Our Little Cinderella's First Dance Recital

Sophia's hard work in dance class this year resulted in a wonderful performance at her first dance recital! The entire program was well done and entertaining; we thoroughly enjoyed all the dance numbers.

The show began with an act performed by dancers and their dads, a group which represented all the age groups the dance school teaches. The song they dramatized was "Cinderella" (the lyrics can be found at the bottom of this entry). The theme of the song is daddy's little girl growing up & how he cherishes every moment he has with her, and it was beautifully illustrated in the beginning by the littlest dancers (Sophia was one) being swirled and twirled by their daddies.

As the Cinderella in the song grows up, the dancers "aged" along with her...until "Cinderella" was waltzed around the stage by her new husband in her wedding dress. The performance was a real tearjerker, especially for me, watching my handsome husband delicately dance with our little princess who is growing up so fast. (I am hoping to post video of it, here, as my words cannot adequately describe the beauty of that dance.)

Sophia's routine was set to "A few of my favorite things" from the musical "The Sound of Music" (a favorite of mine and my mom's). I hope that our little ballerina continues to enjoy her dance lessons, because we sure enjoyed watching the culmination of her (and her teacher's) hard work in the recital. I look forward to her daddy presenting her with many more bouquets of flowers in the future, celebrating jobs well done!











"Cinderella" Lyrics
by Steven Curtis Chapman

She spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I'm sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders
It's been a long day
And there's still work to do
She's pulling at me
Saying "Dad I need you!
There's a ball at the castle
And I've been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh please, Daddy, please!"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of her dress
She says, "Dad the prom is just one week away
And I need to practice my dancin'
Oh please, Daddy, please!"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

She will be gone

But she came home today with a ring on her hand
Just glowin' and tellin' us all they had planned
She says, "Dad the wedding's still six months away but I need to practice my dancin'
Oh please, Daddy, please!"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

Precious Moments

Being a parent has so many rewards. Watching your baby's first smile, taking that first step, the sweet "love notes" your five-year-old writes. My mother's day this year was full of wonderfully memorable moments which I will always cherish.

My lovely 11 year old, Alexa, gifted me with tickets to see Ira Glass, a radio host on my favorite NPR program, This American Life. If you have never heard it, you can listen to past shows online at www.thislife.org . I have listened to his program for years, in fact, he has introduced me to some of my favorite contemporary writers. Alexa has always enjoyed the program, as well, so it was fitting for us to have a Mother Daughter date to see him!

We began our evening by strolling around the Main Gate Square near the U of A campus. I was so proud to notice strangers smiling at my beautiful daughter; she is growing up so fast, into a gorgeous young lady. We then went to a charming little Greek restaurant, where she bought me a delicious dinner. She presented me with a very sweet card (with music!) and insisted on opening my card whenever new customers walked in the door, so they could enjoy the song, too!

After dinner, we picked up a couple of drinks at Starbuck's (yes, mine was decaf! and yes, she treated me AGAIN!) and then walked up to the Women's Plaza of Honor, a really cool structure, dedicated to phenomenal women in Arizona history. It was the perfect place for us to sit and reflect and enjoy the beautiful dusk.

The show was amazing; Ira Glass is an excellent combination of nerdy intellectual, witty funny-man & kind hearted world observer. We laughed hard, teared up a little and thoroughly enjoyed his presentation. It's so amazing to be able to have a smart discussion with my preteen about the issues discussed in his show...I see the woman she is going to be and I really like her!

Our drive home was full of excited conversation, recounting every funny moment of our flawless evening. We didn't want the evening to end!

The following morning, Chris brought me breakfast in bed. The girls had a handmade card & gifts for me (a beach scented candle & my signature scent, "Angel" by Thierry Mugler). I lounged for the day, my affectionate family waiting on me, hand & foot. In the evening we went to Ryan and Abby's to float in their new pool and to eat a feast of shish-ka-bob, asparagus & a delicate rice dish which Abby made.

A long distance Mother's Day phone call from Michael capped off my excellent Mother's Day and added to the numerous memories which I will always prize!
Mom and Alexa at the Women's Plaza of Honor. Maybe someday her name will be engraved there, too!
At the house before we left; Dad took some pictures of his girls!
It was super sunny out, hence the squinting!On another note, we got wonderful news this evening. Collin's surgery has been cancelled! You can read the update here: www.babycollin.blogspot.com We're overjoyed and so grateful for this turn of events! This picture is of Collin's 'Dr. Bear' which we made to comfort him and keep him company while in the hospital. We're now hoping that Mr. Bear NEVER has to see the inside of a hospital! Thank you all for your continued prayers and healing thoughts for our precious grandson.

Forty is Fabulous!

My fortieth birthday was the most amazing, touching, surprising, awesome birthday of my life!

My wonderful day started with my darling husband preparing breakfast & coffee; we spent some quiet time together before he headed to work. I was on the phone with my mom, when, around 6:30 a.m., my doorbell started RINGING! (You know how sometimes it rings louder than others, well, this was one of those times!) At the door was my gorgeous friend, Sarah, with an enormous, colorfully wrapped present in her hands. She was squealing, "Happy Birthday! Surprise!!"

Attached to the gargantuan box was a card, signed "from all of us" and with a note, "40 presents for 40 years". As I unwrapped the gift, I felt confused. (A mix of non-caffeinated coffee + early morning??) Opening the box, my breath was taken by the realization of my gift. Inside were forty perfectly wrapped little gifts, with a note of love & birthday wishes on each, all from a variety of friends...some from far away, some from friends I haven't seen in a while, some from new pals whom I have just met through Sophia's preschool class.

That my phenomenal friend would contact all of these women (some of whom she's never met) in order to surprise & honor me is just astounding! She and Alexa sat and watched as I opened each interesting package & read each message. I would be lying if I said I didn't tear up a time or two, during my impromptu "party with no people". After Sarah left, I just sat and marveled at how many thoughtful friends I have, and how lucky I am to know each and every one.

For lunch I dined with some of the amazing women who had participated in making my birthday so fantastic, then home to do some "chores". But my fabulous day was not done! As I arrived home, a beautiful "cake bouquet" was delivered...complete with 10candles. (Alexa insisted on reminding me that each candle represents 4 years!) Chris also sent me an incredible arrangement of red tulips & purple irises...they are stunning! My sweet mom also indulged my love of Longaberger AND my love of politics with a 2009 Inauguration Basket. :bliss:

Dinner time arrived and my handsome husband and daughters took me to a fun little Mexican restaurant, Mi Nidito. I felt so special getting ready for our night out, I had so many gorgeous, new pieces of jewelry to choose from! Ryan and Abby joined us, which made my night complete. We had a delicious meal & some typical family hijinks afterwards while picture taking. I fell asleep that night with an enormous smile on my face...feeling adored & cherished and thinking that forty is fabulous!!



I got to sit where President Clinton sat when he dined at Mi Nidito (back in 1999). I did feel something when I sat there, but it was probably just the baby moving! J/K
Here I am, cheekily showing off some of my new birthday jewelry. We asked a woman outside the restaurant to take our photo, which upset Sophia who wanted to be the evening's photographer. She boycotted the first family picture. We convinced her to face front with us, but she wasn't happy about it.
Sophia took this picture (and did a darn good job!)

Tonight we're (Chris and I) dining out with some of our close friends...one of the fabulous things about my fortieth is that we're STILL celebrating! ha ha

We Did It For Collin!

On Saturday, April 25, our family participated in the March of Dimes 5K Walk for Babies in honor of Collin.

The March of Dimes supports programs in our communities that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the serious problems that threaten our babies. The March of Dimes has been walking since 1970 and have raised an incredible $1.8 billion to benefit all babies. You can learn more at www.marchofdimes.org. Some day, every baby will be born healthy!



We partook in a little nourishment before the walk.
TEAM COLLIN AZ before the start of the walk


Sophia thought "walk" meant "race" and ran most of the route! We walked at a pretty brisk pace, but still couldn't keep up with her.

There were so many cool booths & family oriented activities at this event. I highly recommend anyone creating a family team and walking together next year, there are walks in most cities & it supports such a wonderful organization.

We had a great time and we were so glad that Ryan and Abby joined us. We were proud to have walked in gratitude for what the March of Dimes has done for all babies, especially those born with birth defects like Collin's. We were also proud to have walked in his honor; even though we're far away from him, we were able to show our love and devotion to him by walking for him.

Easter Blessings

We had the best Easter ever! Our Easter weekend was kicked off with Chris and the girls volunteering at the Tucson Big Brothers/Big Sisters Easter event on Saturday. (A group of Chris' coworkers ran the event.) It rained throughout the event, but the kids enjoyed helping out and participating in the fun.

I stayed home and made enchiladas, beans & creme brulee french toast for the following morning. Around 6, Abby & Ryan joined us for dinner, then all of the artists gathered for marathon egg-dyeing. (If it had been up to Sophia, all three dozen eggs would have been done in about 5 minutes!)

Sunday morning we were greeted with a "surprise" from the Easter Bunny; full Easter baskets and a plethora of eggs & candy hidden around the house. A full search commenced, and most of the treats were found quickly. (Not all, however, as I am still finding "sweet tarts" and other wrapped candies in various spaces!)

Ryan and Abby soon joined us for brunch, then we went to Mass. In order to SIT at our very large church, we arrived 30 minutes earlier than usual. After sitting sweetly for about 10 minutes, Sophia asked Daddy, "Where are those guys?!" and pointed at the altar. Daddy explained that the Mass hadn't started, that we were there a little early. Twenty minutes later, as the Priest and Deacon sat on the altar, Sophia smiled excitedly and said, "Now I can't wait for my favorite part to come!" Chris whispered,"What part is that?" Without skipping a beat, she answered, "When we go home!" Ah, the honesty of children!

Earlier in the week we'd had a hard time deciding what food to prepare, and we finally decided on an eclectic menu. Our family in Nebraska had celebrated Easter mid-week with a Mexican theme...it sounded so good, we decided to borrow the idea. However, the traditional ham, scalloped potatoes and green bean casserole called to us, too, so we compromised and made both! The enchiladas, beans and rice were as popular as the other items and no one left the table hungry. In addition, Abby made a delicious blueberry crunch dessert, I made a rumcake and lemon-buttermilk cupcakes. Some wonderful friends joined us and completed our perfect holiday!








Alexa gave up chocolate, donuts and soda for lent. We were VERY proud of her committment to her sacrifice as she was diligent and faithful for all forty days. She was pleasantly surprised by a bag of chocolate donuts in her Easter basket...that Easter Bunny, what a card! ;)

The Easter Bunny wrote a note for everyone's basket, and signed each with a self-portrait. Sophia confided in me later that "the Easter Bunny draws better kitties than 'Easter Bunnies'"!



Today our Easter blessings continued. Our close friends, the B's (whom we vacationed with at Thanksgiving time) came to Tucson and joined us for breakfast. The kids love spending time together, and of course the adults had a fabulous time as well!

In the afternoon we joined our friends, the G's, to celebrate Orthodox Easter. They have the most amazing backyard, nicknamed "The Garden of Eatin'" and it's an apt description. Fruit trees of every sort line a multitude of paths throughout the property. Grape vines & climbing rose bushes adorn an arbor that meanders around the garden. It's a magical, beautiful place, and as you can imagine, the perfect location for a giant Easter egg hunt! About 25 children searched for the 500 plastic eggs hidden amongst the lush scenery.




Afterwards we dined on a variety of baked treats and then had some delicious watermelon and watched the kids play. We reflected on how blessed we are to have such a wonderful life; with such a great family & such interesting, kind friends. Life is good!