Grammy, Grandfather, Gramma & NanNan

I love you...thanks for reading!

and sharing

and loving me

just another day...

yup, it's just another day of christmas break.

i don't get up until noon (mostly because i stay up till 3)

and this is what i find...not surprised!

the entire house has been transformed into

one gigantic magic carpet

we have a lot of blankets!

we've been measuring this

amazing icicle for days...

it finally is longer than the window!
and yes...it is now 6pm
and we are still in these cheetah girl jammies,
(thanks grammy)
the blankets are all folded
but now the living room is a petshop villiage
the great life!

anyone ready for a game of scrabble?

Polar Express

The girls go to a charter school
Freedom Academy
and although I complain about the endless nightly homework it really is a great school...and this year for a Christmas Party they did The Polar Express.

we all came in pajamas and got in this line that wrapped around the gym...waiting to board the train. Our conductor blew the whistle, we showed him our tickets and off we went to the first stop...a classroom where one of the older students read aloud a portion of the book...suddenly the whistle blew again and we were off to the next stop...ah! the cafeteria where we were served hot cocoa and cookies. The third stop was went Santa gave the first gift of Christmas and here came the man in red and delivered tiny gold bells to the kids...the final stop was when the boy lost the bell and Santa returned it. Then they shuffled us out to our cars. Brilliant! home and in bed at a good hour...a very smart mom planned this one!

(except that emi's bell got lost in the car and it was a tearful process trying to find the little treasure...next time I hope they give bells with a ribbon to put around their necks)

It really was a great night.

Lynzee and Emi have BFF's in their classes

that happen to be sisters also! go figure.

Lynzee and Lydia

Emi and Natalie

(It makes play dates easier)

Dancing Hearts

The Ruby Shoes Studio has been very busy...

especially the past two months!

We did a fun rendition of Peter & the Wolf

We had auditions back in August and I was surprised at the results.

It's not what I would've picked but it was pretty near perfect.

Lynzee was the Wolf and Emi was a Raccoon.

here is a slideshow if you want to feel like you are at the show...

Then we did our annual Nativity Presentation.

This 15 minute ballet in honor of baby Jesus is very close to my heart. When things were low, really low...Reu and I built the Ruby Shoes Studio in 6 weeks, true story. Of course it was impossible without my work-horse father and my brothers. The Studio saved my life that winter and those children are such a part of me.

This ballet came as I listened to music from the Canadian Brass.

It moved me and I saw the whole thing in my head.

Mary entering with a vessel of some sorts resembling her as the chosen vessel to carry the Lamb of God. The exchange...the breathtaking exchange between Mary and the Messenger from heaven as she discovered the news of a baby...the baby that would save mankind. The shepherds in their fields with the fuzzy toddling sheep. The heavenly hosts celebrating in that magic field. And then when Jesus entered. I don't care that it is a doll on a stage...when those three year old fuzzy sheep hold him...one by one...they get to rock, twirl, hold and pat the baby Jesus...kissing his forehead as they pass him to the next. We each have such an individual experience with Jesus Christ, and Christmas time makes us evaluate His role in our lives. Then the stars...twinkling across the stage...the magistrates following the Star of the East until they find the Lord. And their worshipful dance.

This is the third year we have done this ballet and each year I cry when the angel and Mary dance and when the sheep...who always steal the show...get to hold the Savior. This year was no exception. Except that it meant so much more to have Lynz and Lauren play those parts...both of those girls started my class in Orem almost 5 years ago...and for an 8 year old, that's a large part of their lives!

And now about the "Mary Dance"...
I decided to dance with the two oldest classes (yes they are only 6-8! but they've been with me since they were 3)...year after year they have heard me say "there is a light right here swelling inside of you and you must push it out thru your heart, open your chest, thru your face...and all the way thru your fingers and toes...don't forget your toes. point those toes, shoot it out. if you do not dance thru that light your dancing is only steps." Most have heard the other part of my speech when I tell them "we are dancing to share that light and to express all that's inside of us. we are not trying to impress, we are trying to bless. make the audience swell."
I think you can see that in these photos of our Mary rehearsal...and in the slideshow from the previous post

A dear mother sent me this today and it made my day. Perhaps I don't need to tell you about how much the Mary Dance meant to me...these pictures speak.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

(big sigh)

I feel like I should post...

so many important things happened this week.

Reu and I have now been married for 10 years.

pretty big deal.

(good thing we are celebrating this next weekend)

My Ruby Shoes Studio

had two performances this past week.

a very very big deal.

I passed a kidney stone yesterday.

yikes!

thank heaven for my sister being here.

so I'm tired. my body is wore out from everything.

I want to write all about this Nativity

performance and what it means to me.

I want to tell you about the

"Mary Dance" and about my daughters.

I have tons of pictures and video to post.

but like I said. I am so tired.

craziness usually leads to crashing but hopefully

I'll get out of bed tomorrow.

this performance tends to take everything out of me.

that's why I initially told the parents I wasn't going to do it.

but we did. and I'm glad we did. very glad.

but I have no energy for christmas now...

especially after passing a kidney stone.

which by the way,

is worse than labor.

and that's from a mom who

had 2 all natural you go girl deliveries.

off to bed.

(big sigh)

you'll get your pictures later.

love to hate him

you know I absolutely love my dogs.

probably not your dog.

but I do love mine.

But tonight...I may shoot one of them.

it would be Charlie to be specific.

because of course my Lola can do no wrong.

Who's idea was this instictual marking?

Why do male dogs have to claim every clean linen in the house? ...including ALL the beds and pillows...oh and let's not forget the couch.

damn dog!

I think maybe he is telling me something like hey guys I'm feeling all left out and I know I'm all muddy from outside but I still want to curl up on these beds with you at night why do I have to sleep in my crate because when I was cute and little I got to curl up with any of you all night long so what happened huh?

or maybe he is just saying "mine. yes mine. this too is oh yes...mine!"

I am going to wash him with every load tomorrow...because heaven knows it's too late to start now.

where's the incense?

we're all sleeping on the floor.

i'm glad reu works graves.

argh!

***update***poor charlie got neutered yesterday...and it broke my heart. I do love him.

shhh

my mind is quiet tonight.

at least for a while.

and I am grateful.