Emma was a Rifle Soldier in the Nutcracker 2012.

Emma started ballet last spring and has loved it all year.  She was in the Forum's production of Mary Poppins this Spring and The Nutcracker this fall.  She was one of 5 Rifle Soldiers in the Nutcracker.  There were 8 performances. Auditions were held in September, rehearsals began the first of October and ran through December.  It was a lot of hard work, but she loved it and has decided she wants to do it again next year.  I love watching her dance, she is very graceful.

These 2 girls were also rifle soldiers and from her school.

Backstage

The Cast of Act 1.

Several supporters came to see her perform and she had family at every show. Some of her supporters were Nanner, Poppy, Grandma, Granddad, Uncle Adam, Ms. Andrea, Sadie,  Daddy, Mrs. Amy Reed, Chloe, Berkley, Abby Bunch, and others.

One of Eva Grace's favorite Christmas traditions is coming to the Nutcracker.  She saw Sophie, Emma King, Lucy, and got to go twice.

Mrs. Andrea and Sadie brought Emma a Nutcracker book and a very nice candy bar bouquet.  She also got a rose :)

The Nutcracker has been a lot of fun! Emma has already decided she wants to do it again next year.  She is the first Rifle Soldier out during her first part. She is the second soldier out during her last part.

Ella upset about her part in the Christmas play

Our Thanksgiving Thankful Turkey

We made a thankful turkey this year.  Ella helped me make it :)  Most everyday we each added a feather of something we were thankful for.  At the end of the month our turkey was full. One of my most thankful things of this season was this turkey :)

Emma's feathers (age 10)

Ella's feathers, (age 5)  She is thankful for Amy, God, famule (family), Ella, iskrem (ice  cream), cand (candy), trka cups (turkey cups), presets (presents), my teachers, pebl (people), school

Eva Grace's Feathers (age 8)

Ella school Thanksgiving program, Kindergarten

Grins

Thanksgiving 2012, It's a BOY..

To set the mood for Thanksgiving this year we got together with Sadie, and Ellie to make some decorations for our family feast.    If you will look to the right of this picture you can see the turkey cups the girls made for guests to drink out of.  They also made the Happy Thanksgiving banner below.  

 We celebrated Thanksgiving the weekend before Thanksgiving because both Andrew, Sarah, Aaron and Chelsea could make it home then.  Andrew and Sarah decided to also make it a gender reveal party.  FUN!!

 Everyone had to make a baby prediction, pink bow (girl) or mustache (boy) and wear that item until the gender reveal at the end of the night.  Eva Grace and Andrew put a quarter wager on the outcome...

Our tanned bird...

The kids table for our family feast.

One adult table including Sarah and family, Andrew, Nathan, Judy, Mrs. Jane, and the Mays.  Bill Brown and family joined us later.

The other adult table with the rest of the Brown family.

The gender reveal table :)  The prediction outcome was pretty much even.  The answer was in the cake color- pink for girl, blue for boy.  Andrew and Sarah did not know the gender either until the cake was cut.  They had their doctor seal the ultrasound results it in an envelope and they gave the envelope to a cake baker in Jonesboro.

It is a boy :)  Happy smiles!  Name to be revealed at Christmas! 

 The actual Thanksgiving day we ate hamburgers at Grandma's house then went to Nanner and Poppy's for a big feast that evening.  Burt got to carve the turkey, as he usually does for both sides of the family. That knife has been in the family for many thanksgivings!

 Usually don't post this tradition BUT with a picture like this, why not?  Me, Amy Reed and Destiny always go shopping on Black Friday. We start late Thanksgiving night and shop all night long.  In the wee hours of the morning, things start getting delirious...  Great memories are always made and lots of shopping always gets done. (Last year Destiny got her picture made with the Chick Fil A cow on the side of the road).

Emma's 11th Birthday Party

She wanted her party at Jonesboro School of Art, which is very fitting since she loves arts and crafts.   She decided to make a purse and a feather hair accessory as the craft.  For her cake, we went with Dairy Queen's Oreo Blizzard cake- YUMMY!  We couldn't get 11 candles in the frozen blizzard cake so the girls decided to do 1 and 1.  :) They sang to her and we had cake first so it wouldn't melt.  

Next we made the hair feather accessories.

Then the bags.  These were canvas bags the girls got to color, then they got to tye dye them.  All the girls each signed each others bags on the backs so they were all autographed by everyone :)

 She had a great party.  (Claire, Olivia, Kaira, Ashlyn, Mollybeth, Hailey, Emily, Emma)  Sadie and Ella Kate were also there.

Of course, then we did the birthday dinner at.... Salsa's.  Grandma also took her out shopping and to eat.     Nanner and Poppy got her her first pair of Miss Me jeans.

Jumping Beans

Who knew these things really jumped?  They provided days of entertainment for all of us, as well as lots of giggles as their jumps tickled palms.  They were even educational.  We Googled how they jumped and it turns out there is a tiny jumping caterpillar in there!  It grows into a moth and eventually breaks the shell and goes free.  We were fascinated.

Playdate at the mall with Em and EK

We got makeovers.

The lady who did the makeovers was very sweet.  Here are the girls afterwards :) 

 Then we tried on formal dresses.  Lots of formal dresses...

 Also modeled hats, scarves, glasses, etc..., signed up for some mall freebies, ate some free snacks, ... I think a good time was had by everyone.

Sweet Emma, 11 years old.

Presidential Election 2012 Obama/Romney

 Every opportunity deserves a shirt, and every shirt needs a matching partner :)  That should be our motto.  The presidential election was such an occasion.  These were some of my favorites.  Ella and Berkley had a set and Eva Grace and Chloe had a set.  They both made their school web pages.  :)

I didn't get a picture of EG and Chloe in their shirts so I got this one off their school page.

OH, and Obama won re-election.