Dancer girl!

We just got the pictures from this past summer's performance of Sleeping Beauty.

Emily started dancing when she was three years old. I have been reminded about how little Emily was then since my granddaughter and my niece's daughter have just started taking dance in the last couple of weeks and they are little.

Emily always loved dance, of course back then it was only an hour a week. I have a million pictures through the years because there is not much cuter than a little girl in a leotard and tights.

Every spring she has been in the recital. In the beginning she only danced in two numbers.

She has always danced at the same studio. We love Ms. Farry and Ms. Cara. Some of the other girls have come and gone although she still dances with at least three of these girls from when she was six.

She use to have the world's largest hair bun when her hair was down to her waist. She must have had a lot of sun that year as well because that is some tan for spring.

Ms. Farry started "A Children's Nutcracker" at Christmas time of 2003. Emily has been in it every year since then. She was a peppermint in 2004. A cartwheel across the stage in that costume was awesome. Auditions for this year were a week ago. Emily was so happy when she ripped open the envelope revealing her part. A big butterfly. Rehearsals began this past Saturday. Now she is nervous. The part of Big Butterfly is a solo on pointe. Fortunately she has hours to practice and she will do great. We can't wait to see the performance.

They're engaged!

Geoff and Alayna met when they were 7 years old. They probably would have started dating then if we had let them. They're getting married May 12, 2010.

Impromptu Concert

Kirsten and Colton surprised us by showing up for the weekend. They brought along their parents and we loved the unscheduled recital.

It was hot, hot, hot

in Dallas last weekend and once we realized we could gloat about BYU's win and play tourist at the same time we got to it. Kirsten bought this stroller at the American Girl store with her own credit card.

After Church on Sunday we went to the park to sweat.

The kids wore us out before themselves as usual.

Kirsten needed a work out and then with those skinny little legs climbed to the top of the ladder while Jen waited for the fall. She may be evidence we did evolve from a monkey.

And the sun is big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas, or is that the stars?

Colton has no fear but he may have been trying to hang on to his life here.

When we first moved here, what to do for Thanksgiving was a big dilemma. We had spent every Thanksgiving with our family and cooking, eating and cleaning all by ourselves didn't sound all that interesting. So that first year we went to Six Flags over Texas for the holiday, on the very day in fact. We have been numerous times since and we went again on Labor Day, in fact if you want to know about any roller coaster there we can tell you where it's located and what we think about it. Good times.

Here's everyone on the swings except Jon, Colton and I because frankly it's too slow.

Jenny and Jon and trust me, Kirsten and Colton, on the Batwing.

Lonny and I took the kids and rode the hot air balloon while Jenny, Jon and Emily rode the rollercoasters.

Colton loved driving this big rig.

Kirsten couldn't wait to ride the Carousel.

This is my favorite, the Texas Titan. There were no lines so we rode it a couple times right in a row.

Jen and Emily are the only two that rode the Texas Giant because the rest of us are opposed to whiplash. The first time we went to Six Flags Jenny and Justin rode the Texas Giant 25 times. No kidding.

And then we drove home. Happy as clams. First BYU wins and then Six Flags has no lines. It was a Texas sized miracle.

Perfect weather

for a bike ride, this is mild. Or stay inside to avoid drowning. And have ice cream.

We spent

the weekend with this little future running back. He could run past the defense and down the hotel hallway, press the button for the elevator and slip through the open door before the ref could throw the yellow flag.

We worked out with the opposing team before the game. They were cordial.

This little player could turn her back and close her eyes but the camera caught the action anyway.

Game Time. So far so good. They won the toss and every BYU fan was praying that that wasn't the only good play of the day.

It was a sea of red with a few blue. Didn't matter.

Who counts that high?

Game over. BYU 14. OU 13. The fans were stunned. BYU fans were saying "what just happened?!" while the OU fans were saying "what just happened!?"

Blue fans didn't move. One lone red shirt says I'm out of here.

Okay all the red shirts said I'm out of here. They apparently did not get the memo that losing was a possibility. You have got to love an Oklahoman though, greeting us with "good game" like our summer workout had somehow contributed.

We found this one lone sad holdout. An alumni from both schools, his head said red but he had a blue shirt underneath, right next to his heart. It was a great game, can't believe I was dreading it so much. Oh yeah, and nice stadium Mr. Jones.