Personality

Personality, Ella has it, a lot of it. She always wants to be right next to the teacher and her facial expressions are adorable and hilarious at the same time. I can't describe how much I love this little girl. I had been thinking about putting her in Ballet for long time and when a friend of mine suggested our daughters take it together that seemed perfect.

I've thought about those 4 or 5 years I took ballet and even though I had some pretty interesting teachers I couldn't remember having one negative feeling or experience about ballet. I love to see Gabriella express herself through dance and as long as she enjoys it that's all that matters.

Here are some pictures of her most recent class.

Dancing Ella Bean

Gabriella LOVES her dancing class!

Picture Perfect

Party Time

Ella wanted some of her little friends over for a Thumbelina party complete with dresses, tutus, flowers and lots of pink .

Gabriella and I made party hats, candy, and flower headbands. The girls decorated their own butterflies and ate some wonderful mud cake....gummy worms included.

Thank goodness for ebay, it was the only way I could find Twillerbabies...the Thumbelina doll I found after Christmas. I think she was pretty excited.

The princesses ate out of flower pots and got some butterfly temp. tattoos.

Lets Party some more...after Church Gabriella got to open gifts and later she had her official cake.

I'm pretty sure she had a great time!

Nothing better than this....

Happy Birthday Gabriella! You are our greatest joy.

You say goodbye and I say Hello

Just a few hello's and goodbye's

Hello pain.

When I think of my thirties so far I think fairly often...."I am falling apart!"
My biggest injury at 30: my hip.

Apparently kick-boxing can be dangerous. I'm finally to the point it doesn't hurt all the time except once in a while when I'm walking, but pretty much always hurts when I work on the yard, but hey! I'll take it.

Goodbye 30: It was a pretty good year, lots of shopping, got to travel a bit, visit a bit, celebrate a bit but the best part is...now 30 is gone.

Hello Birthday: Had a fabulous time with my darling girl and handsome man walking the mall, shopping and capping it off at the Cheesecake Factory. So Yummy!
Hello metal in my food: Yep, as I was savoring the perfection of my perfectly seasoned mashed potatoes, my fork found an anomaly, something hard and metal. Interesting, what could it be? Not a ring I supposed, it was a round brass cap of some kind. The waitress was shocked, took my plate and got the manager. He didn't look very happy, but I was so surprised I just kept laughing. Ended up that it was part of something in the kitchen that just happened to end up in some of the best tasting mashed potatoes I'd ever eaten. Oh well, I got my meal for free (although I only got to eat half of it) and a free piece of cheese cake.
Goodbye diet: just for a little while :)

Hello Sisters: My little sisters came to stay with me for a few days...it was fun and Gabriella loves her aunts so much.



Hello Toy Story 3: it was great!

Hello Father's Day! a feast for you!
Hello newest injury: Dropped something hard and metal on my foot, Great! Cried, cried some more, Lauren got me ice and Erin took me to the doctor. Good news: not broken, just hurts A LOT!

Goodbye sisters: While they were here we watched movies, and played Rock Band...twice! So fun!

Mom and Dad, don't worry there was hardly any arguing :)
Goodbye June...

Hello to being 31, let's get this show on the road!

My song for now

About a year ago I did this and I had such a great time!

While there, we had a night of just watching different cartoons set to music. One song I really liked was Shoot the Moon, but I had no idea who sang it until finally Steve found it on itunes. Of course it had to be some tweenie Disney band Jump5, but I still really liked the song, so much that it has become my anthem this year. A few months ago I found this on you tube, Ella loves it and yes she likes the Pokemon too.

Now when it plays in my car she says, "make it louder, make the pokemon song louder!"




"Live your life,
Everyday is something new
See the light, find yourself
Get your feet up off the ground
Take the hand that you're given
And shoot the moon"

And so this is what I'm trying to do: make each day count, see the light, and love what I have, and I do!