The First Week Of April....

After having the most awesome company come visit us all the way from Utah the busyness of high school activities returned, and with a vengenance. A musical, a world language induction, watching general conference at our church, and catching up on my blogging filled this past week(end) for me. I didn't mind the endless carpooling to Lexie's high school for the final rundown before the show because the look on her face whilst dropping off dinner in between rehearsals was priceless. She was totally having fun. Having seen her musical two days in a row all weekend long was euphoric, and left me feeling energized to do more, and for things to get back to normal. Well, almost. 

Little Women.

Little women has, and always will be a favorite movie classic in my library. Ever since it came out in 1994 I have loved it, and love it even more now that I have three daughters of my own. I love a good show that portrays siblings, especially sisters going through a "coming of age" phase, and how it encompasses all kinds of drama! Typical sister roles, but then again I love all movies that entail bonding between siblings that end good. It is on the top of my favorite movies next to Pride and Prejudice, and Dan in Real Life (which takes place in a totally different era!) I love the characters in the book as well as the scenery, and the time it takes place in (I love Massachusetts!)

This past weekend Lexie's high school presented the broadway musical of Little Women. I have never seen the actual broadway show, and even though the play was nothing like the movie it was very well received, and I enjoyed every minute of it! All the players did such a fantastic job from the costumes to the acting and all the people that they chose as the characters were right on point, and their acting was very impressive. It was lovely to see Lexie onstage even if she had minor roles. She definitely stood out and looked so beautiful in her gown when she and Justin (pictured below) had the ballroom dancing scene as well as playing an old hag in which she didn't even come close to looking like one! She looked so mature with all that stage makeup on, and it's hard to believe that she is growing up, and looking more beautiful every day! 

 It was a fun evening spent with friends, and my 10-year old daughter. This totally motivates her even more to get involved with theater as she will be entering middle school in less than two years!! 

Other movies that entail sibling drama that are my all time favorites are: 
The Sound of Music 
Hanging Up
Hannah and Her Sisters
The Family Stone
Sense & Sensibility 
...and of course my favorite from Masterpiece theatre Downton Abbey! It's not a movie, but in my eyes is the best show ever produced in this century! 

A Lewis Legend with an Old Soul.

The minute this child was born I knew she was going to bring a lot of solace, obedience, strength, peace, and motivation to our family. I felt it while I was carrying her in my belly, and saw it in her eyes the second she was born. 

When she was three she began making herself peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and helped herself to the fridge for a glass of water. She was the glue at that time that saved our marriage, the motivator to want to get to the temple to be sealed to my family, and till this day holds a firm position in the home as the peacemaker. For five straight years she had Sierra all to herself, and at times I literally felt as if I had twins. I can see why Sierra considers her 'her best friend.' She matured faster than lightening, and caught up to Sierra in everything that she did. She, and Sierra were always compassionate, and thoughtful in letting me have time to myself while they played "house", tea party, or "library". I never heard any bickering from them. Although I did spend a lot of quality time with them, there were some instances in which they solely entertained themselves without any shenanigans or caused me any stress (they saved that for their teenage years...haha!). She began reading large chapter books at the age of seven, and is a very good listener. She is benevolent, understands people, does not judge others, is trustworthy, and is always willing to help someone in need. She's smart, and is beautiful inside and out. She is an extremely rare individual, and one of the most mature 14 year olds I know...most mature than some of the 18+ year olds I know. 

She is what I call an "old soul."

This past week she was recently nominated not by a teacher, but by the principal of her school as his Lewis Legend. Apparently she was to be nominated by another teacher who shall remain nameless, but Principal Otten said "no, she's my Lewis legend." I was amazed and in awe when he picked her. I wasn't too surprised, but I know why he picked her, and I'm so glad that he did. He obviously saw all the qualities, and things that I see in her as a mother. He couldn't have described her anymore better than I would have, and everything he said about her is right on cue.

"Alex Jorgensen is an obvious choice for a Lewis Legend because she embodies what it means to b a Lewis Indian. She is kind and always ready to assist someone in need. Her participation in the St. Baldrick's Foundation event put everyone on notice of how caring and compassionate she is. Alex is also an outstanding academic student as her grades have been in the 90's all year. She was even honored by the local American Legion Post for her award-winning essay writing. 

It is my pleasure to nominate Alexandra Jorgensen as my 2014 Lewis Legend."

~Mr. Ted Otten, Principal of Lewis Middle School

I am so blessed to have this girl in my life, and just like her sister anyone who knows her is blessed to have her as a friend, and student. I look forward to many more accomplishments of what Lexie can do as she enters high school this fall, and this is just the beginning of what is to come.

**Some of her major accomplishments can be read here, here, here, and here.

Lewis Shining Star Student.

The day she won the Safety Essay contest I received a phone call from the principals secretary letting me know that there was going to be a dinner with the American Legion and was going to be recognized for her accomplishment and be awarded a prize, but we couldn't attend because it fell on the same night as her drama production. After talking to her drama teacher they decided that because of endless hours of rehearsal that the drama production took precedence over the dinner.

three years of middle school drama productions.

Seeing my children's accomplishments brings me great joy. Especially when it's doing something they love. I was never involved in any drama productions in middle school & my attempt to be in a drama class my throughout high school was a joke...on my part. I believe I was a better dancer than an actress, hence being a part of the drill team the following year. Nonetheless those experiences taught me quite a bit. It helped me build more confidence within myself & helped me carry myself through all the hardships that I was experiencing at that time in my life.

This past weekend was Lexie's third & final drama production of her middle school career. She played Goldilocks in "Princess Who?" It was a cute play & everyone did such a great job. 

As each year goes by I am amazed at her level of maturity because when I saw her in her very first play "Frog & Toad" as a second grader, I swear her level of maturity was that of a fifth grader. We had been living in North Carolina & she was the only second grader in her class who had a singing part. She even had more lines than any of her classmates. She has always been so mature for her age & that is something that I've always been impressed by. 

^^^ Lexie in Frog & Toad, circa- 2007 ^^^

^^^ Lexie as a mole in frog & toad, circa-2007 ^^^

And now she's an eighth grade student who has the maturity of a "mature" 18 year old! 

^^^ Goldilocks ^^^

The entire cast gave a stellar performance this past weekend & I can't believe she has six more weeks of middle school left. She has enjoyed being a part of the drama productions for the past three years. You can view the past drama productions here (A walk in the Woods), and here (Spell of Sleeping Beauty).

Since this is their last year, the eighth graders had the opportunity to give a little 'speech of gratitude' at the end of the play. 

Everything that she does never disappoints & my proud mama moments just keep piling up. I look forward to many more of her accomplishments in the near future. Not sure where the time goes, but it sure flies super fast, and it's hard to believe that in just four years we're going to have another high school graduate in the house. Yikes! 

a new do, & thankful for locks of love.

I

I can't believe a week has gone by since Lexie had her hair cut off, and it also took a whole week for her to let go of her locks...literally. The day Lexie got her hair buzzed off the hairdresser handed me a ziplock bag with her locks in it. I thought that they would donate her hair for us but apparently we had to do it. Well...that bag of hair sat on my dresser all week. I don't know why I hung on to it for this long. Every time I'd grab something from my dresser I'd just stare and look at it. Some of y'all might think "ok, that's creepy weird", but I had not opened it since it was handed to us. Before we mailed it off I decided to open it. I guess you can say I wanted to see how it smelled. I washed my hands opened it gently & got a whiff of her scented hair. It smelled like her so fresh and clean. It was bittersweet. It's surreal that she completely has it buzzed off now, and although I feel as if I have a different daughter in the house she is the same Lexie. Witty, funny, and still oh, so serious! She is striking & looks beautiful & because of her height looks like a model. A friend of mine on FB even said that she looks like a bad a** (pardon my french.) 

Apparently there are pros & cons with short hair. I should know because I had super short hair too in the form of an Afro. 

For example-she loves that she can spend less time in the shower & that she can just get up & go in the morning without spending an extra 10 minutes brushing her hair. I don't have to buy a lot of hair product for her so that saves me some money, and not take her to the hairdresser every few weeks for a hair trim. One thing she'll miss about her hair is styling it in different ways. She can't braid it or put it up in a bun. She even catches herself wanting to run her fingers through it, and will toss her head back thinking there's hair in her face. It's so funny when I catch her doing that. One huge pro she loves about her short hair is wearing cute beanies. 

Apparently some of her guy friends from school buzzed their hair too, but didn't shave it. Now she looks like their twin. I guess they all wanted to look like her. haha! She's their idol.They're all good friends & have gained so much respect for her.

In all honesty I personally love her short hair. It seems like a trend right now too. She looks like an Anne Hathaway from Les Miserables as well as Emma Watson from Harry Potter. 

She loves her new do but is still getting used to it. Too bad she'll only have it short for one summer, but be forewarned. I'm going to take advantage of documenting her with this pixie cut every chance i get... so be prepared. There are about to be many pictures posted in the near future for her posterity. Time flies and it won't be too long before she has her long hair again. 

One question I asked her the other day was if she would take it back. You know, cutting her hair & all. She responded with an emphatic no. I could see it in her face that she was sincere. She truly is happy to have been able to done this great deed for a kid with cancer, and for that she'll forever be grateful.  

a good cause: part II

^^^ two more weeks until this head of hair is gone ^^^

A week has past since we announced that Lexie will be one of the candidates at her school in volunteering to shave her head to raise funds for childhood cancer. We have received so much support, and love from our friends, and I appreciate those of you who have "liked" the St. Baldrick's Facebook page. I know ya'll get bombarded with invites to all sorts of pages, but it touches my heart to see those who've accepted it. You exemplify your caring, and love, and empathy for the cause by just a click of the button. So I, we thank you!  

Lexie has received her first donation online, and I want to thank everyone who is able to do that. I can't stress enough how important this foundation is, and how we'll never give up on finding a cure for childhood cancer. I don't want to sound too pushy, but if you can donate as little as a dollar that would be wonderful. I know nowadays a dollar may be too much for some, but I ask to find it in your heart to strive your best to donate...you will be blessed for your efforts. 

I know some of you have had loved ones die from it, and some who have survived from it. Whether you've already donated before in the past, or feel that you've donated "enough", and feel that you did your part already it shouldn't stop there. Even if you can't donate money to the recipients who are shaving their hair off, or donating their hair to locks of love why not  "donating" a smile instead, a hug, or a "congratulations, I'm so proud of you" moment (which some of you have already done on my daughters picture on Facebook) Those compliments are worth a million dollars, and I so appreciate all my friends...especially those from out of state, and friends from the St. Baldrick's Foundation page , (who I don't consider strangers) who have done that so far.  

Finding a cure for cancer is never going to end, and we will continue to go forth until a cure is found. I'm so proud of my kid for doing such a bold, and selfless move. This is a story she's going to tell to her future posterity, and an experience that she's going to hold dear in her heart for the rest of her life. 

This past week her sister has been finding excuses to play with her hair, and Lexie tells me that all the kids in her class are constantly playing with it too. She doesn't mind, and when they tell her "I can't believe your gonna give up your hair!" Her response is always the same, "it's for a good cause, and it's just hair...it'll grow back!" 

I continue to be amazed at all the choices she makes, and all the things that she does...all in the name of service. 

Again...if you want to donate please click on this link. This is her personal page where donations can be made through the St. Baldrick's website. It will be greatly appreciated! 

Thanks and may God bless you always. 

^^^ Have a wonderful weekend! ^^^

Middle School 1st Annual Talent Show '14

Last week Lexie's middle school put on a talent show that consisted of dancing, singing, piano playing, and more singing! This is the first time the school has done a talent show where they were awarded a cash prize. Lexie was excited to have participated along with her pal Alicia who paired up with her to sing "Sweater Weather" by the band The Neighbourhood. I am surprised that the song "Let it Go" from the popular movie Frozen was only sang once. Then again I don't think that contestants can duplicate another persons choice of song. 

For weeks Lexie and Alicia have been waiting for this moment, and even though they didn't practice as much as they wanted to they did phenomenal. Unfortunately they didn't place, and in my opinion (among numerous others including teachers who will remain anonymous) agreed with me. However everyone did such a wonderful job. 

^^^ paparazzi with iPhones ^^^

Oh my gosh...the talents our kids have today! I was blown away by some of their performances. I had to take a picture of these group of kids who were like paparazzi recording the lovely Maya who sang "Dark Side". So impressed with kids today on their talents, and how some of them are involved with music. 

I was not involved in anything that involved "major talent" (not sure if you count winning the spelling bee in 5th grade is a talent) until I was in my 10th grade year of high school. I'm just so grateful for the open mind that I had in deciding to have my girls take piano lessons. I wish my mother had the means to do that when I was their age, but it was not feasible...like at all! To be musically inclined is indeed a blessing, and sometimes a god-given talent. Lexie only took piano lessons for three years, and has never had voice lessons. Her forte is the violin, and I'm just so pleased that she has the desire to teach herself to get better on the piano. I wish I could afford for all my children (including myself) to take all the lessons in the world with multiple instruments, but I'm grateful for what the Lord has blessed them with. The sacrifices we make as parents to have our kids take music lessons, or be in any sport is a huge blessing. 

The girls performance was exceptional and well received. I'm just so bummed that my video got cut off due to my phone running out of storage! Luckily I recorded most of the performance, and that it's a clear sound & picture of my girl playing and singing. If you're my friend on Facebook there is another video on my timeline filmed in its entirety which I borrowed from my buddy Chuck. 

Middle School Talent Show '14 from Rose Jorgensen on Vimeo.

It was a great evening, and we really enjoyed the talent show. All i know is that no matter what these kids decide to do in four years after graduating high school they all have a voice, an act, and a talent that they can share no matter where they go. They were all very brave in participating, and all did an amazing job! 

dance like it's 1980.

lovely young women enjoying an evening of dancing like it's 1980.
-photo source Tom Hawkins

This polar vortex that we've been having sure didn't keep us indoors. This past weekend was planned with fun places to go one being New York to see Jon's cousin Kenzie, and beating the clock against New York traffic to get Lexie to arrive safe and sound for her first youth dance at our church. 

Darkness began to fall and it was already after five pm. We had planned it very carefully to leave at a certain time so that we can make it back in time for the dance, but to no avail.  

We didn't leave the city until past 5 & by the time we hit the Polaski skyway it was close to 6! Although we knew we'd be arriving late we tried to make up time without trying to speed. We obviously enjoyed Kenzie's company way too much that time spent with her flew like a leer jet, and we lost track of time. We just had to keep her until the very last minute!

We arrived close to 8:30 so that gave Lexie an hour and a half of 'boogie time" As we drove into the parking lot of the church and pulled into a parking space I could see some of the young women waiting for Lexie. I told Jon to reverse slowly so that I can catch a clearer glimpse of who they were. Not that I worry about who the girls were, but I was glad that Lexie's reaction to entering wasn't nerve wrecking (although I think she was hiding it very well.) I saw the girls welcoming her with open arms & greeting her with hugs. I can see Lexie smiling, and laughing from a distance, and that's when I knew she was going to have the time of her life. 

And I wasn't worried.  

Lexie had a great experience attending her first youth dance. It was an '80's themed dance, and I think the youth committee is doing a great job in planning these activities to accommodate the younger crowd. 

She turned 14 two weeks ago, and was pretty excited about going. I have no clue how one feels to be anxiously awaiting to turn 14 to go to a dance at the church. Sometimes I wish I was able to experience how Lexie and Sierra felt when she began going to youth activities. I know that it's a totally different feeling as opposed to a youth outside of the church turning 14. At 14 I had a boyfriend and doing things that were not "spiritual"...if you know what I mean. 

There is so much fun that goes on within the youth of our church both spiritually and temporally. Mini youth conference is coming up next month, and Lexie is definitely excited for that. Her favorite part about being 14 in the church aside from going to the dances, & seeing her friends from other wards is learning about the gospel at the level she is in. She is anxiously engaged in wanting to know more about The Savior & His restored gospel so that she can serve others, and share it in hopes that her level of spirituality will reach an all time high. I believe that it will.  

I am so grateful for these activities that keep our youth safe, and actively strong in the church. Having clean fun surrounded by happy youth is the way to be. I'm happy that Lexie enjoys learning about the gospel, attending her meetings, and learning from her leaders in her class. She is another daughter of mine who is unique in her own way. One of a kind, and it's so fun to watch her spirituality grow, and to see the love on her face when we talk about the Savior, and the gospel. It is a priceless look that I never want to go astray!

'the cake'

This past week has been so busy with the girls having extracurricular activities after school including a free trip to the Franklin Institute that we neglected to do 'the cake' on the 'day of' their birthday. So last night we officially had their small celebration with 'the cake' & it was quiet & fun. It was especially funny when we began singing happy birthday to Chelsea because the number nine began falling down. I couldn't help but to laugh...LOUD! You can watch that that video here.

I had been debating on having two separate cakes for the girls this year, but Jon was like, "that's too much cake honey", & I agreed. 

When Chelsea was in her toddler years we'd always buy her a 2 inch round cake & make one for Lexie. Now that their older we've either made cupcakes for Chelsea & a cake for Lexie. This year we made one whole cake for the both of them. We individually sang 'happy birthday' to Lexie & Chelsea & then switched the candles. It was less stressful, there was less baking, & it worked out nicely. You know I'm glad...because when I found this note on my blender from Chelsea that morning it made me happy to know that they both love dark chocolate icing. 

And mandatory pictures of their reaction when they saw their cake.

For those of you who have twins or kids with the same birthdays how do you celebrate? Do you make them individual cakes or just bag it & take them out to dinner where the waiters sing 'happy birthday' to them & hand them a dish of ice cream. Or like me...make one cake for the two of them? 

Pray tell...it's interesting to hear how others celebrate when kids have the same birthday. 

All I know is that I'm grateful for having girls who are easy going when it came to 'the cake'. 

And they seemed very pleased.

The end.

the best of friends in sisterhood.

Having Sierra in college has its pros and cons. Pros because her siblings get to take over her room, and cons because, well...we miss her.

A few days after Sierra went off to college Chelsea wanted to sleep on her bed, and we said that was fine. Now...she and Noah have completely taken over her room. Meaning when Sierra comes home on some weekends she goes upstairs and rooms with Lexie. Which is fine for Sierra because they are the best of friends, and as close as any sisters can get.

^^ Lexie 5 months & Sierra (5 years), circa-2005 ^^

Ever since Lexie was born Sierra has always been by her side tending to her, playing with her, and keeping her company on the days I was a young tired mom. They never once bickered, fought, and I hardly ever yelled. I look back on those days and realized how wonderful I had it. Two sweet girls five years apart and they immediately hit it off like two peas in a pod. Sometimes I feel as if I took their good behavior for granted because of the way my childhood was. I mean...my sister and I got along when we were young kids, but there were days where I felt "left out", or "unloved". There was a lot of fighting, pulling of the hair, and yelling. I guess you can say I couldn't believe how having these two sweet girls was too good to be true. Having two girls who never fought. Till this day they are the best of friends. The best. Sure they'll tease each other, and have the tiniest of the most tiny disagreements, but they have never once uttered any hurtful words to each other, talked ill of one another, or ignored each other. 

I know we shouldn't compare lives with other mothers, or families but I'm going to compare my mother's in the way she raised me, to the way I'm raising my kids now. 

Even though we lived in a small house in Texas which literally had three rooms, a porch, a bathroom (shower was outside) my upbringing was so different..in an unhappy kind of way. You'd think that with my sister and I sharing a bed for almost 18 years that we'd be close, but we weren't. I know it was because of how we were raised, and the example our mother set for us while we were young. 

Kids see everything, and hear everything. I saw everything, and heard everything. I look back and saw how resilient I was in all the things I endured as a kid, and I'm so grateful for it. Still...memories can come back and haunt you, and try to ruin your soul, and that's when I knew that I wanted different for my life, and the type of future that I wanted to embark on. 

The key to changing my life, and the ways I was brought up clicked inside my brain and knew that i wanted different for my future. I wanted happiness. I wanted to take God more seriously. I wanted to have a boyfriend who respected me, and didn't see me as an "easy girl". That wasn't my scene anymore, and i give thanks each day that I found that change. My conversion with The Lord was the key to my happiness, and that is something that I have passed on to my kids. 

My mother did the best that she could in raising me, and my sister. I thank the good Lord that we survived every trial as a youth, and that we didn't hold that against our mother, and that we are not estranged. I love her, and there is nothing in the world that I would do for the both of them. Too bad they live 1760 miles away!

Changing the ways I was brought up, and to not repeat those same mistakes my mother did makes me extremely grateful. Grateful to have The Lord as a firm foundation in the home, to never take Him or His word for granted, and that I am there for my kids no matter what. 

No matter what. 

Because of that I know that is why our girls, and the rest of our kids are all unified as one, take their baptismal covenants seriously, have never once compromised their values for any occasion, or for any young man, and that we are all bonded as a family. 

And why these two have the best, truest friendship in sisterhood anyone could ever have. Sometimes I'm envious with pleasure that they have that. Had to add the pleasure part because envy is not good! 

So...

^^ Sierra (18) & Lexie (13)- summer in rhode island 2013 ^^

If you want to know two wonderful girls with a heart so big, and full of love with a forgiving heart as big as the sun...these are the girls you'd want to hang around with, and call "a truly good friend."

**Warning...they are half Mexican, so their crossness comes out every now and then. It takes a lot for them to feel that, but just beware. I've witnessed it in a cute, and funny way! 

Remember...no one is perfect! 

blessings of a daughter.

Sometimes I wonder how life would be like if I didn't have another teenager left in the house to help me out both physically, and mentally. 

With Sierra off at college it has been a tremendous blessing to have Lexie by my side not only to help me clean the house, and watch the kids while i go out and run errands...but to talk to. 

She is there for us when me and her pa are in desperate need of a date night because seriously...don't we need those to keep our marriage strong, and young (wink, wink.) If you read this post you'll be happy for me that I have her.

Lexie is as awesome as they come. In many ways she is a lot like her sister, yet they are so different. They are five years apart, but if you talked to her you'd think you were talking to a 20 year old. She is older than her years, and very mature. There are days when I forget how old she is, and I will talk to her about something that is R-rated, but then I think about it and I'm like...she's mature enough to understand what I just said. 

And you know something else, she gives the greatest advice...just like Sierra used to (and still does.) 

There are reasons why many of her elementary teachers had her sit in front of the classroom right near their desk. Not because she was a troublemaker, but because Lexie was their "comforter", or "solace" what have you. There were so many kids in the class, paritcularly her fifth grade class that would misbehave with such disrespect, that all Ms. Bottcher had to do was take one look at Lexie, sigh and say, "I can do this because of this one child. I can still teach because of this one child. I will finish out the next year because of this one child." It sounded like her mantra for the year Lexie was there, and I couldn't help but to laugh a little when she told me this during a parent/teacher conference. 

I thanked her for looking at her with such praise, and for all the wonderful compliments she said about Lexie. I concluded to tell her that her sentiments for Lexie was the same way for me not only at my house, but in my life as well.  

When chaos erupts in the home between my two younger children, or in the world I not only look at Lexie, but all of my kids, and I am pretty relieved. Relieved at the fact that they don't carry many burdens in their life (yet), and that they are not bullies. They love, forgive, and befriend everyone they meet. I thank Heavenly Father for bringing them down to me, and for the strength that I have to continue to raise them with true principles. 

As a parent one can give up on their kid once they reach their teens, or head off to college. You'd think because of my past, and the things I endured as a kid that I'd be raising some messed up kids. 

Not me. 

I call Sierra at least four times a week and send her sweet texts on a daily basis. Not because I don't trust her, but because I love her. 

Everyday before Lexie and Chelsea leave for school I give them a kiss and a bear hug, and if I get a chance I'll sneak in a note inside their lunch bag. With the way the world is today we all need someone in our life to give us comfort, and our kids need to hear that in return. I believe that's what makes my kids develop such sweet, yet strong personalities. 

Sure I have my husband, God, my sister, mother, this little blog, and my journal to "vent" to, but sometimes you need your daughters. 

I need my daughters, & I have learned a lot from them!

And I'm so grateful that I have three of them. They are indeed the greatest friends anyone could ever have, and some of the greatest people on earth. I personally have never met any other kid that could possible carry my daughters attributes. I count my blessings that I have them life, and two of them who are mature enough to.

Lexie is my stress reliever, and my book critic when it comes to reading. If any of you want to know about young adult fiction this is the "go to girl." She can read any book for you within 24 hours and give you a thumbs up or down. She'll even give you the latest books that are coming out. 

I am so thankful for our children. They are all wonderful, and each carry their own uniqueness, & talents. They are just awesome! 

"Happy for those whose child brings so much joy, and energy into their life."

That's me.

Phillies vs. Marlins

When you have four children five years apart you always want to find equal time with all of them. I swear we have more date nights with our children than with ourselves. Luckily Jon and I have the best friendship, and our communication is excellent. We talk about everything! So sometimes our date nights are pushed back a week or two so that we can spend time individually with each child.

Tonight was Alexandra's night, and we all went to a Phillies game. She and her middle school band get invited every year to play the National Anthem for the Phillies. She plays the keyboard, and you can see them playing here, and they all sounded great.

I wasn't able to record her last year because we didn't know that the parents of those who are in the band can go down to the field to watch and record the band play. We did just that! If we could have only stayed in the seats where we stood we would of had a closeup of the game, and possibly be seen on the big screen catching a foul ball. 

When they played the Mets last year we sat up in the nosebleeds and that wasn't so bad. No matter how high up we sat we still had a good view of the game. We saw a wedding proposal on the big screen, and many many come here for their birthdays. This was my time to let loose by cheering, clapping, and singing "take me out to the ballgame", and it was a lot of fun! I can't wait until Noah is older so that he can actually have fun, and understand the meaning behind baseball.

I'm grateful when opportunities like this come along in our community for our children because it gives us the time to spend with our child. I count my blessings for having them five years apart because when one graduates college, one will be graduating high school, etc. etc., and that's fine with me. I'll always have a "free" babysitter when we take their siblings out. It was totally meant to be that way, and I love it!

I can tell my girls all love when they have one and one quality time with us, and we really enjoy, and take in every moment spent with our kids. This is one thing I'll miss when Sierra heads off to college.

That's another story.

Happy weekend!

P.S. The Phillies won! 

honors band concert

When you have four kids you tend to document almost every detail of their life. Not everything, but almost everything. When it comes to music I definitely have to have record of it. I have three girls that play the piano, and tonight it was Alexandra's turn to perform. 

She tried out for honors band about a month ago, and made it in. She is the keyboard player of her school, and absolutely loves it. 

Tonight three middle schools from the township we live in got their honors bands together to play some awesome music! They even added the honors chorus as a bonus! 

There are so many kids who move towards the woodwind, brass & percussion instruments, and not enough string players. Too bad there is no orchestra on this side of town. Alex would be a part of that in a heartbeat! We hope that the high school she's in a couple of years will have one! She had a blast playing in the All south Jersey Jr. orchestra back in January.

Since I didn't play any instrument in school I didn't encourage my girls to play. And the only reason Jon played the trumpet in middle school for one year was so that he could get out of gym class! Nice huh?

So I have a lot of gratitude for the people who played an important role in my life for encouraging me to encourage our kids in learning an instrument.  

One teacher in particular was Sierra's second grade music teacher who told me to get her into piano lessons because she had an innate talent in playing the guitar (which she hasn't done that in long while), and reading music...at 7 years old! I will always be thankful for Mr. Doran in encouraging both my husband & I to get her into lessons because piano is her forte. Her example has made all of her sisters into big time music geeks. 

Alexandra obviously has followed in her footsteps, but also took a bold move in playing the violin, and she admits that is her favorite!

Mr. Nichols has been a great band teacher to all the students. He has been there for Alex in times of need when it comes to any questions she may have that deals with music. 

For the past two years she has made great friends in middle school.

Alex & Destiny-circa, spring 2012

These two young women literally live a hop, skip, and a jump from us and they have been such great friends to Alex. Those are very hard to come by. 

Mr. Nichols, Alex, Edith, & Destiny-present day

So far we are a string family. All the girls play the piano, and Alex is the only one who plays the violin. Who knows what instrument Noah will play in the near future as he gets older. 

I always share my thoughts and feelings about music whenever I write about it, and every time I hear my girls play, or sing it brings me great joy. I am in awe when I hear them because that's something that I never did, and never thought our children would do. It brings peace in the home whenever someone is having a bad day (including the piano player), and comforts every single one of us. I honestly don't know what we'd do without it. 

"Without music life would be a mistake."~Friedrich Neitzsche