Tiny Dancer

This past weekend was Kyndall's end of year dance recital and the Grandparents all came up for the big event.  Driving 10 hours for a 4 minute dance--Now that's love!

Anxiously awaiting their arrival on Thursday afternoon

On Friday night we enjoyed our first family dinner around our "new" dining room table that we've had since September.  I love having everyone together!

Saturday was dress rehearsal for the recital so Matthew, my Dad and my Father-in-Law took off to Memphis to check out the new Bass Pro Shop.

They spent the whole day there.  Supposedly, it's the biggest one ever made.  JOY.

A couple weeks ago the other dance Mamas and I got our girls together for some "off the clock" recital practice.  (In other words, us OCD moms wanted our girls to know the dance better than they did at that point!) They practiced for a while and then the practice turned into a princess dress up party.  We have loved getting to know these sweet girls over the past year and will miss seeing them each Monday afternoon!

Dress rehearsal was somewhat chaotic, but then again it always is.  I think it can all be summed up in one picture---a picture of the dressing room!

Kyndall and the other girls adore Kennedy!

A few pictures before their turn to dance

This is the REAL Kyndall!

Mrs. Kim putting the girls in their places during rehearsal.  Kyndall is on the far right.

After rehearsal was over Saturday night we met back up with the Dads and went to the Jackson Generals baseball game.  It was Disney night, complete with characters sightings and fireworks. Kyndall loved it!

Sunday was recital day!!!  

I wasn't allowed to use a flash during the recital, so these are not very clear.  But, Kyndall is on the far right again.

So cute!!  Admiring their new medals....

Her favorite part of the whole day was getting her flowers.  She's been looking forward to this since LAST year!

I can't look at this one without smiling!

Clearly, Kyndall is OVER the picture taking at this point....

A few more pictures back at home....

She wanted so badly to run and play in her costume and since the recital was over I said go for it!!

As I said, the flowers were by far what Kyndall was looking forward to most about this day.  Several months ago she made her request known to us, which was very specific.  She wanted pink long stem roses and she wanted them THROWN at her on stage as she was taking her bow. (Dramatic much??)  Since that's not exactly realistic, my Dad had the idea to surprise her with pink rose petals which we tossed at her after we got home.  Here she is eating up every second of it!

But that wasn't enough---we had to do it again, which meant picking up all these petals!  Anything for the princess!

This is pure JOY!!!

It doesn't take much to make her happy

My Mom asked her if she would like to have flowers that will never die and she said yes.  So, my crafty Mom put together this bouquet of silk flowers.  They look SO real but Kyndall is so excited that they'll never have to be thrown away!

Pink roses that will never die....just like she requested!

Beautiful wild flowers from Nonie and Poppie

It was a fun weekend and I'm glad that our family was able to be there for her special day.  It made me a little sad when I looked back at pictures from last year's recital and I realized how much she's grown up.....

Monday morning Kynall left to go back to Georgia with my in-laws for the week and I decided to catch a ride back to Tallahassee with my parents just to hang out for a few days.  Matthew will join us later in the week.  

On the way back to Tallahassee my parents let me stop by Nasvhille to visit a friend at Vanderbilt who is waiting on his SECOND life saving gift in the form of a liver transplant.  Just a few weeks ago on May 12th he received his first transplant but sadly, he has experienced a few complications and he already needs another one.  I enjoyed spending time with him and his wife and hopefully offering them some encouragement.  It was definitely nice to be a visitor rather than a patient for a change!  

I continued my tradition of having my picture taken at the entrance to the transplant floor, except this time I was free of tubes and wires!  Progress!!

I got bored on the long car ride to Tallahassee and put together this collage of my various hospital admissions.  I love seeing how far I've come in 8 months!  God has been so good to me!

I will miss Matthew and Kyndall this week but I am also really enjoying my "me" time here in Tallahassee!