It's Field Trip Season!

I'm so glad I took the time to go be my girls on these field trips. Sometimes it can feel inconvenient to give up your day but that is a very small sacrifice for days that will one day be long gone.

A highly anticipated visit...

We were so excited to have the Ellis family (well, most of them) spot by on their way home to Colorado. Sarah had been talking about seeing Christen for months now. She was so excited she went out and bought matching lockets for them with her own money. We had a great time going to the movie, eating out and mostly just hanging out. I love that friendships continue through distance and time!

*I love the little "friends" in the photo that Sarah and Christen created from taffy.

Tween?!

Another child in our house has left life in single digits! I can hardly believe Sarah is 10...TEN years old! When I asked Sarah what she wanted for her birthday she said, "Oh, just clothes and jewelry...maybe a gift certificate to Clair's." Now, I don't know about you, but I think she fits squarely in the "tween" category. For further evidence, all you need to do is look at what she is wearing in these photos and where we are celebrating. No more Gymboree ensembles. No more princess parties. (Nope, I am not going to get sentimental...no, no, no...I will just keep telling myself that.)

First, the clothing. A couple weeks ago, she was trying to describe to me the kind of shirt she wanted. "Mom, it has this little jacket thing attached," is what she told me. I wasn't sure when she was telling me, but once I saw it I was pretty sure and when she unwrapped it, I knew I'd been exactly right. She also loved the "tunic" shirt I gave...only problem was, it apparently needed a black belt to complete the look. I obliged by sewing up a little black sash (see photos).

Second, the party. She was quick to tell me she wanted to celebrate at Boondock's this year. I'm glad I didn't see this one coming because I think I would have been much more sentimental about not doing a little theme party at home. Maybe I expected to do princess, butterfly and kitty parties forever or maybe I am in total denial that my little girl is growing up. Regardless, the party was hit...a huge hit and that makes me nothing but happy. It was such a joy to watch her having so much fun with her friends....she was in heaven. While watching all the girls at the party, Chad and I maybe an observation. Sarah has a wide variety of friends and that is just cool. I love that she can have so much fun with a variety of ages and personalities. I think finding commonalities with people is so important and I hope that Sarah continues to do that. I am so thankful for her truly unique and creative spirit...for those of you that know Sarah know exactly what I am talking about. She is special. She is one of kind. She brings so much joy to her family and those around her.

A girls night out...

Last night, the boys of the family were on a campout. Yes, a campout. In February. In tents. The girls and I were much too happy to be left at home! As soon as the boys left, we began our planning. We had fun getting a little dressed up. The girls asked if they could wear a little make-up so I let them have a dusting of sparkly eye shadow, blush and a little mascara.

I was pleasantly surprised when Sarah requested sushi. Jenna was thrilled when I told her she could get pot stickers (I know, they call them gyoza. We call them pot stickers....Jenna calls them "pop stickers). Since this was turning into a full-fledged night out, we swung by the theater on our way to dinner and picked up tickets for "Tangled."

Once we arrived at the restaurant, we were seated at the sushi bar. The girls had fun watching the sushi being made and they loved using the chopsticks (see photo of Jenna). Sarah loved her sushi. I did, however, gasp when she dropped, not one, but two pieces of sushi on the floor. So sad to see that yummy pile of money sushi now inedible.

After dinner, we headed to the movie. We had already seen the movie, but we loved seeing it again. When we got home, we all snuggled into my bed and when we woke up this morning, we had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Jenna declared, "I love girl's weekend," and Sarah said, "This was the best ever!" I have to agree...what a fun it was to have some special time with my girls!

A new beginning

For the last 5 years (time flies!), we have been attending Jordan Ridge Elementary. We really loved that school and had a great experience there. However, I felt it was time we returned to our neighborhood school. For my kids, I felt strongly that they needed to be among their ward/neighborhood friends. Not that my kids can't have friends outside of neighborhood and school boundaries, I just feel that once Jr.High and High School roll around, I want them to have good friendships that are easy for me to watch and be a part of. Not that education isn't important, I just feel strongly that friends can have a great impact on educational successes. As a parent we all try hard to make the best decision, but we never really know which way that choice will go. I hope the thought and prayer we've put into this move will serve my children well.

With that being said, there were a few extra butterflies on this first day of school. It's never easy being the "new kid" and Andrew and Sarah really had brave faces and positive attitudes today. I am proud of them for handling this change so well and I hope it continues to be a positive experience for them. I am thankful that there are some neighborhood children in their classes and I hope they will accept them into their circle of established school friends. After kindergarten testing, Jenna will have her "first day of school" next week (waahhhh...my baby!!!) There were so many things I loved about our previous school, but we are looking forward to becoming part this school's community.

A grand experience...

Grandma Chris wanted to do something special with Sarah for her 9th birthday. She made reservations for High Tea at the Grand America hotel. We were seated in a beautifully decorated lobby complete with crystal chandeliers and a harpist. The hors d'oeuvres and specialty hot chocolates were delicious. However, it was the "tea flower" that stole the show. Upon our arrival, our waitress placed a small bundle in a tall, stemmed glass. After a few minutes, we saw the hot water do it's magic. It opened up revealing a beautiful flower. It was so fun to watch. After our "tea" we wandered around the hotel enjoying the paintings, antiques and beautiful furniture. Sarah even got to watch a bride in the courtyard. What a special and indulegent afternoon indeed...thank you Grandma Chris!

As you wish...

Several weeks ago, I found this note from Sarah on my pillow. She and Jenna leave notes often on our pillows and we just love it. It always cracks me up to see what will be written and how words will be spelled. This particular note contained a plea to get out of Utah and head to somewhere warmer. Per her request, we will be heading to Arizona tomorrow for some family time. We are looking forward to spending time with Ryan and Jodi, lots of good food and hopefully some sun.

Nine must be our lucky number

Admittedly, Chad and I are not the most outdoorsy people. I don't even have my own bike (should I be embarassed to admit that?). Since family bike rides have not been a regular occurence around here, it's not surprising that our kids seem to be at a more advanced age when they finally learn to ride. Josh and Andrew were 9'ish when they learned, so Sarah is right on target being nearly nine herself. We worked on it last summer, but didn't quite get there. Earlier in the week, I took off the training wheels, lifted the seat and sent her around the block. I figured she could use some practice kicking off and gliding. The next day, I went out with her again and within 10 minutes, she was off! The smile on her face was priceless, it brought a tear to my eye. She was just beaming with a pride...the sense of accomplishment she felt was palpable. Yay, Sarah!

One memorable night....

  ...and to think he almost missed it! We had made some weekend plans with friends before we realized the conflict with the Daddy Daughter Date night for the Activity Day girls. For about 1/2 a second we thought, "Eh, we can miss it." So glad that insane thought quickly left. I don't think I've seen Chad and Sarah have this much fun in a long time. Chad texted me a couple times through the night to let me know and I think the pictures speak for themselves. They were both beaming! What a special night!

 

With the month of December comes the inevitable round of recitals. Josh and Andrew did a wonderful job...getting better and more impressive each recital. And speaking of impressive, Josh is really mastering the slumped-over-I-don't-care teenager position...love the picture of him "enjoying" Andrew's performance. Sarah recently joined the ranks of those required to take piano. She is taking from our neighbor and my friend, April. She is an excellent teacher...and wonderfully patient with Sarah. A week or two before the recital, I wasn't too sure how her performance would go. I must say, she really stepped up and we were very pleased and proud of her performance.

Sarah started taking jazz and ballet at a local "Stars" studio. Me being a purest (ie. ballet trained) I wasn't too crazy about an all-in-one dance studio, but I've decided this is a great way for her to get back into dance. So far it has been a mostly great experience. That is to say, Sarah is not crazy about ballet class. However, she had a mother who slept in her first pair of toe shoes and insists that ballet is a must!
On December 4, she had her first performance. She really "rocked" her dance routine. She had the best rocker stance, by far, of any of her classmates. Her daddy was proud.

Congratulations to Sarah! She received a 4th place prize in the PTA Reflections contest last month. This is quite an honor considering art had by far the most entires and she was judged with 3rd, 4th, 5th 6th graders (she is in 3rd).
I love, LOVE how much her entry was so authentically her. The theme was "Beauty is..." She immediately honed in on fantasy and imagination as her idea of beauty. Notice what she wrote in the description on the entry form. So Sarah.

Miscellaneous cuteness

When we were working on the dining room two weeks ago (yes, it's done and yes, I will post photos), there were some tense moments. Hanging the new light fixture to a 20ft ceiling would be one of those tense moments. The kids wanted to be part of the excitement. Jenna and Sarah were hiding behind a chair to watch. Finally, we excused them all to bed so we could continue the fun. Needless to say, we didn't get it hung that first night. We even thought a few  "words" would help, but no, we would have to try again the next night. As I climbed into bed that night, I found a note from Sarah on my pillow. She leaves notes often and they always bring a smile to my face. This one had me laughing out loud. She could not have captured the night more perfectly. I promise, it's worth clicking on it to enlarge it. Can you see the picture? Notice the details: Chad on the ladder, me holding the light....and Jenna hiding under the chair in the corner. Can you read it? Notice the post script. It says, "P.S. What was that shattering sound?" Umm, that would be me tripping over the old light (although it didn't actually shatter) and that would also be when a few unacceptable words came out. I'm thinking that is what prompted this note of love and concern.

Next item of cuteness. There are a few things about Jenna right now that are so her. Four of them are in this awesome photo. 1) Helping mama cook. She loves to help me. Anytime I am in the kitchen, she scoots the white stool to my side 2) The shark goggles. Pretty cool, aren't they? I'm thinking her love for these comes from the kids love of the movie "Shark Boy and Lava Girl." She even wore these out to dinner a couple weeks ago 3) Gloves. She has been on a glove kick for quite some time now. I'm not sure how or why it started. We did have a spike of interest with the death of Michael Jackson. I think she noticed the connection with glove and him. She was overhead saying to her siblings, "Guys, are you sad that Michael Jackson died?" and "I'm sad Michael Jackson died."  Even so, her glove love has been going on even before that. 4) Boots. Whether it's the bright pink rain boots or the brown snow boots, she's always up for some boot-wearing fun.

These are just a few things that my girls have done that just absolutely make my heart smile. These are definitely moments that I wish I could freeze in time.

"The Princess and the Frog 2"

It's always been clear that Sarah is very creative. Even knowing this, I am always tickled with delight and surprise when I see something she does. A couple weeks ago, she created an entire play. Complete with backdrops and people. Her stage set up was the best; it was flanked by pillows and a blanket draped over her head to hide the behind the scenes mechanics (i.e. her!). She was thrilled to have the family's undivided attention. It was so cute seeing her little hands peeking out from behind the blanket to manipulate that characters...then her little head poking out to change the backdrop. Her story line was a sequel to the fairytale of  "The Princess and the Frog." In this continuation of the original, the Princess decides she likes the Prince better as a frog. He travels to a witch, a wizard and a mad scientist to gain his frog-hood back. Ahh...but, there is a surprise ending. The mad scientist added an extra spell to the potion; turning whoever he kisses into a frog. The princess not only gets her wish of the Prince being turned back into a frog, BUT she gets to join him as an amphibian, too! It was priceless! Well done, Sarah...keep up the creativity. We can't wait to see what you do next!

The music was definitely her idea

What's better than a cookie stand? A cookie stand with entertainment! This is so Sarah. I look out the window (notice a couple blurry photos) to see Sarah shaking her groove thing. Yep. The music was her idea and the dancing just can't NOT come out of her body. If you look hard you can see the princess boom box on the porch. It is playing a great selection from "Kidz Bop." Quite loud I might add. I love her personal touch to the roadside business. She always manages to show her personality in whatever she is doing!

Schools out for summer...NOT

If you are detecting a hint of bitterness over the start of school today, you would be correct. Year round school? I'm so over it. I miss traditional school. I am just not ready to put on my "responsible mommy" hat (not that I wear that one well). Reading minutes? Volunteering? Lunch money? Car pool? I just want to be left alone. I want my kids to sleep in and stay up late. And the fact that Josh and Jenna have traditional schedules only makes it worse.

Complaining over.

Don't Andrew and Sarah look so cute for their first day of school? Yes, I know, they are looking so old!!! In spite of a short break from school, they were excited and ready to head back. Something about fresh crayons, new pencils and friends that always makes you excited for the first day of school!

Last Saturday was a very special day for Sarah. A day that her parents can hardly believe has come and gone! She was able to be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was so excited for her dad to baptize her and could hardly wait to "be all clean." It is so fun to watch Sarah on these special days. She seems to be keenly aware of these milestones and relishes the spotlight these events bring. Immediately following her baptism she said, "I feel like I've been reborn." It was so special to see this new maturity emanating from her. My hope is that this new beginning will only be the start of a strong understanding of the gospel and the peace and blessings it can bring to her life.

Happy Birthday SARAH!

This was supposed to be a "family party" year for Sarah, but nostalgia took precedence. Mom couldn't resist recreating her magical 8th birthday for Sarah. Our family pedigree includes a direct relation to Brigham Young through his wife Clarissa followed by too many Mary Elizas to keep straight. There are even a few family heirlooms that remain to remember our special genealogy. Even as a young child I had a fascination with this past and this is something I have seen grow within Sarah. So, you can imagine the special significance a celebration at Grandpa's (x5) house would have. The smell of taffy waiting to be pulled, a tiara waiting to be worn and pioneer stories waiting to be heard overwhelmed my memory as I walked into the party room. It was surreal to see Sarah have such a similar reaction and experience that is so special to my memory. You could just see the "princess-ness" emanating from Sarah's smile and eyes. I really think she loved it and enjoyed it as much as I did. Now, she too, knows the stories behind our family history and heirlooms and shares that love with others. Sarah relished every moment, from the special necklace she wore to the taffy pull and gifts in garden. I'm sure this will be a special memory that she will someday share with her daughter.

She always has something to say

Yesterday as Sarah and I were heading home from her eye appointment she makes a comment out of the blue. She says, "Why is there so much killing? I don't like it." As I'm trying to understand what prompted this thought, she continued, "It's weird, they (meaning the criminals) were so sweet and cute when they were little and then they grew up." She is always thinking. We went on to have a great little discussion on "choosing the right" and what happens when we don't make good choices.

Sarah shows her stuff!

Sarah has been taking gymnastics for about 6 months now. It seems to be something she really enjoys and I think moving around from event to event is perfect for her busy mind and body. On Saturday, she got to show off her stuff. It was fun to see her smiling as she did her best on vault, bars, beam and floor. She says the vault is her favorite. I think that has something to do with the pit of foam cubes she likes to play in!