Shoot Me! 12 of 52

Today is Week 12 of 52 in the Shoot Me! challenge sponsored by Carin over at Forever in Blue Jeans. Every Thursday you step out from behind the camera and post a photo of yourself. It can be a photo of just yourself, or with your kids, or with your husband. Just make sure that you are in the photo.

This week's photo was taken last weekend when my husband and I were in Cancun, Mexico for a vacation. This photo was taken from the balcony of our room.

I know I haven't been blogging for the last week. Since getting back from vacation I have just been tired and I am trying to catch up with a few other things. I will be back on Monday with a renewed effort for blogland. Today is the first day that I have even logged on to blogland, so I am way behind. I will try to catch up this weekend.

Take care,

Michelle

Shoot Me! 11 of 52

Today is Week 11 of 52 of the Shoot Me! Challenge sponsored by Carin over at Forever in Blue Jeans

This is the one day a week where you post a picture of yourself. Too often we are the ones taking the pictures and are not in the photos. Check out other moms photos on Carin's site.

This week I am posting a photo of my husband and I from February 2009 when we took a vacation to Cancun, Mexico to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. Today we are leaving for a short vacation back to Cancun. We will be back late Sunday night. I cannot wait to step off the plane and it be 85 degrees and sunny. Tomorrow I will be found on my lounge chair by the pool with a fruity drink soaking up the sun and just relaxing.

Take care,

Michelle

Good Thing/Bad Thing

Keith and I are getting ready to leave for a long weekend away. Just the two of us. This is a GOOD thing! We have been talking all winter about going somewhere warm, but we just couldn't figure out when, where, how and all of the other details (BAD thing). But, two weeks ago we booked a nice, but short vacation for us and we leave tomorrow morning (GOOD thing). Grandma Leader is coming tomorrow morning to stay with our children until Friday afternoon when Paige will take over until late Sunday night when Keith and I will return.

Getting ready to go on vacation is exhausting (BAD thing). I have crammed more appointments, meetings, etc. into the last few days to last me weeks (BAD thing). But, it will all be worth it when I step off the plane and it is 85 degrees and sunny (GOOD thing).

In our preparations for this warm sunny vacation, Keith and I needed to try on our summer clothes. We found out that since we both have been exercising and watching what we eat that our summer clothes do not fit (both GOOD & BAD things). Keith had basically no shorts that fit and all of the new shorts that I purchased last summer for myself do not fit (GOOD thing). Therefore, last weekend I went shopping and bought Keith three new pair of shorts and a new pair of jeans all a size smaller than what he usually wears (GOOD thing). I looked for new summer shorts for myself, but there were NO women's shorts out in any of the stores here yet. I asked one employee at Herberger's why there were men's shorts and no women's shorts. She told me that the men's shorts had just came in last week and the women's shorts were not in yet. Every store had lots of capris and even swimsuits, but NO shorts (BAD thing).

Isn't it ironic how a GOOD thing of losing weight and getting to go on vacation leads to a BAD thing of wanting to buy new shorts only to find there are none to be purchased? But I was so happy to find that my shorts from last summer did not fit! Tune in tomorrow to find out where we are going on vacation.

Take care,
Michelle

Ashlin's Dance Class Parents Night

Last night was Parents Night during Ashlin's dance class. This is the one time during the year when parents may go in the room and watch the progress of their little dancer. You may take pictures and video tape during the class. Also the dance studio owners, Barb and Kim, talk to the parents about recital. Each dancer is given a dance recital folder. Your folder includes the following: a picture showing how your dancer will wear her hair for recital, a picture of how makeup should be applied and what colors to use for eyes, cheeks and lips, a registration form for dance next year, a recital t-shirt order form, a recital DVD order form, a photo order form along with the date and time of your classes group photo shoot, and the ABC's of dance recital. This is my 7th year of having a daughter in dance recital so I have the recital routine down pat. I almost jumped up and down when I looked through all three folders and found out that only one child this year will be having curls in her hair for recital. This will drastically cut down on the time needed at this house for recital hair. This year Cara and Erica will both have straight hair and Ashlin will have curls in her hair. Cara and Erica were as excited as me that they won't be sleeping in sponge rollers three nights in a row.

At Parents Night the students perform their recital pieces for the parents. This is Ashlin's first year to perform a ballet piece and a tap piece. Last year she just performed one ballet number.

Waiting for class to begin.

This is Ashlin's teacher Paige.


Ashlin practicing her ballet kicks.

Justin and I enjoyed watching the class very much. Their pieces for recital are going to be very cute.

Take care,

Michelle

March Make 'n Take

Make 'n Take craft day at the local museum was this past Saturday. The theme this month was Easter and St. Patrick's Day. Ashlin chose not to attend this month, but Cara and Erica went to complete some crafts.

Cara and Erica making an Easter lily out two handprints. The volunteer helping is our next door neighbor Alice. She is in charge of the crafts at the museum and coming up with all of the ideas. She does a marvelous job.

The finished "handprint" Easter lily.


Erica making a paper plate bunny.

Cara making a picture frame with crushed dyed eggshells.

Cara and Erica making necklaces with cut up straws and bunnies.

Take care,

Michelle

Shoot Me: 10 of 52 - 3rd Grade Skit/Presentation

Today is week 10 of 52 of the Shoot Me Challenge sponsored by Carin at Forever in Blue Jeans. It is your chance to step out from behind the camera and get a photo of yourself. Go on over and check out other moms stepping out from behind the camera in a photo.

This morning Cara's Literary Circle gave a presentation and skit about Abraham Lincoln. There are six students in the group - three boys and three girls. We learned some interesting facts about Abraham Lincoln and the skit was cute and even had jokes at the end. This was a great way for these 3rd Graders to learn about presentations and also learn about a president outside of their regular reading books.

Cara, Justin and I in the classroom.

Justin and I waiting for the presentation to begin.

Cara and McKinzie presenting some facts about Abraham Lincoln.

McKinzie, Cara, Audrey, Ethan, David and Christian presenting jokes about Honest Abe.

Take care,

Michelle

Bon Jovi Concert

Last night Keith and I went to the Bon Jovi Concert at the Qwest Center in Omaha. We left for the concert when school got out. The girls' dance teacher, Paige, was our overnight babysitter and she did a marvelous job. This is the second time that we have seen Bon Jovi in concert and they ROCK!!! Their concerts are great! They played for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Everyone was standing up dancing, singing, swaying, waving their arms. We had such a good time. Sorry I don't have pictures, but I was afraid that my camera would get confiscated at the security checkpoint and I would never get it back again. You can checkout YouTube for video feed I'm sure of the concert. Jon Bon Jovi had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.

Before the concert, we ate at Old Chicago in the Old Market. The food and drinks were delicious. After the concert, we went back to the motel. We were glad that we chose to spend the night because it would have been a long drive home in the rain and severe fog. We got up early this morning, ate breakfast, and got home in time for Ashlin to get home from preschool.

Take care,

Michelle