Happy 6th Birthday Elias!

1/2 Way to 70

Kitchen Before & After

It was a nightmare of a process, but the outcome was worth it!

Before:

After:

E's First Tball Game

Pulled the trigger

Thankful

It's been quite a long time since I've posted. We had a really busy summer and then fall.  Filled with soccer games, soccer practices, dance, work, celebrating our 10 year anniversary, and hitting the gym to take off 18 lbs before our anniversary trip!  Life is good.  We are blessed.  Here's just a few moments we captured the last few months. Life can get crazy, but man, what a ride! I wouldn't trade it, or my 3 loves, for anything!

Walt

Isabelle is in the second grade.  In the beginning of the year her teacher explained that the students would be doing little speeches all year long, each one being a little longer and more difficult.  These would lead up to the mother of all speeches: a speech on someone who is deceased whom you admire and think made some kind of difference in the world.  The students would dress up as the person they chose and give the speech as that person.  Belle came home full of excitment when she heard this and told us, "I want to be Walt Disney!" She asked if we thought her teacher would allow such a thing seeing as Walt was a man and she's, well, not.  We told her to ask and assumed it wouldn't be an issue.  Her teacher advised her it was absolutely a-okay. 

All year long Belle has been talking about this.  When we went to Disneyland she made sure we visited the Animator's Studio and found as much information on Walt Disney as possible.  She never wavered from her desire to be Walt.  When I asked her why she wanted to be Walt her reply was, "He was a really nice man, he changed entertainment for families making it more fun, and he followed his dreams even though a lot of people told him they wouldn't come true.  Oh, and I think I look good in a mustache! *giggles*"

We had so much fun shopping in the boy's department for her outfit.  She giggled the whole time.  We even went and purchased a fake mustache (which you'll see in the first few pictures when she was trying things on a few days before), although she opted for a makeup mustache the day of as the fake one itched too much!  The big day came, and she looked fabulous!  I inwardly hoped she wouldn't get cold feet going to school as a boy!  But my big, brave, confident girl strutted her stuff right into the YMCA that morning (her before/after school care) without an ounce of reservation.  The director told me that she didn't even recognize her when she came in. I later received an email from her teacher telling me just how wonderfully she did.  Top it off, she received the highest grade possible!  So proud of my little Walt!  And I think she's right...she did look pretty darn good in a mustache!