Opening number costume

I embellished all of these costumes with sequins, I didn't think I would ever finish but I did and they came out fabulous!

Isn't he amazing?

I found this guy hanging on my Forsythia early Sunday morning. I would love to know what kind of moth he is. He was huge about the size of a saucer I can't imagine seeing him in flight.

Blessings!

Good Morning

Well, we did it! Dance Out Loud Dance Centre completed her first full year. What a year has been. We made it through our first recital and it went so smoothly that I still can't believe it. It was my first time ever back stage...I learned really quick what my role would be on dress rehearsal night. We sold over 400 tickets for our first year. Not bad with 72 dancers...we had a very enthusiastic audience who cheered our dancers on. Many people remarked how they loved her costume choices and her music selections. 30 minutes before the show she had prepared a cd with songs that have meant a lot to her from her life selections from Judy Garland, Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, her first dance recital song "Boogie Woogie Bugel Boy". The most important song for her was the one right before the curtain a tune that she used to dance with her Pappy (my dad) "Put on a Happy Face". I know he had to be watching down on her from heaven with tears in his eyes. Our show was 2.5 hours long and it went on without a hitch! We managed to keep her dance at the end a secret until dress rehearsal night. My fault I forgot to pull it from the dressing room paperwork but I think knowing that Brittany was going to perform built some excitement between the kids and their parents. It was of the utmost Importance to her that she praise the Lord for all of the many blessings that He has given to her and for bringing her through sometimes such a stormy first year, She chose a beautiful song by Kari Jobe "What Love is This". It was perfect because all of the dancers were in the wings of the stage awaiting the finale. When she stepped on the stage cheers from the audience and her dancers were so loud that it is still ringing in her ears. She danced beautifully and that night was able to give her testimony through her dancing. It was amazing! She is amazing, our young daughter who has begun a positive transformation in the kids that she is teaching. Her dance studio truly is her mission field. This week brings us to our 2nd week of our six week summer session of dance. There is a change with the kids. They are more excited than ever before to be in class. It is such a sight to see and it does my mother's heart good and her daddy's heart as well to know that she going to be alright. That she is building something that will give her a future. She may not be rich but she has the opportunity to share her love of dance, and Jesus with children...to give them a postive place to grow. Now, I am using this summer to catch up on all that I missed out on. I have got to find a better way to feed my family. We have just eaten WAY too much fast food this past year. I need to get a handle on my laundry and my home duties as well. Which I am fervently working on now each day. Summer brings a lighter schedule which allows me to get my bearings together. I am working on a new look for my blog...giving it sort of a facelift once I figure out what I want. For now I like the look of the hummingbirds :) Life is good, I am blessed, what more could I ask for... Wishing you a day full of blessings! Joyce Marie

Red Elevator!

May 2012

What an unbelievable, fantastic, mind blowing month we have had.  May came in with a bang and it hasn't stopped yet.  My Brittany took her Intermediate Performance Team to their first dance competition the first weekend in May.  The girls did amazing at their first performances.  They were sparkling and so pretty.  They all received a Gold award which is great for their first time.  Brittany was like a new mother leaving her baby as she left her first group backstage and came to sit by us in the auditorium.  It was so funny to see her like that.  What a different experience for Dennis and I as we sat there on the other side of being a parent of a dancer but as parents of the artistic teacher of these girls.  I, of course know how she thinks, have the privilege of being there night after night and watching her dances come together.  To sit there and watch the vision that she had in her mind come all together was...I can't really even put it into words.

The next weekend we all the kids at the studio from  7am until noon...dressed in all of their finery, hair in buns and red lipstick for dance pictures.  I was really nervous about this week.  We planned as best we could.  Created a schedule for parents and kids and we actually pulled it off without any major crisis.  We were on our way home by 12:30.

This past weekend we went to our final competition of the year and all the girls from both her Intermediate Team and her Pre Advanced Team and her soloists were there.  It was a great time and the girls did amazing again!  What a joy it is to watch everything grow...the parents bond.  It's beginning to feel like family within the small group of these parents. 

It's Wednesday and I'm finally rested up from the little sleep we got this past weekend...just in time to switch gears.  We are in our final week of regular classes.  Next week brings on Theatre Week.  Final rehearsals, a dress rehearsal and my daughter's first Showcase!  Later that night she has about 30 kids age 7 and up back to the studio for a "after the show sleepover".  

I keep saying this over and over throughout these last posts that I am humbled by so much that the Lord is doing in her life and all around her.  If you think of us within the next week keep us in your prayers as this is a big production to put on.  Our goal...to look like we have been doing it for 100 years.  We have planned and brain stormed over and over for the last year.  It's hard to believe that in just over a week we will tie a great big bow around her very first year.


Blessings to you and yours!
Joyce Marie 

Intermediate Performance Team

These sweet little girls will be competing for the first time next weekend. Tonight, Brittany is hosting a Pep Rally for them. Team games, pizza, embellished flip flops are all on the agenda as well as running their dances and lots of cheering for each other. I just love these girls...it has been such a wonderful year watching them all blossom into beautiful dancers and great friends.

Sweet Serenity

Within the last month my dear, sweet husband and I celebrated our 27th Wedding anniversary.  Twenty-seven wonderful years I have gotten to love and live with my best friend.  This year we went on an adventure.  We drove to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and rented a cabin in the Smokey Mountains. 

It was a bit scary for this mom who is struggling with letting go.  It was the first time that we had gone so far from home with Brittany actually being at home.  She had a friend stay with her all weekend, which made us feel better.  She was busy with one of her team fun nights too...so she was her typical busy self.  For us...we had just about 9 hours to unwind as we made our way to our cabin.  I will admit.  At the last moment I almost changed my mind.  I was nearly in tears when we left and so was Brittany but as the miles passed I began to relax and she stayed in her routine and I felt better when she was no longer alone. 

We are in this brand new phase of life.  Parents of an adult child.  Its HARD!!!  It is harder adjusting to this than anything I think I have ever had to adjust to.  The funny thing is...even though she is home, even though we are together everyday...it still kinda feels like we are going through the "empty nest" stage of our life.

Dennis and I had such fun as we had to find our cabin in the rain, in the dark, where we could see nothing but what was in our headlights.  We left later than we had thought and we got into construction traffic for about an hour so it was dark and I mean dark when we arrived.  Our cabin was located, literally in the tree tops.  We had a beautiful view.  We traveled some pretty curvy roads with drop offs on both sides of the road in the rain and in the dark.  It was interesting to see all that we passed by the next day as we ventured out to have a look around.  One of my most favorite memories and one I'll not soon forget was the sound of the water in the creeks as we passed by them.  There is nothing like the sound of rushing water coming out of the mountains over the rocks.  I would have loved to have been able to pull over and just sit by the water for a while.

All in all we had a blast!  We both agree that we have to get back to being a couple again.  There are times when she is out and we just, well, really don't know what to do with ourselves.  It's weird, I know.  But we are just so family focused that we have to give ourselves permission that it's okay for us to just be us again.  I am beginning to like this new stage.  It's fun.  We have had it all.  Eight years of newlywed bliss, Nineteen years of parenting, and now what do we even call this new stage of life.

I do know this, God chose the perfect man for me.  As we think back on the years we have had together we are both so thankful that all of our firsts are with each other.  He is still my love and my best friend.  No one makes me laugh as much as he does and when we are in sink with each other (did I spell that right?) there is nothing better.

So I am embracing this new stage in life with everything I have for as long as God allows.  Who knows what further adventures we'll get ourselves into.

Blessings!
Joyce Marie