Dancing Queens!!

When my girls started High School last year, as they were deciding which classes to take, they needed one P.E. Credit, I told them they should take Dance. I took Dance all through High School and it was my Favorite class! And as always, I was right! :) 

Yes, that's me on the left!

Gotta Love the 80's!

They are after all my Daughters, and they absolutely Loved the Dance class as I knew they would! So now they are making plans to take Dance all 4 years of High School even though they don't need the credits! At the end of last year they auditioned for this year and made it! And they just had their first Dance Concert! 

Erica and Lexi, in Costume!

It brought back so many great memories for me! I remember their very first Dance Class ever was a little Tap Class at a local Community Center when they were in Pre-School! 

"Shuffle, Step!"

And then when they were a little older, the 3 of us took up Hula Dancing! That was so much fun and such a Beautiful style of Dance!

Living Aloha!
Us performing in the Arizona Aloha Festival!

I have great memories of my High School Dance Concerts! And I'm thrilled I get to share that with my Daughters! As they build great Memories of their own as well. 

I'm 3rd form the left in front, wearing Purple!

Dancing, like all sports, builds Character, Self Esteem, Self Confidence and Poise. Besides it's Fun! 

Lexi is 4th from Left bending forward,

Erica is in the middle with her back to us.

And since they all wore their hair in a low pony tail, my girls did have to straighten their hair for the Dance Concert! And believe me that is a work out on it's own! 

Lexi got a little help from a Friend doing her hair

We are now buying Ethnic Hair Care Products since they worked so well! 

Being part of a Dance Class or Group also makes you part of a team! It builds Camaraderie. Working together to help everyone be the best they can be, inside and outside of the performance! 

My girls are in the middle row

4th from each side

My best Friends in High School were mostly also in Dance. And just like with Band, Choir, Sports Teams, or whatever you get involved with, it builds closer Friendships! 

Jump! 

Erica and her Friend Heather

(plus a photo bomber in back!) :) 

It meant so much to the girls that their Best Friend since Kindergarten, Maddie, came to see their performance and we'll being going to see her Dance Concert at her school next month! 

Dancing BFFs since Kindergarten 

"You can Dance, you can Jive, Having the time of your Life, See that Girl, watch that Scene, Digging the Dancing Queen!" (Abba)

Lexi & Erica with their Dance Teacher!
They love her. 

They both did so well on both nights of the Performance! It was so much fun for me as well as for them. Do you get to share any great High School Memories with your kids?

Well, I Guess we're now a Dance Mom and Dad! :)

Getting Fit!

I am on a quest to get fit! After all I have a couple of Weddings to get ready for! :) I have good reasons for being out of shape, I've had 4 children, and my last pregnancy I carried Twins to term! (We wont bring up the fact that that twin pregnancy was 16 years ago!) But I'm tired of looking like I have 4 children! And my biggest motivation of all . . . I turned 49! 

I remember as a Teenager spending my Summer in Michigan with my cousins, we were decorating for my Aunts Birthday, and this was one of my Aunts who was fun & hip, and she was turning 40. I vividly remember thinking Wow! 40 is old! I couldn't imagine ever being that old! Oh to be young & naive!  Now my new Motto in Life is: 50 is the new 30! (And you know if Oprah said it it has to be true!) And I would much rather look 30 instead of 50!

So I did what any intelligent woman would do, I got on Pinterest! :) Now It used to be my biggest issue was my Hips & Behind, but when I was doing Hula years ago, it really toned those areas up. Now it is hands down my stomach. So that's where I started. I found this 30 day Abs challenge, I printed it out but knew just starting up that I was not up to it, so I also printed a blank one, so that I could start where I am & work up from there! I started with 7 Sit-ups, 7 Crunches, 7 Leg Lifts & a 10 second Plank. I started on Monday, it's now Wednesday and I'm already up to 10 of each! Starting small & reaching milestones will keep you going forward! To start out saying I'm going to do 20 everyday, then when you can't, you give up. I'm trying to be smart about it!

My son Zach ran track in High School & is now doing a regiment for training for a 5K. And wanting to  add some Cardio to my Ab workout as well, I told him I'd walk while he runs. He runs 3 days a week, since he rides his bike (5 to 6 miles each way) to school the other 2 days. So I decided since my girls have bikes I would ride one on the other 2 days as well. My walks & bike rides are only about 30 minutes maybe. Riding a bike is hard. My legs (& butt) were sore even after the first ride! But it's fun!

My husband John is joining with me, he walks with me those 3 days before he goes to work & does the Ab workout everyday as well! The only time I'm alone is on the bike. He downloaded some of my favorite music on my phone for me and whats good about being on the bike is I can sing out loud & no one can hear me! (Which is a good thing, believe me!)

As a family we decided years ago that we enjoy eating The Mediterranean Diet way. John loves to cook Italian, and Greek food is my absolute favorite. And the people who live in that region of the world are among the healthiest on the planet. So though we always eat that way somewhat, we're trying to get more back into that. We're not supper strict about it, but it's not really hard to do as you can tell from the food pyramid above.

This is my year of Hope, and I'm really hoping that by the time I turn 50 at the end of the year, I'll be looking and feeling more like I'm 30! Proving that 50 really is the new 30! :)  Wish me luck . . .

Another Engagement!!

Before this year started, we knew 2014 would be the year that BOTH our boys would be proposing! You can read Zach's Engagement Story here. And now it's Kyle's turn; Kyle has been dating Katie for just about a year now. Next month (May) will be their One Year Anniversary! They met through some mutual friends at Church. She is a nurse at Phoenix Children's Hospital. 

They had been talking about getting married for awhile. Kyle knew she would like a Princess Cut, Solitaire Diamond. But she has always said she would know as soon as he bought the ring by how he acted. So he didn't want to get a ring ahead of time. Hoping for the element of surprise! So just last Sunday he comes walking in the house & says "Look what I bought!" Holding up a bag from a Jewelry store! As much as Zach is a planner, Kyle is spontaneous!! 

He was also nervous about talking to her parents since her Mother (like all good Mothers) can get Emotional when it comes to her baby girl! :) He was afraid that after he asked them, when Katie walked in the house she would burst into tears or something giving it away! So on Wed. while Katie was at work, Kyle met with her parents, asking for their Blessing before proposing. Which they gave! He knew she worked on Thursday & He would pop the question on Friday, so their wouldn't be much opportunity to give it away! Plus her Mom told me she did her best to avoid Katie for those few days! :)

Katie had also told him she would know when he was about to propose because he would have to wear  baggy jeans to hide the ring, since he usually wears pretty form fitting ones! :) So even though it was in the mid 80's on Friday, he had on a Denim Jacket, because it had an inside pocket! He tried to keep her on the other side of the pocket so she wouldn't feel the ring box & know!

So on Friday, late afternoon, he took her out for their favorite thing, coffee! Then they went for a walk around Tempe Beach Park. Their first kiss was on the footbridge there! So right at Sun Set, which in Arizona are always beautiful! On that same bridge where they'd had their first kiss, he said let's take a picture! :) He is always setting up his phone on the timer, so they can pose for pictures together. So she didn't think anything of it! 

After the first picture, he said lets take another one, but without her knowing, he set the camera to video instead, so as they posed he turned her toward him, got down on one knee, pulled out the ring and asked her to be his wife. And she said yes! Or more accurately she nodded yes through tears! 

 Kyle had our family & Katie's family meet for dinner that night and the newly engaged couple would show up there for another surprise for her. So we all got to have a celebratory dinner together! It was fun and the first time we got to meet her brothers! She has a 2 year old nephew who they must have tried to explain what had happened cause when he next saw his Aunt Katie he said "Let me see the ring!" Then he announced "Tyle Loves You! I Love You Too!" Isn't that just so sweet?! 

The happy couple is planning a fall wedding! Yes, this is a big year for our family! And she gets me for a Mother In Law! :)

Congratulations to Kyle and Katie! 

(soon to be K-Forb squared!) 

We are so happy for both of you! And Love you so much! 

My Girls Answer The Question: Where I'm From . . .

 In my Girls' English Classes in High School they were given the assignment of writing a paper titled: Where I'm From. They were asked to share their families "Culture." I thought what an interesting concept! And when I saw their papers, I loved them so much and wanted to share them here on the Blog. Now I may be just a little biased, but I think I have some pretty great creative writers on my hands. Maybe someday we'll all be reading their Blogs! :) 

Where I'm From

Erica Forbis

I am from music

From rhythm, and accent of sound

I am from a summer blaze

(Flaming, Baking

it burned my skin)

I am from sunshine,

The world full of light

whose rays brought joy to my life

I'm from tank tops and short sleeves

From shorts and never jeans

I'm from the ice cold drinks

And the wind in the trees,

From scorpions and snakes

I'm from climbing high

And chasing leaves

I'm from John and Star Branch

Forbis and Fink

From the bright blue eyes

to the big curly hair

Under my bed hides a world of its own

Memories untouched,

Dreams,

And aged thoughts

I am from the past -

Slightly aged and worn -

And I am the bright future

Where I'm From

 Lexi Forbis

I am from the music

from love and kindness.

I am from the sun in the sky

(Hot, bright,

it tasted like burning skin.)

I am from the huge family,

the loud and obnoxious

whose yelling voices brought headaches

but I joined in anyway.

I am from pop

from lettuce with sugar.

I am from Forbis and Fink,

John and Star.

From Christmas and Easter,

and the countless days at church

to all the summer camps.

I am from the loss of my grandmother

in her fight against cancer,

the head I cracked open twice in my life.

I am from those moments

those snapshots of life.

A leaf fallen from the big family tree.

I can't tell you how much I love both of their papers! I love the Music and Arizona references. My husband and I both come from large families, he's one of 5 children and I'm one of 7! We're loud and fun! :) I love the family tree that we have planted for our kids, that continues to grow and blossom! Oh, and both girls got A's on their papers! :)