EPC - My Immortal

I don't know how I missed seeing all these pictures from Julia's solo last year, but I found them today and had to buy them...so beautiful...

Elite Performance Challenge pictures

DANGEROUS

VOICES

Elite Performance Challenge

Julia had an amazing day yesterday at her first solo competition of the year.  First time for her doing two solos...one jazz and one open.

Her open solo "Voices" came out on top today.  She outdid herself with the most beautiful performance.  I actually had goose bumps!  She is a performer through and through.  She won an Elite Platinum and placed 2nd overall!

Julia was so happy to have Ally and Andrae come along to support her.

Award Ceremony...this is a classic Julia picture standing with her feet turned in!! Look at the other dancers standing in fifth position!  That's my Julia...

Her boyfriend is just the sweetest.  He showed up with a bouquet of yellow flowers for her.  I keep telling Julia she's one lucky girl. He is so good to her.

And with Auntie Kerry...the brains and creative force behind the winning solo.  They make a great team!!

And then I was looking at the competition Facebook page and I saw this...

and this...

I can't believe I missed it when it was first posted back in October!  That's Julia from this same competition last year with her solo "My Immortal".  What a gorgeous picture!! 

Junior Operators

Now her best friend, Lizzie, has her license too!  But junior operators can't drive together for six months...so what do they do?  They both drive to Panera for some food and then they both drive to Target for a little shopping.

These two have literally grown up together.  So I insisted on a picture to document the day they both could drive...

Just not together...yet!

License...finally!

Julia finally got her license today!  It got postponed from last week due to a snow storm but today the roads were clear at 6:30 a.m. (so early I know) and she did it!! 

Take a look at that picture...there's a big "CONGRATULATIONS! You got your license!!"

and then the big warning..."THERE IS NO ESCAPING THE CONSEQUENCES!!"  

But hey...CONGRATULATIONS!!! That cracked me up.  Teenagers do need to be reminded constantly so I get it.  

Thoughts on a Saturday morning

I understand even more so today...than at any point in my life...that each day should never be taken for granted.  So every morning the first words out of my mouth are "Thank you God for this beautiful day" and then I read a few excerpts from a book about gratitude and positive happy affirmations.  

I am so grateful for my Daniel, my Nicholas, my Julia, my Gianna, my Mom, my sisters, my brother, my CeCe, my dear friends and my fur babies KoKo and Eli. 

As I sat around a table last night with five of my best friends from high school...one is a breast cancer survivor, one was just diagnosed with breast cancer and five years ago I had a lumpectomy for a precancerous cyst.  That is three out of five of us that have been touched by breast cancer.  And to top it off...my dear friend (and boss) is going to have surgery next week to remove a possible cancerous tumor (update: it was benign...phew!). 

I'm writing this not to be negative but as a positive reminder to myself...to not take life or my health for granted and to appreciate each day.  Be happy and be present for my loved ones around me.  Realize what is important...and let the stuff go that isn't important.  That's not easy for me as I'm a constant deep thinker...and I have to continually remind myself that I'm the only thinker in my mind.  I can change those thoughts in a second. I'm a work in progress.  

So if you're going to RISE each day...then why not SHINE?  

That's great advice.  

Happiest at home

Luke Perry

I am just devastated by the news of Luke Perry's passing.  If you know me...you know my favorite TV show of ALL time is Beverly Hills 90210...and Brenda & Dylan are my favorite couple of ALL time.

Such a talented actor gone way too soon...

First Snow Day & no license yet for Julia : (

We got our first big snow storm of the season and it's March!  That's quite unusual around here.  Usually by now we're on our 4th or 5th snow day for the kids.  But today is their first official snow day.  That's actually a good thing for them because it can get really hot around here in the spring and it's pretty miserable going to school at the end of June.  They should get out nice and early this year...fingers crossed!

It's so pretty when it snows...

And in other news...Julia was supposed to get her license this past Saturday but there was another snowstorm.  The RMV didn't want to cancel so they made all the kids (47 to be exact) and all their parents drive there in the snow and sit around for about two hours and then the RMV decided to cancel.  Ugh!!  Poor kids.  It really was frustrating as they should have just postponed to begin with and saved everyone the trouble and potential risk of driving all the way over there in the snow.  Hopefully she will be rescheduled this week.  Of course I will be a nervous wreck having a second teenage driver...but looking on the bright side...it will be super helpful!  She can actually drive herself (and Gianna) to dance!  Yay!!  

Life lessons

"Everyone in your life serves a purpose. Everyone has something to teach you.

While people who are kind and loving help teach you who you do want to be, those who are not kind and loving teach you who you don’t want to be.

So when you encounter someone who hurts your feelings, lean into that feeling. Ask yourself what they did to make you feel that way. Was it the words they chose? Their tone? 

Whatever they did, make a pledge. Promise yourself that you’ll never treat anyone the way they treated you. This is how you become a kinder and more compassionate person. This is how you learn from their mistakes.

And when you meet someone you really like, lean into that feeling, too. Ask yourself what they did to make you feel so good. Then make a pledge to yourself to be more like them. This is also how you become a kinder and more compassionate person.”

Read more:  Raising a Strong Kind Child

Delay

We haven't had much snow at all this winter.  Not that I'm complaining...because it is so pretty when it snows...like last night.  Fresh clean fluffy snow that's easy to shovel and usually melts pretty quickly.  It seems like other parts of the country are getting our usual snowy weather instead of us. 

It only snowed a few inches but that was enough for the kids to have a two-hour school delay this morning...which they are thrilled about.  Nothing like sleeping in on a school day! 

Encouragement

Sunday with friends

Cuteness

Moving an audience

This is Julia's gift for sure...

Another Sweet 16

So much fun celebrating a Sweet 16 at the Sugar Factory with sweet dance friends...

Encouragement

A little needed encouragement after yesterday's post...

Three teenagers

Ages 17, 16 and almost 14.

And to think we only have three teenagers and my Mom and Dad had four???  How did they do it?  

I'm sorry Mom for my bad attitude back then.  I'm sorry for spending so much time in my room. I know how it made you sad...and it makes me sad now too.  I'm sorry for all the angst of my teenage years and not always making the best decisions.  Ugh.  Because payback is a bitch.  

Willis Clan no more

It was a very sad day for me yesterday when I read a post by the Willis Clan.  They are no longer a band.  It's time for them to move on.  They've had some very difficult and challenging few years to say the least so I don't blame them. I still have all their music to enjoy and I know they will all continue to do great things. 

I have so much love for this family and their music...

Sleepovers

These are the days of sleepovers...many many sleepovers.  On any given weekend night...or vacation week like we are entering into now...there could be up to five or six extra teenagers in our house sleeping over. 

This means cleaning the kids bathroom so it doesn't look like this...

And they have fun like this...

Late last night after coming home from a friend's house and finding two extra teenagers in our house...I discovered the kids bathroom was once again a mess.  No toilet paper, dirty wet towels everywhere with the trash barrel overflowing...and extra beds needing to be made with pillows and blankets to be gathered...and it occurred to me...

this too won't last forever.  So I stopped myself from being annoyed and flustered....because someday the kids won't be around and even if they are...most certainty the sleepovers as we know them today will stop.  

That's why I really need to appreciate all the chauffeuring around and getting the house put together for all those teenage friends that I really and truly am so thankful for.  For it's the season we are in and each season does come to an end...eventually.