Butterflies, Bows and Beauties

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday

Another Christmas and Christmas birthday has come and gone. I can't even begin to express how much I love this holiday. I love the joy and excitement it brings to our children. I love that the season is all about giving. And I treasure the gift I was given 11 years ago named Isabel.

The girls woke us up "dark and early" this morning! When the present frenzy was all over, I made them line up and take pictures in their light-up Rudolph noses.

For Isabel's birthday I baked a 3-D Christmas tree cake. Okay, I tried to bake the cake. It really turned out to be a big green blob with lots of candy on it. (The candy is why the kids never complained.)

No matter what the cake looks like, it's really all about the memories and plenty of them were made this holiday season. 

Isabel went with her dad to pick out a Pandora charm for me. Her selection was a silver present. She picked it out because I always tell her she's the best Christmas present I ever had.

Merry Christmas to our family and friends. We miss you more than you know. Our hearts are always with you. And happy birthday to our little girl who is growing up so fast and has given us more than we could have ever imagined. 

 

 

Hello... Can You Hear Me?

I've been so inconsistent in blog posts that I'm not sure anyone is listening anymore. This is where I try to bring family and friends up to date on my butterflies, bows and beauties. The thing is... the girls are growing up so fast I hardly have time to write.

Our big news this week is that Isabel made 5th grade honors chorus. She and three other children will represent their school in an all-county chorus. As always, we're so proud of her accomplishments.

She's not the only one with big news. Last month, Olivia made 3rd grade track team. Just like the day she came into the world, everything Olivia does is super fast. We'll be cheering in the stands for her in the spring track meet.

All of the kids are counting down the days until Christmas. Our elf, Fred, has really had a good time with the girls this year. 

So far he's put toilet paper all over their doors and he's been hanging out at the pool with Barbie. Not a bad life for an elf! Not a bad life at all!

 

A Sweet Moment

It's a sweet moment shared between a father and a daughter... their first dance. 

On the last night of cotillion, the children brought their parents as guests. The girls danced with their fathers and the boys danced with their mothers to show off what they've learned over a six-week period. To make it an extra special night, David gave Isabel a flower corsage. The two danced and I took as many pictures as I possibly could.

As you can see, our oldest daughter is growing up so fast and turning into quite a special young lady. Check out our photo album of her big night.

Charm School Party

Our little Ella isn't so little anymore. We celebrated her sixth birthday this weekend by holding a Barbie Prince and Princess Charm School party. 

The party included a cake based on the main character, Blair. We hosted 14 princes and princesses. And we hope fun was had by all.

On Ella's actual birthday, we gave her a real Blair doll and the look on her face was pretty priceless.

Happy birthday Ella Grace. We hope the year ahead is full of big, huge smiles!

Vote for Isabel

After an unsuccessful campaign last year, Isabel decided to run for student council again! Last year she lost out to a girl who offered sweets to the class in exchange for a win. This year the rules changed and no one was allowed to bribe classmates. Imagine that... 10-year olds not allowed to accept bribes! (For the record, I'm not the one who complained -- must have been someone else's mama.) 

This year Isabel ran on a simple slogan: Count on someone who can count! And she won. So congrats to our Isabel who now serves on student council and just about every other organization imaginable on the planet. (I hope there's nothing left for us to sign up for.) We're always proud of her patience and persistence!

Triple Trouble

Our Saturdays are filled with cleats, shin guards and jerseys. It's triple trouble on the weekends with all three girls playing Fall soccer.

Isabel, who admits she's not much for athletics, wanted to give soccer a try. I love that about her. She's fearless about trying new things. 

Little Miss Isabel is playing with teams of girls from grades 5-8. Some are more than a head taller than her! We keep praying that her orthodontic work will be spared should a ball fly in her face.  

David is coaching Olivia's soccer team for the second consecutive year. Today, the team fought hard for a win. Olivia started out as goalie and ended up a defender for most of the rest of the game.

And Ella scored her first ever goal during a scrimmage in the developmental league. What a difference a year makes! She had great control of the ball today. It's hard to believe she'll be playing in the match play league next year. I can't seem to stop that girl from growing up!

 Go Triple Trouble! Mom and Dad are cheering for you!

 

Never Forget

As we mark ten years since 9/11, I wanted to share a blog post from WRAL's Go Ask Mom website. While it's my reflection on the tragic events that took place ten years ago today, I tried to capture some of the fears of so many moms of my generation. You can find the blog by clicking on Memories of 9/11: Praying for comfort, healing and peace. 

Below are some of the pictures I took from my trip to NYC exactly one year after the attacks. In my blog post, I describe the scene as sterile. Really, the only emotion left was the cross at Ground Zero and the momentos surrounding St. Paul's Chapel. 

I hope to someday make the trip again. This time to see the beautiful memorial that now replaces the Twin Towers. Never forget. I know I never will.

 
 
 
    
 

 

Surrounded by Love

For the past month or so, I've had a strong dose of family. It's healed me quite a bit, you know, to see so many of the people I love.

I shared long walks on the beach with my sister, watched a sunset at the lake with my father and sang to my mother on her 80th birthday. I held the newest member of the Basaran family, baby Audrey, close to my cheek.

All of those things would be special on their own for most people, but I have to store and treasure those moments for months to come. While North Carolina is feeling more like home as each year passes, I still don't feel complete. I may never feel that way. 

Just last night, Isabel told me that if she won the lottery, she would buy a plane ticket to Ohio. I'm certain that what makes it feel like home for the both of us has something to do with being surrounded by love.

Check out our end of summer photo album by clicking here.

 

 

Big Girl Moment

Olivia had a really huge "big girl" moment today! She got her ears pierced! She was very stoic about the whole thing... didn't even want to hold my hand. Olivia flinched a little when it came time for the pinch. Then she told me she was mad at Isabel because "it hurt way worse" than what her sister described. When it was all over though, I was again reminded of how tough my middle daughter is. A big girl indeed!

The Angry Dancer

As a former dancer who turned into a mother of three girls, was I foolish thinking that one -- just one -- of my children would want to be a dancer? Maybe so. 

I put our youngest daughter in dance camp this summer. She's my last hope for a Swan in the family. She loved it, or so she said. But then came the day of parent observation. There was no love for her audience, especially her camera-toting mom. She made the meanest, grumpiest face each and every time I snapped a photo or she caught me taking video.

Will just one child let me have a stage mom moment? No such luck this time. You have to see the video to believe it. I call it "The Angry Dancer." Enjoy.