Water and Ballet

#LightTheWorld Day 2- Jesus taught: "I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink." -Matthew 25:35
"Did you know that access to clean water has the single greatest impact on global poverty?  Consider donating to a cause that helps provide safe water to individuals or communities."  That was one of the suggestions on mormon.org for today's LightTheWorld.  I had no idea how to do that.  It turns out a friend of ours did.  She researched and helped us so we were able to donate to an organization that does just that.  Hooray!  Thanks, Sarah, for helping us do this.
I encouraged the kids to drink lots of water today so we had glasses of water all set up for scripture study this morning.  We all need to be drinking more water.

I told the kids my service to them is encouraging them to drink water.  Their service to me could be actually drinking the water.

This evening I was reminded of recognizing blessings even when you have stresses and trials.  This evening, we went to the Nutcracker Experience at the Orem Library.  Beautiful dancing again.  At the end of their presentation, they let little kids come up and do some dancing with the ballerinas.  Lucky did some hopping.  Afterward the kids got candy canes.

What a blessing to be able to do go to something like that- for free.  Thanks, Orem Library, for helping us celebrate the season.

My Little Ballerina

I'm so proud of my little girl.  She had a dance show tonight and it was wonderful to see her doing ballet, including a solo in her class's number.
It's been fun to see her dancing progression over the past few years that she's been able to take classes.  From her mad dance to her pioneer dance to her princess dance to this year when she was a night fury... in a pink dress.  Way to go, my little ballerina.

It's Calling To Me

We've had years when we've celebrated a bunch of different holidays on Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, March 26.  We've had years when we've only celebrated one.  This year it was sort of in between.  Jeremy, Nichole, and Jr. each decided on a holiday as we were discussing it at dinner last night.
Today we had a chance to celebrate them and came up with a few more.
Jr. suggested a few days ago that the holiday we make up should be Birthday Day and we should have birthday cake.  We forgot to buy a cake mix so I made a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting since I had those ingredients on hand and it sounded yummy.  

He also suggested we give each other presents- hugs and kisses, the chocolate kind.  If we didn't have the chocolate kind, we could give real hugs and kisses, so that's what we did.

Nichole decided on 5 Tiny Ballerinas Jumping on the Bed Day.  Jeremy and the kids played Just Dance Kids 2- the song "Five Little Monkeys."  As they danced they changed the words.  "Five tiny ballerinas jumping on the bed.  One fell off and did a grand jete.... Four tiny ballerinas jumping on the bed.  One fell off and did a pirouette."

Jeremy chose Mediate a Battle Day.  While Nichole and Jr. were at school, Jeremy volunteered to help with the 5th/6th graders' Battle of the Books at their school.  This evening, Jr. and Jr. Jr. played Battleship while Jeremy "mediated."

When Jeremy came home this morning from the school, he found me in a state.  Here are some words to describe my state (in no particular order)- energetic, effervescent, exuberant, excited, enthusiastic, exercising, euphoric, etc.  I was looking out the window at the clouds.  The window was open so I could feel the breeze.  "The weather, " I told Jeremy, "It's calling to me."  "It's calling to me!"  I really wanted to get out.  We decided to go to a park where we could walk around.  I mentioned about going to Highland Glen Park with the big duck pond.  Jr. Jr. let me know that that was his park and he would give me permission to go to his park.  He and I jumped up and down while we got excited about getting out.  So we celebrated The Weather: It's Calling to Me Day.
By the time we got to the park, it was pretty windy and getting cold.  I thought the weather had been calling to me.  Jeremy volunteered to stay in the van with Lucky while Jr. Jr. and I went for a walk.  As he and I were walking, we stopped at the bridge we played Pooh Sticks at a year ago.  We played Pooh Sticks again, just the two of us.  It was so fun.  After playing Pooh Sticks a few times, he and I continued around the pond.  I'm really glad that Jeremy and Lucky stayed in the van, because it was rainy and cold by the time we got back.  I explained to Jr. Jr. about the water being choppy because of the wind and what choppy meant.

I am glad we got out.  We needed it.
Around dinnertime, Jeremy and I came up with another holiday, but I can't remember what it was.  Something about food with vegetables in it.  Besides the carrot cake, we also had spinach quiche and zucchini bread.

Yeah, yummy.
It was another good Make Up Your Own Holiday Day.  I'm glad we're able to celebrate so many wonderful things together as a family.

Ballet Day 2014

February 7 is Ballet Day.  While the older kids were in school, Jr. Jr. got to watch a ballet themed movie.
After school, Jr. Jr. and the older kids got to play a ballet themed game- "Dance with Me."  In the game, they got to practice ballet moves like Angelina Ballerina.

It was fun to watch Nichole coaching her younger brothers on the moves since she's taking ballet this year.

After the game, we put on some music and they continued dancing around.
Cute kids. 

Build A Bear

Jeremy's mom got Nichole a special book for her birthday called, "The Bear who went to the Ballet." In the book, the Grandma makes the little girl a special ballerina bear to take with her to the ballet.

Nichole's grandma then took Nichole to make her own ballerina bear at the Build A Bear Workshop at the mall. We'd never been there before but luckily Jeremy's sister had and was so helpful.
Nichole was looking all over for a bear with a ballet outfit already on, but we had to show her that you start with the bear and work your way from there. She wasn't so sure about having a flat bear.

Aunt Heather even went to find a ballet outfit for the bear to wear later and helped explain that they would put stuffing in the bear.

Nichole felt a little better when she saw people ahead getting their bears stuffed, and she cheered up quite a bit when she was able to help stuff hers and give it a heart.

She got to give it a "bath" to fluff up its fur.

Then it was dress-up time and the ballet bear was able to see how pretty she looked in the mirror.

By the end, Nichole's worries were all gone and she was so happy with her ballet bear.

Thanks, Grandma.

Nicholina Ballerina

We put together a ballet outfit for Nichole for her birthday. She's really enjoying being able to dance and look like a ballerina. Her dad is even able to help her out from time to time with her dancing.

Ballerina Birthday

While in Washington, we celebrated Nichole's birthday. She was able to have all of her cousins and aunts and uncles there- and Grandma and Grandpa of course. This trip was the first time in six years that Jeremy's brothers and sister and families were able to be together. It was fun.

Nichole decided earlier this year that she was interested in ballet and ballerinas. A wonderful lady at the library introduced her to Angelina Ballerina books, which we check out every time we go to the library now.

My sister-in-law and I put up decorations for the party

and my sister-in-law created a lovely birthday throne for Nichole out of a lawn chair. Nichole thought that was the greatest thing. That was her chair.

Daddy made balloon animals for all the kids,

and when it was time, he brought out a special balloon sculpture for Nichole- Angelina Ballerina.

My mother-in-law took a plain white cake and decorated it with a birthday message and a picture of Angelina Ballerina on it.

After eating and presents, music from the Nutcracker Suite was put on, and the littlest kids showed off their dance moves.

I have talented in-laws. I love being part of that family.