Mother's Day 2011

 I received many very nice cards from the kids for Mother's Day this year.  I love all of the homemade pictures, the little flowers growing in cups, and the gifts they made at school.  They were all sooo proud to give them to me!

 

 I can honestly say, that this card was a first for me. 

Hmmmmmmmm......... ???????

Opening Day 2011

Makenna and Tearney opened the 2011 Softball Season this weekend at home.  They both made some nice plays for their teams, so everyone was happy at our house tonight.  :) 

It was H.O.T.!!!  In the 90's with blowing dust.  Nice.

Stub and I coach Tearney's Coach Pitch Travel team.  They did a good job.  They were the youngest team, and made some great plays today.  Sadly, since Mom is the coach, there are no action pictures of her.  I will have to wrangle someone to be my photographer this season!  :) Tearney plays 2nd Base, and had two nice snags that she threw to 1st which resulted in outs.  She was pretty proud!

 

 This is Makenna's first year playing kid pitch travel ball.  Here she is laying down a bunt.

 

 Makenna is also playing catcher for the first time this year.  She had a couple of nice tags at home that resulted in some outs. 

A good start to the 2011 season!

Tearney's 1st Communion

Tearney received her very 1st Communion on Sunday.  She was very excited, and did a super job! It was a beautiful day, and it turned out perfect.

Tearney in her dress.

 

 The Entrance Procession

 

 Receiving her 1st Communion from Father Henry.

 

 The whole class.

A Kansas City Weekend!

A couple of weeks ago, Tanner wrestled in Independence, MO at Brute Nationals.  We decided to make a mini-vacation out of the weekend, and go check out some things to see in Kansas City.  We had a great time!  We visited Union Station, and went to Science City and the Diana exhibit (I HAD to share that with my kids!).  We visited the World War I Memorial, and had a great time!

  Brute Nationals

 

 Outside Union Station in Kansas City

 

 Stub and the kids in a helicopter at Science City

 

 Tanner on a suspended bicycle at Science City

 

 

 Calder on the bicycle.  See how high it was?  NO WAY was I going out there!!

By the Crown Center Hotel fountain

 

 We ate at Fritz's.  How fun!!!

 

 The whole family went to see the Diana exhibit.  The girls were entranced, and now that the Royal Wedding has taken place, they want to go back again!  They are definitely my girls!  ha!

 

 The electricity bubble

 

 Excavating for dinousaur bones

 

 The Girls:

 

Easter 2011

Easter 2011 

 

The bunny was good to us!

Spring Singing!

It has been a very busy spring around here!  I am a bit behind, but will catch up on posts as I can!  Both Tearney and Calder had spring music programs the last two weeks.  They were both themed, and turned out very nice.

Tearney's 2nd grade Spring Program

 

 Calder's 5th Grade Spring Progam

Where Will You Be?

OK....so if you missed my earlier post, I am a HUGE Princess Diana fan.  In case you weren't aware, her son, Prince William, is having a little wedding this coming Friday.  A small, very intimate affair you know.....with about 1 Billion people watching.   Let's make that 1 billion and ONE watching!!  I watched his mother get married in 1981, so I can't miss this one!  So, if anyone is up at oh say, 3:30 am on Friday, feel free to text me!  I will be watching away!!

  

  

Tanner is State Bound!!

The last two weekends have been filled with State Qualifiers for wrestling.  Tanner was super excited to hopefully qualify in his weight bracket.  

Sub-District Champion!  It was not without a bit of nerves however!  He ended up having to re-wrestle his bracket because there was a 3 way tie.  He ended up beating the others to become the outright winner!  It was a hard day, but SO worth it in the end!!

 

 He then placed 3rd at Districts, which earned him a bid to State, which is next weekend in Topeka!!  Way to go Tanner!!

 Of course, now that he is a State Qualifier, that means it is time to dye the hair again.

Before:

During:

After:

I must say I think we did a much better job at getting it blonde this year!!

He is super excited for next weekend, and we are too!!  Good Luck Tanner!!

Abilene Aces

 Makenna played on a travel volleyball team, the Abilene Aces, this winter.  She learned a lot, and had a great time.  Their team ended up placing 2nd overall in their age group in the state standings--not too shabby!!

 

 

Say Yes to THE Dress!!

So, I admit it....I have a HUGE fascination with Princess Diana.  I have loved her from the moment she and Prince Charles announced their engagement back in February of 1981.  I watched the royal wedding, I read and cut out any articles I could find about her.  I have TONS of books, photos, clippings etc regarding her and her life.  LOVE. HER.

I have longed to go to England, to be able to see her family home, and where she is buried.  I even have tickets to Althorp in an album when they first opened it after setting up a Diana museum there.  I am SOO going there someday!!  

I have been watching the coverage of her son, Prince William's upcoming wedding to Kate Middleton with great interest.  Can't wait to watch it on TV!  Every week the Today show has a segment on the royal wedding, and I watch it on my computer since I am at work during the day.  To my surprise, they had Princess Diana's wedding dress at their studio last week.  They talked about a traveling exhibit that comes to the US once per year that THE dress is part of.  Oh, how I have wanted to see this!!!  It has never been even close to coming here, so I have not been able to go.  To my HUGE surprise, they announced it was coming to KANSAS CITY, and opening on March 4!!!!  

OH. MY. GOODNESS!!!!!!

My Mom was the first person I called.  She had a Dr. appt in Kansas City scheduled for .....yes! March 4!!!!  I was going to see THE Dress!!!!!!!

The exhibit is entitled, "Diana, A Celebration" and it is currently on display at Union Station in Kansas City.  This is the view from outside:

 The outside banner:

Proof I was there!!  Haha!

This is "THE Dress!!"  (So the pictures are from my phone... they are not the best quality, but I have proof I was THERE!!)  The dress is in a HUGE glass case (there may, or may not have smudge marks all around it from my nose being pressed up against the glass!!  haha!)

This is from the very back of the glass case at the end of the 25 foot train.  

The exhibit also includes 28 of her dresses and photographs of her wearing them.  So interesting to see them in person.  Her tiara, shoes, etc are also included.  There are family albums with all of the actual photos in them, childhood items, family videos, and letters she wrote.  There is also a room devoted to her death, and all of the many condolence books are on display.  The original copy of Candle in The Wind by Elton John is there, and it is playing in the room.  So very sad.  There is the copy of her brother, Charles, Earl Spencer's speech given during her funeral service, with parts crossed out, and notes.  It was so surreal to be right there with all of the things I have seen pictures of, right there.  

I know she was just another person, but she really was someone who I have always admired.  It was a dream to get to see it all.

I am going back before it goes back home to England in June!!  Anyone wanna go?  :-)