Dance as though no one is watching you..

After five lessons, River had her first performance with her dance class at the local mall.  Whether or not dance is something that River holds an interest in is not important.  For her it's all about fun. It's also a way of maintaining River's comfort level in public situations.  She rarely shows any sign of shyness now and we hope to keep it that way. 

Sadly, she has already eclipsed her father's dancing skills.

True story.

All wired up and ready to go!

Miss Katrina - River's Dance Instructor




Pre-Dance Pep Talk





ThANNksgiving

More than anything, people like to be remembered by those they love.  When you are only four years old, it's easy to be overlooked during the madness of Thanksgiving preparations.  "Go watch your cartoons" or "Play with your toys until time to eat" are common things that little ones may hear during these times. 

But not here.

At the busiest time of Thanksgiving Day, that final hour in the kitchen when everything is timed just right to finish cooking, roasting, baking, simmering, etc, River's Great Grandmother Ann called River into the kitchen to help her with a most important addition to the meal; Pigs in a Blanket.

Never mind that the dish was unconventional and has never been prepared for Thanksgiving here (or perhaps anywhere), it is perfect for the moment.  Yes, more than anything, people like to be remembered by those they love. This is a memory that River will hold on to forever.

Thank you, Ann.

River's First Jack-O-Lantern

River designed her first Jack-O-Lantern.  She drew it and I carved it for her.  Thankfully, she kept it simple.  I love the traditional look. 

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall..

.. River is the cutest of them all.

Dressing up for her Halloween Party at School. 

My Little Pumpkin

Waiting for The Great Pumpkin! 

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

"As parents, we can have no joy, knowing that this government is not sufficiently lasting to ensure any thing which we may bequeath to posterity: And by a plain method of argument, as we are running the next generation into debt, we ought to do the work of it, otherwise we use them meanly and pitifully. In order to discover the line of our duty rightly, we should take our children in our hand, and fix our station a few years farther into life; that eminence will present a prospect, which a few present fears and prejudices conceal from our sight."  - Thomas Paine

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." - Ronald Reagan

River's Christmas Party

River's school had their second annual Christmas party last Friday and she was excited to play hostess to her mommy and daddy.  We enjoyed a delicious meal and then were treated to some Christmas Carols afterward. 

Yummy ham!

River and her classmates.  River is hard to spot.  Follow the arrow.

There she is!

She rehearsed "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" all the way there.

Waiting patiently to see Santa.  (More on him in a future post!)

Festival of Lights 2010



River with her Aunt Cathy


River (and JoAnna and I) recently enjoyed our first visit to The Cincinnati Zoo's Festival of Lights with our friend, Cathy.  We have been enjoying the zoo quite a bit this year thanks to Cathy and Michael who gave us a family membership for Christmas last year.

All photos (with the exception of the first and last) were taken by Cathy.

All bundled up. 

Yes Cathy, I AM smiling. 



The reindeer were resting up for their big night.



River actually wanted to ride the shark but the girl in front of us picked that one. 



"I want to touch it.  I want to touch it."



Awe and wonder; both captured right here. 

That's one gigantic nutcracker!



Thank you, Cathy and Michael.  It was a wonderful gift.



Thanksgiving 2010

River enjoyed another Thanksgiving in Paintsville, Ky.  It has become a tradition to start the holiday season in Eastern Kentucky.  She is becoming more and more aware of the meaning and importance of this time of year and it is heartwarming to see her making the connections and putting the pieces together of what will become a lifetime of memories.

Of course the turkey and all the yummy desserts are a plus too.





"If they don't serve the food soon, I may have to consider eating these ducks."

 

Thanksgiving Dinner is occupying someones usually scheduled nap time.  Can you tell?

"Ahhhh!  That's the stuff!"

River and her Pepaw deep in discussion of the origins of age-old holiday traditions. 

Helping to decorate Mammaw Ann's Christmas tree.

Decorating with the help of cousin Tracee.

Tired and relaxing on cousin Erin's lap. 

Basking in the sunshine with Mommy.

Trick-or-Treating for the First Time

She took to it like a fish to water.  Her expression when Jo explained it to her seemed to say "Free candy!!!  And all I have to do is put on a fun costume?  Wow!  I'm in!"  She was even more amazed when Jo told her that afterward, for one night only, she could eat all she wanted.

She started out strong but after five houses said "Daddy, I'm tired. Can I go home now and eat my candy?"

And that is exactly what we did.  The first year of trick-or-treating was over and done.  She was easy on me.. as she always is. 

Independence Day 2010

"It's the American Flag. It's the best flag in the whole wide world." - River

.

Yes it is, sweetheart. Yes it is.

.

Porch Swings and Popsicles

Memorial Day Weekend, 2010.
.
River spent the holiday in Eastern Kentucky. Enjoying all the sights and sounds that make such gatherings the treasures that they are. These are the times that she will look back and remember her family all being together at once. Carefree days of creaking porch swings and the slam of a storm door repeating itself over and over as she and her cousins run in and out. Days of popsicles, strawberry shortcake, watermelon and sweet tea. She will remember the laughter of all the generations gathered as they reminisce over country ham and cornbread. At night she will remember the sounds of crickets, whippoorwills and the gentle braying of cattle off in the distance as fireflies flicker outside her bedroom window on her grandparents farm. No worries just happy times.
.
As she grows older, River's mother and I will make sure that she understands that these days were brought to her, and insured, by the men and women of the United States Military, many of which made the ultimate sacrifice so that little girls and boys could grow up and enjoy times just like these.
.

Memaw and Pepaw's Farm.

. A couple of modern day cowgirls coming in from feeding the livestock.

. Sharing the swing with Pepaw.

. At the playground with Mommy and Uncle Monkey.

. Taking a break at the playground in the shade.

. Time for a quick dip on Memaw's deck.

. Ahhh! That is better!

. JoAnna and her Pappaw Clarence.

. Future Wildcat?

. She means business!

. Watching the game with Memaw.

. River's cousins, Ashley and Mikkah.

. River and her cousins. Taking this picture was like catching lightening in a bottle.

. On the railroad.. just like Pepaw.

. Watching the clouds roll by. Is there a better way to spend an afternoon?

."There is no place like home." - Dorothy Gale

.