A Month of Daniella

April was a busy month, and an exciting one for Miss Daniella.  Most people dread April 15th  : ) , but at our house we celebrate!
   April 15 was Daniella's 7th Adoption Day.  We always let them pick out a treat for the day, and she chose a chocolate cake this year.  She had an idea to decorate it, and did it herself, with a little help from Marissa.


One week later, we celebrated her 8th birthday.



Briana and my parents joined the party via Skype.  Daniella even posed to have her picture made with Briana.  : )

Silly String fun~


Afterwards, we went to the Track and rode a few rides.




Then this past Sunday on the 26th, Daniella had her first ballet recital, which is more praise dance than classical ballet.

Relaxing....and Not

Well, actually, the "and not" came first.  I'm still struggling health wise, although, I did have a good day on Wednesday.  This morning was hectic packing everyone up for an overnight stay at my parents' house.  About 2:00, we made the 2 hour drive over.  I was stressed, extremely tired, and not feeling so well by the time we got here.  But, after getting in and eating some chocolate chip cookies my mom had just made : )  I started feeling more rested and less stressed.  Briana had to leave for a class about 45 min. after we came in (she just walked in the door as I'm typing : ) ).  So, while Ashley and my dad went for a walk, and James and my mom played Wii with Marissa and Daniella, I spent a good 1/2 hour in wonderful relaxation.  I layed out in the lounge chair on the dock on my mom and dad's lake.  I sat in the sun, listening to the wind in the trees, mourning doves, other birds singing their little hearts out, bumble bees, and geese honking.  The only other sounds were the occasional sound of a lawn mower way off in the distance, and the occasional sounds of the girls' laughter coming through the open window. 
Tomorrow at 1:00, a couple from our church is driving over, and James and I are meeting them for dessert.  At 2:00, the couple and I are meeting Ashley at the theater, and watching Briana in Shenandoah!  It was originally supposed to be a day trip for me and 2 other ladies, but one had to cancel.  We already had the tickets, so the trip got changed to all of this! 
After the show is over, all of us but Ashley will be headed back home.  Ashley is going to stay here with Briana until Wed. 
I'm so excited to go see Briana's show again.  This will be my 2nd time.  You just can't see it all in one show.  And, besides, when it's your daughter, you have to see it more than once.....okay.....I've got tickets to see another 2 times after this!  Maybe 4 times will be enough.  LOL. 
Wishing everyone as beautiful of a weekend as we are having here!

Happy Day

Quite honestly, I feel terrible.  I have since Friday.  I'm not contagious kind of sick.  It's a condition with my adrenal glands that I have struggled with for about 4 years now.  When it's this bad, I can barely function.  When I get this way, it also affects my emotional state.  I get really down and tearful.  In spite of this, we had a great day on Sunday. 
  We started the day off with a *wonderful* worhip service.  Since I had been out of town until Thurs. night and had a children's church picnic on Sat., we didn't dye our eggs until Sunday.  We usually try to do our egg events on a different day, but it just didn't happen this year.  After we spent a while dying 3 1/2 dozen eggs (!!).....fun.....we hid them from each other.....also fun.  The only bad part of the day was that while we were dying the eggs, I really grieved over Briana not being here.  The Lord helped me on through it, though.  Sunday evening we built a campfire, grilled burgers, ate out on the deck, sat around the fire and made s'mores.  Aside from my exhaustion and Bri not being here, it was a perfect day. 
Saturday's picnic. This is throwing raw eggs at the target.


Good catch~
See the egg flying at the top of the picture?~
racing with a raw egg in a spoon~
Three of my pretty girls~





She has *always* loved dandelions.  We have the yard to prove it.  : )  That's okay.  I'd rather her enjoy simple "childhood" pleasures! 

 
Ashley's baby, Kacie~

Sitting by the campfire~


Many blessings.

On the Road Again

I am at my parents' house again staying with Briana while they are out of town.  Since they live out in the "boonies" : )  we all feel more comfortable if she's not staying alone.  This has really been a different year for us.  Not only having our first child leave home, but it has put me on the road much more than normal.  Actually, I'm usually only over here about twice a year.  But, during this adventure, this is my 12th trip over here since July.  
   And, while I love coming to spend time with Briana, it was hard this time, because I had to miss the rest of my family being in the church musical last night.  I shouldn't have been so sad, because I saw it Sunday morning, but for some reason I grieved all day yesterday. 
   The musical was great.  James was one of 2 narrators, Ashley sang in the choir, and Ashley, Marissa, and Daniella were all in the praise dances.  Actually, Briana sang in it Sun. morning, but we had to get her back Sun. afternoon.  This was the little girls' first experience with the praise dance, and they both loved it.  They are the main reason I was so sad to miss it last night.  The Sunday morning "performance" by the choir and dance team, along with the message in word that our minister of music shared, was annointed.  It was an amazing morning. 
   Well, it 's really strange to be writing in April in Tennessee, and wathcing the snow out the window.  We have about 2 inches on the ground here.  I took some pictures of my mom's snow covered tulips, but don't have a way to share them right now.  Briana got up early and went to her 9:00 am show, only to get there and find out it was cancelled, since it was school matinees, and the schools are closed today. 
   Speaking of the shows, a couple of people left comments about the quality of the shows, and surprised it was such a big production.  Yes, they are.  This is a professional theater she is working in, and she is learning so much.....and having the time of her life.  It's so funny to hear the stories she has to tell.  I said that if the people in the audience only knew all the silly and crazy things happening on stage during the middle of the show...  : ) 
  I'll leave you with some spring thoughts on this cold, wintery, April morning. These were taken last week.
James having Bible study on the back deck with Marissa and Daniella.  Notice the colonial dress.  I just love homeschooling!

They dug out this old pool, filled it with water, and had fun soaking their feet and playing.

SHENANDOAH!

Oh, my goodness.  What a week!  I am home again for a few days.  We left on March 18th, and went to my parents' house where Briana lives.  My sister and 2 nieces were there visiting as well, so we enjoyed Wed. night and Thurs. visiting.  Thursday night was Briana's opening night.  James and I went, and it was WONDERFUL!  I loved it, and can't wait to go back.  (I plan to go at least 2 more times.  Since they gave us 5 free tickets, and the younger girls are not going, I can go twice for free!)
The musical is set in the Shenandoah Valley of VA during the Civil war.  It is about a family trying to stay out of the war.  The first half is fun, and the 2nd half is sad.
Briana had the opening dance solo, so she was the first one out on stage. I was crying before she ever got out there.  : )


Opening number~

Briana is on the right next to the flag bearer~



In church~
Fire scene~  Briana is on the left beating out the fire.

Next to Lovin' I Like Fightin' ~ fun song


Preparing for the wedding banquet.  Briana is on the right holding the tablecloth.~

1st battle scene.  They are being shot at, as they run across the stage, screaming.  : ) Briana is in the center.

 Second Battle scene.  Briana is symbolic of the Union.  Standing in the midst of the war. 
See the Confederacy (at the bottom) is dying.
 These guys all around her (4, I think) are shooting blanks from real guns.  It's very loud!!  She still jumps every time at the first shot.  LOL. 

The Union stands and is victorious, though ragged and tired.  Briana is waving the flag in victory.

2nd dance solo~ 
This man in front of her has the lead role.  He has been in numerous tv shows, and has worked with many famous actors, including Tom Cruise, Carol O'Conner, Andy Griffith, etc.

In this musical, Briana was chosen as what they call "The Dream Child".  They have someone in every musical who is symbolic and "the chosen one"  haha.  That's why as all of the families are being reunited after the war, she is alone in the center, as she watches the father in his grief. 



Yes, I am just slightly proud of and for her.  This has been a dream come true for her.  One that she was a little afraid to dream.  This is a great theater, that does some great productions.  In fact, they were the first theater licensed by Disney to do Beauty and the Beast.  I am also thankful to my parents who have given up some things to allow her to live with them this year. 
Tomorrow (Sat.) will be the 5th show of Shenandoah, and she has 32 more to go before it closes on June 14th. 
Thanks for letting me share my excitement!

Countdown

Only 3 more days!!!!!!  until Briana's opening night for her first adult musical.  And, only 4 more days until I see her for the first time in 4 1/2 weeks.  I am so ready.  I've called her quite a bit the last week.  Email just wasn't enough.  We also have Skype, which is wonderful, because I can see her and talk to her on the computer for free.  Of course, I will only get to see her a few hours on Thurs. before the show, a short while after the show, and a few minutes the next morning before we are off to MS for James' scout reunion. 
  She's really getting excited, I think, about opening night, although she's got some long days ahead of her with tech and dress rehearsals.  I can't remember if I said here before, but she was given the dance solo to open the musical, which is totally, amazingly COOL!  LOL.  (can you tell I'm excited?)  She also does a smaller solo toward the end.  There has been just one catch this weekend......they put her in a hoop skirt!  It's kind of hard to do high kicks and dance in a hoop skirt. So, the choreographer is "working on it".  She said they may change her costume. 
   Ashley and I are on antibiotics since last Tues.  We never could kick the sinus junk.  This is the first time I've been to the dr. sick in 6 years.  I got sick with a sinus infection on the plane coming back from adopting Daniella.  We're doing much better....until today.  I'm still on the antibiotics, but I am sinusy again, scratchy throat, running a low grade fever again, and completely drained of all energy.  I guess I'm trying to get something viral on top of the other.  Ugh.  I've got to get some energy to pack!
  Ashley started her next 2 college courses (8 weeks courses) this week.  This term she is taking Missions and Theology.  She's going to be quite bogged down in reading I do believe.  At least it is interesting to her.  She made a 95 in college Biology last term.  I was so excited for her because science is not really her great interest, and the first week was overwhelming and HARD~lots of chemistry.  Once she got past that, though, she actually enjoyed studying deeper about the human body. 
  We're plugging away here on homeschooling.  I have hit a problem with Daniella in math that I don't know how to explain to her better, and she is not comprehending.  I'm going to let her Daddy have a shot at it tomorrow.  If she's not ready for it yet, we'll just move on and come back to it.  I could tell today that she was feeling down on herself because she couldn't understand.  She's good at math, and I am not going to hinder that.
  As you know, Ashley is on our church praise dance team.  They are dancing in the Easter production on Palm Sunday.  They let younger kids do 2 dances this time, though, so Marissa and Daniella are both doing praise dance this time as well.  They are really excited, and I'm very amazed that Marissa is enjoying it.  She's not typically the dancer type.  We just found out today that James is going to be the narrator.  If you'd told me 3 or 4 years ago that my husband would be narrating a production and acting in the VBS dramas, I would have laughed at you!  I guess once he danced in the Nutcracker a few times with his daughters it broke the ice for him.  LOL.
Here are a few pictures from our homeschool~
We studied Ben Franklin, and part of that was about his newspaper.  We took alphabet pasta, inverted it, painted it, then pressed it on to another paper.

 

The only problem was that the pasta soaked in the paint, and it was hard to keep them wet enough to get all the letters coated.  If you put too much paint on, it filled in the holes.  They thought it was fun, though.
Marissa's said, "Marissa loves her cat."


Marissa loves to take pictures of absolutely anything and everything~ the carpet, door knobs, stuffed animals, acorns,close ups of comforters, notebooks, you name it....to look through her pictures is quite humorous.  But, sometimes she captures some pretty cool pictures.  One day, I think she will have a really good eye and be quite a good photographer.  Here are just a few~