Prom 2010

Heidi got asked to prom by a friend and neighbor, Kyle Hathcock!
We had lots of fun finding a dress, picking just the right jewelry and
figuring out how to do her hair!

Sweet Hillary did her hair. Heidi glittered her toes! And now she is already to go! Beautiful corsage!They had lots of fun.
Oh, the memories!

My Sweet Grad!

What more can I say? Heidi's graduating.
Number 3 done with High School.
Where has the time gone?

I feel like this one will fly from the nest
sooner than the others.
It stresses me out to think about it.

But I am so proud of her
and the person she has become!
She is amazing - she amazes me every day.

I love her laugh, her sense of humor
and her creativeness.
I am constantly in awe of her.

I love you Heidi.

PS - If you are around and would like - we'd love to have you come celebrate with us. Check out the invite!

Happy Anniversary - to my best friend

Twenty seven years ago today I married the perfect man for me! I feel SO blessed. I know he could have married anyone, but I feel blessed and privileged he picked ME!

We've had some wonderful times together and some not so great times. But all in all I wouldn't trade a thing! The hard times are what have made us stronger and closer!

Vaughan is the best husband and father I know! Thanks for always being there for me and for all your love and support! You are the best! Love you for eternity -Diane

Happy Birthday darling Heather!

On May 9th - 21 years ago my sweet Heather Anne was born!

Heavenly Father knew just what He was doing when He sent her here to us! The timing was right (although I didn't think so, I wanted her to come years before.) Her place in our family was right. Her gender was just right and her personality was perfect. (there were days I would have argued that though!)

Having Heather in my life has taught me so much: Faith, Patience, Forgiveness, Tolerance, Compassion and Love.

Heather amazes me every day. There were days in her early years that I just wanted to know that everything was going to be ok. (Can I just see the light at the end of the tunnel??) I still don't know how things will turn out of course, but the light is there and I know our Heather girl is going to be just fine!

I am so proud of her and all she does! She had to speak in church on her birthday - bummer, but she did such a GREAT job. I was so proud of her. She is such a sweet girl and tries so hard to do what is right.

Thanks Heather, for being such a sweet daughter! You are amazing in every way. I LOVE You!
I hope you had the happiest of birthdays! Thank you for the best 21 years so far!

Happy Birthday!

Tomorrow is a very special day for... my Mom!
Not only is she having a birthday, but she is celebrating her 70th birthday!

I'm so grateful for her and for the 47 years I've spent with her!

I know she doesn't FEEL 70! She doesn't ACT 70! And I don't think she LOOKS 70!

It's so nice to have her here this year on her birthday!

I hope she knows how much she is loved. I know things aren't going the way she thought they would when she returned home. I'm not available as much as I used to be and so there isn't as much time to spend together. But I love her and I'm grateful for all times we have had together and look forward to MANY more days to make memories!

Thanks for being my Mom! I LOVE you! You have made me who I am.
I couldn't do LIFE without you!

HAPPINESS

What is happiness? It's different things to different people. I am trying to be happy. More. I think I'm *happy* most of the time, but I want to be happier!

Today I am concentrating on the little things.
So here is a list of some of the little things that make me smile!

1. The smell of homemade whole wheat bread - fresh out of the oven. (paired with pinto beans cooking in the crockpot and homemade salsa is manna from Heaven)

2. Listening to my girls laugh with each other.

3. Going in my girls rooms to see why there is a light still on and finding her asleep...propped up in bed with her scriptures, journal and pen still in her lap.

4. A hug from a nursery child.

5. Notes, cards or letters!
I **love** them! I save them and read them over and over.

6. My husband in a suit and tie. (stops my heart!)

7. A phone call...just because.

8. Josh Groban music. ALL of it.

9. BBC Romances - (Pride & Predjudice; North & South; Wives & Daughters; Emma...)

10. Daughters who share their thoughts with me.

11. See's Chocolates

12. Watching miss M. playing. Especially when she figures out something new!

13. The view from my bedroom window.

14. A clean car.

15. Holding my husbands hand.

Through my Mother Eyes - dancing daughters

Last weekend was our daughters dance recital. Heidi, Holli and Hope have all been taking dance at the Dance Barn since they were 4 years old! I look forward to dance recital week all year. It takes lots of time, but I love watching my daughters dance!

Dance recital week consists of a rehearsal day and one to three shows. Now that my girls are in upper dance classes they are involved more. So, we are usually at the dress rehearsal for the whole 5 hours. We are usually involved in all three shows. This is what happened this year.

I LOVE it! I never tire of watching them dance. Yes, the rehearsal and shows have many of the dances repeated, but I don't care. You will find me at rehearsal and each show - thoroughly enjoying each one. I love watching each class, not just my own daughters.
Dance is an amazing art.

I am so grateful for a wonderful dance studio for my girls to take lessons from. The director is a wonderful friend and is careful to keep her studio a positive place for the girls to grow and learn. She tries to keep the dances appropriate and the costumes *modest*. I know that the experience that my girls are having is a positive one.

Heidi is in Sr. Elite Company this year. She dances about 7 hours a week and also is assisting with other classes two days a week.

Holli is in Jr. Elite Company this year and also dances about 7 hours a week. Heidi learned 11 dances with 10 costume changes for the recital. Holli learned 8 dances with 7 costume changes!

Hope is getting up there dancing about 2 1/2 hours a week! She danced 4 dances and had 3 costume changes! As you can imagine this takes sacrifice and working together to manage this in our family!

Being a part of the dance studio this year I have seen another side of dance. They work SO hard! Ok, I already knew this... but seeing how the girls and instructors work together and pour their hearts into instructing and learning has been a sweet experience for me. I'll never watch another dance recital again and not know what's going on behind the scenes! It's a little crazy but amazing!

As I watch my girls dance I am filled with amazement! I usually fight tears all through the recitals - sometimes even the rehearsal! I've tried to hide it - successfully I think! But I can't help but feel so much emotion as I see them twirl and bend. It's beautiful.
There is a little part of me up on the stage with them. (I always wanted to dance!) I guess you could say I'm living my life a little vicariously through them. I'm not a stage mom... they could quit anytime they want, but I'm grateful they don't!

I'm so proud of the hard work they put into their dancing. My heart is full of gratitude for beautiful girls who know how to work hard to accomplice something important to them.

As you might imagine there is LOTS of twirling, leaping, stretching and hip shaking at our house! These are the joys of being a mother of dancing daughters! And I LOVE it!