Went looking for these photos after posting the ones the other day from this year’s recital.  When I stopped to think about how dance has been part of our lives for 8 years, it made me want to remember back to the beginning.

Looking back at these photos was truly a treat.  I can not believe how quickly things change (I know that’s so cliche, but it’s true.)

Note:  this is from her first year of dance.  We were just talking about this the other night and her memories of it are very vivid and very special to her.  Love that I have pictures to remind her of this time (thankful I was addicted to my camera then too.)

A good friend said to me the other day how she wished she could turn back time.  If only there was a magic button or recipe to make that happen, but I haven’t discovered it.  So in meantime, I think instead I cope with change and time by taking LOTS of photos, and use them wherever I can in our daily lives, and share as much as possible.

What’s your secret?  How do you do it?

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I have more years of photos I found to post but my computer isn’t cooperating very well and I have to get to school to watch the Talent Show.   Delaney has been in it every year for the past 5, but this is her first year at the Middle School.  But McKinley likes to just be a watcher (she told me this morning.)

I’m always amazed and proud this time of year  at how much has been learned over the school year and the growth/change we see in the girls, not only physical growth, but developmental growth.  We have dance recitals, music programs and piano recitals and awards programs and more.  While each one is always such a treat to see, it’s also something that makes me a little  teary and sentimental.

This is Delaney in her dance recital.  She’s been dancing since she was 3.  While I struggle to remember the day before we were driving to dance class, I find it hard to believe that she’s been dancing 8 years.  But watching her onstage always reminds us that dancing is really just a part of who she is and I love that.  I love knowing how hard she’s worked and how far she’s come and furthermore, how happy she is when she is dancing.  We are so proud of her.

It’s during this month, when I find that I’m longing to make sure I compile these photos in to my ongoing projects, while the emotion and the memories are freshest.   It’s therapeutic and makes me feel a little better about the speed at which it seems this part of our lives is whirling by.

May 1 is National Scrapbook Day, but I like to think of the month as National Scrapbook Month, which I find very fitting since I find myself wanting to scrapbook worse than ever right now.  So in combining National Scrapbook Month with Mother’s Day, I have a special really BIG offer to pass on to you.

Through the end of May, get 40% off (yes, you read that right) anything site wide HERE, just enter the coupon code FORYOU at the checkout.  That includes all sale items too.

There’s more!!  The first 25 people to spend $50 after discount (shipping not included) will receive an Art Warehouse hot pink terry “cinch” backpack with your order.    So cute!!

AND…

refer a friend to this special who also orders and you will receive a a free stamp set $10 value, just have your friend put your name in the comments section of your order.   Pass this one to as many friends as you wish.  Each friend that orders and includes your name, for each friend you will get a free stamp set.  There is no limit.  But be sure to be one of the first 25 to order so you can get yourself a cute Art Warehouse terry backpack.  Offer ends June 1.

Tonight we have yet another special evening at McKinley’s Gymnastics awards party.  Looking forward to watching McKinley tonight in her world of what she loves.

Delaney has named her horse Willie after Willie the Wildcat.  It’s a K-State thing.

Here I overheard her telling Willie to chew with his mouth closed.

and this was later on that evening.  Marty was leading Willie around with McKinley on him and I think the idea of having her own horse was just setting in. She was talking to herself and I heard something to the affect “boy I sure am spoiled.”   Still laughing at that one….even though she’s right.  Is that a good thing to know you’re spoiled??

I just noticed this way of posting the photos.  You’ll have to click on them to see them full size, but it’s sure a fast way to get them up with one click.  Wow.

Let me know if you prefer them each embedded or like this when I have a lot of photos.  That’s so much faster, but not sure it’s a easy to read or as visually appealing.

Spring is here and that always reminds us of Delaney’s birthday.  We had a busy weekend with her turning 11 on Friday, a gymnastics meet out of town and a slumber party when we got back home.   We had a big surprise planned that we’ve been working on for over a year and she’s still shocked.

I’m excited to share the details….with photos to come.

Hope you’re enjoying a beautiful spring day where you are.

I am sorry I have been MIA.  A classmate of Delaney’s took her own life.   Trying to comprehend (they are all just 10 years old) and help Delaney get through this.  

Our hearts are very sad and our prayers are with the family and everyone in the community.

McKinley loves her gymnastics practices (photos here) , but has been a little worried about the whole idea of competing in a meet.  But for some reason Friday night, on the way home from her last practice, her worries turned to excitement and she must have told me more than 10 times how excited she was.  Not just a little, but a LOT.

While she was still super excited Saturday morning, at 8:00 warming up before her first event on floor excercise, I could see she was a little nervous.  Her coach told me she was so nervous her little fanny was shaking when she took the floor.

I was sooooooooooo proud of her and the first thing she said to me afterward was when can I do this again.   She loved it.

She remembered all her routines, didn’t fall, or put her hands down on any event and hit all her skills, which is such an accomplishment.   On Wednesday of this week, she did one of her skills for the first time ever.  She’s been trying to learn it for the past year and a half and yet she was able to add it right in to her routine like she’s been doing it forever.   Good timing kid!

She got 3rd place on the beam and scored a 9.55.  But more than anything, she thinks gymnastics is the   b es t   t h i n g now after having so….much…..fun….. and for me as a Mom, that’s all I care about.

McKinley might have been a little nervous, but so was I, which I found a little obvious later when looking at the blurry photos I kept taking.    I wasn’t nervous about what score she got or where she placed, but concerned about those precious little feelings inside my girl.   How would she feel about taking on such a big challenge and putting herself out in front of so many spectators……

and shortly after, I knew…..she was counting the days until she gets to do it all over again…..(big grin.)

Not the best photos (white balance and clarity issues)

but definitely one of the best days.

has been so busy and I just can’t seem to get to the blog.  But I’ve promised myself that I won’t miss getting to the flashback friday.  So in proving to myself that I can be quick (something I am terrible at,) I opened up my old photos file and opened the “matching dresses” folder.  I was just thinking about the fact this week that I might never have another time where I can get the girls in matching dresses, something I’ve loved doing for the last 10 years.  Delaney as you can imagine is far from eager to go along with that and I know that’s pretty normal of her.

I am sure thankful for the fact that I’ve been a die hard camera addict since I became a mom, even though my pictures have always improved a little each year.  Many of my photos from 8 years ago were far from good and even many of them were yellow, which I still have issues with some times when I’m not on the ball.  So don’t feel like if your photos were not great 5 years ago, that you can’t improve them digitally.  There’s some super easy ways to do that and for a special photo here and there, I take the time to do that.  If you’re on a Mac, the IPhoto software can correct things pretty easy, but there are a wealth of ways to do so, depending on what software you have.  So don’t let your skill level at that time, keep you from tweaking some of your photos from being where you would like them to be today, when you open them and use them.  I think that is the key, going back to them and giving them a little time and love (which is exactly why I like having these Friday’s for that purpose.

One of the things I’ve been doing a lot of, is finding themes in the photos that I’ve taken over the years, like matching dresses and photos that show how much the girls look alike, like this one below.  Both girls had really blue eyes when they were little and they changed a little, but I always tried to capture those things when possible in the photo.  (I actually had McK take her pre-school photo in the exact same outfit as Delaney because I wanted to see just how similar they looked at the same age.  That’s got to be a weird Mom thing, but I thought it would be fun and I still love the photo today.  Of course I’m not sure that my girls love that weird Mom thing…..but that’s ok.)  I need to take a picture of both of those and show you….it’s pretty interesting to see them in the same outfit at school at the same age.

Ok, so unfortunately, that’s all I have time for.  McK has a last practice tonight before her first gymnastics meet tomorrow….(I really hope for her that it all goes well.)  I’ll be sure to take some photos….;)

is officially over.

Delaney has been playing since November, which seems like a long season for a 10 year old, but she loves to play.   Unfortunately she’s fighting shin splints this year and so she didn’t enjoy that part of it at all.  After expensive custom made orthodics for her feet, hopefully we’ll correct this issue before next year.  I also wonder if the amount of growth she’s had this year is compounding the issue.

We spent the day Saturday at a tournament.  Note:  I would have given my left arm to play in a basketball tournament at that age…..how lucky to have that available in our area.

Looking at these photos, still just amazes me how long her legs have gotten.  She’s grown 3 inches in 6 months and I think probably about that much the 6 months before.  Those shoes she’s wearing are size 9.  (I think seeing your baby’s feet get as big as yours is hard to swallow.  I expected it eventually, but I wasn’t ready for it by 10 and everything else that goes along with that.)

the good thing about basketball being over  is that means spring is just around the corner….t h a n k  g o o d n e s s.

and just as March hits, we actually have a bright blue sky today….it is beautiful and I will be sure to get outside to enjoy some of it.

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Stamp Giveaway Note:

I asked Marty for the number for the Stamp giveaway and Trudie, it’s your lucky day.  Send me your mailing address and I’ll send you some purdy new stamps.

and….I am working on a post about my albums and books, as a follow up to this post.  What’s changed and what’s still the same….but it’s taking a while to compile.

I remember these as a child too!
p.s. what teenager book are you reading
that helps?! my 10 year old is already
acting like a typical pre-teen! it’s
funny, my 10 year old looks about like a 7
year old! your 10 year old looks more like
what a 10 year old should to me! my daughter
is just super short & tinY! her 8 year old sister
is the same height as her! tara

I’m reading “Get Out of My Life, but First Could You Drive me & Cheryl to the Mall:  A Parent’s Guide to the New Teenager, by Anthony E. Wolf.

The book’s first chapter for me was so eye opening and so helpful for my emotional sanity.   I now have a much better perspective on things I’m starting to see at our house.  From feeling like a bad mother to wondering just what happened to why so much seems so different.   Not everything in the book is a match but it’s been so helpful for me in interpreting much of what we’re headed for with a blooming teenager.   I am now much more able to translate and understand it all.   I have a couple more books on similar topics too, that I know I’ll probably need to read before long as well….

Hi Danelle,
Thanks for posting this. I’ve bought store-bought popcorn balls but my kids didn’t like them. I wonder if they’d like homemade ones a little better (plus I could make them a little smaller to make it easier for them to eat too). What is your facebook page? I tried searching for Danelle Johnson and got 55 results! And none of them looked like you…

Danelle, why don’t you plan a “stay-cation” for one of those 10 days!

Take some time NOW to plan it, and make it special. That way, you can get your work done, but still honor the time you are off!

Paint pottery together, or paint a canvas, or make something really neat, or camp outside (weather permitting) or….even better, drag the mattresses into the living room and camp in there!!! I think you could make it really cool!