Dance Competition!

I think Ashlyn and I had THE.BEST.DAY.EVER. together on Saturday. We got up and got ready. Kandis, Andrew and Lisa were visiting so we got to spend some time with them in the morning before we left. Then at about 10:30 we headed out for COMPETITION!!!! Just the 2 of us... the rest were joining us later.
We got to the competition.. it was HUGE... this place was packed and there were non-stop dancers competing for 3 days!! Saturday it started at 8am and went until after 10pm (but we weren't there the whole time... obviously).... anyway we found her class right off and took her to change and do her makeup. She was beautiful!! Then her instructor did their hair. We thought she was supposed to dance at 1:30... but at about 1 her director realized that they were put into the wrong class... so they wouldn't be dancing until 3. CJ and Kailey and Canyon were at lunch with Kandis, Andrew and Lisa, Grandma Nibley, Aunt Shelley and Aunt Cindy... so we were able to join hem for a sandwich and some ice cream (even though Ashlyn was too nervous for ice cream... only because we weren't physically AT the competition... she wasn't nervous ANY other time... AMAZING). We ate and headed back to the competition to hang out and watch more dances.
I think the best part of the day for me... aside from actually WATCHING her dance, was being with her and really enjoying something that she totally LOVES! Then the girls headed back for warm ups! OH BOY... it was all I could do to hold back the tears... I AM SO PROUD OF HER!!! When I knew it was close to their turn I headed up to the front so I could get video... I managed to keep all the tears in though... I DID have to focus on the video, so it was a good distraction at the time... here they are

Ashlyn starts in the center, then is in the back left corner

They ended up getting 3rd place in their division! She was so happy to have placed in her first competition ever... and was SO proud of her own performance... and let me tell you WE were all SO proud of her performance. ASHLYN WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!


Once she was done dancing we headed out... and about half way home we realized we didn't want our time together to end! We should have stayed and watched more dancing! Oh well... everyone was at home waiting... well.. almost... Andrew and Lisa had to run an errand... and Kandis and Daddy took naps... but the day was STILL so awesome! One of the best Mommy-Daughter days EVER!!

Next competition is in about a month! We cant wait!

Kailey and Canyon

My little balls of fire! Never a dull moment with these 2!!!
Kailey is LOVING kindergarten! I think she mostly loves the snacks she gets in kindergarten... but she LOVES kindergarten... and she even was the class shining star!
She is doing really really well. She is already reading beyond the level at which she should, and picks things up so quickly!! She amazes me every day! She enjoys watching Ashlyn dance, as we all do, and the other day while having a conversation about whether or not there was something she would like to learn... we went through piano, and karate, then she decided on Yoga!! Yep... my 5 year old wants to do yoga!!! She doesn't really have the patience for yoga (can any 5 year old sit still that long?), and I don't know if she has really ever even seen yoga... but thats what she decided she wants to do. After this conversation she went into my room because I told her she could do my yoga video whenever she wants... and she made it for about 30 seconds. So we'll see what she comes up with next. In the meantime she stays as busy as she can with her Nintendo DS... we have to literally put it where she cant reach it to get it away from her... and besides that she loves building forts downstairs. The playroom is one big giant fort... which is good because that is one of Canyon's favorite things too! Forts and Thomas the train... he is ob-sessed!... and when he can play WITH his trains IN the fort... OH BOY!!! Daddy and I are trying to find something else that will divert his attention, but so far we haven't found anything that he has any desire to connect with... unless its edible... and has sugar in it! He is growing so quickly and by now has a FULL vocabulary! He is already conscious of the letters he mispronounces though.... except when you wish he would... he has a lisp, as most kids do, and corrects himself when he tries to say things like station... they turn into sha-shon... but no lisp! The other day, however, he was playing with Kailey.. .his Q and G's are usually D's.. anyway... Kailey said "QUICK, QUICK" and he repeated her... with D's... didn't realize he was saying that one wrong though!!! Oh the joys! At least we were home alone!

Ashlyn and dancing

So Ashlyn has a new best friend and love! In November she was really able to find her first love... dancing! We have been so very blessed because there have been people who have recognized and believed her to have natural talent, so we aren't having to pay for her 3 dance classes a week - they're doing it for us! What a blessing! It has been such an outlet for Ashlyn and is really a passion. She is in a jazz class as well as a ballet class to help with her technique. One month into ballet and they moved her up to the next level!!! PLUS she is going to be competing with her dance studio, Saratoga Performing Arts! The first competition is on February 27th and 28th, AND her teacher has her positioned front and center! She will be the tip of the triangle... dancing alone as the other will be in pairs!! We are all so excited and we're sure the next week is going to be full of anxiety... and spinning!!!
For those of you who wont be here to watch her compete here is a video of her dancing. She is just making it up as she goes, while practicing spotting her turns so she doesn't get dizzy... that's why she had so many turns in this particular dance. I hope you enjoy watching her as much as we do!!!

(the song she is dancing to is not the original song. YouTube made me change it from the Blake Shelton song she was dancing to)

This Saturday she will also be going to a dance workshop with the choreographer for the High School Musical movies!! IF THAT ISN'T EXCITING I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!!!

She is excelling at school and is working on being a real leader. I remember 4th grade being the start of all the drama with my friends, and yep... its started with her too. Hopefully she will be able to continue to recognize what it means to be a true friend and not have to deal with the horrible emotions that come with being a pre-teen, or teen, or young woman... I won't hold my breath!!

This was Ashlyn with her first big report on Elizabeth Blackwell.

Stacey and CJ Random-ness

I am posing about us first, know that by the time I post about the kids we will be the 4th post down... and nobody really wants to know about us anyway!!

CJ is still going to Denver once a month to see Dr. McCarty. He has never felt good or complete relief like he did after the first treatment, but we are still optimistic. Each treatment brings a "change", and at this point change is good. The treatments are going to last longer than expected because when he had his surgery 5 years ago they literally removed a piece of his skull, so he has a hole in the back of his head. When you are trying to restructure something, and a piece is missing, it takes a lot more work, and more precise work, to get the job complete. So that's what we are dealing with. The trial now is that he walks around all the time feeling like he is going to pass out... with a headache... and no end in sight. So you can imagine how frustrating that is for him... and for me as a wife, not being able to help. But it is what it is, and we just push forward KNOWING without a doubt that someday this will be over and he will be whole again! The doctor thinks it could just be that his glands that secrete things like adrenalin (which helps us to not get dizzy) aren't working properly. CJ is taking supplements to try to combat it, but we are anxiously awaiting his next trip to Denver, that's for sure!

I am as healthy as I can be right now. On top of my 3 years now of diabetes, I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism last fall. You'd think that by having a diagnosis you could move on, right?!? NO... we're the Larson's we don't just move on from anything!! The problem is that I have hyPER thyroid but symptoms of hyPO thyroid... which means I am excessively tired and gain weight!! haha!! Funny huh!?!? What woman over 30 isn't, or doesn't!!! Anyway, I was put on a prescription that would essentially obliterate my thyroid and cause me to be on yet another medication for the rest of my life. CJ wasn't ok with that... and either was Dr. McCarty (we love Dr. McCarty!!!). So I am trying to battle the weight gain and fatigue and treat my problem naturally. I'll let you know how that goes!!

ON LIGHTER NEWS...

CJ and his friend Spencer (and Spencer's beautiful and MOST supportive wife Allison) are in the works to start another meat business. This time the idea is to NOT go door to door, instead they placed an ad in the local Valpak and have had a great response. It may have gone in a month early because all the kinks aren't worked out yet, so they haven't been able to make any $$ yet... but they are in the final stages and we are all really excited about it. Well, I think THEY are much more excited than I... as we have been through how many businesses so far?!?! I'm trying, I really am... and if Allison and Spencer still want to be my friends through all this I will be truly blessed!!! Anyway... here is their new website www.stock-save.com. It should be up and running within the next week.

Blog lazy

So how does this happen, you ask??? I do not know. I love blogging. I love reading other peoples "bloggings". I've just become a lazy blogger. Maybe its because its cold outside and we've been stuck in the house with nothing exciting going on. Maybe its because we are now at dance classes 3 nights a week. Maybe its because we've been sick... each.one.of.us. Maybe its because there is no new news on CJ (still going each month for treatments though). Maybe I'll just have to look for the more exciting aspects of life. I guess I have gone into a slump!
I know there are good things in our lives. I know there are things to be thankful for each and every day. Maybe its just time to look back at the basics and realize Heavenly Father really does bless me. I have shelter and food, and family... a beautiful family, and a loving family, and a family that actually gets along and enjoys time together. AND I have all my friends... blogging friends... and all my Facebook friends. We have good doctors. We have medicine. We have freedom, and education. I slept in a huge warm cozy bed last night. And even the fact that my son is spreading chocolate milk powder all over the kitchen right now.
You see, there are many, many things I could blog about... but right now... I have to go clean up chocolate milk powder!