My lil' girl will turn sixteen .... it seems almost impossible. Although I do have the grey hair to prove it.
I can clearly remember the day I discovered we were expecting our miracle child. I doubt that I will ever forget the pure elation of the realization that we would have a precious child to love and raise and watch grow into his or her own person. We chose not to find out whether we were expecting a son or a daughter, but in my heart, I knew I was carrying a precious, sweet girl.
I can remember the excitement I felt even during those painful hours of labor, as we waited to bring our precious baby into the world. Hearing her first cries was like a gift of the Angels, and holding her for the first time was a moment I will cherish always.
Each moment of her life has been precious. I would not trade being her mom for anything in the world. I could not wish for anything more wonderful then the lessons she has taught me as our daughter.
I could easily detail every moment from birth, to starting school, her passion for dance, her love of school and her addiction to reading ~ and still I would just be scratching the surface of the person she is and the depth of my love for her.
This time next week I will be the proud mother of a sixteen year old. Turning 16 is a milestone in an of itself. Turning 16 and still being a wonderful child whom your parents love and respect, that is a treasure beyond compare.
Thank you for being my treasure precious girl!
We love you.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Get ready for a whirlwind!
A whirlwind of activity .....
November has traditionally been one of our busiest months of the year, and this one is going to be very much the same. Usually by now we are neck deep into the activities and stress of the dance world with extra practices and costume fittings and the general hectic pace that for some reason tends to surround the dancers at this time of year. But, since Manda decided not to do "Company" this year and focus her fancy foot work on tap and Tap Company - life isn't as driven by dance as it has been. Don't get me wrong, it's still busy just not as.
However, for every dance class that Manda is not taking this year, there is a club or activity to take its place. She has embraced life as a high school student, and is trying to enjoy each moment to the fullest possibility. She is not a "party" "social" girl - she is an involved girl. When she is not on campus for regular class time, she is on campus for Teens for Humanity, Link Crew, A Teens and a few other clubs that I can not remember at the moment.
Next week starts a hectic calendar of events that include:
An over-night babysitting gig
Manda's fourth driving lesson,
My mom's arrival to share in the occasion of Manda's 16th birthday,
A fund raising dinner at Jon's Incredible Pizza,
An extra tap class practice (Manda is looking forward to that, she LOVES tap;)
Dinner with the family for Manda's 16th birthday,
A Sylvia Besana Holiday Parade practice with the Stars and Little All-Stars,
Manda's actual birthday,
A Mock Trial meeting
A Teen Peer Court trial (it's only 2 weeks away and she still does not have the client details)
A Stampin' Up! workshop
Kim's birthday
Jill's birthday
The Sylvia Besana Holiday Parade
taking Manda and her friends to see Twilight
Manda's DMV licensing test
Thanksgiving
putting up the tree for Christmas
getting my handmade cards done and in the mail
starting the baking for Grandma's butter cookies .... yum!
November has traditionally been one of our busiest months of the year, and this one is going to be very much the same. Usually by now we are neck deep into the activities and stress of the dance world with extra practices and costume fittings and the general hectic pace that for some reason tends to surround the dancers at this time of year. But, since Manda decided not to do "Company" this year and focus her fancy foot work on tap and Tap Company - life isn't as driven by dance as it has been. Don't get me wrong, it's still busy just not as.
However, for every dance class that Manda is not taking this year, there is a club or activity to take its place. She has embraced life as a high school student, and is trying to enjoy each moment to the fullest possibility. She is not a "party" "social" girl - she is an involved girl. When she is not on campus for regular class time, she is on campus for Teens for Humanity, Link Crew, A Teens and a few other clubs that I can not remember at the moment.
Next week starts a hectic calendar of events that include:
An over-night babysitting gig
Manda's fourth driving lesson,
My mom's arrival to share in the occasion of Manda's 16th birthday,
A fund raising dinner at Jon's Incredible Pizza,
An extra tap class practice (Manda is looking forward to that, she LOVES tap;)
Dinner with the family for Manda's 16th birthday,
A Sylvia Besana Holiday Parade practice with the Stars and Little All-Stars,
Manda's actual birthday,
A Mock Trial meeting
A Teen Peer Court trial (it's only 2 weeks away and she still does not have the client details)
A Stampin' Up! workshop
Kim's birthday
Jill's birthday
The Sylvia Besana Holiday Parade
taking Manda and her friends to see Twilight
Manda's DMV licensing test
Thanksgiving
putting up the tree for Christmas
getting my handmade cards done and in the mail
starting the baking for Grandma's butter cookies .... yum!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sunday Baker - a BLOG to ENJOY
I know I have mentioned this blogspot before, but I just can not resist mentioning it again.
http://comeandpeek.blogspot.com/
If you have not already found her on your own, well, it's worth the small effort it takes to click on the link above and lose yourself in the wonder that is Tanya's blog. She always post great ideas and yummy recipes. Her blog is so welcoming, I feel like I am sitting in her kitchen ~ not at my keyboard.
If you hurry, you can even participate in her two latest contest:
The Grab Bag Game - submit your favorite, must take pot luck recipe to the comments - and WOW! there are some really yummy ones listed already!
The Stitchy Girl Apron - submit an unexpected blessing - Mine is the blog world which I just recently discovered.
No matter if you are a recipe lover, need a great idea for house and home, or if you just want to explore, come and meet Sunday Baker at http://comeandpeek.blogspot.com/
http://comeandpeek.blogspot.com/
If you have not already found her on your own, well, it's worth the small effort it takes to click on the link above and lose yourself in the wonder that is Tanya's blog. She always post great ideas and yummy recipes. Her blog is so welcoming, I feel like I am sitting in her kitchen ~ not at my keyboard.
If you hurry, you can even participate in her two latest contest:
The Grab Bag Game - submit your favorite, must take pot luck recipe to the comments - and WOW! there are some really yummy ones listed already!
The Stitchy Girl Apron - submit an unexpected blessing - Mine is the blog world which I just recently discovered.
No matter if you are a recipe lover, need a great idea for house and home, or if you just want to explore, come and meet Sunday Baker at http://comeandpeek.blogspot.com/
Monday, November 3, 2008
9
That is the number:
It's 9:09 am as I start this blog;
It's 9 hours until dinner --- butternut squash soup, with a spinach salad!
We had a total of 9 (yes, we counted them) trick or treaters on Friday .....
9 /11 was when Halloween trick or treating started to become much less popular ....
I miss the days when we used to have over a 100 trick or treaters! It was crazy answering the door for that many people, but it sure was fun to see all the costumes and hear all the laughter.
Our house used to be the gathering place. My mom and step dad would come down from Yerington, and mom would make a big pot of taco soup. Jill, Drew, Dorothy, Gil and Lil, Brandon, and Tori would bring a yummy side dish or dessert and a great bottle of wine. Barney (and then later Moose and Gracie) would come along and walk with us as we took the kids door to door. Michelle would bring Autume and Elliot, Karen would bring Kristen and Ryan and Randy and Jessica would be with us too. Sometimes, Logan and Jacki would bring Courtney and Darrien, too.
The grandparents (My mom and step dad, Lil and Gill and Dorothy) would stay at the house and hand out candy to the trick or treaters. The rest of us would head out en mass and trick or treat through the entire neighborhood of about 110 houses. Throughout the neighborhood there would be several large groups of kids with their parents, all out enjoying the evening. There were kids and families everywhere!
It was frequently cold, and when our warm thermoses of hot chocolate and bailey's would run dry, the fathers would give up and take the youngest of the kids back to the house for hot apple cider and more taco soup. The oldest kids would hang on until they could not carry their load of candy, their fingers were cold, and they were exhausted.
We'd all stumble back into the house. The kids bounty of candy would be dumped on the floor so the moms could inspect it, and the kids would share their treasure with the parents and grandparents. Jill loved the "dots" and 'mike and ikes" and I always loved the "tootsie rolls" and "milk duds."
Exhausted and with a supply of candy large enough to feed a third world nation, the children would one by one, close their eyes and drift into a Halloween sleep, their bags of candy tucked firmly at their sides.
I miss those days!
It's 9:09 am as I start this blog;
It's 9 hours until dinner --- butternut squash soup, with a spinach salad!
We had a total of 9 (yes, we counted them) trick or treaters on Friday .....
9 /11 was when Halloween trick or treating started to become much less popular ....
I miss the days when we used to have over a 100 trick or treaters! It was crazy answering the door for that many people, but it sure was fun to see all the costumes and hear all the laughter.
Our house used to be the gathering place. My mom and step dad would come down from Yerington, and mom would make a big pot of taco soup. Jill, Drew, Dorothy, Gil and Lil, Brandon, and Tori would bring a yummy side dish or dessert and a great bottle of wine. Barney (and then later Moose and Gracie) would come along and walk with us as we took the kids door to door. Michelle would bring Autume and Elliot, Karen would bring Kristen and Ryan and Randy and Jessica would be with us too. Sometimes, Logan and Jacki would bring Courtney and Darrien, too.
The grandparents (My mom and step dad, Lil and Gill and Dorothy) would stay at the house and hand out candy to the trick or treaters. The rest of us would head out en mass and trick or treat through the entire neighborhood of about 110 houses. Throughout the neighborhood there would be several large groups of kids with their parents, all out enjoying the evening. There were kids and families everywhere!
It was frequently cold, and when our warm thermoses of hot chocolate and bailey's would run dry, the fathers would give up and take the youngest of the kids back to the house for hot apple cider and more taco soup. The oldest kids would hang on until they could not carry their load of candy, their fingers were cold, and they were exhausted.
We'd all stumble back into the house. The kids bounty of candy would be dumped on the floor so the moms could inspect it, and the kids would share their treasure with the parents and grandparents. Jill loved the "dots" and 'mike and ikes" and I always loved the "tootsie rolls" and "milk duds."
Exhausted and with a supply of candy large enough to feed a third world nation, the children would one by one, close their eyes and drift into a Halloween sleep, their bags of candy tucked firmly at their sides.
I miss those days!
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