Piano Recital

The ensemble

Alley and Benjamin

Alley has been taking piano lessons from a young man in our church since September and she has learned alot. Last night was her first piano recital. She played two songs, accompanied by her teacher, Benjamin Dawson, and she was part of an ensemble made up of all the students and the teacher, playing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. We were also treated to two pieces played by Bethany Dawson, Benjamin's younger sister, and two pieces by Benjamin which he composed himself. Everyone did a great job and then we enjoyed some refreshments and fellowship.

Since Michael is in Kansas City and Jana and Kane are in Atlanta, we called them on our cell phones and let them all hear Alley's songs. I also took a few pictures and videotaped Alley's part. The benefits of technology!

Barbeque

We had a very busy weekend last weekend. It was sad and happy, as many times in life are. On Saturday, we attended the visitation/graveside service of a man in our church who had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away earlier in the week. Not long after we got back from that, my sister Jana and her husband, Kane and little girl (and my only niece), Mara Kate, arrived from Atlanta. Saturday evening, mom fixed Cream Taco for Kane's birthday meal, a few days late. (He's birthday buddies with Dresden.) We had a yummy made-from-scratch cake and enjoyed each other's company. Jana and Kane and MK stayed with me and the kids this time and that was fun because we had some extra visting time around the times when we were all together. Sunday morning was church and then we all attended the memorial service for Jeff Cumbo at 4pm followed by a covered dish meal at the church.

Monday evening was the birthday party cookout (see next post) and we had a good time celebrating this first year of having Dresden and Grant in our family. Several dear friends came and watched the two babies destroy two perfectly good cakes!

On Tuesday, we relaxed and visited more and then we went out to dinner at Ridgewood Barbeque at Kane's request. It is a family owned BBQ place on the other side of town and then out a little farther. This picture is of Dresden and Grant watching the rest of us eat! (I think they are both looking older, even since their birthdays!)

Birthdays

Some of the presents and some of the food at Dresden and Grant's birthday party cookout.
Grant enjoying his first birthday cake!
Dresden was very "feminine" about the way she tasted her cake. She carefully pushed down each icing scallop for several inches around her cake. She also had a little help from her older sister and brother in figuring out what to do!
This picture was actually taken earlier in the day before the party but thanks to this unpredictable blogging program, it ended up in the middle of the party pictures. As you can see, Dresden likes to swing!
This is Mara Kate all bundled up in her stroller (and a little shawl that belonged to me when I was a baby) during the chilly cookout.
Dresden trying out a kazoo while I opened her gifts. I think by next year she will understand the point of the presents and the cake!

Bubbles

A couple of weeks ago, on a warm, late April day, I went outside with the kids to blow bubbles. I blew and they chased and popped. Dresden thought it was alot of fun and tried to do it herself!

These are my kids "flying" after the bubbles! They both thought this picture was quite funny since they have been wishing lately that they could actually fly!