Dancing to Compete {May 2014}

After a year or two of my daughter asking when she could take part in a dance competition we decided to test the waters this year. We chose to enter the first competition with a duet number with a close friend. After extra private lessons with a choreographer and hours and hours of  independent practice a few weeks ago the girls took the stage at KAR's Regional Dance Competition.

Their hard work and dedication paid off with not only a Top First place in their division for lyrical dance but, a third place high score in their age division, and a special talent award - which included an invitation to attend a master's class with the Rockettes in New York City.

So proud of the determination and hard work that went into the preparation - we would have just been happy with the experience.

Pictured above ~ The girls gasped when they saw this competition stage and lighting ... it was so fun to watch as they experienced this opportunity for the first time!

Pictured above ~ Lexi and her good friend, Ellie, with their dance choreographer and dance school director. Pictured below ~ the girls performed their award winning duet in our dance school's recital last weekend.

Hello 2013!

Such a wonderful night ... we had a fun family friendly party! {complete with Midnight toast using ginger ale.} Lots of friends and food ... tons of crazy silliness. Only one or two injuries during the after dark game of tag.

You know it is a good party when the last guest departs around 2am. {love you Susan!!}

{even Maggie made it to Midnight}

{the fire pit and smores bar was a huge hit!}

{writing with sparklers is always fun}

Memorial Day Weekend Fun

This weekend felt like summer ... we enjoyed baseball, swimming, time with friends, and cooking out. Just a few pictures from our fun ...

{Devin's All Star Baseball Team ... great win boys!!}

{What Memorial Day Weekend would be complete without swimming}

{Lexi and Ava Mae with their friend, Mary Corrine}

{My good friend Jen ... at her surprise 40th birthday party}

{Yummy cupcakes at the party}

{Our Memorial Day meal ... Angus burgers on the grill and cold watermelon and, for dessert, apple pie with vanilla ice cream}

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend!!

Post Birthday Celebration!

Tuesday night a few of my very best girlfriends took me out for a post-birthday celebration!

I chose FLIP in Buckhead ... it was amazing! For those who have followed Top Chef, Richard Blais the most recent winner, is the creative director of this great upscale burger place. It was really nice to get out of East Cobb and enjoy a change of scenery!

This is the burger I chose ... so delish!

The milkshake was yummy, too. {Nutella and Burnt Marshmallow, pictured above}

God has not only blessed my life with a wonderful husband! He has also given me great girlfriends to walk through life with ... so happy to be celebrating all of our 40's together this year.

Secret Keeper Girls Slumber Party

Lexi and I are taking part in a wonderful bible study (Secret Keeper Girls) with a few of our closest friends. It is a mother/daughter bible study and focuses on teaching our girls all about what a friendship should look like.

My dear friend, Candy is leading the study and she is amazing. Tonight was our first date with our daughters and it was a slumber party (though we chose as a group to have the party only last until 9PM). The girls played a fast paced competitive game called "Sixes" and then made pillowcases which all the girls signed with encouraging words about each other.

It was all tied together in the end with the girls seeing how friendships that looked like our "Sixes" game would not be fun at all - we would much rather have a friendship that was like our encouraging words on our pillowcases. Lexi and I had great conversation on the way to the slumber party and on the way home. So glad to be walking this path in life with wonderful friends!

Halloween 2010

Our weekend was full of Halloween Fun - a Fall carnival at the girls' ballet school, carving our pumpkin, a Halloween Get Together on our street followed by meeting up with homeschool friends to trick-or-treat their neighborhood and hang out.

Sun and Fun with Friends

Today we hosted 4 of Devin's baseball friends and their families at our Club for swimming and lunch. It ended up being a marathon 5 hour sun and fun fest.

We are thankful for these new friends Devin has made ... all four boys are from Devin's Spring baseball team and two of them were also on the All Star Team. All very sweet Christian boys with great parents, who we enjoy hanging out with. God is a great provider as I had prayed for Devin to find friendship with a boy his age, and with similar interests. Instead of giving Devin just one new friend he has provided four.
Of course, the girls had a great time too!!

Thankful Thursday

This week we are thankful for the extra time that summer brings ... time we can spend with friends, at a pool for the afternoon.

Camp Winshape

Camp Winshape C3 has come to an end ... Devin and Lexi had a blast, once again! I don't know who is more disappointed that it is over the kids or I. Camp Winshape is 9 hours a day and my kids come home afterward and completely crash after talking non-stop about all the great things they learned that day. This is Devin's 3rd year and Lexi's 2nd. As always, the week long day camp did not disappoint ... this year's theme was Studio U. Devin was a Safari Village member this year and Lexi was in Ocean. I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful camp. If you live in the Southeast and this camp comes to your area I highly recommend it!!

Worshiping Jesus plays a huge part in camp each day there was plenty of time for worship through music and then a story in Studio U. In each story was what they call a "Call Time" truth about God with a "Role Call" response. For example today it was a Heroic Drama and the call time and roll call taught the kids that God calls, so let it loose or the text version - LiL. Based on Acts 4:18 - 20. I love how all the counselors have a great relationship with Jesus and are able to really share that with the kids on their level.

Devin's village (Safari) won triangulation which is the competition between all three villages that takes place each year. We had lots of fun decorating our car the day of competition - we were a house divided this year between Ocean and Safari. Our good friends helped us decorate the car by making posters for our windshield.

Camp Winshape gives campers many different tracks to choose from for their activity time. This year Devin chose - Drama, Secret Ops and Digital Photography. Lexi chose Drama, Crafts and Fast Food. Today we got a chance to see what they had learned or made during their track times.
Congrats Lexi for earning Camper of the Week for her Group ... she just loved her camp counselor, Ms. Bailey. We learned on Family Fun Day that Ms. Bailey is studying to be a teacher right now in college. She will make a great one!

So as another fun week of Camp Winshape comes to a close all we can say, once again, is ... thanks for the memories and see ya next year!!