My BOY...

I love summer and I love being able to spend all day, everyday with my kiddos.   I love hearing a certain pair of feet slapping the tile floor every morning as a certain little boy RUNS to my room to jump into bed with me.  I love how he crawls up, lays on top of me and half asleep whispers, "good morning Mommy!"  I purposely lay in bed after I am wide awake just waiting on him,  it is such a sweet little time.

 

Look at those little eyes on that ball, I don't think I can ever get enough of him or his sweet little face.  Yes, we made him play with a plastic ball and foam bat in the backyard to avoid replacing all the windows on the back of our house.

 

You might understand a little better after seeing this picture why we will not let him play with a metal bat and ball in the yard, the boy is a natural.

 

Oh I've been dreaming of the day I can be a BASEBALL Mom and I think that day is near.  We actually signed this boy up this past fall, but he just was not interested. Sometimes it is a little hard for him to focus, gets that from his Momma (of course). 

 

Who knows, we might even have a catcher on our hands. Yep, I am his Mommy but geez this boy is so cute!

 

You know you can't get enough of your kids when you take pictures of the back of them and think they are so cute, well I am "that" Mom (don't judge!)

 

Go Gavin go, no way your big sister is going to get you out when you run like that boy!

 

Not my best photography skills, but I loved this one too and I love the little boy in it even more.

 

Believe it or not there are a few minutes of everyday when he gets tuckered out, but it is not too often.  I really wished I could convey through my words what life with this little dude is like, it is nonstop constantly but it is something you can't understand unless you spend an afternoon at our house (doesn't even take an entire day, ha!)  My body reminds me at the end of everyday that my 41 year old self works overtime to keep up with this 4 year old (in a good way of course). 

Every single day I thank God for blessing me with Gavin Thomas and I can not imagine my life without him. He has taught me so much about life, being a parent and unconditional love.  He reminds me daily that Parenting Isn't For Cowards and that God is going to use all of his energy, imagination and aggressiveness in a MIGHTY way one day.   I love this little boy more than I ever dreamed possible and I will always be his biggest fan!

Auditioning for Company

Tuesday was a big day for this little girl.  Emma has been asking for two years to try out for Company at our dance studio (the competition dance team).  Last year I attended the parent meeting, but when it came time for tryouts, she chose to swim year around and we supported her.  This year after recital, her mind was made up that she was going to try out for the team.  We talked to her about the HUGE commitment, the cost and how she would not be able to swim as much, but she was determined to audition and keep up with both activities.

 

Tuesday morning she had to be at the dance studio at 8:30 to stretch and for Mommy to fill out all the paperwork.  Upon arriving she went right in and started stretching and was tagged with the number 5, I felt like we were at High School drill team tryouts (number, black tights, leo, bikers, jazz shoes and hair pulled back).

There were about 40 girls who auditioned in her group and about 40 more in the afternoon group, they will also hold a make up tryout in August.  I was so shocked that Emma was so excited and confident about this, she practiced and stretched the entire day before.  They took 30 minutes and talked to the girls, taught them a dance, worked on their leaps and then they were walked over to another room in small groups to tryout.

After tryouts Emma came out and she was so proud of herself.   She was required to perform four 8 counts of a dance, leaps, turns, ballet positions and answer 2 questions they asked her.  Of course she was ready for the questions because I overheard her interviewing herself the day before in her bedroom.

When we left tryouts, we were told we would get an email from the studio by Friday that stated whether she made the team. She has asked me everyday if I got an email and if I thought she made it. I just keep telling her that I was so PROUD of her for trying and that if she did not make it we would be okay and she could take a few extra dance classes and try again next year. She seemed content with my answer, but would always say, "Mom, I really want to be on company this year, I hope that I made it."

 

The email came through Friday afternoon while I was in a training.   Daddy had the idea of telling her with flowers so we picked these up that afternoon.

 

 

We asked Emma to have a seat on the couch in our family room because we needed to talk to her, she got a little nervous and had no idea what we were up to.  Daddy brought the flowers in and she read the message, so nice to have a reader on our hands.  She was ecstatic, immediately ran to me and squeezed me so tight and quickly moved onto her Daddy for congratulation hugs.

 

We had one very PROUD little girl on our hands.  She has not stopped saying,"I can not believe I made company, you told me I could do it Mom if I wanted it bad enough.  Can you believe I made company?" 

To say this little girl is over the moon is an understatement!  She has not stopped dancing around the house or talking about company since she found out the news on Friday night.   She can not wait to have a "big sister" and have a bigger part in recital next year.  This year will certainly be hard work for our little dancer, but I am hoping she enjoys every minute of her commitment to the studio. We are so PROUD of her and look forward to supporting her this dance season.  Don't ever stop dreaming or believing Emma Caroline!

Summer Swim Banquet 2013

Tonight we celebrated with our little swimmer at the swim banquet that concludes the end of summer swim team.  It was a fun little celebration and all 220+ of the kids were honored for their efforts and improvements in the pool.

 

This is the group of 6 and under girls that Emma swam with this summer.  She was on a relay team with 3 of them and they did exceptionally well as a team.  If you know Emma at all, I am sure you are not surprised that she chose to wear her after 5 attire to the party (it's her beat and her drum!).

 

Of course Emma and Lauren are going to be close to each other at any dance, swim or church function.  Lauren swam with the 7-8 year olds this year, but it did not keep them separated.  They are such sweet friends and so supportive of one another in all that they do.

 

 

Emma was so excited to get another trophy and display it on her shelf with her one from last year.

 

Here is Coach Becca, Miss Becca and Nanny Becca to us!  Emma loves this sweet girl and we are so thankful that we found her to Nanny for us a year ago, she plans to stay with us this year too.

 

Oh Emma Caroline, we are so PROUD of you and  your commitment to everything you do in life.  You did amazing in the water this year, qualifying with your backstroke in a divisional and championship meet.  You fight so hard and always do your very best, with a BIG smile on your face (yes, even when you swim you are smiling girl). 

 

Now that summer swim is over, we will start practicing and swimming with her year around team again.   No where we would rather be on a Saturday morning at 7am than watching you poolside baby girl. 

Recital 2013

Yesterday was year number three for this little dancer to participate in recital and she would have gotten on stage alot more if they would have let her, the girl loves to perform! 

 

 

Jazz this year was performed to Throw Your Hands Up and it was a cute little number.  The girls struggled with the choreography a bit, but after 3 additional practices they did wonderful.

Emma's ballet class danced to Keep On Dancing and it was beautiful.  Emma had a very special lead part in this dance that made me cry my eyes out during recital, I was so PROUD of her on stage.

This girl loved her Jazz class this year and all the shaking they got to do (ha ha).  She grew so much as a dancer and the light officially went off and she started saying how much she truly loved and enjoyed dancing.  I believe she has always really like dance, but this year she has loved it and can be found leaping and doing pirouettes all over the house.

 

Emma Caroline, you are one beautiful little girl on the inside and out!  We are so PROUD of you, your love for life and your ability to tell a story on stage. 

 

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I HOPE YOU DANCE

Happy SIXTH Birthday Emma

Happy SIXTH Birthday to the most amazing little girl we know and love.  Words can not begin to describe the overwhelming proudness we feel to call you our daughter.  

You are simply amazing, loving, precious, outgoing, have a servant's heart, Jesus junkie, swimmer, school lovin', devoted to family, graceful dancer, animal infatuated, friend to all, hysterical, compassionate, giving, dreamer, best big sister, blessed, grateful, sweet cousin, affectionate, honest with your words, always happy, over achiever, wise beyond your years, beautiful on the inside and out, want to be involved in everything and a lover of life.  There is not a single thing we would change about your precious soul Emma Caroline and we pray daily that we are raising you to honor and serve God. 

Thank you so much for teaching us to be parents and for reminding us when we skip a beat, your boldness is admired and appreciated.

Today, you will dance in your 3rd recital, we will sing Happy Birthday to you while you blow out SIX candles on a cupcake, we will gather our bags and head to the airport for our family vacation.  You and your brother have no idea where we are headed, but it will be a week filled with fun, adventure and family time.  I am confident when we get to the airport and you read the state we are traveling to that you and your brother will scream with excitement, hug, jump up for joy and celebrate the way best friends do.

Emma Caroline, today is your day.  I hope you always know and feel the unconditional love we have for you in this life. What an amazing journey it has been the last six years and one that I am so incredibly thankful to be a part of with you. 

We are a team, we are family, we are The Frazier Four! We look forward to celebrating many more birthdays and life with you sweet girl. 

Happy 6th Birthday to you Emma Lou!

Emma's 6th Birthday Party

Yesterday we celebrated Emma's SIXTH birthday with 20 of her little friends and 3 cousins.  All of the kids had a blast and enjoyed the party. 

My kids love to challenge me when it comes to party themes and this year was no exception.  Emma decided in January when American Girl released the girl of the year Saige, that she would be having an American Girl Saige Art Party. 

Emma has become a great reader this year and we have read many large books together.  Saige is one of them and needless to say we learned more than we needed to know about Saige Copeland from Albuquerque.  Saige is a lover of art and her school lost the funding for its Art program, so she went on a campaign to save the program.  Of course she had the help of her Dad, whom was a Hot Air Balloon Pilot, her Mimi (an artist) and Picasso (her Mimi's horse that Saige loved).  From there, Emma's 6th birthday came to life.

 

We decided to have the party in the art lab at my high school and it was the perfect space and place.  Emma is a social butterfly and wanted to invite 40+ friends, but she was forced to narrow her list down this year to her favorite friends and a few cousins.

Each child got to paint a 16 x 24 canvas of a hot air balloon and they were all so creative.  My art teacher graciously walked the kids through an art lesson and the process.  I was so proud of how intently they listened.  

The goody buckets were paint cans filled with an art palette cookie, American Girl Magazine, candy, Saige bookmark and Icee pops.

The paint can up close and tag that said, "I hope you had a Sweet time at my party". 

Emma chose the cupcakes and colors for this party, it was a hodge podge but looked so cute mixed together.  The world of art is very colorful, so it was perfect.

We had this little table sat up as a colorful candy bar where the little artist filled their paint cans up at the end.

Colors, colors and more colors!  Believe it or not the kids were so neat and clean with their canvases.  Each of them were provided an apron to keep their clothes clean and I also came armed with Dreft stain spray.

The room was set up when they arrived and they were all so excited to be in a High School, it was cute.

This little cabinet was set up with Emma's AG Dolls, pennants, gift bags and pizza.

I can not believe that this little girl will be SIX years old in a few more days.  She is so super excited about going to 1st grade next year.

Another little display filled with cookies and American Girl catalogs for the little girls to take home.

Sweet Gracie and Hannah Claire have been Emma's special friends since she was 15 months old in MDO.  I hope these 3 always stay connected.

Ava and Delilah are Emma's sweet friends from the Dance studio.

Hannah Claire, you are a special little girl and Emma loves you as much as you love her. 

Ally was so excited to paint and did such a great job.

Emma's sweet little brother could hardly wait to get started and he did a great job.  Way to go Gavin, you kept us laughing (thinking he likes abstract art).

Lauren and Emma are in summer swim, dance and year around swim together.  They are the best of friends and are SUPER silly when they are together.

Our sweet cousin Peyton.  So glad they are here for the summer from Colorado and could join us.  Peyton has some talent when it comes to expressing herself with a paintbrush.

Happy Birthday to you Emma, so hard for me to believe that I had to push 6 candles down in that cake this year.  Seems like yesterday when we were helping you blow out your candles sweet girl.

Lily, Laney, Melinda and Stephanie all enjoyed their lesson and were such great students. These sweet girls are great friends to Emma.

Macey and Isabella are 2 of Emma's friends from Kindergarten this year.  We missed Kate and Ellie (her best friend at school this year) but hope to have a play date with them soon. I wish I could have gotten a picture of everyone, but we stayed busy helping everyone and refilling paint.

It was hard to get all the kiddos together at the end, but we managed to get this shot.  It was so fun to see how different everyone did their canvas and how cute they all turned out, they were so proud of their hard work. We were thankful for all of those who joined us and missed those that could not make it to celebrate with us.

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to

remain an artist once we grow up.

~ Pablo Picasso