The gang's all here!

The kids arrived from Canada on Monday- a day late, but safe and sound. We are all very thankful that the delay only meant an extra night at home, not being stranded in an airport...

We have been keeping very busy with last-minute shopping, cooking, and outings. Today is reserved for tomorrow's preparation and lots of eating!

Yesterday the kids and I went into Denver for the day. We took the light rail in and spent a couple of hours at the 16th Street Mall. None of us had ever been there, and we enjoyed looking around, despite the wet-ish snow that fell persistently all day.

We checked out the shop at the Hard Rock Cafe, had lunch at Einstein's, and browsed (not for long enough) in the Tattered Cover's flagship store.

Then the girls and I headed up to the Buell Theatre to see "Little House on the Prairie- The Musical", starring Melissa Gilbert, while Ben stayed downtown to wander and explore.

The show was FABULOUS! All of us enjoyed it immensely! I even brought my bonnet (yes, I actually own a prairie bonnet! lol) with a Sharpie to get autographs if that was a possibility, but it wasn't. No matter. We all had a great day.

Fortunately, I kept myself pretty organized this year with everything- gifts, menus & cooking, cleaning... so though I have things to do every day, I am keeping the stress (at least the stuff I can control!) to a bare minimum. It was such a treat to be out having a fun day two days before Christmas!

Now Rich is off too, his boys are here, and Becca will arrive sometime today. It is busy and much more crowded than we are used to, but it is very cool to have everyone here together for the holidays.

Merry Christmas everyone!

The tree is up!

Yesterday after we got Chloe from riding, we headed over to the tree lot to choose our Christmas tree.

It's a beautiful Noble fir- so full and perfect, it's hard to believe it's real!

I helped the girls put the lights on and then they went to work decorating it- though it really didn't need much, it was gorgeous with just lights on it!

Now I need to start wrapping and filling up the space below it!

Date Night!

We went out to dinner last night to the 9th Door, a tapas restaurant in Denver. The food is just SO yummy there! We have been there before and it never disappoints. We had some lovely red wine with it and it was such a great evening. I am so lucky to have a husband who not only loves to eat, but loves to take me out.

I love any excuse to get dressed up, and we even remembered to take a couple of photos before leaving (well, Chloe took them). We used to take photos all of the time, now we hardly ever take them of ourselves. We must get back into that.

The girls stayed home because they had their outing last week, going to see Wicked with me and our neighbor, Elizabeth. That was a great show! Next will be Little House on the Prairie with Melissa Gilbert in December- Holly will get to come with us. YAY!

Look what I did!

Today I took another class at Wild Heather, and it was SOOOOOO fun!!!

The class was called 3D Photo Imagery, and it involves printing a photo on both cotton and organza (I believe the product is called Extravorganza), then layering the two with a frame.

I chose a photo from our holiday in Portugal that you are all likely familiar with- the Templo de Diana, in Evora. I just loved our whole holiday and every photo brings back wonderful memories, so I am starting to use the photos to decorate our still mostly-bare walls in our home.

The project took less than two hours, start to finish (not counting the printing), we got to use tools to bang and staple, and best of all, I just love the way it turned out.

A BIG thanks to Heather for being so patient with me, and for helping me choose the colours of fabric. I have not developed my "artist's eye" for colour yet, and really appreciate Heather's touch. She suggested that when we do another one of these, we try out the fabrics we might want to use, to see which ones wash out the photograph and which ones make it pop out. I am only beginning to understand colour, but the more I learn and watch, the more sense it makes, the more exciting it is.

I wish the store wasn't closing, but I do understand and wish Heather all the best in the world, she is just a peach and darn inspiring to be around! Did I mention how much fun I had???!!!

I wish I knew how to photograph it so that you could see the 3D effect, but sadly, I don't. But you can see how nice it is anyway! (the off-center look is my photography, not the finished product!)

Halloween 2009

Well, Halloween is over for another year. We got approximately 30 little ghosts and goblins at the door inside of an hour and that was it for the night. They seemed very excited about the treat bags!

It's still pretty nippy when the sun isn't out, but a lot of the 2+ feet of snow we got this week has melted away already. This is a strange place to be weather-wise sometimes... today we were wearing snow boots for the drifts and puddles and t-shirts because it was just too warm for anything else while the sun was shining! lol

Heidi, Brandon, and Chloe went out together and were gone a long time. They didn't get a whole lot; many people just don't participate in shelling out anymore. So many places do the Trick-or-Treat Street or parties, going trick-or-treating seems like it is becoming a thing of the past.

Chloe carved us another cool pumpkin (she likes the intricate designs and is very patient about doing them) thankfully- we didn't decorate outside because of the abundance of snow.

Edward Scissorhands, Lydia Dietz, and the hippie girl seemed to have a fun night anyways!

Two snow days in a row, more snow...

Hard to believe this is OCTOBER. But it is, and here we are with a ton of snow!

They cancelled school last night, didn't even wait till the morning, as reports still predict a bunch more snow and high enough winds to blow it all around and make it nasty out.

Right now, and since Rich and I got up this morning, the snow is just lightly falling, so we will see what happens.

For now, I get another day to bake and quilt and I can't think of anything better to do in this weather!

First Snow Day of the 2009-2010 school year

I will add a couple of photos later- right now it is pitch black outside! Well, NOW it is later.... and here are the photos.

At 5:30 am, we got an automated call from the school board advising us of the snow day. I dragged myself out of bed to let the girls know so that they could sleep in.

There isn't actually much snow on the ground, but there is a storm warning across much of the state for today and tomorrow, so I suppose they are being cautious.

This is our third time getting snow this month. I don't mind snow, nor do I mind snow days- it just seems a little early in the
year...

**** Wednesday evening- this just in- schools are closed tomorrow too!!! It must be some storm that they are expecting if they aren't even waiting it out till the early morning!!! ****

Wintry day in Littleton!

This is our second snowy day so far this month! The first time was a week ago Saturday (Oct. 10), and we opted out of a marching competition because of it. Over the weekend (Oct. 17) we went to a competition up in Longmont, wearing t-shirts and all of us got sunburns! Crazy weather in this state, that is for sure!

Marching season is almost finished; this Friday is State Quarter-Finals and those that move on will compete Saturday. Then it is done. Seems like we have been going non-stop on it. Of course, this year I am working in more official capacities than last year...

Chloe's band has their first concert tonight and I have heard great things about this band, so I can't wait to hear them for myself.

I am busy in my studio dyeing silk scarves, quilting my Pumpkin Pie quilt, and starting work on a self-portrait series. I am so inspired by the local shop I haunt, Wild Heather in Englewood, (http://www.wildheatherdesigns.com/) and our quilt guild, the Front Range Contemporary Quilters. (http://www.artquilters.org/). This month the featured artist was Denise Labadie, and she does incredible, realistic quilts based on photos she has taken in Ireland. You can check out what we saw here: http://labadiefiberart.com/

I just don't have enough hours in a day to accomplish all of the things I want to! I have been keeping a quilt journal though; it contains not only information and photos of what I have done, but ideas for things I want to do too. I have WAY more ideas than time or talent at this point! lol But it is fun to dream of what I want to work on next or in the future.

Here are a couple of photos I took this morning. Now I am off to bake cookies for lunches and work in my studio. It's the perfect day to stay inside and create!

Columbine Homecoming 2009!

Short post- here are some photos of Heidi and her date, Brandon, and Heidi's friend Kim and her date, Matthew.
The girls got ready here at the house and then all of the parents showed up to take photos.
The parents left and the kids stayed here to play Beatles Rock Band since it was still early. Next on the agenda was dinner out, then onto the Homecoming dance!
By the way, the Columbine Rebels football team trounced the Arvada West Wildcats in the homecoming football game last night, 34-10. Woo hoo!

Oh. I nearly forgot. Or should I say, I TRIED to forget... lol Did you check out Heidi's shoes????

Fall and all that!

I have to second my friend Christine's sentiments of last week- where did September go??? Today is October. Which means in just four days, my son will celebrate his 19th birthday. I9! Seems like only yesterday he was such a little boy, playing contently with his Thomas the Tank engines and friends...

September was a whirlwind, that is for sure. Of course, I have a couple of new volunteer positions that are keeping me on my toes. I am the uniform chair for the marching band at Columbine as well as the new VP of the Booster board. As we are just now in the competitive season, it has been a busy job getting everyone properly outfitted and looking spiffy!

Heidi had an exhibition up at CU in Boulder on the weekend and then the first competition this past Tuesday night. Ken Caryl middle school attended the competition to cheer Columbine on, which is a tradition. Chloe is in 7th grade, but is in the 8th grade band and so she was invited to attend as well- only she was already on the list to help, so she got to show off a bit to her friends. And anyone who knows Chloe knows how she loves that! lol

The leaves are starting to turn around here and it is lovely. We don't have the variety of colours like I am used to from Ontario, but it is nice nonetheless. I will have to remember my camera the next time I am out. We haven't had frost yet thankfully, so the garden is still growing. But the cool air is more prevalent than the warm now and fall has definitely arrived.

Silk Scarf Party!

Yesterday I went to my first class at Wild Heather, the Silk Scarf Party. What a blast!

We started our first project with a slightly damp white (blank) silk scarf. Using Dye-Na-Flow paints with water and silk salt, we were encouraged to create on the spot, using colours that blend nicely. That one is my yellow-orange-red one.

The next technique was Shibori; we wrapped our pre-dyed scarves on a pole, tying and scrunching in increments, and then over-dying them. That one is my blue-green one.

The last technique was also Shibori, but this time our resists were tied and stitched. That is my pink-purple one.

I haven't had so much fun creating something in a long time! I think the girls and I will do a bunch as Christmas gifts- they are so fun to make and we can personalize them to the receiver.

Another one done!

Heidi and I just got back from the orthodontist. She has had braces since July 2007 and today they came off!

I will have to search my photo archives for an OLD braces photo- but for now, here is the before and after from this morning.

In Full Swing!

Well, the Columbine Rebel Marching Band is off and running- or should I say marching!?!?! lol

Last Saturday was the first event they participated in, the 81st Annual Western Welcome Week Parade here in Littleton, Colorado.

They are largely a new band this year- almost HALF of the band graduated last May! The largest number of them are sophomores like Heidi, and there are some newbies of course.

They had a full week of band camp, practicing all day for three days here at the high school, then the whole group went up to Mount Evans and stayed from Saturday to Tuesday afternoon, starting to learn the show they will perform in competition this year.

I am the uniform chair this year, and so it has been a busy time, but I think the biggest part of the job is over for now. Whew!

The band sounded great in the parade, they looked good, and it is always fun to see them perform.

Heidi is playing a new instrument in MB as you can see here- she will play mellophone for marching season then return to flute for the remainder of the year. We are at a turning point with the braces too; they are due to come off soon and that will impact her playing... Heidi is the short one in the middle of the photo.

Another good thing: my friend Joan, who is in charge of the Pit Crew, is happy to put Chloe to work as well! You can see Chloe kind of tucked behind everyone, pushing the water wagon. I couldn't get a better photo, they were all walking so close together and moving at a good clip.

Sprucing up the front

Everyone knows how much I LOVE my house. I love every single thing about it, and love to make it look inviting and pretty, both inside and out.

Many of our neighbors have been living here for many years; some have been here since the early sixties when they were just building the houses. So those neighbors have the most beautiful yards, full of big, gorgeous trees and lush perennial gardens, full of blooms and colour, and incredible landscaping. I see it, and that is what I want to see here in our yard too!

Last year, I planted perennials out front like a crazy person! I bought rose bushes in every colour (all beautifully scented of course- I can't have a rose that doesn't smell good!) and I filled the space with things I thought would give us lots of variety and colour.

It was a good plan. But I realized that plan depends a LOT on the weather. Our January and February were so mild, that the plants and trees thought it was spring and started too early. Having cold snow and ice in March and April messed the cycle up, and many of my flowers just didn't come up this year.

Being a new gardener, I have decided to wait it out another year before digging the failed plants up. I will keep my fingers crossed- I am hoping that this coming year brings more cooperative weather.

I have some vision for our front yard and am planning to do some landscaping before next spring- but I will need a little help and guidance with that... lol Rich gets a little nervous thinking about me digging up sprinkler heads and such!

So, in the interest of keeping things looking nice in the meantime, I thought I would add a few little details to the front to dress it up. I went to a little antique shop in Littleton, called Vandel Antiques. It has the most wonderful variety of things for sale, and is a terrific place to go when you need garden things! The owner, Sandy, is a friend of my next-door neighbor, and just a sweetheart. I found JUST what I was looking for!

I got a little bistro set for the front porch, a couple of small chair frames to hold flower pots, a sweet little birdbath, and a wind chime. I was so thrilled! We have a hummingbird theme going on now... lol While I was at O'Tooles, the best garden center in the city (and great supporter of the Columbine Music program), I found a daisy tree that just finished off the porch perfectly. I hung new flags (the old ones were faded after hanging outside for three years) and added some new mulch to finish things off.

Now I am content to wait; and I have a lovely place to do it!

Day in Manitou and Colorado Springs

I forgot all about our day trip last week! Rich and the girls and I went to Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs and had a fabulous day.

Our first stop was at the cliff dwellings (here is the link: http://www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com/)
It was cool, but we didn't spend a lot of time here- it isn't too big and it was really crowded.

Next stop was the Cave of the Winds. We LOVE caves and fancy ourselves as spelunkers... we have been to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, and Wind Cave in South Dakota before this. Here is the link for the Cave of the Winds: (http://www.caveofthewinds.com/)

The tour was fun and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves seeing the underground world.

We hadn't eaten and it was mid-afternoon, so we stopped and had a bite to eat before heading over to the Garden of the Gods.

I had seen a brochure of The Garden of the Gods- but was astounded at the size of these monumental rocks! I guess I thought they were much smaller. Here is the link for that: (http://www.gardenofgods.com/home/index.cfm)

We got lots of wonderful photos despite the rain at the start of our visit- and we need to go back and spend a half a day doing the park properly. We didn't have a lot of time because the girls had a babysitting job that evening.

For the time being, enjoy the photos here and check out the websites for more information if you want. Now- doesn't any of this make anyone want to come and visit me here in Colorado???

My newest art quilt

I have finally finished my art quilt! I had it done in time for my Art Critique Group last week- they had seen it in progress and had made some suggestions. I took one of the suggestions and it did improve the overall look.

But this concept and its construction was something that I had come up with a few months back. I have been keeping an inspirations journal for my quilting; every time I have a thought or idea, I make notes and sketches.

Now the weird part is that even though this finished wall hanging is somewhat what I first imagined, it is quite different overall. I did step by step, leaving it hung up on my design wall in between. Sometimes an idea of what to do next just came to me, other times I took ideas from other quilts I saw at the guild or in a magazine- not exactly of course. Just that seeing others' work helps me to imagine more widely what I could do in my own work.

This piece is called "Reborn" and is full of symbolism, which I love. I played with textures and machine quilting, there is a little embroidery and beading, and most of all, I let myself out of the pattern box and into the unknown territory of my imagination.

There is already another work in progress on my design wall, and I have been making notes like mad this week! Of course, this has been a big week, with the Front Range Contemporary Quilters Guild meeting, our Art Critique Group, and then our ATC trading group just this morning. (More on that later). LOTS of creativity and exceptional talent being shared with some brilliant techniques I can't wait to try...

Storm in Littleton

Well, after an unusually rainy period here in Colorado, we have finally joined the ranks of those in this state and many other places as well, who have been hit by freak hailstorms this summer.

We have enjoyed the rain, it has been really good for the vegetable and flower gardens, and it has made everything so nice and green. A few of the rainstorms have been hard ones, forcing the plants to bend over in submission.

However, last night's hailstorm not only bent the plants, but beat some of them to shreds! I guess some things might recover from the barrage of wind and ice pellets, but there are some poor plants that will not. It's a little sad- all that time and work, now just pummeled into the ground. You can see in the photos here; the amount of ice that was coming down last night, the melon plant ripped apart, and the amount of ice still in the garden this morning.

That will teach me! I hadn't even taken any photos of my little backyard garden yet; every time I went out there to work proved a longer job than I first counted on and by the time I finished and got cleaned up, I didn't go back out. Now I have no proof or satisfaction of seeing what my labours first brought me.

Now we wait for things to warm up and dry out. Then I can see what- if any- damage control I can do on my end. We can't control the weather and so lamenting about it won't help. I am very thankful that the only damage we incurred was to the veggies- with the hail and 60 mph winds, some people around the area lost power, had trees come down, or had damage to their homes.

JOAN BAEZ!!!

Well, I came as close to a lifelong idol of mine last night as I guess I will ever be.

Rich and I went to the Denver Botanical Gardens and saw Joan Baez in concert. JOAN BAEZ!!!

I have listened to her and loved her and her music as far back as I remember listening to music... in fact, her album, The First Ten Years, is the one I remember from when I was around 3 or 4 years old. It's the first music I remember listening to and knowing.
And so it feels like it has always been a part of me somehow.

And of course, way back, when Rich and I were first getting to know one another, he sent me a CD in the mail- Joan Baez. The CD was Any Day Now- Baez sings Dylan. In his note accompanying the CD Rich wrote: "... it doesn't get any better than this". And he is so right.

There was a HUGE line to get in and so we ended up having to see Joan mostly from the back (that is a dumb setup if you ask me), but we were pretty close and she was great about turning around occasionally and acknowledging us back there... ;)

Her band is great, and I feel lucky to have seen her son, Gabriel Harris, on stage with her too. What a treat! They did a good mix of old and new stuff. Joan didn't take a break at all, instead performing just with her guitar during the time the band took a break. First she sang "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" for Odetta, and she talked about meeting Odetta for the first time. Joan's voice is just as beautiful and strong as it always was.

She spoke about and sang for the people in Iran who are on the cusp of great change. Joan is still speaking out for those who need extra voices and it is amazing to think of what she has done in her lifetime, both through her music and her actions.

Later, she sang a Dylan song, Don't Think Twice, It's Alright- and did a PERFECT Dylan imitation towards the end of the song, it was so cool and fun.

She is just a tiny thing, not too tall, slim, elegantly dressed- and she has this light about her. I was honestly just in awe, being in her presence. When she smiled, you could just see her glow.

The tickets had clearly stated that there were to be NO photos or video and so I didn't bring a camera. But people were taking photos all over the place and they weren't stopped by anyone. So I did attempt to get a couple on my phone. They are poor quality, but better than nothing I suppose.

When I got home, I hastily did a sketch in my quilt journal and wrote down some details I will need- seeing her, a wall hanging came to my mind. I have to document this momentous occasion!

I never in a million years thought I would get an opportunity such as this- and seeing this wonderful woman in concert was definitely something that was a dream come true for me.

Quilters!!!

Last night, my friend Elizabeth and I went to see the musical, "Quilters" at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. We just LOVED every minute of the show and I am SO happy I didn't miss out seeing it!

This play originated in Denver more than 25 years ago and has enjoyed great successes. There is a synopsis of the play on the Denver Center for the Performing Arts website: (here is the link in case you want to check it out: http://www.denvercenter.org/shows-and-events/Shows/Quilters/Synopsis.aspx)

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love that particular period in history and I have read many books about it. But I still learned things, and these actresses really brought the joy and the sorrow of that time to life. I cried when they did- and felt the happiness they showed over the little things.

I think the hardest part of pioneering women's lives must have been children. Miscarriage and still births were common, but more dangerous was the sheer number of pregnancies most women endured in their lifetimes. I knew that these women must have felt- but had never read about in any detail- the fear and struggle over getting pregnant yet again, the worry they had of not surviving another pregnancy or birth, and leaving behind many helpless children. Some risked asking a doctor to help them- some resorted to homemade folk remedies to terminate the pregnancies. How horrible it must have been to know that you are expecting another mouth to feed when maybe you can't feed the ones already around your dinner table, or knowing that the last time around you nearly didn't survive, or were laid up for a long time, putting much stress and strain on your husband and family, but having no choice whatsoever in the matter.

Hands down, the best part of not only this play, but of pioneering women, was their spirit. Life was unfair and hard and sometimes downright cruel, but they endured. Not only did they brave through it all, but they managed to do it with a fierce spirit and joyful heart, creating homes for their families and art through the quilts that told the stories of their lives.

Made me want to come home and go straight into my quilt studio!!!

Catching up

We have been home from Portugal for 3 full days now, and I am finally feeling myself again.

Traveling overseas is very tiring! It took us 19 hours to get there and 24 hours to get back- that is real hours, not time change stuff. That time zone thing is very strange. No matter how I look at it, it mixes me up. I understand it in principle, just not beyond that.

We did as suggested and tried to assimilate our schedules to where we were/are as quickly as possible and I think that was good. We were able to fully enjoy our two weeks in Portugal- and we had the weekend at home to get back into the swing of things slowly before Rich had to go to work.

Yesterday I spent almost all day outside, weeding my vegetable garden, cleaning the patio, trimming hedges, and preparing another bed for planting- I am hoping this will work as a perennial herb garden... we shall see.

I will have to take some photos of my little garden today. I know that the soil has not been amended enough to yield anything beyond a few dinners here and there, but I will work on that this fall now that I have figured a few things out.

For today, here are a few vacation photos. The top photo is me at the highest point of a Moorish Castle in Sintra, with the Palacio Nacional da Pena in the background (we went there next); the middle photo is Rich and me at the Roman ruins in Conimbriga; the third photo is a view from the top of the castle we stayed in our first night, in Obidos. It was a fantastic trip!

I have started a new blog about our trip if you would like to see a few more pictures, the link is: http://happytravelergurl.blogspot.com/

It was hard to choose just ten photos of each day- we did and saw so much- and I took more than 2300 photos. I am currently trying to figure out what to do with them all... lol

Small update from Portugal!

Look where we are tonight!!!

Can't seem to upload much, our Internet connections are not like at home- but I will do a blog about this wonderful trip when we get home!

Now I understand what John Denver meant...

I have honestly felt like my life has turned into a John Denver song; I could quote you so many things from his songs that describe my new reality... but I digress.

After leaving the Pawnee Buttes, resolving to return properly equipped for a great hike, we stopped and had dinner in Fort Morgan.

We opted to take the scenic drive west home instead of highway the whole time. And boy, oh boy, what a drive it was.

In the song "Rocky Mountain High", John Denver says this: The Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky...

Well, if these sunset photos didn't show exactly that, I don't know what would. It had been a drizzly sort of day, so as we drove into the sunset, there were clouds in the sky with the light burning through. I have to tell you, it was an awe-inspiring sight. I know the photos at this size don't do it justice, but if you can view them larger, you might see what I mean. Especially the bottom photo. I am planning to enlarge this for our wall- it really looked like fire.

And now I know what John Denver meant. In more ways than one.

p.s. I will post the rest of the photos in an album on Webshots and my fb page

Pawnee National Grasslands

A couple of Sundays ago, Rich, Chloe, and I went for a drive; Rich wanted to see Pawnee National Grasslands. Well, it was miles and miles of flat, and no houses for as far as you could see (and that was pretty far) in any direction.

We finally saw a small sign for it and turned onto a dirt road, where we drove for miles and miles more of flat- though along this route we saw the weird sight of leaning power lines... the only explanation we could come up with was that they are being replaced by the straight up ones. Who knows? But it was very startling.

We also saw three missile stations- I guess that is a good place for them, way out in the middle of nowhere.

At some point we saw a sign that said: Pawnee Buttes. Rich told me buttes are small rock formations, kind of like mesas, but smaller. I don't even know how far we drove before we saw them... a LONG way, according to Chloe!

FINALLY we saw them, and it was well worth the drive. Turns out there are some nice hiking trails there, which we weren't prepared for, but we are planning to go back.

While Rich checked the grass for birds' nests, I took the opportunity to take some close up photos of little flowers, and of course a bunch of the buttes.

Colorado is a very beautiful state.

The kids have arrived!

Yesterday morning, Heidi and Chloe left for Ontario. As Heidi is 15, they are old enough to fly together without anyone else and so they did.

I heard tell of a minor fiasco in Chicago; the girls inadvertently passed their seats while boarding the plane and had to fight the "traffic" going back the other way... only to sit in the wrong seats still and have to move! LOL That was the worst of what happened to them, so that is pretty darn good!

They didn't get to Holly's till quite late in the evening but as Holly's and Heidi's birthdays just passed, they made time before bed to do birthday presents.

Our presents to Holly were a pair of hot pink Doc Martens and a psychology dictionary. The girls each got Holly a MLP tin lunch box- inside of one was a cupcake/muffin t-shirt and inside the other was a pair of cupcake tea towels which Holly says are too cute to use as tea towels!

Holly got Heidi an LA Ink book signed by Cat VonDee (no idea if I spelled that right and not being a fan... well, I don't much care). But Heidi is a huge fan and was quite thrilled by the gift. Sigh. I just don't get tattoos and I never will.

Anyway, here are a few photos that they took at Holly's last night. I told Heidi and Chloe that they need to post things on their blogs too, so I can follow along. We will see if they do...

Chloe's Continuation

Not GRADUATION because they are just "continuing" on- but a ceremony because they have to change schools.

Chloe has finished elementary school with straight "A"s and I am so proud! I have really seen her grow by leaps and bounds in every way this year. I know she is nervous about going to middle school, but I think she will positively thrive in the environment. Being the youngest, she has never cared for being treated like a baby and has always tried to prove her capability in whatever way she can. That is why I think middle school will be right up her alley! lol

Here are a few photos we took last night- check out the neon green leggings! Chloe also likes to make a statement whenever possible... lol