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JenniferD > November 26, 2009 Thanksgiving day. Forgot to get a shot of the turkey! Hope everyone had a wonderful day with family and friends.
JenniferD > November 23, 2009 - Emily and the instructor from the Moscow Ballets The Nutcracker. She danced in the Arabian Coffee Dance on Sunday with the Moscow Ballet I wasn't allowed to take many photos of Em on Sunday. They were EXTREMELY strict about photography due to costume and scenery design concerns. I did manage a few backstage however. It was an amazing experience for Emily and I am so grateful that I was able to share it backstage with her. There were about 9 kids her age that myself and another Mom were watching during the first show. Fantastic kids - and the other Mom was equally as wonderful. She is also a "photo-bug". So we had a lot to talk about. I am not even sure I can acurately describe the experience. The Russian dancers were nothing short of awe-inspiring. The beauty, grace, strength they possess is something I have never seen in person before. The stage Moms were allowed to stand way back in the wings while our group of kids were performing - that alone is something I will never forget. The lady in the photo with Emily has to be one of the most beautiful women I have ever encountered. She was extremely strict and demanding of the kids, but yet she was so kind and encouraging at the same time. Her love of dance and drive to get the best from them was obvious. Before she allowed them to perform she made them do barre work. I stood there amazed as she did it right along with them. I am not sure of her age - but I was shocked and not merely a bit envious at the way she could move her body. When Emily performed the last show of the run we were in the audience - 4 rows back - dead center. I couldn't help but cry and I felt as if my entire being was going to explode with pride. Even though it was a bit embarassing for me, I couldn't seem to stop myself from leaning over to the lady sitting beside me and saying "that is my daughter" when Emily came on stage. She will be auditioning again next year - the last year she will be eligble before she turns 18. Ian and I have already decided - next year it will be VIP tickets so we can be dead center - hopefully FRONT row. :) If you get a chance to see The Moscow Ballet perform the Great Russian Nutcracker - please do so. It is a truly incredible experience. 97 students ages 7-16 from 23 studios across the Dallas/Ft.Worth metroplex were able to perform with them. They do this at each of the cities they perform in. The gift they give to our children is reason enough to spend the money to see them. The experience really is - a precious gift... for the students and their very proud parents.
JenniferD > November 19, 2009 Woke up this morning with a bad headcold. So much to do I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. The frame of the float is still not built. The decorations are only partially made. My tornado looks as if it has seen better days - it truly is sad and pathetic. We are having everyone over tomorrow to assemble the whole thing - and rain is in the forecast. So we may have to take the frame off the wagon assemble as much as we can in our garage and then get up super early Saturday morning and finish it. The parade starts at 10am - but we need to be in position no later than 9:30. I still have grocery shopping to do for the party as well as my weekly shopping AND for Thanksgiving dinner food. The girls want to go to the movies on Saturday afternoon/evening and Sunday is the Nutcracker. I am supposed to have an entire kit prepared for the girls I am in charge of backstage. LOL When that will get assembled I have no idea. HELP! Promise I will get back to commenting on everyone elses photos next week. Just kind of overwhelmed with stuff and because I am so overwhelmed I am having a hard time making myself get anything done. Feeling crappy doesn't help either.
JenniferD > November 17, 2009
JenniferD > November 16, 2009 - Leaf Series Between now and Thanksgiving my life is going to be incredibly hectic. So today I am starting a series of fall leaves I found lying by our driveway. With my apologies to John (smile) I am copying his idea and ending the series with a collage that is very similar to what he does with flowers each month. What is it they say about imitation and flattery? I might interupt the series a day or two with a parade and or Nutcracker photo - but I am hoping this takes me right up to turkey day.
JenniferD > November 14. 2009 One last shot from the Veterans Day ceremony. I want to apologize for not commenting at all lately. We have been running like crazy the past few weeks and it is just going to get worse until next weekend is over. Any down time I have had I have just wanted to immerse myself into something mindless and let my head take a rest. Tomorrow Emily has her last rehearsal before the Moscow Nutcracker performance. We are also getting a farm wagon from another member of the volunteer group we belong to. We will be turning it into a (hopefully decent) float for our towns holiday parade. Sunday we will go out and purchase everything we need to build/decorate the float. Friday we will have a float decorating party here at our house.. Saturday is the parade and Sunday Em is dancing. I found out I will be one of the backstage moms in the dressing rooms helping the girls change. We will be there for a total of 8 hours and are not allowed to leave at all. So we have to bring a sack lunch and dinner - and lots of things to keep the kids occupied. They have to remain in the dressing room the entire time. I am backstage for from 11am until the shift comes for the 5pm show. I am not allowed to take photos in the hallways or during the performance - but we are allowed to bring cameras into the dressing room. So I will get a shot of her in her costume at least. I am going to try to comment more this week. I have felt bad - there have been so many amazing photos and I have seen them and appreciated them - just haven't been very verbal about it. Have a great weekend everyone.
JenniferD > November 13, 2009
JenniferD > November 12, 2009 - Yesterday I attended the Veteran Ceremony here in town. I was asked to attend by the Relay for Life group. They wanted me to get some shots of veterans/cancer survivors with our local police and fire depts. I wasn't expecting to be as deeply touched by the event as I was. Hearing stories from the vets, seeing the tears they tried so proudly to hold back left a lasting impact on my life. While I silently thanked my own father for his service to this country (he served in the army during WWII and suffered a near fatal wound), and wondered if a flag was placed by the headstone that marks his grave, I felt myself grow as a person. It is so easy to say we understand the sacrifice those who serve make - but how can we truly know unless we have walked in their shoes? Our state rep Sam Johnson attended the ceremony. He told a story about he captured, blindfolded and walked through a dense woods. He was stopped, the blindfold removed. He opened his eyes to see 5 enemy soldiers with rifles pointed at him. Between him and the soldiers was a pit they had dug for his body. He was told he was going to be killed. He went on to say how he had been raised attending church and Sunday school but never really felt close to God. At that moment he prayed like he never had before. The order was given to fire and all five rifles merely clicked. He told us how for the first time he was certain there was a greater power and then, he said he chuckled. At that, he was kicked and sent into the pit and left. He told a few more stories, his voice cracked with emotion yet his eyes were filled with determined pride. I can only imagine the fear, the bravery and the sheer will one must have to endure being a POW. I was truly humbled. This photo is the mixed (I want to say) honor gaurd made up of police and firefighters for our town. This is a shot I took for the calendar. We originally asked them to salute each other. But the honor gaurd spoke up and said "No, we will just salute them. No need for them to salute us." To those of you whom have served. To those of you whom are making a great sacrifice by sending one you love off to serve.... Thank you - from the bottom of my heart.
JenniferD > November 11,2009
JenniferD > November 10, 2009 - Emily's bust. Emily is taking an advanced ceramics and sculpture class this year. She has been working on this project for quite a while. It was finally finished on Friday and she was able to bring it home to show us for the weekend - then it had to go back to school so her teacher could put it in the art show. She got in the car carrying it Friday and proceeded to tell me how she had to carry it around half the day and in every class she went to AND in the halls people would stop her and ask, "Is that Jesus?" Em would give them an exasperated look and say.. "No! It has BOOBS!" LOLOLOL poor kid. Before she got the hair on it everyone said "Wow what a sad little man." Then when the hair was in place - her bust (had to show emotion) became Jesus. I finally asked her if it had a name and she stood there - thought for a moment and said. "Shirley."
JenniferD > November 9, 2009 - Yesterday began quite tragically. Our coffee maker DIED while Ian was trying to make the morning coffee. He went to heroic lengths trying to resuscitate it. Unfortunately nothing worked. Mourning was intense, yet brief. A quick trip to Target resulting in a new valued "family member" entering our lives. Ladies and Gentlemen.. I present to you... my morning coffee. - OK all joking aside it really was pathetic how zombie-ish Kylie and I were yesterday morning. We just stood there staring at the coffee maker. We had looks of total disbelief on our faces as we push buttons, shook the old machine and wondered what we were going to do. Thank goodness Ian bought me a french press pot for Christmas last year. It totally saved the day.
JenniferD > November 8, 2009 - "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life". ~Berthold Auerbach
JenniferD > November 6, 2009 Yes I still have roses - and tomatoes on my tomato plant.. how I ended up with new baby tomatoes I have no idea. Thought I killed that thing off months ago.
JenniferD > November 5, 2009 - Ian. Yesterday was the day for the monthly (tornado) siren tests in our area. Ian coordinates the tests for our city as well as a larger neighboring city. Usually I am assigned to siren 1 here in town - not far from our home. I got a phone call yesterday from Ian telling me he had all of the sirens filled including his own and would I like him to take mine? I said - no, let's do it together. Then he suggested we go out for lunch. It was a really nice surprise. After the test I asked him to drop me off at home so I could pick up my car because right after lunch I was going to have to go get Emily from school and immediately take her to the dance wear store to get some pointe shoe snaps. Then he totally shocked me. Ian said - I can take you to get Emily. I looked at him strange and asked - don't you need to go back to work. Nope - he took the entire afternoon off! In this photo Ian is talking to another ham radio operator whom is assigned to one of the 7 other sirens in town. Visual inspection was just finished. Next came 3 different siren tests. We were parked directly under siren 1. It is a lot less ear splitting if you are directly under it rather than further away.
JenniferD > November 4, 2009 - Charlotte's Web. This lovely lady (well I think it is a lady because of the baby spiders in the web) resides in the area between our driveway and the neighbors fence. She has built a huge, beautiful web. Unfortunately - she doesn't realize she is going to have to move on soon. We have to mow again this weekend and can't do so with her web filling all the "head space" between our Bradford Pear tree and the garage.
November 26, 2009 Thanksgiving day. Forgot to get a shot of the turkey!

Hope everyone had a wonderful day with family and friends.
JenniferD > November 26, 2009 Thanksgiving day. Forgot to get a shot of the turkey! Hope everyone had a wonderful day with family and friends.
November 26, 2009 Thanksgiving day. Forgot to get a shot of the turkey!

Hope everyone had a wonderful day with family and friends.
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