How Blessed we are. . .

Okay, so I admit, I am HORRIBLE at updating our blog!! I get inspired every time I see one of my dear friends posting such meaningful and sweet posts, and get this "determination" to update it more often. I have to wonder how I am SO technologically unsavvy, while being married to the worlds biggest computer guru on the face of the earth! (I guess I am embarrassed to even ask him sometimes, just so he doesn't realize how much I DON'T know! ;) I am making yet another attempt, although, I must tell you, my laptop is now in rehab (well, to be honest, I think it has actually passed, due to its wine consumption - that occured the evening BEFORE my speeding ticket on the way to school the next day!) Therefore, my photos are in a bit of a dilemma, as they have not yet been removed from my laptop, and I am not as comfortable pulling them from Darrell's computer! (HA!!! Like I am comfortable doing it from ANYONE'S computer!!!!) Therefore, there will be no cute Christmas photos, (although with my husband, you can be sure there are hundreds of those!) and who knows the most recent that have been downloaded, so I will post what I can!





We have been so very blessed this year, and looking back, the year has flown by way to fast. We were especially blessed this year to have Kylie dance in Carolina Ballet's Nutcracker again. What an awesome experience to see your daughter, dance in front of hundreds of people on a stage that is about the size of our entire downstairs, with real, live, professional dancers! It is a "welling up" moment for mom, that's for sure! Yesterday was her last performance, and I was honored to be the "backstage mom" and got to escort the girls to the stage from their dressing room. WOW! It was truly amazing - to see these girls - they know exactly where to go, and when to go - it is pretty cool! I am going to make an attempt to post a photo. . .



Whew! I think I did it! So, yes, it was a very hectic, crazy holiday season, as all of our weekends from October on, consisted of Nutcracker rehearsals! It was this crazy busy, awful yet wonderful, time in our lives! I have had moms tell me that they could never keep my schedule and do the things I do, and yet my response to that is, "if you find your child's true gift - not just something they 'like' to do, but their true, God-given and God inspired GIFT - you will find a way to do it - even if it makes your life hectic! For Kylie, dance is not something she does, it is what she lives - she breathes dance. She dances in her dreams. She FEELS dance. And to those who have been blessed to watch her, they see the passion as well. She has worked very hard and become the youngest one to be invited in to the ballet troupe at her dance school, and is one of the inaugural members of the newly formed "Holly Springs Dance Company Apprentice" team. We are so very proud of her! Her diabetes is under control (although as a mom, you want all the numbers to be perfect!) and we are SO proud that she has never allowed it to limit her potential.



Kevin is trying his hand at basketball this season! We have tried soccer, T-ball and now Basketball. Truly, sports are not his gift, but we want to expose him to any and all that he desires to try! We are very proud of the progress he has made (from not being able to dribble the ball at all and not even coming close to the goal!) to being able to hold a decent dribble and making the shot sometimes! He just loves to make people laugh - that is his passion and gift at this point! (oh, and absolutely decimating ANYONE at Super Mario Carts on the Wii - can't forget that one!) We love watching him grow, and hear all the "boy" things come out of his mouth! Things like "I want a double "light-saver" for Christmas! (meaning Light-SABER!) Ugh - watching Star Wars was the end of my sweet, innocent little guy!! ;) He is still the loving, sweet light of my life!



Kayden, what can I say about my dear Kayden? Kayden is. . . . .well. . . .. Kayden! She continues to dance, and loves it, although I never want her to dance just because "sissy" does. I so want her to find HER passion! I really do think that it is her passion as well, I just think she lacks the "old soul" maturity that Kylie has always possesed. She will excel much more in Jazz and Modern dance, where as her sister truly excels in all of it, but especially ballet. Kylie could stay at the studio for hours and do barre work to strengthen her muscles (and would if it meant she could go "on pointe" sooner!) where as Kayden has that child-like mentality of dance, but then PLAY!! (which she SHOULD have! She is only 6 after all!) She is just as "intense" as the day she was born, and we are loving watching her grow and become the "go getter" that she is.



All 3 kids are excelling in school, and we are so proud of the way they are balancing it all! Some days (okay, be honest here mom, MOST days!) they do it better than me! I am still struggling with the "working mom" thing, and have yet to find a way to get it all done in only a 24 hour time period! I know I will get there, I just hope that by the time I finally "get it", I can just be home again! I tell you, with my family's schedule, it really would be ideal for me to be that "domestic engineer" again! Ahhh. . . . someday! :)



All 3 (or should I say 4!) kids are still very involved in their Indian Guide/Princess tribes with Darrell (hence the 4th kid!). He is chief of Kevin's tribe, which rounds out our amazingly crazy, loving schedule!!



I am hoping that now that I have given a small update and peek into our crazy lives, I can now post some more meaningful, and expressive posts soon! We hope you all have had a wonderfully special holiday season, and that God's love has filled each of you with the promise of our eternal Father's never-ending love and protection for us all. We pray for a peaceful, joyous 2009 for all of you!



Love,

Shannon