2018 Ballet Intensive Video Audition

Elise only applied to one ballet intensive this year, Orlando Ballet, which she was accepted into. However, she decided that she'd rather go back to Nepal for a 2-week cultural exchange. Here's her progress from the last year!

Ruth's birth story (only a year late!) part 1

Baby #6. Our little Ruth Ann.

Let me start 6 years ago, because that was when I knew that Ruth was going to be joining our family. I wrote about it a little bit in Lincoln's birth story, but it is really Ruth's story...

We had just moved to Provo and Stephen had started the MBA program at BYU. It was a Sunday afternoon; Stephen was upstairs playing with the 3 (at the time) kiddos and I was downstairs reading my scriptures. Out of nowhere I had the thought that there was a little girl named Ruth waiting to come to our family. Okay, good with that. Then another thought that she was going to be born naturally. Again, I can do that. Then that it didn't need to be immediately, just be thinking about it. Okay, can do. And then "you should go tell Stephen."

Over a year later Lincoln was born - most assuredly not a girl. Two years later, along comes Trevor - again, not a girl. And then this pregnancy. In the days leading up to the ultrasound I kept wondering if this was our Ruth. I was excited to be having a baby either way, honestly and truly, because I knew eventually we would get our little girl. As soon as we saw our baby was a girl, Stephen and I looked at each other and knew it was our Ruth.

But now I'm getting ahead of myself, because there was another happening before I got pregnant as well. It's kind of a silly one, but made all the difference to us! Ready? We bought a second car. Funny, right? We've always been a one-car family. For a little while when Stephen and I were dating we each had our own car, but that was it. Thirteen years of one car. And the thing holding us back from having another baby was our 7-seater minivan + a very small student stipend = can't afford a bigger car.

Then my grandpa sent a very generous Christmas present and Stephen said, "why don't we get a second car?" Aaaaaaaah! Lights from heaven! If we had a second car we wouldn't need to buy a bigger car! And that meant...another baby! So we found a car, offered the guy what Grandpa had given us, and away we drove!

There was just one more thing we had to plan for before getting pregnant: the Nutcracker Ballet. We couldn't have a baby until after the ballet in December since both Stephen I serve on the Board of Directors. But after the ballet we would be ready! Stephen would hopefully have a job lined up and we'd be a few short months away from an income again.

Anyhow, the first trimester of pregnancy was rough. Not really any different than the other pregnancies, only it lasted a little longer. I pulled out my super power during this time: the ability to fall asleep any time, anywhere. Like while reading to the kids or singing to Trevor at nap time or sitting in the car waiting for an activity to be over or working on spelling with the older kids. Things were great until about week 35, when I started realizing that being pregnant at age 34 is quite a bit different than being pregnant at 21.

At 32-33 weeks we all flew to Oregon for a final goodbye visit/family reunion with my mom. It was wonderful and awful and physically and emotionally draining. So worth it, but so hard as well.

One of the absolute best moments of the trip was being in the temple together - Dad was sick, but Mom, Stephen, all my brothers and their wives were able to do sealings together and then go visit the Celestial Room and sit and talk and cry. We all knew Mom was on her way out, so being reminded of our temple covenants was especially meaningful.

I was just over 35 weeks pregnant when we had Nutcracker...that was a long and tiring week! By the end of show day I could literally barely walk. A Christmas tree excursion, two concerts (I accompany Mason and Sammy's Boys' Choir), and a Christmas Day later, I could finally start thinking about the baby...

Elise & Bryan Halloween dance

Elise's original choreography piece

Dedicated to Grammy

Nutcracker community shows, 11/2014

Obviously I'm playing catch up...Trevor hasn't been feeling well so he, Ruth and I stayed home from church. They are both sleeping and I get to blog! Yay!

One of my responsibilities on the NBYC Board of Directors is to be in charge of the community shows - we take a 30 minute mini Nutcracker out into the community. This year we went to 2 elementary schools (our first time doing this, and a HUGE success!!), a senior care center and a library. Elise, Mason, Sammy & Lincoln all got to participate - it was a little tricky with being in charge and trying to get 4 kids ready! Stephen came to the shows, but he was on set up/tech duty...plus, he's not so good with makeup. :)

Lincoln and Sammy were angels, Elise was Clara and Mason was a mouse. Lincoln was having a bit of a sulky time shortly before going on stage...thankfully he snapped out of it before his performing time!

 

Backstage. It was kind of crazy being in a massive gym and trying to keep everyone quiet back here! And quick changes were lots of fun...

When the show was over the dancers lined up and talked with the students as they exited the gym - and of course everyone wanted to meet "Clara" - Elise felt like a movie star! But for all their loving Clara, it was the angels who stole the show. When these little tiny people with their dresses/tuxes, wings, halos and candles came on the audience burst into applause - the first time they had done that! When the angels came to take their bows the clapping was the loudest it ever was. Lincoln especially thought that was pretty cool. :)

At the senior home. From a massive gym to a tiny space! This was the first year that we brought our own Marley (flooring), so the older girls got to dance en pointe.

A snapshot of my life

Every year my older kids take the Peabody Test--an annual test is required by the state, and this is our test of choice. Every time our tester tells me that this test on this day is just a snapshot of what my kids know--things are always in motion and always changing; the test just catches one moment.

So this post is me noting down a moment of my life...

Last week Elise and Sammy were pretty sick--so sick Elise had to sit out some ballet. She wasn't getting better when Sammy was, so I took her in to the doctor to have her hemoglobin checked. Turns out she had pneumonia. Well, that explained a lot! Today was the first day she has felt well in 2 weeks. She danced all of technique and pointe, which hasn't happened in 2 weeks. She came home feeling so good that she got the little boys ready for bed, organized the laundry room, started the laundry and cleaned up in the family room. It's good to have her back!

Now, the reason I thought that maybe her iron counts were low is because I went to the cardiologist last week for some heart palpitations I've been having. They took some blood and turns out my hemoglobin counts were at 9.6 (the bottom of the normal range is 11.8). Then I went to the midwife the following day where they took some blood...hemoglobin was at 9.3. So I'm totally anemic right now...which explains my constant fatigue and heart palpitations. But I thought maybe Elise was suffering from the same thing as me. We'll find out when her blood draw results come back.

Because of my anemia, I did something I haven't done in years: I bought red meat. Okay, so maybe it hasn't been years, but it's only been once or twice a year for the past many years (since we've been in school...it's SO expensive!!). However, I'm at a total loss as to what to do with it, because I'm not used to cooking with it anymore. I'm also taking iron supplements, and have the option to have iron delivered to my blood stream intravenously if I'm not feeling better in a week or so. I have little energy so am highly motivated to bring up my hemoglobin counts! I also can't deliver at my birthing center if my iron is below 10. :(

My mom's cancer is stage 4 and very aggressive. My brother who lives next door (practically) says there is an almost daily change in her, and not on the improving side of the scale. She has good days and bad days, and is on hospice care. I have good days and bad days with that news. All of my brothers and their families and my family and I are gathering together the week after Thanksgiving to go to a beach house and be all together in one place. We've been having family Skype calls that have been so much fun! We try not to tack on any "for the last times" in our planning and merriment. But it's always hanging there.

I bought 100# of apples last week, with the goal to do 10# of applesauce a day in my crockpot. I'm about 30# down with applesauce, and we've probably eaten at least 20#. I'll do another batch tomorrow, but I might end up canning it instead of freezing it as I am out of containers and my freezers (both of them) are full. I also need to make apple crisp filling...yummy!

At Caddie Woodlawn's house in Wisconsin

I signed the three older kids up for an online charter school that gives us some of our taxpayer money back in the form of reimbursements for educational expenses--up to $800/child. Our part of the deal is that each child submits 1 worksheet in 4 core subject areas (History/Social Studies, Language Arts, Math & Science) every other week, which works out to 9 weeks/semester. However, we just got signed up, so I've been trying to get everybody logged in, download worksheets and organize everything for 3 kids. Phew!

Plus, now we have to get all the worksheets completed by the end of the semester...which is something like 7 weeks away. Mason, Sammy and I started working on them last night, and they were having loads of fun! The fun continued this morning...until it was no longer fun and the kids learned the true meaning of "busy work". We'll push through these next few worksheets, then pace ourselves with more time to work on each one. Funny how me helping them has reminded me of all the time I wasted doing things like this when I was a kid. I'm sure there is useful information, but man! I'm glad we have so much fun learning without worksheets to tie us down!

At a nature center class--taking samples of the creek

I've spent much of the last two days (and nights) doing my Board of Directors work for the North Ballet Youth Company. My main roles are very much under control, but some immediate needs came up with things I help with, so I've been doing that. Amazing how my brain continues to stretch and grow--the older I get the more I realize I don't know. :) Thankfully I'm also more adept at figuring things out and I know more people who do know.

I'm in charge of costumes and the Silent Auction again this year. The huge difference between costumes this year and costumes last year is that I have a costume organizer and a head seamstress, along with other parent volunteer seamstresses. They make my life wonderful!! I also put a potential Board member in charge of the Silent Auction, so in both roles I am mostly just a manager. It's delightful!

So that's all the extra stuff going on right now. Normal life includes ballet 4 days/week, choir 2 days/week, Virtus (our homeschool co-op) once/week, teaching piano, making bread, having friends over, YW, Scouts and the day-to-day cooking and cleaning that accompanies a family of 7+. It's wonderful, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Taste of Nutcracker!

Saturday December 14th. We had to be at the auditorium by 10 a.m., with curlers in, for the onstage class.

Mason got to help set up lights. He was pretty excited! I didn't get Elise's makeup done before performance time--thank goodness for a team of volunteers backstage! My mom is doing her hair, a classmate her eyeshadow and her chaperone the rest of her face. :) Mason didn't get his makeup on until the curtain went up...I was so busy making sure everyone else had their costumes and setting up the Silent Auction that my own kids were neglected!

Elise got to dance the role of Clara--en pointe! There are few things I love more in life than watching her dance.

Dream Scene, then with the Nutcracker Prince. It was beautiful!

We flew in professionals from Ballet West in Utah to dance the roles of Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. They were amazing!!

 Backstage

 Mason was a gingerbread cookie. He had tons of fun, even though he wasn't planning on doing it at first.

My SIL Missy Cochran took the photos: photographamemory.wordpress.com

Catch up--June

First off, I got new glasses. Sammy made my necklace. :)

My mom was diagnosed with ampullary cancer in March--right at the time when she was supposed to be flying to visit us. Between doctor appointments, surgery and the possibility of chemo treatments, we weren't sure that we were going to see her for awhile. But, she decided to come out for Elise, Mason and Sammy's ballet recital, and then to help us pack up so we could move to Oregon for the summer (to help her out). Of course, a little thing like the Whipple procedure couldn't keep her still. She stayed busy the entire time she was here!

Elise had a leading roll in her ballet academy's Spring Performance (that will get it's own post soon). I forgot to get flowers for her, but fortunately a friend of a friend helped me out. :) This is Breanna Dvorak, Elise's amazing teacher.

Elise was the first palindrome of the year: 11 years old!

Playing catch up!

Mason helped me with the captions. Enjoy!

Sammy has some awesome outfits...

double yolker!

Trevor is helping by setting the table (don't you love his squat?!)

Sambo and Mr.T are helping clean at ballet (it's how we afford for Elise to dance, and free child labor is hard to beat!)

Twinkie thinks something is loud (the oven mitts are for his quesadilla--it is hot so he puts on the mitts...3-year-old logic, don't ask me!)

having fun! (A beautiful December day, before the snow fell)

Edison is cooking an orange peel (after spraying the oil to make it flame)

low gas! (I couldn't believe the price so I took a picture to document it)

The Nutcracker

Ballet is pretty all-consuming at our house--Elise is at the studio 5 days a week, for a total of about 8 1/2 hours a week of dance time. During Nutcracker season our entire Saturday afternoons were spent at the studio for rehearsing different parts. It was a great opportunity for her, tho, and I'm glad she could do it! Here are some pictures of her different parts...

Harlequin Doll

Party Scene Child

Chinese Dancer

Soldier (that's her in front)

I have some videos of her dancing, but can't find them at the moment...stay tuned!

Ballet

Today Elise had her two performances of "The Nutcracker". Oh my. It was incredible! And she did so well! I'll have to let her tell more about it, and post pictures when I get them.

Tonight my story is about the wonderful community at Elise's ballet studio. Last June I suggested to Elise that she pray with her class members before they performed, and after the performance I asked her if she had done it. She said she didn't get the chance, because one of the older girls invited her to pray with them.

Again this evening I asked her if she had the chance to pray before she performed, and she had--with her onstage family (in the party scene), by suggestion of her "mother", who truly is a wonderful mother. I love that prayer and faith and kindness are such important parts of the atmosphere at our studio. I hope we can find another such studio when we move!

More choreography

Here is what Elise looked like close up--she made those hair ribbons herself! She is the music box dancer in the song.

Here is her dance:

And here is her with her award for the best choreography!

She's got...Choreography!

As part of summer ballet (let's face it--when we move we won't buy a house until we find a ballet studio. Then we'll buy a house next door to the studio) Elise participated in a choreography workshop. She practiced her piece for hours and hours and had feedback from different instructors and her peers. This is her solo piece:

I was so good--I had the tripod all set up with the camera ready to go...I was enjoying the performance when Mason kept talking to me. I kept shushing him until I realized he was telling me that I hadn't pushed "record". Duh. So you don't get all of her dance. Sorry.

Family visits, part 2

A couple of weekends after my dad came to visit, Stephen's parents came for a long weekend. Holy cow. I can't even believe how much we accomplished while they were here!! Stephen took Friday and Monday off of work, and between his parents and him, so many of my little projects got finished. It was wonderful.

I'll start with my top 3 favorite things:

1) Grape arbor. I feel like I step into my own secret garden every time I walk through it. I love being able to say, "I have this plan in my head, can you build it for me?" And then having it turn out exactly like I envisioned it.

Also notice that the garden gate actually closes. It's a beautiful thing--and a clever fix to my "fixing" the gate. Ask me how that went...yeah, not so hot!

2) Laundry room shelving. After tossing around some different ideas, me never really thinking it would get done, and going with Stephen's idea instead of my own (see! I can bend!) I have a sweet set of shelves, which also turns out is exactly what I was hoping for. All the tin-canned goods are in the cabinet with doors, and all my home-canned goods are under the stairs where no babies can accidentally break the jars.

3) Washer drain pipe. This seems so silly and insignificant, but has really made a difference in my life! The washer used to drain into the utility sink (above picture, bottom right corner), which meant that every time it would drain, a very stinky smell would waft throughout the house. Just think of all the nastiness that gets on clothes (not to mention cloth diapers!), creating a beautiful smell that made being downstairs just plain miserable. It now drains straight into the sewer system. Truly beautiful.

Here's a list of all the other wonders performed over a long weekend, in no particular order...

Grandma and Elise planted a flower garden
Grandma planted a clematis and replanted some peonies and Lilies-of-the-Valley
Weeded the strawberries
Ate pizza and Jimmy Johns
Went to the park
Ate yummy food
I didn't do dishes!! Come back, kitchen fairy!
Stephen planned my dream cabinet (more on that in another post...)
Grandpa fixed Mason & Elise's drawers (and told those two that slamming and climbing on them wasn't good for them...hopefully it will sink in with someone else saying it!)

Elise turned 9!

Mason and Grandpa played Snap Circuits and Mason learned to solder!

Sammy and Grandma made a treasure hunt, had a picnic and read lots and lots of stories

Elise had her ballet recital

 Mason, Stephen and Grandpa replaced some faucets--both the kitchen faucet (planned) and the outside hose faucet (unplanned)

We relaxed outside

I'm sure I'm forgetting some things--we (being used very liberally) literally worked and worked and worked. It was a fantastic weekend! It's amazing the difference it makes to have little things taken care of. It's also amazing how exhausting doing all those little things can be!

Come back soon, Grandma & Grandpa!