My "Side Job"

I have the 2 BEST "Jobs" in the world! In additon to being a mom, I teach dance twice a week (4 classes on Tuesdays and 1 class on Thursdays). I LOVE my little dancers, and it has been so fun teaching them and getting to know all their unique and fun-loving personalities. They are so sweet and loving, as well as adorable and hard-working. I am always met at the studio with a big hug from two or more of my students, and it makes being there more than just a "side job." I am a better person because of the love they give, and I hope I am a good example, teacher and friend to them.
This weekend we had our Christmas production of "The Little Match Girl." I choreographed 6 pieces for the show, and had a blast doing it. My classes performed well and had so much fun. Seeing their smiling faces made me so happy! I love dance and the joyful emotions it creates for so many people, including myself :) I actually had the opportunity of doing a little "Mother/Daughter duet" with one of my 5 yr old students, Raimee. It was fun to be on stage again, and she did a wonderful job! She was oozing confidence and performed adorably! It was SO much fun--can't wait for next semester's production of "Cinderella!"

4yr old Advanced Creative
Tuesday 3-4 yr old Creative
Beginning Modern: They're crazy and so much fun

5-7 yr old Creative

Me and Raimee after performing our duet

Me and Amanda with the company girls! I teach the company Modern and she teaches Ballet

Temple Square Lights

We recently went to see the lights at Temple Square with my family. It was freezing, but it was still really fun! Annabelle was so excited to be there--she was all smiles from the moment we got out of the car until we put her in her car seat after the hot chocolate! It was fun to see how much she enjoyed being with everyone, and how much she loved being outside. A few days ago she said, "I like the cold--it's a nice day!" Each time we'd stop in a building to get warm, she'd say "I wanna go outside. Let's go outside." I think she just loved the atmosphere, how many kids and families were there (it was packed), the lights, the water, and that we were all together. Actually, those are the exact reasons I loved it too :) It all comes down to family--families are the BEST! Especially at Christmastime!

After Temple Square we all went to get hot chocolate. The girls we so hyper, running around and chasing each other, laughing until they couldn't breathe! It was a wonderful sound, and since we were the only ones there, we didn't stop them. What a great night!

A Bos Family Thanksgiving

The Bos family

Fixing the oven

Mimi and Papa Bos

"Wow! It's bright out here!"

Josh teaching Annabelle how to make a snowball

Awwww cute

Playing a little "game" together

All the guys in their ugly sweaters. Eric was definitely a contender for the win

During Thanksgiving dinner. Josh was also a participant in the ugly sweater contest, not so much a contender :) TOUGH competition!

This year we spent Thanksgiving with the Bos family. We rented a cabin in Oakley, UT and spent 3 1/2 wonderful, relaxing days together. We all arrived on Wednesday afternoon, unpacked our packed-to-capacity vehicles and unloaded their contents equally between the loft and kitchen. Wednesday night was our family's night to cook dinner, so I turned on the oven, began mixing all the ingredients, and low and behold...A BROKEN OVEN! Yep, a broken oven the night before Thanksgiving, an oven that required a new part, and not just a few handymen (we had plenty of those on hand). Well let's see...we're in Oakley, and it's 6:30pm the night before Thanksgiving, so...what are our options right? Never fear! When there's a will, there's a way! Scott and Josh grabbed their coats and hats and headed out to the Park City Home Depot. As they were closing up shop, Scott convinced them to give him a new element out of one of their "show ovens," and they actually agreed...then gave it to him for FREE! I am sure his story of our potentially-ruined Thanksgiving in a rented cabin (whose owner refused to answer his phone)with the entire family in town from all overhad a SMALL part in this outcome :) While they were in Park City, Mimi (Josh's mom) had contacted an appliance repairman (on his cell), and he had agreed to meet Josh and Scott down at his shop in Heber. He also gave them a new element to try, which ended up being the exact part we needed to fix the oven! So...after a rough start to the trip, yet some awesome help from a few very kind men who were feeling the spirit of the holidays, our trip officially began. And the microwaved hot chicken salad sandwiches for dinner weren't bad either :)

Thanksgiving Day was a blast! Lots of relaxing, reading through the latest magazines, and snacking. Right before dinner, all the guys busted out their ugly sweaters for some serious laughs and modeling, while also showing off their redneck mustaches (I have been forbidden from posting some pictures, i.e. the funniest ones!). Nikki even surprised us with a little something she had been saving up for the past few weeks as well :) Dinner was delicious, the only distraction was Annabelle saying "Amen! I want a Diet Coke!" right in the middle of the prayer :) After dinner Jen got out her paints and paper to make cute little turkeys with Annabelle, Liv and Maddie. We finished off the night by putting the kids in bed, playing a game of Wacky 6, and watching "Four Christmases." Awwww Bliss. This is night we also discovered a little skunk outside going through the trash. This little skunk lived underneath the cabin and would constantly scratch on the wall in the bathroom. And yes...he did spray a time or two before we left.

Friday was awesome as well. Many rounds of Wacky 6 with everyone, one looooooong round of Phase 10 with all the girls, and many Wii games for the guys. We all ate pizza for dinner, then us girls decided to head into Kamas for a 9:00 showing of "New Moon," while the guys stayed home and played Risk. The theatre was very old school, with only one movie playing at the theatre at a time. They don't even take debit cards yet :) There was also a stage in front of the movie screen, which was pretty funny.

Saturday morning we all packed up, cleaned up, and headed out early enough to get home for the BYU game. It was such a great Thanksgiving! It's always fun to have everyone around to celebrate. So excited for a wonderful Christmas season!! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!!

BEST Girls' Night EVER

Last weekend we had the BEST girls' night out! Me, Annabelle, Grandma, Brittany and Paige all went to Disney Princesses On Ice. The girls LOVED it--more than I thought possible. I have to say, when Annabelle loudly shrieked in excitement when Ariel made her entrance I almost cried with happiness :) How cute is that?! Following the shriek she spun around a few times, not knowing quite how to express all that emotion :) It was adorable. Ursula even made a good impression on her, and the next day she told me that "Ursula was a sweetie!" Ha ha!

This fondness for the villain however wasn't totally out of the blue--she also has a soft spot for Cinderella's step-sisters (who are "cute and funny"), the "monsters" on the new Tinkerbell movie ("Where Monsters is?"), and she's even made requests to watch Sleeping Beauty prick her finger on the spindle over and over and over again! She just doesn't yet believe that anyone or anything in the world is bad, evil or mean--she has a little love for everyone. When we were at Costco a few days ago, Josh and I were showing her all the beautiful Princess dolls. Her response? "Where Ursula is?" Hmmmm...I don't think that doll has hit the stores yet.

All in all she enjoyed a wonderful night, even cheering on Cinderella. Paige was holding up her Cinderella doll in an olympic, torch-like fashion, while Annabelle stood by, punching her fist in the air over and over again. Go! Go! Go! Cinderella! We were all laughing hysterically.

We finished off the night with dinner at IHOP, a homemade Princess cake (Thx Brittany), and a family slumber party in the living room when we got home! Josh and I figured this was the ONLY way we were going to get that excited girl to bed. She had to tell Josh all about her night, so we brought out the big feather bed, lots of blankets, and let her talk herself into sleepiness :) I am so excited for more opportunities like this with Annabelle. Only next time it'd be better if she would allow me to take her picture (too excited to hold still, which made for lots of blurry pictures) :( Oh well, I'm sure the memory will be pretty vivid in my mind for a LONG time! It was a special, unforgettable night. Girls nights and family slumber parties are the BEST!

The Fun Bus

The people on the bus go bump bump bump all through the town!

Dance Class!

This week I was called in to sub a little combo class at the studio, and rather than sending Annabelle to a babysitter, I decided I'd just take her with me. She's only 2, and the class is for 4 year olds, but never underestimate a child's love for dance and enthusiasm! She was SO excited to go to dance class with mommy! She wouldn't even take her nap because she was so excited. I went into her room and asked "Annabelle why aren't you going to sleep?" She looked at me, lifted her little palms up, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "Dance class!" On the way to the studio, she talked non-stop about how she was "so excited" and "so happy." And when we got there? I was beside myself! She went right in, sat down by the first little girl she could find and said "Hi! Dance class!" I turned on a little music for them to warm up and move around the space ("If You're Happy and You Know It..."). She kept shrieking out in laughter and enjoyment, and did just as much or more than the other children in the class. I snapped a few pictures of her during this little song before I started teaching because she was so excited.

Smiling at "Gracie," whose name is actually Maggie. Maggie tried to open the window once, so I told her no. From then on, each time Maggie would venture towards the window, Annabelle would run over to her and say "No Gracie!" I was admittedly happy to have a little T.A. helping me out in the discipline area, but couldn't quite figure out why she named her Gracie :)

"If you're happy and you know it stomp your feet"

Tiny Dancer

Practicing on her own after class was over. She didn't want to stop, so I let her play a little longer in the 2nd studio. She's prepping for a spin in this picture :)

Lookin' good!

She refused to let me take off her tu-tu. This is her in her PJ's with the tu-tu. She even insisted on going to sleep in it!

I will probably start taking her to my classes once in a while, after seeing how well she did, and how much she enjoyed it. She listened well, followed my instructions, and danced adorably. Ohhhhhhh I am a proud mommy! I am so happy she loves it so much! It appears as though dance will stay in our little family for at least a few more years. This makes me smile. Annabelle makes me smile. Love her!

Crouped-up on Halloween

Annabelle came down with the Croup the day before Halloween! Our original plans of attending "Little Haunts" (This is the Place Heritage Park) with the family and trick-or-treating later that night were all disappointingly cancelled. Annabelle was Tinkerbell, and her cousin Paige was dressing up as Tinkerbell's buddy, Silvermist. They would've been an adorable little pair, but alas it wasn't in the cards. As a result, I spent Friday afternoon making a Plan B, and searching for other ways to make the day special for Annabelle. Here is the Bos family's 2009 Halloween: Plan B.

A Halloween breakfast complete with a Pumpkin sipper and Halloween bowl. The little placemat & stickers have nothing to do w/ Halloween, but they were still a fun addition.

Little Miss Tinkerbell! I had to get her dressed up, even if it was for only 10 minutes. Her cousin Olivia loaned her this costume--Adorable!
She's also sporting a new hairstyle! I love it!

Drinks poolside. Seems relaxing to me!!

All cuddled up to watch some Tinkerbell

Mummy dogs and worm juice for lunch!

Annabelle loved it! She sat down and said, "Look at that Daddy!" Then she kept asking for more "bugs."

I know it's a little on the yucky side, but yes...I made booger sticks for a snack

I talked to the Dr. and he said she'd be ok to go outside for 10-20 minutes. So I told her she could go trick-or-treating and she was so excited! She hurriedly put on her whole costume without one complaint, and gave her best "Tinkerbell" smile

"Let's Go treating! I'm on a deadline!"

She got the hang if it pretty quickly! She would knock, then loudly say "Come out!"

This little porch was a gold mine for her! A bucket full of lollipops just sitting there. She LOVES lollipops, and we had to pry her away, negotiating with her to take just one.

"Scary!"

Home to enjoy the treats!

We came home and all sat in the living room picnic-style for dinner: Pumpkin Baked Ziti (Very good)! We dumped her bag, let her check out all the candy, then put her down to bed for a long Winter's nap. Around about 11 Josh joined her in her room and slept on the floor (we've been trading off nights because the doctor told me to sleep in her room until Tuesday, in order to be close enough if she has an attack). Luckily she's been attack-free so far, just really hoarse, totally congested, coughing and fatigued :(

But it was still a great day, spent together at home. I think we made the most of it. Annabelle is a little trooper; she has been so sweet and lovey for the majority of this illness, which makes it a less difficult obstacle to endure. Happy Halloween everyone!!! Hope your days and nights were Spook-tacular!!

Bring on Thanksgiving!

PS: Thanks for all the cute ideas Nikki!!!