44/365: Generations of Dance

This was my dance teacher when I was growing up, and now she is my daughter's dance teacher.  She is on the same dance team that I was on.

43/365: Love 'Em!

I love my crazy munchkins!

42/365: Made It!

Countless hours logged in the dance studio

Too many sore muscles to number

A week of grueling tryouts

You made it.  

You've been dreaming of being on this dance team since you were four and you're here! 

41/365: The Little Dog Laughed

Hey Diddle Diddle, the cat and the fiddle

The cow jumped over the moon

THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED TO SEE SUCH SPORT

And the dish ran away with the spoon

No words need to be said about the cuteness factor here.

The boy played the little dog that laughed in his 1st grade show of BoPeep.

40/365: Digi Scrappin'

I've recently discovered digital scrapbooking and I have to admit that I love it.  I will continue to use the traditional method but creating pages with my digital program is so much fun!  Here is one of my 1st pages.

39/365: Daddy's Love

They fell asleep in the recliner.  Had to snap a pic.

Intentional Blogging Break

Intentional...that is the word that God has been placing in front of me quite a bit lately. I have to be intentional. Intentional with my time, with my activities, with my children, with my husband, with my life. I have filled my life up with blogging, facebook, watching television shows, and just staying busy. In the process I have neglected my relationship with Him and everyone else that matters. I have even neglected my health. I can't hope that my relationships with my children turn out OK in the end, I have to be intentional about working on them and that means being there and being available. I can't just wait for my marriage to become something that glorifies God, I have to be intentional about it. I can't just neglect my time with the Lord and expect that I can walk through my days feeling His presence close to me. I have to be intentional with my life.

I am stepping out on a new road of healing and healthiness (physically, emotionally and spiritually). I know I've been down a road similar to this one before but this is a new one, with new challenges and new things to explore. I have already taken a few steps. For now, there is little balance in my life which means that I am taking a blogging break. I love blogging but it will have to wait for a more balanced time in my life. I called my doctor yesterday to make an appointment to find out what is going on with my body. I am calling my therapist today so begin seeing her again. I am limiting my facebook time to 10 minutes, once a week and then only looking at posts of my family and my God family, everyone else has been deleted. I haven't watched a television show in over two weeks and God has adamantly shown me that there is absolutely no room for television in my life. Besides, is there really anything on there that glorifies Him and makes me a better person in the process? I would hard-pressed to find it.

My time now needs to be spent in His Word, journaling, playing with my kids, talking with my husband, prayer time, and even some regular therapy appointments (yes, I did say therapy). Hopefully, blogging can become something that I can pick back up in the future but for now there is no room for it. I have to be intentional. I want to be intentional.

38/365: Spread

When we cook out, we do it right...hamburgers, hotdogs, sausage links, baked beans, and all the fixin's. Yum!

37/365: Dancin' Feet

My kiddos love to dance whether it's by themselves or together. Throw in a dj and a real dance floor and you've got a little show to watch.

36/365: Mmm

This is just a sampling of the many fruits and veggies we picked up at the grocery store. During the summer months I would rather frequent the local farmer's market. There are a few to choose from around here, but they are only open on Sat and I didn't get to make it to one. The grocery store had plenty of fresh produce to choose from and we stocked up! My fave are blackberries - yum! They are also at the top of the son's and youngest daughter's list. The oldest daughter - strawberries all the way for her. We also picked up grapes, avocados, pineapple, apples, grapefruit, bananas, tomatoes, carrots and some fresh spinach. We have plenty of onions from my father-in-love's garden. It will all be gone by Saturday and I can venture down to the Farmer's Market.

35/365: Golden

Recently, we celebrated my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. While it was a great time for our family to reconnect, I also was moved by what we all were there to honor. The fact that there were so many guests attending was a testament to the fact that my aunt and uncle have touched many with their lives. Their four daughters, their sons-in-law, their many grandchildren, their numerous nieces and nephews, their siblings, their friends - they were all there to honor my aunt and uncle. 50 years has brought much to this couple's lives. They have seen much joy and much sorrow, but to watch them on this particular evening you could only see the deep love and devotion they have for one another. I watched a video slide-show that had been prepared and tears came to my eyes. Partly because off the photos with faces of loved ones that have already passed but also because of the legacy of love and commitment that had been modeled through the years. I don't believe they set out to be an example, but they are. They are an example of the joy that can come when you fill your heart with love, forgiveness, service and devotion. This day and age, 50th wedding anniversaries are getting rare. I am grateful for my aunt and uncle, for the legacy they have lived and will continue to live. They are a rarity. They are golden.

34/365: We Are Family!

These are the cousins. We recently came together to celebrate my Aunt and Uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. There are four cousins who couldn't be there. This was the first time some of us had seen each other in over 10 years. I love family. I love celebrations. I love recalling stories of when we were younger and the memories we have. I love seeing my cousins' spouses and children. I love that my children get to see my childhood family, the cousins that I use to play with (or tag along with) just as they play with their cousins now. I hate that it took this long for us to reconnect and I am making a commitment to myself that I will do my part not to let this much time go by until we are together again. We are no longer just a few hours away from each other, we are spread out all over the US and even beyond. But we have Facebook, email, texting, and dare I say it...phone and snail mail. I can carve out some time to stay connected. I can comment on a Facebook page, send an email, mail a card, shoot a text or even dial a number. Family is important.

We are family. These people represent a branch on my family tree and that of my children. I am proud of my heritage and the stories we have. This is who we are.

33/365: Fire Station

The husband took the boy to check out our neighborhood fire station. The firemen gave him a first class tour. He even sat in the driver's seat of the brand spankin' new fire engine. He had that gleam in his eyes that little boys get when they are around man things. The shiny red truck, the awesome tools, the loud sirens - a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon for a boy and his dad.

32/365: Teachers

These are my oldest daughter's 5th grade teachers. In a word - amazing! 5th grade is such a year of growth and these three women helped to ease the growing pains. I truly believe that God handpicked them for that school, for that grade, for those students. They are truly called by God and serve Him by loving and pushing the students that grace their doors on a daily basis. They strive to light a fire in each child, not only for learning but for a passionate relationship with Jesus Christ. They do not just teach, but they live their lives before their students and model a walk with Christ. They lift their students up in prayer, they hug them, they listen to them, they instruct them, they laugh with them, they cry with them, they ask their students for their prayers, they challenge them, they celebrate with them, the love them.

31/365: Graduation

My daughter graduated this past May. I know, it was only from elementary school, but it was a milestone in my book. Half of her grade school career was spent in elementary school. We are at the half-way point (insert look of shock here). She has spent seven years in school and in seven more years we will be seeing her walk across a stage getting her high school diploma. She is moving out of girlhood and into teen world (frightening). The dolls are not played with, the Barbies have long ago been passed down to younger sister, the Polly Pockets and Littlest Pet Shop are only looked at when she's feeling generous enough to play with her younger sister. My little girl is not so little any more. And yet, I see such an innocence in her that reminds me that she has far to go. She is still a little girl in so many ways. She still cries for me to hold her when she gets hurt (physically or emotionally). She still thinks her Daddy is the strongest, most handsome man in the world. She still has fun when she does play with her sister (but would never admit it). Yes, we have entered the world of crushes, girl drama, clothes issues and body changes but they are also mixed in the world of little girl things too. I will stay in this world for as long as we can.

30/365: Memorial

Today was Memorial Day. The husband, kids and I went to the cemetery to take flowers and flags to the grave of my PawPaw. He fought in two wars including WWII. The kids enjoyed hearing stories of my memories of him and learning about his service to our country. He passed away when my oldest was only two years old and before my younger two were born. It is important to me that my kids know as much as they can about their great grandparents and the heritage they have. He is one of the reasons we can have the freedoms we so enjoy today. May we never take for granted those freedoms. We are truly blessed to be an American.

29/365: Crud Wars

What a mess! The oldest daughter recently graduated from 5th grade (more on that later) and her school has a traditional day of 5th grade Crud Wars. Yes, it is as messy as it sounds. They begin with a water balloon fight - innocent enough. Then, comes the flour, chocolate syrup, whipped cream and cereal. She was disgusting. They all were. But that was the most fun I have had in my daughter's elementary school years. It was hilarious!

28/365: Lost Tooth

the boy: Momma, will you open up the shop so I can get my pliers? I need to do some work.

me: Sure, what work do you have to do?

the boy: I have to pull my tooth.

He pulled his tooth (without the pliers). The top tooth was pulled by the dentist a little over a year ago. The bottom tooth is the first tooth he's pulled. He can't wait to see what the tooth fairy brings. The tooth is under his pillow as we speak.

27/365: What's In Ned's Head?

This is perhaps the most disgusting game I have ever played. There are all sorts of gross items inside Ned's head including a dirty diaper, bird poop, Ned's lost lunch and other various things that would make one cringe. To play, you draw a card showing the item you need to find, feel around inside of Ned's Head (through one of the many holes he has - ie. ears and mouth) and the first player to find the object wins that round. Needless to say this is a family favorite. This preschool age game elicits squeals and "yuck" sounds from all of us when we play. Sure, we have all outgrown the difficulty of this game but the fun factor has yet to decrease. Everyone needs to know the feel of fake vomit every once in a while. This was our rainy afternoon activity today. Good times!

26/365: The Boy

The boy was playing on my laptop this afternoon and apparently was amusing himself with my webcam. When I turned it on later this evening this was waiting for me. He begged me to post his picture on my blog. So...this is "the boy" taken by "the boy" on May 25, 2010.

There were lots more but I convinced him that my blog was only capable of handling one of his awesome photos. :)