This Is It

Kynlee and Kenzie had their Spring Dance Recital. It was fantastic! The theme was "Michael Jackson", so all but a couple of groups danced to one of his songs. I am just so surprised at the progress both Kynlee and Kenzie showed tonight. Kynlee is really starting to show emotion while she dances, instead of being worried about each step. The whole evening was completely entertaining! Way to go Slider girls!:)

My cute little dancers!
Kenzie's first dance was called "The Pajama Dance". Her teacher made each of the girls darling, silky pajama pants! Kenzie just lights up when she is dancing...she is not shy at all!

Kynlee's group danced to "Naturally" by Selena Gomez. These girls used capes through the whole routine. I told Kynlee afterwards that it was one of the best choreographed dances I have ever seen...I was totally impressed!

How cute are these tutu's!?! Kenzie's last dance was to "Philadelphia Chickens". It was so cute watching each of these girls have so much fun!

Kynlee's last dance was to my all time favorite Michael Jackson song, "Thriller". I helped rat up the girls' hair and their shredded shirts gave the perfect Zombie look. It was amazing watching them pull off Michael Jackson moves!

A Michael Jackson impersonator came out and busted some moves...he was good!

Kynlee and Kenzie with their teacher, Sis. Jones...she is amazing!

Kynlee just had to get her picture taken with Michael Jackson!

Kynlee's group performed "Thriller" for the 5th grade Talent Show! They were chosen as one of the two finalists! They went on to perform it in front of the entire student body for the school Talent Show...the kids went wild! I was so proud of them and the courage they had!

Hope Of America

Kynlee has been looking forward to Hope of America since the beginning of 5th grade! She has been learning the songs and actions for a while. One of her favorite songs is "America Rocks". The message of this program is so great! We left with such a good feeling. This younger generation really is the Hope of America.

We just had to put on these fake nails with sparkly stars on the tips. Kynlee loved them while they lasted!

This American flag made out of hundreds of kids was quite the site! It was so cool when the kids would all do actions to the songs...the flag literally moved!

If you look closely, you might be able to spot Kynlee. She is in the middle section, 2nd row under the yellow, 7th in from the left. We thought it was cool that we found her!

"We Can Be A Light" was the last song and one of my favorites! The lights are out and it is completely dark during the verses and then for the chorus the kids shine their flashlights. It is powerful and a tear jerker!

This girl is proud to be an American!

This was Teacher Appreciation Week also. I'm the Room Mom for Kynlee's class and I just had to show off how I decorated her teacher's door. I had the kids trace and cut out their hand prints. Matt and I glued them around to make the sun and flowers. I was so happy with the way it turned out!:)

The Wax Museum was the following week and Kynlee chose to be Pocahontas. We were able to borrow some great Indian stuff...she looked amazing! Kynlee read a book about the life of Pocahontas. Her "Bio Pyramid" read:

Pocahontas
Beautiful, Curious
Most Beloved Daughter
Kidnapped By The English
Helped Jamestown Survive Hard Times
Transformed Into A “Model Indian Princess”
Rescued John Smith From Powhatans Killing Him
She Was Looked Upon As America’s First Heroine

Band In The Making

Kynlee participated in her year end Violin Recital. She has worked hard to have her pieces memorized and ready. I have also been working hard to learn to play the mandolin. After getting a few pointers, it is coming very slowly. Memorizing chords and strumming are things my brain is not used to. Only practice will make it better. I always loved the fact that my Dad could accompany me on my fiddle songs, so it is my goal to be able to do the same with Kynlee, and so far she loves it too. We are definitely a band in the making...so fun!

Kynlee's first piece was "Allegretto " by Suzuki. Then she played her first fiddle piece, "Bile Them Cabbage Down". I was excited to assist in accompanying her on my Grandpa's mandolin. It added a nice country sound!

Both teacher and Mom were proud of our little violinist!

Two Wheelin' Fun

When the snow melted, I promised Kenzie that I would teach her how to ride her bike with no training wheels. The time has long come, so we headed up to the basketball court where it is nice and flat. I learned with my other girls that it's easier for them to catch on quickly with the littlest bikes. I jogged behind her and held on with one hand, but it wasn't long before Kenzie got the hang of it! It was so fun to watch her face light up when she realized she could do it all by herself! Way to go Kenzie...Mom is so proud of you!

What a cutie!

Look at her go!

BYU Ballroom Performance

Kynlee and I joined some other moms and daughters for the BYU Ballroom Dance Company "Encore" performance at the Marriott Center. I have never been, but after hearing lots of good feedback from others that go yearly, I knew that it would be something that Kynlee would enjoy. It was very entertaining! The dancing and costumes were amazing! Ballroom dancing is a big deal here in Utah. They offer it on the High School level. I will be very proud of Kynlee if it is something she eventually decides to do.

It was wonderful to spend the evening with Kynlee! We will definitely be making this a tradition!
This was at the end when all the dancers were on stage...quite the site! Kynlee and I loved all of the girls' dresses! They danced to lots of different kinds of music. A lot of the routines were funny, and one of our favorites was when there was a black light and they all glowed in the dark while they danced.

We got frozen yogurt afterwards...what a yummy treat!

"Egg"ster Fun

I am so grateful for this Easter season! I love remembering and talking about the life of Jesus Christ. We were so blessed to have General Conference this weekend...it really set the tone. I am thankful for a living prophet, President Monson, and other General Authorities who lead and guide us. What great messages we heard! The kids also enjoyed the regular Easter activities.

The kids had a lot of fun coloring their dozen eggs! I was surprised at how creative some of them turned out!

Believe it or not, this was what we woke up to Easter morning! Are we being teased, or what?

The kids quickly emptied their treat filled Easter baskets to make room for the big egg hunt. The Easter Bunny followed tradition and hid throughout the house all 48 colored Easter eggs.

Once the eggs the Easter Bunny hid were found, each of the kids took turns hiding them for the others to find. Matt and I thought we had some pretty cool hiding places...we didn't fool them for too long!:)

We enjoyed the company of loved ones at our yummy Easter feast. Love the sillyness!

Donna made some cute little goodies!

The kids loved finding plastic eggs filled with treats and surprises with all the cousins!

Cute cousins!

The cousins with Aunt Marie.

We were excited to get a suprise visit from Aunt Marie. She is a Medic serving in Iraq. We are all so proud of her! Kynlee wanted to show her off and invited her to come talk to her 5th grade class. The kids had some great questions for her to answer. Thanks so much for visiting Marie...we love you!

One Whole Hand

Happy 5th Birthday to Kenzie! This Birthday has made me realize that my baby is not so baby anymore. Kenzie is still, and I'm sure will always be, spoiled like the baby of the family is. For instance, she is well more than half my height and yet, when she wants me to, I carry her around on my hip!:) She pretty much gets what she wants, if within reason, and it drives the other kids crazy. But we all love her to pieces! Kenzie loves playing with friends, coloring pictures, going to school and dance, being a helper, acting silly, and giving hugs! This day was Birthday celebration from morning until night!

Kenzie's yummy birthday breakfast in bed: scrambled eggs w/ ketchup, toast, strawberries, and orange juice. I love how she's holding her glass to drink...so funny!
Kenzie opened up cards and gifts from Grandmama and Uncle Shane's family. Grandpa and Grandma Debbie called to sing "Happy Birthday". Thanks!

What a cutie in her Birthday outfit!

Kenzie has been showing interest in getting her ears pierced and I thought it would make the perfect Birthday present. We headed for Claire's first thing. She picked out beautiful, sparkly flower earrings. This is a before and during picture. Kenzie was so brave! It was over pretty fast. She only said, "Ow"... not a single tear was shed!

Kynlee and Karley convinced me to let them miss school so they could see Kenzie get her ears pierced. They were so sweet with her! I love these girls!

We went to McDonald's for her Birthday lunch. She enjoyed her chicken nuggets Kid Meal!

After being Queen of the Day at Pre-school, I brought the kids from her class and met others at our house for her "Soccer" Birthday party. This was her first friend Birthday party. It was rainy, so thankfully a neighbor offered their basement for our soccer game. The kids had a blast!

The little soccer pros!

We came back home and had cupcakes and Powerade drinks.

Kenzie and her friends had a lot of fun at the party!

Kenzie loves her Baby Alive doll! We ended the fun filled day with her favorite dinner, Hot Wings. Happy Birthday to the sweetest and cutest 5 year old...I love you so much Kenzie! Grandma Slider took Kenzie the next day to Build-A-Bear Workshop for her Birthday gift. Kenzie had fun picking out her purple bear, bathing and brushing her, dressing her, and giving her loves. She named her bear, "Snuggle Bug"...so cute! I know Kenzie enjoyed having Grandma all to herself for a little while. Thanks Donna!

Lights Out

Matthew gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting yesterday and did a fantastic job! His topic was "How Choosing Good Friends Will Help Him Prepare For His Mission". What a great topic! He talked about having courage to live gospel standards, and how friends are an influence in thoughts and actions. I loved the quote from President Monson that he used, "Friends help to determine your future. You will tend to be like them and to be found where they choose to go. Remember, the path we follow in this life leads to the path we follow in the next." Half way through his talk, the power went out in the building...lights and microphone! He calmly looked back to the Bishop, who encouraged him to continue. Matthew didn't hesitate and started in a loud voice right where he left off. Luckily, the power outage lasted only a few seconds. In closing with his testimony he shared, "I know that if I surround myself with good friends that share the same values, I will be prepared and ready to serve a mission." I was so proud! On a side note, Matthew played on the Young Men's basketball team. Their team placed 2nd in the Stake which gave them the chance to play at the Regional level. They just finished up this weekend in 4th place...way to go! Matthew was so fun to watch and I was the "loud and proud" Mom on the sidelines screaming with each shot, including 3's, that he made!:)

Star Wars Birthday

There is a 4 year gap between Karley and Kenzie and so for those 4 years, Karley was my baby. Well, my sweet "Karley Baby" has turned 9! This girl has the best personality! It has been fun to watch her grow up over the years. She puts her whole heart into anything she does and she is often seen with a big smile on her face! She loves being active and has such a great imagination. Karley wanted a Star Wars themed birthday this year...so fun!

Karley with her special breakfast in bed: scrambled eggs & ketchup on toast, and a smoothie...nice mustache!:)
Karley opened gifts and cards from Grandmama, Grandpa & Grandma Debbie, and Uncle Shane, Aunt Wynnie, & Rynn. Thanks for your love!
Karley is so cute in her new shirt from Mom!
I look forward to Birthday lunch as much as the kids do! It's such a great tradition! I picked Karley up from school and we headed to Del Taco, where she got 4 soft tacos, no lettuce of course...yummy!

I made Karley's favorite, Hot Wings, for dinner and then we had Grandpa & Grandma Slider, and Ryann & Corbin over for a little party. These are the fun gifts she got from us! She is so fun to buy for...as long as it's not girly, she'll love it!:)

Karley loves the Star Wars figurines she got from Grandpa, Grandma and cousins!

I had to make a Star Wars cake and this is about as crafty as it gets. Karley loved it and said it was perfect!

What a cute girl getting ready to blow out the candles on her cake!

I am so glad you had a fun Birthday, Karley! I love you so much and I am grateful for the sweet girl you are and have always been. You have a gift of making others laugh. People can't help but smile when you are around. This world will never be dull as long as you are in it!

Let The Training Begin

It's official! I have talked about wanting to try a Sprint-Triathlon for about a year now. I figure I need something to show for all of the hours I spend working out. This summer, on June 5th, in my very own city, I will be participating in one! I signed up, paid the fee, and now there is no backing out or wishing that I would do one. This particular Sprint-Triathlon consists of a: 600 meter swim in the lake, 12 mile bike ride, and 5K run. That's doable, right?:) This might be the start of a new love...we'll see. I will be training hard the next few months in hopes of being ready to accomplish this goal!