Dancer

We finally got to observe Mary's dance classes last week.  Her teacher has a strict policy about parents NOT watching.  No peeking!  Not even through the curtains.  But I can hear the clicking of taps, and Mary comes home practicing plies and releves--so I know something is going on behind those closed doors.  Consequently, it was quite the treat to finally be able to watch.

Here is my sweetheart waiting for her class to start.

Ready to tap.

The final pose at the end of her tap number.  You can just barely see Mary from this angle.

You can watch a video of Mary practicing the tap number.


First position.  And ready to dance.

Click here to see her sweet little ballet dance.

I love my little ballerina.

P.S.  So long.  Farewell.  I don't know when I'll be back.  I'm just not feeling the blogging bug this week. This month?  I could blame it on the countdown to the science fair.  But really it's more like life happening.  Or not happening.  In the meantime, I suggest you review your sauna protocol here.  (One thing I've learned from living in Wisconsin is that "sauna" isn't SAW-na.  Brooke can fill you in on the rest.)  And find a new meaning for 2 Nephi 2 here.  (Also, Cyndie gives really good advice.  Ask her.)

A little winter, finally

We lucked out with the huge storm that ripped across the country this week--it gave us nothing more than a regular ole foot of sticky snow.  A snowstorm--finally!

It is March and Mary had yet to build her annual snowman.  It's been heartbreaking.  We live in Wisconsin, for crying out loud.  So when Mother Nature starting piling it on Friday evening, we got that girl out the door to build her snowman right then and there, lest the snow melt during the night and she lose her one and only chance.

Mary's dream came true...

With the help of her dad, of course.

Daddy, Mary, and "Katie" the Snowman.  (The picture was taken in the dark--but it still came out pretty good!)

We also got David out the door Friday night too for some fort-building and snowball-throwing.  Miraculously, for this winter, the snow was still there on Saturday.  So we had some mandatory outside time--and the kids had a blast sledding down the little hill on the side of our house.  Greg even built them a jump--and they thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Hooray for winter!  (Seriously.)  And now that we've finally had a little, Spring, you are free to come.  Sixty-degrees on Tuesday, come and get us.

Goodbyes

Tuesday we said our goodbyes at the airport.

(Sorry, Mom.  But your expression was too good not to post.)

Mary officially decided Uncle Daniel is awesome--and she couldn't get enough of him.  So they had an extra special goodbye moment.

And then we left.

Does anyone want to see the pictures I took two years ago of my kids saying goodbye to Uncle Daniel?  (I do!  I do!)  Click "read more" to see them.

With Tio and Tia then and now

When we lived in Texas, my brother Dave and his wife Alejandra were my heroes.  They rescued the year for my kids, making what could have been a miserable time into a magical one.  They filled in for a physically absent father and an often mentally absent mother, and they made up for my kids' rather lackluster social calendars.

Here are David and Mary with Tio and Tia on one of the first Sunday afternoons they spent together.

Here is a picture of David and Mary on their most recent Sunday afternoon spent with Tio and Tia.

Ale and Dave live in San Antonio right now.  Dave is in law school, and Ale is beginning a new job as an RN at a big hospital down there.  They are definitely busy.  So I'm so grateful they came up!  Of course, it was to see Daniel and hear him speak in church, which was awesome by the way, but whatever the reason it was so great to see them!

Fiesta

We were in Dallas to celebrate two things: Uncle Daniel's return from Chile (see pictures of his mission at the end of my previous post) and Tio Dave's birthday (our little leapling--his 7th birthday in 28 years).

This called for one of my mom's super stuffed blizzard pies.  (All of my brothers ADORE this creation of my mom's--which she concocted years ago just for them.  I usually pass...)

We, of course, also went out for some super delicious Mexican food.  If you're ever anywhere near Lake Dallas, I highly recommend this little place.  (At Mechicano's they even sell Mexican street tacos--made in the same way they are on the streets of Mexico.)  And the salsa is perfect.

Celebrations include games.  Those of us who were brave enough played this game--

And, trust me, you have to be brave...very brave...

You spin the wheel.

And hope you're lucky when you choose the jelly bean.

There is always a thoughtful, tense moment or two while you're waiting for your taste buds to weigh in.

And then you know if you won--

Or not--

(I think was the biggest loser--I got a nasty flavor every time.  You cannot imagine how gross a baby wipe flavored jelly bean is.)

Finally, every celebration needs a pinata, right?

Good times.

Bahama Buck's

Monday night we had an important date.  A trip to Bahama Buck's!

Uncle Daniel introduced us to Bahama Buck's gourmet shaved ice over two years ago, when he was preparing to leave for his mission and the kids and I were living across the hall from his bedroom in my parents' house.

Our first trip to Bahama Buck's way back in the day was pretty unforgettable.  It started off fine...

(Oh my goodness.  Look how tiny my kids were!  David was the age that Mary is now.)

 But it ended in a huge disaster zone.  All the paper napkins and baby wipes in the world could not compete with the mess David and Mary made.  (Greg was in Honduras.  Too bad--we sure could have used to emergency management skills.)

Two years later we returned to Bahama Buck's with Uncle Daniel.  This time after his mission.  And this time we brought our parents along.  It was a good time.  And yummy.  And much less messy than our previous visit.

We love Bahama Buck's!  But a million gazillion times more we love Uncle Daniel...

Do you know what Uncle Daniel was up to in between these two trips to Bahama Buck's?  He was serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chile!  In and around beautiful Vina del Mar.

Anyone want to see pictures?  (I do! I do!) Click below to see the rest of this post--pictures of my baby bro as a hard-working, fun-loving, faithful servant of the Lord in a very special country.

Sleepover at Grammy's

We couldn't go to Texas without having a sleepover at Grammy's!  

First--and most important--on the agenda was playing with Grammy's fabulous toys.  David and Grandpa built the Seattle Space Needle out of Legos.  Look at this adorable picture--

David worked on building the Seattle Space Needle out of wood blocks.

Mary loves the fairy tree house.

And she also wanted to pose like this (?) for a picture--

David recently began taking a piano class.  So he was excited to show Grammy what he has learned and have a piano lesson from her.  (Grammy is a MASTER piano teacher.)  Look at these sweet pictures--

Meanwhile, Mary was jamming on her own.

But, of course, Mary insisted on a "piano lesson" with Grammy too.

It is springtime in Texas, and the weather was gorgeous.  So a trip to the park was a must.

It was a quick trip, and the kids were sad to leave so soon, but, as always, it was a lovely, lovely visit.