Spanish Dance Festival 2014

I know, I know - this was so long ago, but I just had to sneak it in to get it documented.  I just think this dance festival is the cutest.  I've said it before, but there's something about a kid in a hat that cracks me up.

Landon took his singing part very seriously, apparently.  

 The boys often complain about having to dance, but I think they secretly like it.

 Cameron looked very jaunty in his hat - keeping it out of the way of his curly hair.  That poor kid in the front row needs to learn to keep his hands away from his nose at times like these. 

 The 6th Graders have performed this "La Bomba" dance for years.  It has become like a rite of passage for these kids and they take the tying of the bow very seriously.  No one wants to be the last one finished and NO ONE wants to mess up.

Landon is just plain cute when he dances.  However, in this particular dance he fell at least twice, but I missed it on video BOTH times.  The first time he fell I thought, "Darn, I missed it."  The second time he fell I thought, "That won't happen again."  And, then the third time he slipped but didn't fall, I was kicking myself for not having the camera rolling anyway.  Socks on a gym floor can be dangerous.  But, each time he messed up, he got up smiling away.

Dallin's Preference

I'm taking the liberty of blogging about my son's date only because it's not an embarrassing moment yet.  Many of my own high school dates were too embarrassing to want to remember.  But, I think I'm safe with this one.

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So, back in February, Dallin was asked to Preference.  It's difficult for me to believe that he's old enough to date.  These two are cute together and mutually "like" each other, and not just the Facebook kind of "like."

Jessalyn and Dallin - Ah, aren't they cute?

I thought this was a cute picture.

 The night before the actual dance the girls planned a video game night.  I guess they know what teenage boys like to do most.  The night of the dance they got together for pictures, dinner, and then off to the dance.  Dallin said he had a great time.

The whole group.

Basketball

Basketball season was a lot of frustrating fun for Landon's team.  They are old enough to get the idea, but not coordinated enough to really "play".  There is a whole lot of traveling and double-dribbling going on, but they get good exercise and have fun doing it, so what more can you ask?

Landon had a fun team this year and they worked hard.

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Basketball is one of Jayden's all-time favorite sports to play.  It's just too bad that he's so short.  But, being short has its advantages sometimes, especially when the opponent thinks you're not a threat.  Jayden is a pretty good ball-handler since he's low to the ground and quick.  

Jayden's team was a whole lot of fun to watch.  There are some talented kids on the team and they all play really well together.  There was a game where everyone had scored at least one basket except for one kid.  During the last quarter they all decided to pass the ball as much as possible to that other kid so they could say that "everyone scored."  When the kid sunk his basket, the whole team celebrated.  Those of us in the bleachers didn't quite understand what all the celebrating was about until after the game.  What a good group of boys.

 Now, onto the next sport - Baseball, here we come!

December Catch Up

I got a new camera for my birthday, and let's just say that it is a bit more technical that I can handle.  Pictures have been held hostage on it for several months until Leon came to the rescue and set them free.  

So....a bit of catching up.

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December is always full of performances, including the junior high band concert.  Jayden is the cute kid in back with a bow tie.  He worked really hard on his part and did a great job.

December also means getting the house ready for Christmas.  Decorating the tree is always fun for the kids, but apparently, not me so much.  I don't know why I'm not smiling, it really WAS fun.

This picture of Landon posing with an ornament is just for documentation purposes.  Let's just say a certain brother (cough, Jayden) was playing with a bouncy ball in the living room and this ornament that Landon made in 1st Grade with his hand print wrapped around it got in the way.  Who would know that the whole backside is a bouncy ball sized crater?

Christmas morning is what it's all about.

 Sometimes we wonder if the 3 minutes that it takes to open gifts is worth all of the effort, but it is. 

Now, this picture just had to make it on the blog since we may never get to see Jayden and Landon playing Barbies ever again.  The kids always look forward to spending time at Grandma and Grandpa's house with their cousins.

 Great-Grandma's Christmas party is always a highlight, too.  Great-Grandma is so thoughtful and generous to give to all of the grand kids and great-grandkids.  She has SO many gifts to give and I don't think she has ever forgotten anyone. 

 One of my favorite things about Christmas time is just spending time with family.  Everyone seems to be in a better mood during Christmas break.  Jayden cracks me up. 

Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday to Me!

 So, I was going through some papers today and ran across this cute picture that my nephew sent me for my birthday last month.  I just had to scan it in and blog about it so I can come back and visit it every now and then.  This sure made me smile when I got it in the mail an again today when I came upon it.

I'm pretty sure this says, "I love you, Aunt Stephanie.  Love, Joel.  Happy birthday."  At least that's what I'm translating it to say.  Such a cute way to spell.  You can tell that he really thought it out and did it himself.  

Thanks, Joel, for the card.  It made my day on my birthday and again a month later.

Heart Throbs (kidding, of course)

Sometimes we take pictures that we just don't know what to do with.  This occasion was one of those times.  Leon and I spent our Anniversary together doing some shopping, eating out, and then to the Riverwoods to see their Christmas lights and to hear Alex Boye.

The mini concert was a lot of fun and made us feel old and young at the same time.  After the concert Leon insisted that I go get a picture with Alex Boye.  I really hate imposing on people, especially when there are a lot of other people wanting to do the same thing.  But, Alex was very kind and really took time to greet each person.  (He was much shorter in person that I thought he'd be, by the way.)

My two "heart throbs" - yeah, right.

Leon knows I have a "thing" for Alex Boye, so he also insisted that I get a picture just with him.  I was a bit embarrassed, but hey, now I can add this photo to my collection of "heart throbs" ...

(Jack Sparrow was short-lived, by the way, but if I ever run into a TC [from Magnum P.I.] look-alike, he had better watch out.  Leon will make me pose with him, too.)

They're Here, They're Here!

The long-awaited day was finally here.  Grandma and Grandpa are home from their mission in the Philippines.

This is just part of the welcoming committee. We tried really hard on our signs, we really did.

 I'm not very good at taking pictures, especially at times when I just want to be there rather than behind a camera, so this is the only picture I got of Mom and Dad.  They are headed out the door to meet with the Stake President to be released.  

Okay, so you'll have to turn your head to the side to "see" the first half of this video, but I think you can get the idea.  (I'm only assuming that anyone is going to actually watch it, aren't I?)

We are so proud of and grateful for our parents and the service they gave in the Philippines.  They are great examples of obedience and sacrifice.  We spent the whole Thanksgiving weekend with family, hearing mission stories, and just enjoying our time together.  I enjoyed it so much that I think I forgot to take more pictures. Boo.