4th of July. 2013

I'm finally getting a post up about the 4th of July. We stayed at our lake house for most of July, so this is where we celebrated the fourth. The kids loved doing fireworks this year and we had a nice time with just our little family. Here are a few pictures from that week. 

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This is what Reid spends most of his time at the lake doing...fishing. He LOVES fishing and would sit on the dock and fish all day long if we would let him! 

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checking the fish trap...he caught a HUGE crappie in the trap a few weeks ago!

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little bro.

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This was our Fourth of July project that we made. It was extremely messy, but turned out sooooo cute!

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Fourth of July 2013

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Reid is such a great kid when we're at the lake! He smiles more, laughs more, spends the mornings fishing and the evening catching grasshoppers. He didn't ask for my iPhone or his iPad for weeks. I love that appreciates nature and has a love for the outdoors. 

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Gator girl!

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LilliAnn had an art class and she made a cityscape with a sky full of fireworks.

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She was so proud of her creation! 

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Annual Rollins 4th of July pics!

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Our little firecrackers!

let's get ready to rumble.

Reid did the "coolest" art camp on Tuesday! My friend Hillari, of Paint Paper Scissors in OKC, came to Wewoka for the week to do a mini art camp and we couldn't wait to sign up! Reid did the Rumble pop-art painting and it was so much fun! 

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This project was really for children who are a little bit older than age 5, so I helped with staying in the lines and mixing the colors. I outlined and Reid painted most of the picture...although painting the horns  was his favorite part! 

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Thanks Hillari Grimes for such an awesome project! 

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Everyone did a great job! 

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..... Reid or Rumble? 

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Reid wanted to give this painting to his Papa to hang in his new office. We left it in his chair for a special surprise! 

"banastics."

LilliAnn had her very first tumbling lesson yesterday. We did a private lesson and I (as well as the coach!) could not believe how well she did for her age! We scheduled this lesson just to see if she was ready to start tumbling classes. The instructor told me that not only was she ready, but that she needed to do private lessons instead of a class because she ahead of most children her age. I honestly was very surprised at how well she paid attention and how "coachable" she was. She can already do a cartwheel/round-off (not perfectly of course), and there is a possibility that she may be able to do a backhand spring by the time she is 4! After watching this lesson, we decided that we will do gymnastics this fall in the mommy & me class at Rising Star Gymnastics, and will do private tumbling lessons once a week as well. I thought dance was going to be her "thing," but now tumbling may be her "thing" as well!

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My mom said that when she kept her yesterday, LilliAnn was telling her and my aunt how her "banastics" teacher said she needed to "train every day." Then she showed them all of her "training exercises" and gave them made up names. She makes up big words all the time. This week she's been saying "comp-a-lation." She's such a mess! 

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 Stay tuned for more on our little gymnast! 

LilliAnn's dance recital. SDC 2013.

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Last month was LilliAnn's third dance recital. I still can't believe that she is only three and has already been in three dance recitals! This year she was in the three year-old class and got to do two dances in the recital. LilliAnn was the youngest in her dance class and I was a little worried about how she would do in the recital. She had just turned three about a month and a half before the recital, and most of the other girls in her class were 3 1/3 or 4 already. The danes were more difficult and she was doing a ballet AND tap number this year! But...as usual, my little "woman child" held her own! I could not have been more proud of her performance! 

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Pictures at home before leaving for recital

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I loved their little costumes this year! 

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 twinkle toes

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Baby Stella helped to calm the nerves

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 Fun in the dressing room!

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 I took this picture during dress rehearsal, right before she was about to go on stage for the first time. She looks a bit nervous! P.S. She absolutely LOVED putting on make-up! She would hold very still as I applied her lipstick and mascara. Periodically she would come up to me and say, "Mommy, is my make-up ok?" or "Is my lipstick messed up?"

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Ballet dance: "Beautiful Baby" - Ryan Innes

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Beautiful baby, beautiful girl 
Queen of the party’s got her crown and her pearls 
Pretty painted plastic put the joy in her world 

We got a lot to learn from silly little boys and pretty little girls 
When you love what you got a little is a lot.

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Tap dance: "Rock-A-Hula Baby" - Elvis Presley

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 She got a burst of energy before her hula dance and was a dancin' fool in the dressing room! The facials were crazy! 

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 This was her favorite dance! She held back a little at rehearsal, but she nailed it at recital...facials and all! 

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LilliAnn and her friend Maggie Tucker

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 Company picture - We love Seminole Dance Company! This year's theme was "Tonight is Our Night."

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 Mimi and Papa brought the little dancer a special surprise! 

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An Ariel dancer doll, a flower bouquet, and balloons! 

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Everyone came to watch our little hula baby!

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She loves her Papa Kelbo!

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 And her Gam-Ma Missy! 

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It was another successful recital! The drive to Seminole is so worth it because we love being part of the SDC family! LilliAnn LOVES dancing and I feel so blessed that she has a wonderful teacher like Darana who treats her like her own child. We could not be more happy with our dance experience. Next big decision...when to start competition?!