Weekend Festivities

First order of business, forgive my lack of comments on your blogs. Do you ever get kind of behind and then overwhelmed if you haven't kept up? I've read them all, I just haven't gotten around to commenting. I know that's lame, sorry. I also know you LIVE for my comments so just try and keep going until I get back in the mode. :)

Most of you readers out there are probably fairly normal, functional, highly productive members of society and won't relate to my practice of spurts. I have periods of time during which I'm super busy and go, go go often on little sleep. Last week, pulling together all my kids' costumes, helping at Nate's class party, dealing with a very sick, very demanding 2 year old, not sleeping because of said 2 year old, getting ready for and helping the girls get ready for the big recital (more on that in the following paragraphs), getting ready for Dad's 60th b-day celebration and most importantly spending 3 solid intense hours securing Wicked tickets for me and my girls. Sunday I just kind of collapsed. I wasn't sick, but was so grateful Ben was and sent everyone else to church and just basically did nothing all day. I seem to have two speeds in me, all or nothing. I'm really working on this.

Anyway, everything went really well. Saturday we left the second the girls' recital was over and met my two local siblings and spouses at the Temple where we surprised my Dad. There's nothing quite like being in the Temple with family. After that we picked up our kids and headed to my parents' house for a little take-out and then surprised my Dad again with an open-house. They spent his actual birthday on a cruise with my Mom's family, so we invited his family to the open-house. It was lots of fun. Happy 60th, Dad! We had to do something to celebrate my Dad who is the kindest, most out-going, most generous, spiritual, full of integrity and all-around wonderful man. We love my Dad.

The birthday "boy"

my brother, Ryan, his little Molly, and Eliza's Belle on the left

I must also insert that this week Brennan hit his first ever hole in one!!!!! Very exciting. He also managed another injury due to sleep. Remember when he hurt his knee because he dreamt there were snakes in the bed and kicked his leg weird thereby injuring his knee? Well, the other night I got home late and as I was walking in I heard Ben crying. Brennan had fallen asleep on the couch, but heard Ben's cry. As I walked into the family room I watched him jump up and kind of stagger, swoon and then totally collapse. It scared me, but he assured me he was okay before I ran to help Ben. When I came back in I asked again if he was okay, he looked up grinning and said, "I think my leg was asleep." We both started laughing hard. He hasn't been laughing the last few days though as he apparently managed to pull a groin muscle in the incident.

Okay now, for the recital. As you will recall Anna and her dear friend, Chloe, have for the last few years held a little dance class for 6 weeks or so and then had a recital each Fall. This year, they expanded to two classes, a 6-8 year old class and a 4-6 year old class. They've been rehearsing at our house for about 8 weeks. The years past the recital has also been here, but given the expanded classes they scheduled our church building with an official stage. Each class performed 3 songs, and Anna and Chloe sang a song and then a grand finale with both classes. They honestly did everything except make the refreshments. Chloe made all the fliers and tons of lists, found the costumes, and scheduled the church, and remembered to get the keys to the church while trick-or-treating. They picked all the songs, made up all the choreography, taught the choreography and communicated with the parents.

Brennan took the girls down early and set up the chairs and a table for the desserts. I went down a little later expecting total chaos, but they were totally organized. They had a person posted out front to welcome their girls who were coming early to rehearse. They had all their props organized, decorative dance papers they had colored hanging, table cloth and cups and napkins all set up on the dessert table. When the recital began they had their scripts and stood confidently in front of the mic and welcomed and thanked the parents for coming and supporting them. They introduced their students and each number. It all went incredibly smoothly. Later I was telling Anna how proud we were of her and how smoothly it went. She said, "That's exactly what I prayed for, that it would go smoothly." She's a good kid. We love Anna.

here's the younger class doing "Happy Working Song" from Enchanted

Here are Anna and Chloe taking charge

The older group, including Abby, dancing to "New Girl in Town" from Hairspray