end of the season

the 2009-2010 Colorado Children's Chorale season is officially over.

when we started this adventure late last summer we really didn't know what to expect.

bella and her school/chorale friend, we carpooled every week

couldn't have done it without these guys!

we knew it would be a huge time commitment

bells and i outside Boettcher Hall
spring concert

we knew Bella would love every second of it



performing Small Miracles at the Colorado Heights University

and we hoped that she would do well
Brendan and Bells
he really was a proud big brother on this day


in the end, all of these things were realized.
and now, we are ready for the summer break!

Happy Birthday Brooke!! (April 8)

Every year when it's time to celebrate birthday's I am amazed at how fast the kids are growing.
The time between when I was holding them as infants and today is like a whirlwind, yet it seems like only yesterday.
This year Brooke turned 6
Her birthday fell on a Thursday and we were packed with Achievement Days and Scouts.
So on her actual birthday we had a simple family party of pizza and homemade cake.
Then I took her to Target to spend some birthday money

Here is the delicious chocolate cake with cheesecake pudding for filling.
It was heavenly

A couple of weeks after her birthday we had a skating party

It was so much fun

At the beginning many of the kids couldn't skate

But by the end they were all doing really well

The birthday girl with her second birthday cake

It was a little chaotic but I would recommend a skating party to everyone

The kids absolutely had a ball!

Hope your birthday was great Brooke!

We love you so much!

date with daughtry

Those of you that know me well, know that I haven't watched American Idol in years. Those of you that don't may be asking yourself ~ Why?? How can you not watch AI?

Well I can answer that question for you in a name: Chris Daughtry.

I was a huge, can't miss a single episode full blown AI addict season 5.

And then something crazy happened.

Chris was voted off.

I was so outraged.

He was clearly the most talented singer BY FAR that season.

So I vowed then that I would never again find myself manipulated and let down by that show. And I knew that we hadn't heard the last of Chris.

I knew that fame would find him.

And now, roughly 4 years later, his fame has come.

And what of the winner from season 5? Taylor Hicks?

What exactly is he doing these days?

Apparently he is still making music but has anyone heard it??

That's what I thought.

SO~ being the huge, and I do mean HUGE

Daughtry fan that I am, I have been dying to attend a concert.

He was in Denver a few months ago at the Gothic and I really wanted to go but it was a Sunday so I thought I would be good and not go :)

Have to set a good example for the young women ya know.

Then I heard he was going to be in Broomfield and I really wanted to go but thought it was too far to go in the middle of the week. Totally gives away my age I know.

But then the other day I was in the car and one of the local stations was giving away Daughtry tickets.

About a week or so before this I just so happened to program the stations number into my cell phone cause they are always giving away cool things.

I had a story that fit in with what they were looking for so I started dialing.

It took many, many times to get through but finally I did.

And I WON!

ME! Who never wins anything!

I couldn't believe it was real.

I was sure when I went to pick up the tickets they were going to tell me that there was some mistake. But it was true, they were really mine and last night was the show.

And it was AWESOME!

The first band that played was CAVO. I have nothing to say about them honestly. They were really bad.
And I felt like I had traveled back in time to the late 80's early 90's.
When the drummer ripped off his shirt I was a little worried that we were going to have some Red Hot Chili Pepper's action goin on.
But thankfully it was just him.
And it was just his shirt.
Not his pants replaced with a tube sock.

I want to apologize in advance for the crumy pics.
My camera does not take far away shots well at all.
Next up was Skillet
We had never heard of them but immediately it was obvious that we were one of the few that hadn't.
Everyone started going crazy!
Clearly, they have a fairly large following.
If I had to sum Skillet up in one word that word would be ANGRY
Their music sounds very, very angry.
Even the "Love Ballad" ~ their words not mine, sounded angry. However, I like angry.
And then something crazy happened.
That angry band started talking about Jesus.
In an introduction to a song about suicide, the lead singer starts talking about his hero, Jesus Christ and how he makes it so that we are never alone.
And that we can reach out to him anytime, anywhere and he will hear you.
Well I'll be.
The angry band is really a Christian Rock Band!
Who knew??
Apparently everyone but us.
So in the end, we decided that we really liked Skillet and that on a cd they are probably great and not quite so angry sounding.
Oh!
And Russell Brand moonlights as their soundboard operator. I kid you not!
They could have been twins.

Finally after what seemed like forever Daughtry took the stage.
And rocked the house!
It was an awesome show.
That man has some serious pipes. Even if he couldn't breathe because of the altitude.
And he's pretty easy on the eyes as well. Not that we could really see but ya know.
His hotness is the same whether I can fully appreciate the view or not.

His encore was fabulous.

Why people rush out of the building in hopes to clear out the parking lot before the masses descend and miss the encore is beyond me. You've already invested a couple hours, why not another 20 mins?

So I say adieu to Daughtry.

Until we meet again, I remain your devoted and loyal fan.

Keep on Rockin!!!

This - This is why I can't get anything done

frequently, at the end of the day i find myself wondering where the day went and why i don't feel like anything was accomplished.

the laundry still needs to be folded.

the floors need to be swept for the fourth time of the day.

dishes waiting to be put in the dishwasher or taken out and put in the cabinets.

you know - the really fun stuff that we love to do. and yet, while all this stuff is left seemingly undone, i am exhausted.

feeling like a ran a marathon, uphill, in the rain and against the wind.

why am i so tired?

and why don't i get anything that i set out to accomplish done?

well, yesterday was the perfect example of why.

while i was doing laundry lily found these and put one on. she looked super cute so of course i had to take a picture. and then i cleaned up the HUGE mess she made trying to get them out of the cabinet.

and contrary to what the commercials claim, these do not prevent snoring

then, in the afternoon while i was helping bella with her math she did this.

some peanut butter handprints

and in between these there were multiple spills, a few tantrums and several changes of clothing

all in a days work

wasted cookies ;(

the other day i made these awesome cookies.

they were peanut butter sandwich cookies. two moist, chewy cookies with succulent peanut butter creme in the middle.

they really were a little piece of heaven.

this morning, lily was determined to have one. but since it wasn't even 9am i said "No"

after the 3rd time of her getting the container down and carrying it around i told her that if she didn't stay out of them i was going to throw them all away.

wouldn't you know, not even 3 mins later there she is strolling around with the container.

it was one of those moments where i really wanted to over look the problem.

i didn't want to throw away those marvelous cookies that took a serious amount of time to make.

but she left me no choice.

so with her screaming behind me i threw them in the trash

such a waste.... why can't they just listen??

who is cosmo??

lily had to give the closing prayer in primary today. larry helped her but somehow she said

"we are thankful for cosmo"

which caused many to ponder.... who is cosmo?

did we get a new pet?

is she talking about the magazine?

cosmo from fairly odd parents?

the answer:

she was supposed to say "i'm thankful for the GOSPEL"

gospel, cosmo - they sound pretty similar....

when barbie meets lip

it's not a pretty picture

thanks bells for chucking one at me

OH - And we lost our first tooth!!!
But not because of the barbie, the tooth fell out first
And then we accidentially swallowed it.
So dad bought her gum intstead of the tooth fairy giving he money.
Because, the tooth fairy doesn't dig through... well ya know