Christmas parade

Yesterday, Amy and Beth participated in our town's "Santa Parade". This much-anticipated event is an annual tradition in our town, and most kids participate in some manner. Boy scouts and girl scouts proudly march through the town in their uniforms, dance school students flip and spin, many schools decorate floats, the marching band plays music, and of course, Santa appears at the end of the parade.

This was Beth's third year riding on her school's float. Dressed like an angel, she participated in their "living nativity" theme. She is now an "old pro", and she smiled, waved and threw candy to the children clapping in excitement along the sidewalks.

Amy decided that instead of riding on the school float, she would march with her dance school. So, I purchased the required black sweatshirt, the dance school hat and snowflake, and watched as Amy spent the last two months practicing the dance routine for the parade. Her dance instructor is very creative and talented, and the routine was adorable. Amy was so excited about her big day.

But when she and Dan arrived at the starting point on Sunday afternoon, she suddenly became scared. She started to cry, and Dan watched as she was placed in line, holding her snowflake and sobbing. Finally, she told her teacher that she was just too scared. Dan pulled her out of the line, and they walked to the end of the parade route to watch the parade with the rest of us.

Amy stood next to me with her head down, while we waited for the parade to begin. She was truly tortured by her indecision and fears. We talked about her feelings and we tried to convince her that it would be a fun thing to do. Suddenly, she looked up and said, "Okay. I want to do it. I can do it!!"

We looked at our watches. The parade was set to start in 5 minutes, and we were now almost a mile from the starting point. Dan picked Amy up, and they ran all the way to the beginning of the parade route. Her dance school was just stepping out, and her teacher saw her coming. She ran out and put Amy back into line, and she proudly danced down the street, smiling at all the people clapping on the sidelines.

We're so proud of the way she overcame her fears. She's proud of herself, too. She's already talking about next year's parade! She's blessed with an amazing dance instructor, who was so patient with her on Sunday.

I LOVE this picture of her, immediately after finishing her march. Good job, Amy!!!

Brian's Birthday Bash

As you can see, Brian thoroughly enjoyed celebrating his 2nd birthday with family and friends. Thanks for coming, everyone!!

Brian is TWO!

I know. It's been forever. This year has been very challenging (but fun!) and it's been difficult to set aside time to write on the blog. But today is Brian's birthday, and I can't let this milestone slip by without yelling from the rooftops (or from my blog) about how special this little boy really is.

My little man is full of energy and adrenaline, but he is also full of kisses and cuddles. He is happiest when he is playing with his sisters or swimming in the pool. He takes weekly swimming lessons and has absolutely no fear of the water. At the end of the day, he snuggles up with me and showers me with hugs and kisses. He's an amazing little guy, and we're enjoying him more than words can describe.

Happy Birthday little man. We love you so much.