Center Stage

Alyssa and her teacher Miss Suzannah - it's been a great 2 years!!

On the heels of our return from a fantastic week in Vermont, Alyssa and I were on the run getting ready for her dance recital.  This year her Creative Movement dance class performed to "Jesus Bids Us Shine" sung by Veggie Tales.  So cute!!  We were especially excited that GG and Poppy were able to make the trip down from Vermont to see it...only 3 days after leaving them!!  Aunt Ange and Gram and Grandpop came too!

Getting Made Up

My Angel Showing off the beautiful Flower!

Backstage with the Class

A few action shots

After a great show, we went back to the house and continued the "this-weekend-is-all-about-Alyssa" theme by getting to work on her much anticipated swing set.  Lumber, screws, nails, saws, measuring tapes and a couple of hard working men over the afternoon made good work for the first day.  Meanwhile, Alyssa and GG decorated the sidewalk.

Thank goodness GG is so artistic, because the extent of my chalk-art drawings tend to be hopscotch and letters and basic stick figures.  Alyssa colored in hearts, drew penguins and something that I think looked like an elephant.  GG started with a sun and it took on a life of it's own.  There was so much chalk that the drawing actually survived 3 days and 2 rain storms!!

Alyssa requested that the picture be special to Uncle Malachi...she said that she just misses him so much with him living so far away in Italy.  Then she decided she wanted to list essentially everyone she knows and we compromised with adding "to everyone".  She even took a minute to put herself in the picture and record a special message.

What happened to the swing set, you ask??  Well, it took one more day with the help of friends and Poppy, but it got finished and Alyssa is in heaven!  Swings, glider, slide...what kid wouldn't be thrilled?