Summer Time

WOW! I can't believe that summer is almost over. It sure has flown by. We had two vacations and lots of company. Our 1st trip to Utah was amazing! We spent 3 days with my dad's family and then went south to Arches, Dead Horse Point, and my personal favorite - Goblin Valley. Sharing some of my favorite vacation spots with my children was so awesome! I hope that they will have some wonderful memories to share with their families some day. Our next trip was Fox Family Reunion at Waldo Lake, near Eugene. It was a total bust! The lake was pristine and so beautiful the kids loved kayaking and riding in Grandpa's sailboat. However, the mosquitoes were so bad that most people left, so we tried again and set up camp by Bend. Pioneer Ford on the Metoilous river was peaceful, MUCH less bugs, and lots of fun. We took the boats over to Suttle lake and had another day on the water. I definitely have water babies!!! Kierstin went to ID to visit her best friend and had a wonderful visit. She is currently visiting friends in Portland. Noah has been to Portland to visit our good friends and lots of play days with kids around the neighborhood. Jonah is just busy hanging with all of our family that has come to visit and enjoying all of our day trips. We are enjoying all of our friends and family that have been to visit us and the beach. Hope to see you soon! Watch for more details and pictures soon...

Life...

Life can be hard sometimes. We don't always know how or why but there has to be a plan for each of us. Our family recently suffered a loss that we hadn't even shared yet. We were going to be blessed with twins in January. However, they were not meant to come to our family at this time. We are sad but know that we still have each other and that means SO MUCH. We are incredibly grateful for our loving family and friends who supported us through this time. Thank you for blessing our lives with your love and support. We appreciate all you do!

"Mom, my headache hurts"

I love my boys! They are wonderful. However, I do not love all the climbing, jumping, and playing that ends in diaster. One such example would be yesterday evening... Jonah was at Marissa and Becca's for the day while I was working. I had just gotten off work and was headed to 4th grade parent orientation at the middle school. (For Kierstin next year - 5th grade.) I called to check on the boys and Noah answered the phone. I hear Marissa in the background telling him not to say anything. At this point my mom radar is on overdrive. She says, "hello" and I say, "what is wrong?" She then proceeeds to tell me how Jonah was standing in the recliner and flipped it over backwards thus hitting the back of his head on the wall and then the coffee table. I immediately changed my course and headed back to get Jonah. Marissa said the goose egg on his head was "really" big and that he was acting funny. OH GREAT! When I arrived I discovered the goose egg was as big as my fist and he was sort of in a daze. He didn't even want to come to me, he just wanted Rissa. So, off to the ER we went. When we pulled into the parking lot at the hospital he says to me, "Mom, my headache hurts." I told him we were going to see a doctor and they would help him feel better. The place was pretty empty so we were triaged pretty fast. I have never gotten in a room so fast except for with an asthma attack. We were told to change him into a gown for CT and the doctor would be in. By this time Jonah had started reacting a little and was beginning to talk to me and interact with the nurses. The ER doctor decided the CT wasn't necessary but that he did indeed have a concussion. No bikes, no jumping, or anything that requires balance for a week. How exactly do you stop a 2 year old was doing those things? All in all he is doing well. He did however wake up this morning saying, "Mom, my headache hurts."

Dance Magic

This was Kierstin's 3rd year of competition with Shockwave. Shockwave Dance Company is a group of dancers that range in age from 9 to 19 years old. They perform at competitions, recitals, mall exhibitions, and different community events including the Florence Relay for Life, Miss Coos County pageant, and the Celtic Festival. They also do mini shows for different organizations and businesses when entertainment is required. The dancers also participate in civic minded activities, such as our "Dancers Giving Back" Holiday Food and Toy Drive for the T.H.E. House and Tree of Giving. Every year the dancers have 2 major competitions in Portland and Seaside. They have been working harder than ever, devoting hundreds of hours in preparation. These dancers are strong, confident, and hungry for a change to show what they can do in a competitive situation. Last year, for the 3rd year in a row, the Shockwave dancers won in both the Portland Regional Competition and at the Seaside Grand Championships, bringing home some of our highest scoring dances ever.

Kierstin was amazing in Portland! She has a wonderful stage presence that makes her just light up when she hits the stage. You would never be able to tell this about 2 minutes before the performance, but she is truly gifted. She has learned to put on her ipod and zone out until the moment she hits the stage. This ensures that she isn't a victim of "mind games" from other dancers or teachers and she is then ready to shine. This year she had 8 costume changes and 4 different hair styles. Thank goodness her dance teacher is also a hair dresser. Her first solo was a tap dance to "American Bandstand". She was awesome! She won a 1st place trophy.

Her second solo of the day was a Jazz arts dance to "Broadway Kids". She was REALLY excited to do a jazz solo this year and did an amazing job. Check out her splits! She won a 2nd place trophy.

Her tap duo was with her good friend, Chloe. They did a duo last year and it was so cute. This year was even better. They are so close in size and training level that they make a perfect pair. Doesn't she look a bond girl? Gotta love hair pieces! They earned a 1st place trophy.

Her hip-hop trio was a repeat dance from last year. It was super cute and full of energy. They danced to "Witch Doctor" by the Chipmunks. It was definitely full of sass and attitude! They won 1st place.

The group dances were so well preformed. They were just amazing! Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, and Hip-Hop. It was all great. They won 3 1st place trophies and 1 2nd place trophy.

Kierstin's favorite part about Dance Magic was support from all her friends and family. Here are a few pictures of those who came to support her.

I've crawled out from under my rock...

WOW! I can't believe how long it has been since I update my blog. CRAZY! Things are going great. Busy as always, but I guess I wouldn't really know anything different. Kids ALL had the flu this weekend. It was awful! First the boys and then Kierstin last night. I am hoping they are all on the mend because I really HATE cleaning up puke. So GROSS!!!!! We have been busy the last few months with Dance competition, karate tournaments, swimming lessons, ear infections, and more. I will write again soon and fill you in on all the excitement. I am sure you are SUPER excited. Happy reading! :-)