brisk walks to Lake Michigan, an hour massage and a wonderful pedicure!! Okay, the secrets out...I really went to relax, but I got 30+ pages done in the mean time!!

More importantly, I got some great one-on-one time with Kristy. Kristy and I used to work together, but she moved to a position with Priority Health closer to her home in Grand Rapids. I miss her terribly at work - she was my sounding board, my partner in crime, my gym buddy. But I know for her, it was the right move. I am forever grateful that our relationship has persevered through the transition. In fact, I've grown closer to Kristy than ever.

I think its because we are so very different and yet so much the same. Let me explain:

Kristy is redheaded with freckles, a natural beauty. She is very athletic and can literally kick my butt on just about any gym machine made by man (yes, I know this as fact, as she used to be my training partner at the Omni!!). Kristy is quiet - very unlike me - and keeps things close to her chest. You have to know Kristy to know something is bothering her because she doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve. She's a thinker - she has to process things and think about them before she reacts. Yep, I hear ya, polar opposite of my 'react-first-ask-for-forgiveness-later" behavior.

Yet somehow, we are friends...really great friends. Kristy's character is top notch - she will take a serious secret to her grave if you ask her to; she's always the first one to email you to find out if this appointment or that special event went well. To explain what kind of friend she is, let me tell you about my birthday. I'm not a big fan of my birthday - one because it is in March and it's cold and I'm not a "cold, wintery" kind of girl; two because it is during the middle of busy season and I'm usually too exhausted to care that it is "my day". So what a treat for me last March when I pick up my cell phone to hear I have a message...one from Kristy...who was on vacation with her family in California. She called to wish me a good day and then proceeded to sing happy birthday to my voicemail.

Now THAT, dear readers, is what friendship is all about.

So here we are - among all our scrapbooking treasurers (yes, this table is only OUR stuff!!):

But the truth is our friendship is the real treasure. Thank you Kristy for taking a weekend away from your sweet husband (hi Greggy:) and your darling boys, Ethan and Owen, to spend some quality girl time with me. I can't wait for episode number two in May:)

Libby Who?

After we worked up a sweat at the Race for the Cure, us girls ventured off to Libby Lu in the Grandville Mall for a birthday party for our now five-year-old Samantha Paige. She was joined by her two sisters and her cousin, Morgan. What a riot these girls are!! Completely all girl, let me tell you.

The pink sequin dresses were worn by most of the girls and they had their nails and make-up done while Hannah Montana and Cha-Cha slide were blaring on the speakers! Instead of getting their hair done, all the girls opted for some sort of faux hair piece. Sammi enhanced her own pony tail with some unique purple strands. My darling Madison went for the blond Sharpay wig with a microphone headset and Alison went for Hannah Montana hair with a diamondique crown. Our dark haired-beauty, Morgan, turned herself blond with a little help from a wig. All of them had a great time:)

Alison decided to make herself comfortable in this chair with her long locks flowing effortlessly down her shoulders:) What a hoot!!

The girls all went back to our house afterwards and had a little slumber party complete with movies, popcorn and birthday cake to celebrate Sammi's big day.

Happy Birthday, Sammi. I hope your fifth birthday was as joyous and fun-loving as you are. We wish you a year full of smiles with lots of hugs and kisses mixed in:)

Think Pink

Okay, so much has happened since my last post and this is going to be a multi-posting evening. I need to get up to date on my blog so you can all hear (or read as it may be) what we've been up to!!

Since the raisin shot heard round the world, we've been on the move. In late September, our whole family had the privilege, and I mean that in all sincerity, of teaming with my sister-in-law for the Race for the Cure. Our immediate family has been doing this race since 2001, but this year was special. See our official family photo below of Team Silicone Sisters (not all team members were present...just our immediate family).

As many of you know, my SIL has had the up-close-and-personal experience with very aggressive breast cancer. She's fought the battle and has come out on top - thank you God. I can only imagine what this woman has been through the past two years - and yet with her quiet strength, she draws no attention to herself. That is why this day was even more important. We wanted as a family to show our support for her struggle, for her fight, for her strength in tough times, for her honesty about this dreadful disease. I'm proud to say that we were involved with this event as a family, as a team, but I'm thankful beyond words to be able to say "this is my sister-in-law - the survivor".

For any of you who know of this struggle or know someone who has been touched by this terrible disease, I encourage you to do something about it. On September 26th of next year, grab your walking / running shoes, throw on something comfortable and join us for little 3 mile adventure. You don't have to run. You don't have to even walk quickly. Heck, we'll push you in a wagon with your oxygen tank if we have to, but get out there and DO IT!!

I promise you - you will be touched by this event. You can't beat the experience - it is life changing for all those involved.