Kelsey Quote

"I didn't get that sign [billboard]." Proceeds to explain what the sign said.
Caitlyn, "That doesn't make any sense."
Kelsey, "I know.  That's why I didn't get it."

Fishing with Dad

The girls and Bill have a new past time lately.  They have become quite the fishermen. The four of them go fairly regularly, Kelsey and Bill most frequently.

They don't always reel in large fish, but they're pretty successful in always catching something.

I'm not sure if Caitlyn has decided whether actually catching a fish is a good or bad thing, haha.

Kelsey has been proud to frequently catch the "lunker." I am learning a whole new vocabulary :)!

Kelsey Quote

Kelsey, "Caitlyn, do you know what will rattle your brain?"
Caitlyn, "No."
Kelsey, "If you put it [the bumble ball] against your forehead and pull the string.  Like this." Many sounds of bumble ball rattling Kelsey's brain.

Just in case you needed to know :).

Hard to Say Good-bye

For the last five years....,

 

ever since Caitlyn, Keegan, and Kelsey were small...,

 

we were blessed to be involved with a wonderful theatre group that put on top-notch shows while providing a 100% positive experience for those involved. Wow.

Brigadoon, Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, The King and I, and Carnival provided us with hours of pleasure. We would often stay after the girls completed rehearsal and watch, just for fun!

We would eagerly anticipate auditions each August, and then anxiously await the posting of the cast list.

We LOVED the people at the theater. The director, Miss Marilyn, is like no one I've even known.  Puts on incredibly high quality shows in an itty-bitty town at a small college.  Has a glorious Scottish accent and a gift for making each person she talks to feel special.  She expects the children to behave well, and makes it an exceptionally fun experience at the same time!  She can correct a person and leave them beaming, as if they had received a great compliment.

The other folks were wonderful, too.  Miss Barbara, (the costume designer,) Miss Margie (seamstress and hair dresser,) Miss Angie (music director,) Miss Jennifer (office manager,) Miss Kim (choreographer,) Miss Suzanne (stage manager,) Mr. Wess, and many others became special to us. Our can-be-shy, slow-to-warm-up family felt comfortable right from the start.

Now, here it is, August again, and audition week again.  All those wonderful people are still there doing all of those wonderful things.  But we're not.

              

Several months ago we moved.  And that has been a good thing overall.  And life does go on.  So it has been surprising how hard this week has hit us. Knowing that the new show is starting up without us there has caused more than a few tears to be shed.

As a mom, I never want to see my girls hurting, whether that is a part of life or not! :) We are trying to focus on the fact that the only reason we miss it so much is that we got to know such awesome people.  Lucky us! Don't we have a lot for which to be thankful?  And we do feel that way.  Really and truly we do.

But, boy we sure do miss being there.

Even though we have a good life and fun activities now, we are grieving the ones we left behind.

We are doing well - exploring new activities and opportunities, getting to know new people, renewing old relationships...,

 

but definitely not forgetting the old.Participating in such positive, well-managed, well-done shows was a great experience for all of us.  If you were part of it, know that we love, miss, and appreciate you more than you realize.

Thank you.

Wordless Wednesday - Swimming!

Doesn't it look like fun?

Kelsey Quote

"Mommy, I love you in real life, but this is a game and I am going to try to win!"

Haircut

Before -

And after -