Fancy Feet

It's that time of year again! Clogging is back in swing, and our fall schedule feels "normal" again with practices under way. McKenna is very excited about the new season and the opportunity for growth that has come with it. McKenna had a tough decision to make at the end of the season last year. She had been Clogging at a smaller studio with not a whole lot of room for growth within herself, yet LOVED her coach, Jeff and the girls she danced with. As many of you know, aside from her obsession with horses, Clogging is a HUGE part of McKenna's life. She would tell you herself; "someday I want to be on the BYU folk dance team". Needless to say, after a lot of thought, she decided she was up for the challenge and wanted to take the plunge. She will now be dancing with Idaho Rhythm, in Nampa. She met with the director over the summer and feels very comfortable with team she will be clogging with - Sensation!

So with all this, I knew McKenna had been needing a new pair of clogs. Her feet have grown so fast, we've had to get a new pair the past several seasons. She had to CRAM her feet into her shoes this week for practice, and then stated on the drive home, she thought she might need a new pair. They're not the cheapest shoes around however. My hope is maybe her feet will stop growing and she can wear this new pair a couple seasons. :) So nonetheless, I had already ordered the shoes and didn't tell Miss McKenna they were on the way....

She had no idea what was in the box, other than I told her something came in the mail for her. She was actually quite perplexed when she saw a box addressed to her.

She was soooo excited when she discovered what was in the box. CLOGS! She let out a SQUEAL and danced around the kitchen!

When it comes to clogging, a "new" pair of clogs, is simply the BEST gift ever!

She had to immediately try them on of course, and head out to the practice floor we've made in the garage to try them out!

I was glad to capture the moment of such a wonderful thing in the life of a little girl. We're so excited for her this year, and know that nothing will hold her back from clogging her heart out. Good Luck Magoo!

Back to School

The kids both started school last week. It's hard to believe summer is over, and it's time to get back into our school routine. McKenna & Blake have really enjoyed their summer of traveling, camping, swimming,and most of all, sleeping in. :) They have however, been anxious to get back to school as they both LOVE learning!

McKenna started 5th grade. This seems crazy to me! Am I old enough to have a 5th grader?

Blake is our 3rd grader this year. Yikes! It seems like just yesterday...I was sending him off to Kindergarten.

Twin Falls Temple...

Yesterday we drove down and spent the afternoon in Twin Falls, attending the temple open house.

This was taken in front of the temple. After we went on the tour, we spent time wandering the temple grounds enjoying all the fountains and flowers.

The kids were so excited to go inside, as this was the first time either one of them had been into a temple. I got this picture as we were walking around to the front side of the building to go in. They were both truly mesmerized.

I got this picture of Steve & Blake. There is a new sub division going in right next to the temple. The house you see in the background is so close. Literally looks like it's in the backyard. The kids thought it was cool, and commented on how great it would be to live that close to the temple. :)

I'm so glad we took the time to go down and enjoy the temple. Really, I must give all the credit to the kids for planning this one. Things have been so busy for us it seems lately with traveling, getting read for school, etc. but they have been consistently asking for several weeks now if we could go.....And we are so glad they did. It was a special day for all of us, and one the kids will never forget!

It's Been a Year for Blake!

As most of you are aware, we had quite a BIG scare with Blake just over a year ago. He was hospitalized for a week with influenza A as well as his asthma, which we have known he has had for quite some time, just never really knew the extent of it. After dealing with the Pediatrician for several years, we were refereed to an Asthma & Allergy specialist, who has since become a good friend of Blake's. We had a series of tests done after Blake was well and out of the hospital. Out of the 114 things he was tested for, 87 of them came back positive. WOW! This includes most everything outdoors, most pets, and a few food items.We immediately started "shot therapy" each week. He has gone twice a week now for the past year for shots, as well as a regiment of medications both morning and night here at home. After all this, I'm proud to say- He's doing fabulous! He even managed to get PERFECT attendance this last year at school and was soooo excited. He used to miss several days of school a year do to allergies & asthma, so for him it was a HUGE accomplishment.

This is one of the breathing tests Blake does periodically when we go in for shots. It helps to know how much oxygen his body is getting.

I can tell you, this was NOT a fun adventure for the first few months. Who likes shots? Not to mention, 2 shots in each arm, twice a week. OUCH!

Blake always says the "right" arm hurts worse. I guess that is the arm they put all the "animal" allergens, so it tends to burn and sting quite a bit more.

Needless to say, he has been such a trooper! He used to not like Laurie, the Nurse as she was the one always poking at him, but as time has gone on, he has seen the difference in the quality of his life and he appreciates her helping him to feel better. He doesn't even seem to mind the shots these days. Just walks right in like he knows what he is doing. Way to go Blake! Our plan is to continue treatment for the next four years and evaluate him at that point. We have recently dropped down to going in once a week, and our hope is to get into a once a month schedule. Time will tell....but in the meantime, Blake still remains to be our little HERO!

"Teen Magazine" - Photo Shoot!

This was so funny....I thought I must share. So, McKenna had one of her Best friends, Briannah Mae over to play. They seemed to be having a great time doing a variety of different things from, scrap booking and playing school, to even making us some yummy cookies. I had disappeared upstairs to put away some laundry for a few minutes, when McKenna came in and asked if she could borrow my camera. Being the responsible girl that she is I said: " that would be fine." " Just put it back when you are done and be very careful." Several minutes had passed and I came down stairs. I walked by the front window and noticed the girls had gotten a couple of McKenna's church dresses on and were out front posing....I couldn't figure out who was taking the pictures until I opened the door and found photographer Blake on the scene. It was hilarious! If only you could have seen what I saw at that moment. The girls proceeded to tell me, they were in the middle of a "photo shoot" for the new "TEEN MAGAZINE."
If you only knew McKenna and her friends, they are always telling us they are; "Pre, Pre, Pre teens!" ( I guess you say "pre" for every year before you turn 13. So with them being 10, they are considered to be in the " pre, pre, pre, teen category.") Enjoy the photo shoot!

Let me blow you a kiss......

Strike a POSE!

How's this?

They're really working the camera now!

Soooo Cute!

Anytime we have Briannah Mae with us, people often comment on how much alike these two girls are in their looks, as well as their mannerisms. They are truly a JOY to be around!

How Dreamy.......

I'm so glad these girl's seem to have such a GREAT time together. I love their imagination's, and the things they come up with. Thank you girls... We'll be looking for you in the next issue of "TEEN MAGAZINE!"