Jumping July!

It's been a busy month! Bailee did a two week dance camp at Studio One, where they started doing the choreography for NUTCRACKER. She is already excited about participating in it again (I think this is her 5th time). Considering how hot it is right now, it seems strange to think about Christmas.

Bailee had her first job this summer. She watered the yard and garden for her wonderful godparents, Rick and Dalene, while they were in Arkansas and Pennsylvania. Today she helped Dalene in her booth at the Pier View Farmers' Market (Whatever Floats Your Goat - goat milk soap, lotions, etc.). Both were good experiences for her. We are so grateful for their presence in her life!


Diana took her Math Initiative class this month (I did mine in June). Nice to have that obligation out of the way. I think she got off WAY too easy - shorter days and no homework! What the heck? Unfair! =)


I've been working like a crazy person on the house and the yard. Seems like I just never can keep ahead things. I'm lucky if I manage to keep up! We did most of our garden over at Dalene and Rick's this year. I'm slowly switching our garden over to square foot gardening. I know I'll be glad in the end (my dad used this method), but it's pretty time consuming and expensive to start. Hopefully by next year we will be up and going.


We also got to enjoy the stomach flu this month. Bailee started us off - and it's been going through the family for two weeks now. Not fun.


Bailee is nearly ready for the new school year. Seventh grade - oh my! We did the basic clothes, haircut, and supplies this month. She's planning a shopping trip with her friends in August for the "fun stuff." We also did skin care and makeup for the first time. Thanks to dance, she is pretty used to makeup application, and she knows how much is too much. I was very pleased to see that her finished product looked totally natural and appropriate for her age. Appearance seems to have taken on a whole new importance this year. Clothes shopping was very specific and well planned. Bai had a definite idea of what she wanted and what her style was going to be. Her "theme" this year is black, white, and red (this included her school supplies). It has been hard for Diana (the eternal Smurf) to watch Bailee (the anti Smurf) pick out clothes. lol Being a ballerina, she's definitely had her fill of ultra feminine stuff. Don't even think about ruffles, bows, or pastels!


There's been a good deal of sadness this month as well. I wish that weren't so, but there you go - that's life. Our dear friend Mike is fighting cancer. This month he had a rib and a portion of another removed. In the coming months his sternum will also be removed. This is where the greatest concentration of cancer has been. I wish doctors wouldn't spout numbers and percentages when talking about cancer. It rips your heart out when the numbers aren't good. Who needs to hear that?



Bailee's first dance teacher , whom she's worked with for ten years, is moving to Texas. We are going to miss Dantzel very much. Her influence on Bailee has been precious and wonderful. That first year was a tough one for Dantzel. As a high school senior, I don't think she was quite ready for those crazy 3 and 4 year-olds. Bailee usually appeared at dance as a dinosaur. (Yup, it was one of those interesting "stages.") I remember Dantzel sighing and telling her. "Bailee - ballerina's don't roar. No dinosaurs in dance class." I also remember their first performance, where Bailee stuck her tongue out at everyone everytime she turned around. She was mad because people laughed when they came out (they were so stinkin' cute ... dressed as Christmas ornaments). I thought Dantzel would die of embarrassment! When we asked her why she did it, Bailee said "They laughed at us! Dance is serious!" We're thankful for Dantzel sticking it out with that little imp.