Spring Break 2011 in review...

WARNING, it's a long one....
Hello Readers!
Before I recap our week, can I just thank the Heavens above: this week's weather was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! It was amazing; it was perfect! You can bet that any spare moment I had this week was spent in the studio and the garage door was open making last year's purchase of a sliding screen door oh so well worth it!

Ok, well, as I reflect back on the week, with all that I got accomplished and all that I got to do, can you believe that knot that begins to grow in the pit of my stomach when I still have so much to do before I go back to work feeling has already started....yuck! Go away! I refuse to pay attention!

Just before we left for break, I didn't get to share that the high school had their student art show. Andrea had 3 pieces in the show! One was a pencil drawing, another was a comic strip and the other was a piece the students were asked to draw a chess board and illustrate people on it. Andrea really wanted to do Beauty and the Beast characters, but her teacher said no (i imagine because of the disney thing...she wanted something original?), so Andrea did characters inspired by her favorite Manga drawings. But in the end Andrea said she didn't like the piece because "Manga isn't supposed to be in color".....anyway, I loved them all and think it's so ironic that she doesn't want to pursue art when she has so much support around her to do it! (Unlike her Nana and I.)(which I should clarify - MY MOM (Nana) was VERY supportive of me. It's just other "factors" were not.) .... oh my goodness, I digress.....

Anyway,
Andrea had 3 pieces of art up at the student art show. I am so very proud.

Andrea's is the one on the very top. I believe you can click on the photo to enlarge.

Okay, Saturday, March 12th began with a full plate. McKenna had a skate party with her friend Kaycee at noon. She got to hang with Kaycee after the party for a much anticipated play-date while Andrea and I attended a surprise party for Uncle Paul.

Uncle Paul is Gail's brother-in-law and he admitted "he was surprised" (thus why he wasn't dressed up for the occasion....but in the end, his hunting camo was exactly what we loved seeing him in!). He is pictured here with Gail (my mother-in law) and the newest addition to our family; sweet baby Aidan, Paul's great-grandson.

While at the party, I did snap this photo.

Emily, Paul's great-granddaughter, is on the left. The other two little girls were guests at the party. This photos just sums up so much. Can you remember what it was like to meet a new friend and then play for hours like you'd been best friends forever? And again, the weather was so beautiful. No sweating. No mosquitoes.

Andrea and I then left this party a little early to take McKenna to another party. Here it would be a sleepover, Scott was at work, so Andrea and I high-tailed it to the movie theater. She wanted to see Beastly. Which was a modern day version of Beauty and the Beast. It wasn't too bad. I mean, it won't win an Oscar and I knew how it was going to end, but it wasn't Twilight (sorry Twilighters!! And it wasn't Rango! Rango - I'll get to that in a minute.)

Sunday, March 13th began with Daylight Savings Time, and me draggin' my behind over to pick up McKenna from her sleepover. That went well and she said she had fun. Once we got home, we quickly got ready 'cuz Nana was treatin' us to a Special Day! Gotta love that! She gave each of us a very special and thoughtful gift, (a book bag filled w/ school supplies for an American Girl Doll for McKenna, iTune gift cards for Andrea and a beautiful new art teacher type blouse for me!). She then treated us to lunch! A Special Day indeed. We made it home in time from that to pick up daddy and head back to the movies. Ya'll know how I love going to the movies and getting to see 2 movies in 2 days....well, Spring Break couldn't be anymore perfect then that....
Grandma and Grandpa were even available to meet us there.....well, Rango, I couldn't wait to go see it....I mean the lead character's voice was narrated by Johnny Depp! and it was a western, how cute is that? Well, it was just weird. Weird and disappointing. I mean $37 in tickets, plus $30 in popcorn and soda, well, it was disappointing. I will say, almost as disappointing (and almost the same cost) was our dinner out to Kotobuki's. That hardly ever happens. And although we were seriously ready to complain (I mean, share our constructive criticism), I'm glad we refrained. Although the chef and the waitress (who disappointed us) had nothing to do with the owners, we did learn that the owners Ishi and Susan have family in the Northern area of Japan. Sunday had only been about four days after the worst earthquake, tsunami and now nuclear fallout ever in history just happened. We haven't been back yet; we don't know if they have heard about their loved ones, but our prayers go out to them.

Monday, March 14th meant yearbook time for me. "Yearbook time", hours and hours; not difficult, but hours and hours......hours and hours......hours and hours......
luckily for me, later that day, I would be rescued by the opportunity to go camping!

Yep, camping the only way I'd ever consider it.

One, with a family member. Hmm, hmm, McKenna will do and her American Girl Doll, Chrissa.

Two, in the backyard of Kendra's house.

Three, with an experienced outdoors person like Karen. She figured out how to pitch this unique tent (it has two small "rooms" with a "courtyard" in the center) and was super kind in letting me think I helped!

Four, by watching a movie on the big screen, in Kendra's backyard, with freshly popped popcorn drizzled so lovingly with real melted butter and perfect weather, a little cool, but still perfect.

Five, with plates and plates full of the goods needed for perfect s'mores.

Six, with a bonfire, perfect for roasting marshmallows, perfect for taking the chill off of the night air and perfect for keeping away the one or maybe two mosquitoes who ventured our way.

You know my amazing friend Kendra. I am, we are, so blessed to know her and I am so grateful she is part of my life. She has these wonderful get togethers during the summer for our girls. Activities that are inspired by the American Girl Doll books. We had hoped to have gotten to this camp out and movie about Chrissa last summer.....well, God works in wonderful ways, because I think this past Monday was the perfect time for it. Thank you Kendra. It was so much fun.

Tuesday, March 15 meant waking up and having a yummy breakfast in Kendra's warm kitchen. It also meant about an hour of just us mommies talking. That felt good.
Once we got home and showered (oh my heavens, how did the pioneers ever make it without a shower), I headed off to work in my classroom for a few hours and Nana came over to play some Monopoly with the girls. Thank you Nana!

Wednesday, March 16 meant Spring cleaning and......sneezing....
McKenna's room; Andrea's room; the laundry room.....the rest of the house looks like this too, these were the 3 we worked on this time.
BEFORE


AFTER


McKenna's dollhouse:
McKenna's American Girl Dolls:

Wednesday's efforts were well rewarded. Grandma and Grandpa came over for dinner; I provided the food and Grandma cooked chicken and dumplins', yum, yum. Thank you Grandma!

Thursday, March 17 meant some more cleaning for the girls, but I was able to get an early start on the yearbook and the yearbook Gods were with me 'cuz I was able to get the book just about finished. The deadline is in 3 more days. However, the yearbook rep told me we really have until the Saturday after our "deadline". I told her she never should have told me that, but she said she didn't want me to spend my whole break on the yearbook. (Funny, traditionally I spend my whole break on the student art show. Sure glad break fell earlier this year......course that still means I gotta find time to get ready for my student art show.....I digress.....again!)

Friday, March 18th finally meant some real play time for me in the studio. I didn't really care what it was, but I was paintin' somethin'.

This one was created in my Inspiration Journal. The one Donna Downey encourages us to work in as often as possible. The red poppies were inspired by her too. It is a favorite flower of hers and she makes them look so easy. It is just a red blob, how hard could it be? But she makes them better. I got lucky this week! She has provided her fans with a weeks worth of Inspiration. What a treat that has been to wake up and watch a new Donna Downey video each day. I did also realize tonight while working on another canvas piece, that she has been at this (this being multi-media) a whole lot longer than me.....of course her poppies look better! Just wait. I haven't finished practicing yet!

This is where I was last night after some play on a canvas.
Tonight, I've sort of combined these two ideas.....so far, I'm not sure.....I had hoped to include the finished product in this post.....however, this post, along with crafting and fixing dinner has taken several hours (I'm sure it's taken you several hours to read it!)......and it is late, although on vacation for one more day, it looks like we might head down to Orlando early tomorrow for some putt-putt and one more Braves game at Disney's Wide World of Sports......

man, I never did grades.
man, I never did come up with teacher appreciation gifts.
man, I never did print those yearbook pages i finished.
man, I never did see Sue....or Michele.....or Barb.....
man, I never did get to shop at Kohl's or Ikea or She Scrapbooks.....

but man, I did have a wonderful week, and am so grateful to the dear Lord above for all of my blessings.
Night, night ya'll.
Love you.
Melle