My gorgeous girls.....

OK I know they're my girls and I'm their mom but I must say that these pictures are gorgeous. I can't believe how much they've grown up and the wonderful young ladies that they are. Enjoy!!!

Cinderella Preliminary Pageant

For those of you out there in the blogging world that know my family well, you know that my girls and I are highly involved in the Utah Cinderella Program. This is an awesome youth development program that is done within a pageant system. The Cinderella pageant was started in 1976 and has had a large number of girls go on to compete in the Miss America system and very successful careers. As a matter of fact Demi Lovato of Disney fame started out in the Cinderella program in Texas. There are quite a number of girls that say they owe what they do now to the skills and qualities they learned by participating in Cinderella.

Well here is the reason for this post. The Iron County preliminary pageant is coming up on May 16th at Gateway Preparatory Academy in Enoch. Currently they only have about 4 contestants and it may be canceled. I would hate to see this happen. Both my girls have learned so much from doing this wonderful pageant. Before anyone starts saying "Ewe a pageant", Cinderella is a natural pageant system that looks for "real kids in real clothes". If it was a "glitz, fake tan and teeth" pageant you can be guaranteed we wouldn't be doing it. Cinderella is for girls ages 3-26. There is also a baby pageant for girls newborn to 35 months. The woman division is for women 18-26 married or single. This year Iron County is also having a Prince Charming pageant for boys ages newborn to 5 years. The categories for the pageant are interview, talent (on stage interview for ages 3-6), modeling of casual wear and party dress and photogenic. Talent can not be any longer than 2:30.

If you want any further information about it you can contact me on my blog or email. You can also check out www.utahcinderella.com for more information and to learn more about this great program. We love it and are in our 12th year of participation. We've made friends all over the state and consider them part of our family. So go check it out and let me know if you have any questions.

Congratulations Talise!!!

Talise had her very first gymnastics meet on Saturday down in St. George. It was so much fun. She was very excited about it and so was her whole team. We have a great level 5 team and they showed it on Saturday.

Talise place 3rd on vault with an 8.5 and then 4th on beam, bars, and floor. She placed 4th in the all around with a 31.45 and the team won FIRST!!! Not bad for a first meet. Their next meet is in May up in Draper. Talise can't wait. She's got the bug now. Enjoy the pics.....

Happy Birthday Jacob!!!

Well it happened....my "baby" turned 9!!! I can't believe that Jacob is 9. Where has the time gone? It all goes so fast. We had a party for him at the bowling alley and all the kids had a great time. He's such a good kid and for the most part is pretty easy going. He does have a very big heart which gets hurt very easily....maybe too easily sometimes. But I'm glad that I'm still his hero for now. I know that will change down the road but for now I'm it. I can always count on him for hugs and kisses. Double digits next year....I don't know if I'm ready.

Da-Da-Da-Da!!!

It's official!!!! Kaitlyn is a Canyon View Cheerleader!! She had try-outs yesterday and found out at 8:30pm last night that she made it. She was really excited. This will be a fun year for her with new and exciting things. I can't wait to watch her at her first football game. Yes I know...proud mom syndrome!!! Congrats Kaitlyn...I love you!!!

Spring Giveaway....

So my friend Lara is having a giveaway on her blog. She's giving away one of these cute hats.

Talise just loves these and has two and about 6 different flowers to put on them. They are really fun. To enter just go to her site http://lalakme.blogspot.com/ and you can have a chance at winning too.

You can go and check out more hats at The Crafty Moms http://www.thecraftymoms.blogspot.com

So go to Lara's site and The Crafty Moms so you can have a chance to win.

Something new....

We're trying something new at our house....OK not really everyone in our house...just Kaitlyn. She's going to try out for cheer and Canyon View High School. This will be something new for her considering she has been dancing her whole life and has absolutely no cheer experience. She did get a great compliment today from the advisor and is working really hard to learn the cheer part. She has the leaps, jumps, and of course the dance down. I was teasing her and saying that now she just needs to learn to talk and move at the same time. Try-outs are next Monday and she'll know Tues if she makes it. Wish her luck!!!

This boy can sing....

What can I say???....this boy can sing!! We just got back from Region Solo and Ensemble and listening to Branden and his friend Ben sing. All I can say is WOW!! I don't get very many opportunities to just hear Branden sing. He's a baritone but you should hear him sing the tenor parts. Such a pure tone and so clear. OK I know I'm the mom but he really can sing.

So since it was Solo and Ensemble they were adjudicated. To be able to go on to State Solo and Ensemble you have to earn a 1. The very much sought after 1. Well guess what??? My son came home very ecstatic with his judging sheet in hand saying..."We're going to STATE!!...we got a 1!!!" There are only eight numbers from the school going to state and Branden and Ben are one of them. I'm so proud of him for this accomplishment. This is his first time doing solo and ensemble and as a proud mom I must say he did a great job. Maybe someday you'll all get to hear him sing and see what I mean.

Great job Branden....I love you!!

Good news....

So I went to the doctor yesterday for my two week post surgery checkup....and good news...I'm healing well and going back to work on Monday. He did however remind me that just because I'm feeling good doesn't mean that I'm totally healed. Which for those of you that know me is good advice because if I feel good I tend to do more than I should. So I'm doing very well but still have at least 4 more weeks of healing. We'll see how I do with the "not over doing it". My problem is that I don't know I've over-done it until I've done it....LOL!!

So I hope you all are enjoying the first day of spring as much as I am. Happy Spring!!!

I've been silent again I know....

OK so I've been silent again....but a lot has been happening. For all of you that read my blog about Branden he is back and all is going well. We thought the girl was staying down with her uncle until the end of school but found out this week that she was back. I guess her credits from school wouldn't transfer since she was going to the charter high school here, so she's back. And it didn't take her long to try to start messing with Branden's head again. Luckily he's smarter this time and we caught her texting with her mom's phone which she wasn't supposed to be doing. So I called her step-dad that night and talked with her mom the next morning and she will no longer be bothering us. THANK GOODNESS!!! Now I don't like to see bad things happen to kids but what she was doing just wasn't right. I just hope she can get the help she needs to work through her problems.

Let's see what else...we finished another term of school and have been on a two week break. That last couple of weeks of school were a little trying for me considering what was happening with Branden and our home life. I made it through and then we went on a two week break. I like this schedule because just when you think you can't last another day you have two weeks off.

On March 3rd I had a hysterectomy. It was a Laproscopic Supercervical Hysterectomy for all you medical people out there. So I ended up with 4 1" incisions on my stomach and a very big ugly bruise. I've been off the heavy painkillers during the day for almost a full week, but still take them at night to sleep. I'm a stomach/side sleeper so as long as I don't feel anything I can sleep. LOL!! I'm healing pretty good I think but do get tired easy still and can get quite sore sitting in a chair. Thank you to all of you that brought in meals and sent well wishes and prayers. I go back to the Dr. on the 19th and hopefully get the green light for work etc.

So there you have it....I've been down for a little bit but life has gone on. The girls are still busy with their activities and Jacob is going to try baseball this year. Talise will be doing her first gymnastics meet in about 6 weeks. It should be fun. Branden is continuing to amaze me with the music he's playing on his guitar and recently on the piano. I've got some pretty amazing kids and I love them bunches!!

I'll try to get better at this but it's hard to teach an old lady new tricks.....TTFN!!

Branden.....

So as some of you may know we don't always post just happy things on our blogs. This is one of those type of posts. For those of you that don't know Branden ran away on Thurs. For some reason that I don't know yet he and his girlfriend ran away. They ended up at a friend of her dad's in Kingman, AZ. After talking to friends, working with the police, and her mother finally being able to get in her phone, we figured out where they were and made contact with the people they were with. They were safe and not running anymore. So Friday we went down with the intention of bringing Branden home. After a long drive to Hoover Dam he told me he wasn't ready to come home and wanted to stay for another three days. It was the hardest thing I ever did letting him stay but after talking to the lady that brought them to the dam I knew it was the best thing. Thank goodness for prayers that help us to know what to do. I know that I've been supported by great friends and all their prayers. The good news is that I'm picking him up tomorrow and he's coming home. I'm sure there will be a long road ahead of us with building back the trust that was lost but with love, understanding and the help of the Lord and lots of prayers it will all get better. Thank you all for your continued prayers and thoughts. It means so much to me and Branden even though he has no idea how many people out there care about him or how much. Please continue to pray.

Please tell me it will end......

I have about had it with winter and snow.....I HATE IT!!! Someone told me today that spring was only like 4 weeks away....I can't wait that long!!! I'm tired of wind, snow, slush, ice, slipping on ice, all of it!!!! I can't take it anymore!!!! Help I'm going into winter wonderland overload!!! Make it stop so I can get off the ride....LOL!!!

But seriously I am very much looking forward to spring. To wearing flip flops and capris, no jackets, and my house not being a refrigerator in the morning. And most of all not having to scrape windows or brush off the car. So if anyone has any ideas on how to make spring get her faster just let me know.

This is for Sherrie......

OK so Sherrie leaves me comments on my Facebook page letting me know when I'm getting way, way, WAY behind on my blogging. OK, OK so she's right.....LOL!! Good thing I have her around to get me in gear on here. It's not that I don't mean to blog I just spend too much time on that darn Facebook. Let me explain my addiction to Facebook.

With Facebook I've been able to reconnect to over 50 of my friends from high school, make new friends, and keep in contact with friends I have now. I can also keep tabs on my kids and their friends and what is going on in their lives. (Not that I don't do that anyway but it's fun to have their friends say HI to me). So that's where I've been spending a lot of my time....I know I need to learn how to spread my time between Facebook and blogging.....and I'm trying. Thanks to Sherrie I'm now updating...so this one's for her.

So you may ask what I've been up to lately? Well I survived drill team season. The Talons took 2nd in Region and 4th in State. We also were awarded the "Best Sportsmanship" at State. Quite an honor considering it is voted on by their peers. That was an exciting award to get. I've also been extremely busy teaching. Starting a new school is no easy task and some days I don't know if I'm up to it but I keep plugging away. With 7 new students in my class at the start of this last term its been a lot but I love it. Also Jacob moved up into my class a couple weeks ago and is doing great. He's keeping up with the other kids and also showing some of them up with how hard he works in class. I wasn't sure if I would like having my own child in my class but he's awesome. He's making friends and the kids love him.

Of course I still have the usual taxi run in the evenings too with Talise in gymnastics and Kaitlyn performing at basketball games for Talons. And you know as difficult as it is sometimes I wouldn't trade it for the world. They grow up way too fast and I don't want to miss a minute of it. Good thing that Branden has his license though for those nights that are close to impossible. He's such an awesome help to me and such a wonderful young man.

Now you know where I've been and what I've been doing. I will try to do better but I can't promise anything....dang life!!! So till the next time Sherrie bugs me...no I'm kidding...till next time....TTFN!!