Nationals!

Nationals this year was at Skyline High. It was such a long day! With a slightly disappointing ending, but we had lots of fun during the day! We got there at 8:30 (a late start for us) and Caitlyn and I didn't get home until after 1:00 the next morning!

Caitlyn in Indiana Jones . . . isn't she a lovely Egyptian?

Haidyn in Indiana Jones . . . lovely Village Person!

At the end of their Natives Dance Haidyn gets to cary Kylie off with the help of Taite.

The girls have so much fun goofing around together!

Caitlyn has come in to her own so much this year at dance! I am so proud of her! She makes me tear up! And I don't consider myself one to cry. She had really pushed herself and she has truly impressed me!

Nationals Results:

Caitlyn's Dances:

• The Way I Am: 3rd
• Big Spender: 1st
• Can't Touch This: 2nd
• Rock the Casbah: 3rd

Haidyn's Dances:

• Music Box: 1st
• Stray Cat Strut: 4th

Indiana Jones: 2nd

Champion Dance had a few issues, there sound system kept going out, and by about 2:00 in the afternoon, we were an hour behind schedule . . . then their computer supposedly went down. When givng out awards for highpoint at the end of the evening they were giving awards to dances that our team had placed higher against them. Tiffany kept intrrupting the awards to try to figure out what the heck was going on! Our girls should have received awards that went to other tems. It was very frustrating. Caitlyn was a little bummed that some of her dances didn't place better, but I am so proud of her and Haidyn! All the TDC girs did such a good job and have a great sportmanship that so many of the other teams don't have! I want my girls to have fun and to have a good attitude, and luckily they do!! Congratulations TDC! You girls kick butt, what?!

Taylorsville Dance Competition

Our third Dance competition of the season was held at Taylorsville High School, another long, but very fun day! We had to be there at 7:00 AM, which is one hour before our first dance went on at 8:00. Caitlyn and Haidyn are such troopers, they never complain about it, they just love it and enjoy it so much! (If they didn't there is no way I would be there!) For this competition, Uncle Steven, John's brother, and Aunt Michelle came for the whole day! Steven taped all of the girls dances for me! THANKS STEVEN! I hope to get a few up on here for your perusal!

Caitlyn's Dances:

Way I Am: 1st

Can't Touch This: 2nd

Big Spender: 3rd

Rock the Casbah: 1st

Haidyn's Dances:

Music Box: 2nd

Stray Cat Strut: 3rd

The highlight of the day was Indiana Jones, not only did it win FIRST PLACE, it won the HIGH POINT AWARD!

Congratulations TDC!!!

Midnight Visitor

For the last several months, or so, we have been exchanging "gifts" with our next door neighbors, the Christensons. The "gift" is this big stuffed German Shepard. Olivia apparently purchased the dog at a garage sale. Olivia's mom, Tiffany (great name if you ask me), was attempting to de-junkher house and decided to toss the lovely animal, but on her way out to the garbage, decided to place the dog in our trailer. Later that day, I was leaving the house and caught a glimpse of the dog in the trailer and it scared me, I thought it was a real dog (there is a story of a german shepard chasing me to schol when I was a child, but that is a different story for a different day). Dilyn decided to adopt the dog for a time. Then one day, I got tired of it being around my house and decided that the garbege was truly the place where this animal belonged. On my way out to the garbage, I noticed that the Christenson's garage was opened, and knowing the day and time and that Tiffany would be leaving shortly for dance, I decided to place the dog in her garage right in front of the door for her to stumble upon as she left her house. It is my understanding that she screamed, just a little! Thus began the back and forth giving of "gifts". You never know when or where he will show up!

One night we found an early Christmas gift out in John's car.

We got a late night visitor at our hotel in Clearfield the night before a dance competition.

Clearfield Competition

So, I have not been very good at keeping my blog updated, (I have been playing a little too much on Facebook). So, I am going to do some backtracking. April 18th the girls had their second dance competition of the season. It was up in Clearfield and since we had to be there early Saturday morning, John and I decided to make a little mini vacation out of it. We went up Friday night and stayed in a hotel and went swimming with the kids all evening. That was the best part of the night, because John and I didn't get much sleep that night. The hotel had a club on the main floor, which was where our room was located and there was some sort of party going on there. Some of the party-goers were in the room next door to ours. They were SOOO loud! Finally, John complained at around 2 AM. Needless to say, we were exhausted, but luckily the kids slept through it all!
Saturday's Competition went reallly well for the girls. They had so much fun! They did really well!

Caitlyn's Dances placed:

The Way I Am: 1st

Can't Touch This: 1st

Big Spender: 2nd

Rock the Casbah: 2nd

Haidyn's Dances placed:

Music Box: 1st

Stray Cat Strut: 3rd

And their production number Indiana Jones placed 2nd.

While I had the girls at the competition, doing the dance mom thing, John took Dilyn and Brevin to Hill Air Force Base, to the Airplane Museum with neighbors, Tom, Canyon and "Boy"Hayden. John has been wanting to go there for some time and he finally got his wish.

Apparently Brevin took it upon himself to run under the ropes to climb in this little airplane. John, of course, being the responsible parent, had to snap a photo before pulling Brevin back to the appropriate side of said ropes.

Brevin, Dilyn and Canyon had lots of fun!

Although it is not in focus, I love this picture of Brevin and Haidyn . . . this was on our way home after a long day!

DUKE!!

Our "backdoor" neighbors got a new puppy, his name is Duke. Brevin LOVES him. He takes it upon himself to wander out on to the deck and call for him. It makes me laugh every time! I'll be in the bedroom or office and hear him yelling "DUUUUUUUKE!" over and over again. When Duke is outside he travel down to the fence and pet him under the fence and coax him under. Not a small feat, if you consider that Duke is a Saint Bernard. We have had to walk Duke back home more than a few times, and I always feel bad, because it is my kids that get him to crawl under, but at his growth rate, I doubt it will continue for much longer!

"DUUUUUUUKE!!" Can you see those cute lips all puckered up calling his friend?

This is a very unhappy boy, when Duke is not outside to play!

Preschool Graduation

I can't believe my baby girl graduated from Preschool today! Dilyn will be starting Kindergarten in just a few short months! Does this mean that I am getting older, or just my kids! Dilyn is such a sweet little girl. She is SO shy, but not my shyest child. (I still don't understand how I can have such shy little ones, except for Brevin, of course.) I am so proud of her! She has gone from sitting in my lap whenever her class had a performance to standing there and singing all of her songs, but as you will note by the photographic proof, she is NOT comfortable standing there! Dilyn is ready and VERY excited to start her Kindergarten career! She has been begging to go to her sisters school for a LONG time!!

We love Miss Teresa at our house! She taught Haidyn for a year, has had Dilyn for 2 years and Brevin will get her next year! Thank you Miss Teresa for all your hard work!!

Can you tell she doesn't want anyone to see her? She does NOT like the spotlight!

I love this picture of her with her big green eyes sticking out beneath her graduation cap!

The Weight Continues . . . .

So, John and I are 5 weeks in to our weight loss challenge. Any guesses as to who is ahead? . . . . . You guessed it! Me! Much to John discontentment. Ha ha! As of this morning, I am 10 pounds lighter. John is not doing too badly, although I know he wishes it was more. John is down 5 pounds. We still have 7 weeks to go . . . so you never know what will happen. Although if you ask me, I can tell you exactly what will happen . . . I'm going to win! Skydiving adventure for Tiffany!!