Feeling so accomplished

Ok, so hopefully I have some supporting readers on my blog!  I just wanted to tell what a productive morning I have had!  I did the dishes, cleaned my messy cubby in the kitchen, cleaned all the counters, 2 loads of laundry, cleaned 4 bathrooms, changed the sheets on the guest bed, and vacuumed the whole main level ALL BEFORE LUNCHTIME!  Some of you may do this everyday, but for me... that is a MAJOR accomplishment!  Now we eat!

Spring Dance Recital

I just finished the Spring Dance Recital!  And it was a big hit!  There were 5 dance pieces and nearly 50 dancers!  I had a great semester with these super cute and talented dancers!

I like to run my dance recitals a little differently than your average recital.  First, I make sure all of our costumes are modest and age appropriate!  No excuses, and no compromises.  These little sweeties, don't need to be showing off too much skin!  They need to be young, innocent and perfectly covered up! 
Its my show, I do what I want!  ha ha

Second, I make sure all of my music is clean and upbeat.  All of our songs have a good message!  Kids grow up way to fast, and I figure this helps slow things down the way that they were intended to be.  Third, I introduce each and every dancer out on the stage one by one and tell a few things about her.  I want them all to feel special, not just a part of a big group!  I want the audience to know a little bit more and I want the dancers to feel like they have individual worth.  After the recital is done, the dancers go greet their parents, and then I call them back out on the stage one by one and present them with a personalized award.  I really give thought and consideration to each of my dancers strengths and improvements throughout the semester.

Here is my Kaylee-girl receiving her award!  LOVE HER!

 

There are refreshments following the recital (that parents help me out with)!  

This is Kaylee's favorite part.  ha ha

She is a sucker for treats with a dance theme!

Our jazz hand pose!  I will miss these dancers all summer, but look forward to seeing them in the fall!

I want to thank all of the parents that helped with finding costumes, making streamers, bringing treats or supplies to the recital, and mostly thank you for allowing me the opportunity to teach your sweethearts dance!

I have the greatest job EVER!

Konnor is a "Whole Hand"

Happy GOLDEN Birthday to the cutest 5 year old this side of the Mississippi!

Look at that smile!

 We started the day with a NEW BIKE!  He was sooo excited, and has been riding it non-stop since he got it! The training wheels came off a few weeks ago, and he feels so big! He is a pro now!

 This year Konnor decided on "The Adventures of Chuck" (dump truck party)

I found these cute suckers that I couldn't resist!

 Chuck was holding the napkins down!  It was a little windy.

 Konnor got to pick EVERY detail of his party this year!  From guests, to food, to decorations!  I think he did a great job!  We filled a dump truck up with some licorice.  Had APPLES (his favorite), ranch Doritos, pizza and cupcakes.  Super nutritious, I know!

 We got all of the kids a yellow hard hat and I put their names on each of them!  I found this cool sign to go perfectly!  I even impressed myself on this one!

 There were construction signs all over.  In fact on the front door, we put a sign up that said, "Detour Ahead", because the party was around back!  ha ha

 Konnor wanted to do dump truck races around cones as a game.  The kids LOVED it!

 Then we tossed balls into a dump truck like a bean bag toss.  

I am making a funny face there, but I was rooting him on! 

 Here is a group shot, minus a couple.  Too cute huh!

 Konnor wanted a pinata!  Which we have never done before!  So Grandpa got on the deck so he didn't get "decked" while the kids swung their hearts out!

One of Konnors fave gifts came from his favorite boy cousin, Dreydan!  

A Chuck Truck that holds all of his Chuck character trucks!

 Family Pic!  I love them!

 SURPRISE!  Grandma Basha and Aunt Tracy drove ALL DAY to surprise Konnor for his birthday!  And I wish I had a camera going when he spotted grandma!  He took off running and then just about 3 feet away from her he held his arms out to the side and leaped into the air and landed in her arms!  It was the perfect Grandma moment!

They were so sweet to come all this way for my little man!  Just goes to show ya, how special our little Konnor is! 

Here is the only pic of the cupcakes. :(  They had Chuck rings on them, but I dyed the batter construction yellow and did frosting to match.  Konnor LOVES cupcakes and that is all he wanted!  In fact, I am pretty sure he had at least 6 cupcakes in a 48 hour period!  ha ha  Don't judge... its hard to say, "no" to his dimples!

Happy 5th and Golden Birthday to my sweet son!  Love you buddy!

Cool Pic

My hubby is starting to develop a real talent for photography!  

Here are a couple of his latest, and my favorites!

 

It looks like she is a jumping machine!  I also love the water and the lighting! 

 Love the blurry contrast with Kase in the coupe car!

You may be wondering who took this pic, well... Kyle did!  

He set up the shot and then set the timer!  Fun huh!  

This horse just showed up when we were standing there taking pics in front of the green pasture! 

I think Kyle has a real gift for photography!

Gotta Be Good Luck... Right?

The following story is in fact 100% true!
Yesterday, I just took Konnor to preschool, Kaylee was already at school, Kyle was at work, so it was just Kase and I.  We were out in the yard, he was playing and I was pulling weeds.  It was getting close to nap time (my holy hour!) so we came inside.  The door was open, but the weather was nice, I didn't mind too much.  I noticed he had a stinky diaper so I layed him down in the usual spot, and then I heard it--...  I heard someone or something was INSIDE the house!  It was a loud bang, and a weird shooshy, fluttery sound.  I told Kase to stay where he was, so the brave mom (that's me), went to see who was in the house with us.  I turned the corner and I saw him!
A beautiful hummingbird fluttering at my arch window!!!!!  He was gorgeous!  He had a purple neck and bright green on his back and he had a really long beak!  I told Kase to come see and then sit on the couch while I tried to shoe him out.  The bird didn't budge.  So I went and got the broom, because the window was quite high.  I tried to nudge him, but he didn't go anywhere.  I said out loud, "come on sweetie, I won't hurt you."  He looked at me and stopped fluttering.  I layed the brisltes to the broom flat to the ledge where he was perched, and said, "come on little guy... hop on the broom and I will take you outside." He LOOKED at me!  Then he hopped on the broom!!!!!!  Astonished, I said, "hold on, I will take you outside."  He stayed on my broom through the house, and out the door, and through the yard all the way to my lilac bush!!!!  I put the broom down gently to the bush, but he stayed there on my broom.  I said to him, "Its ok, you can hop off onto this bush now."  He LOOKED AT ME again, and then hopped off!!! Just like he knew EXACTLY what I was saying!  ha ha ha  Luckily, I looked over and saw my next door neighbors outside watching me talk to my new pet hummingbird! lol I am so thankful they saw... nobody in their right mind would have believed this crazy story if I didn't have some witnesses!    THEN, they walked over to see the pretty little guy, and we were standing just about 2 feet away from him, they took pics of him, and then we named him "PePe!"  ha ha.
I told Pepe, that he could fly away if he was ready to leave, worried he may be hurt... But nope, he LOOKED at me again and flew off as fast as the wind just as though he knew exactly what I said!
My neighbor Karl, called me the "Hummingbird Whisperer"!!!  ha ha
Having a Hummingbird INSIDE your house has GOT to be some kind of good luck right?!!  Not to mention, a perfectly obedient hummingbird named PEPE!  ha ha  Good times, good times!

Hanging with Grandpa

 Grandpa's latest project was fixing up this small 4-wheeler for the grand-kids.   We all had a blast!

Kaylee was the first one to drive it, and then all she wanted to do was play in the hay bails!  ha ha,

 

BUT KONNOR... that boy was grinning from ear to ear!  He LOVED the 4-wheeler!  It was hard to get him off.  Thanks Grandpa Keith for the thoughtful hard work put in to make the G-Kids happy!

Family Dinner Video

This video, sums up our usual dinner!  Kyle made it tonight!
I'm not gonna lie, it is pretty entertaining!  Since there was no church today, (bc of General Conference)... I didn't do my hair or make-up... don't judge.  ha ha
Enjoy!
Click on this- "Our Family Dinner"

Piano Party

In the past year, Kaylee has been interested in taking piano lessons and so we decided to buy a piano.  Now that we have the piano, she is a little wishy washy with wanting to actually take lessons.  One day, Kyle was explaining that she would need to practice a little every day to get good.  And I think that was the very moment, our budding pianist figured something out.... She discovered that she wouldn't be playing with friends as much, if she is practicing an instrument all the time.  ha ha
 So our social butterfly daughter then became wishy-washy with the piano.  So this week, we took her to her first piano lesson!  We pumped her up with excitement and enthusiasm!  Her new teacher seemed really fun and excited to teach her.  I told Kaylee, that we would have a PIANO PARTY when she came home from her lesson.  We would even make a cake to celebrate her new accomplishment.  (to further excite her!)  So she helped me bake a chocolate chip and white chocolate cake!  The boys helped me frost it.  And when our little piano girl got home, we ate it.
Yes, even before dinner!  She was stoked.  So now what to do for the next weeks lesson?.... not a clue.  -Ideas are welcome!  ha ha ;)