Just Dance

McKenna has loved her year with the Extreme Ballroom Company.  I am thrilled with what she's learning and experiencing.  She already knows all of the different basic styles of ballroom--Latin & American!  I watch her, and am so happy for her.  It just looks like so much.  (Okay... maybe I do have a secret fantasy of being on Dancing With the Stars with Derek Hough as my partner, of course! But in my fantasy, I'm tall and skinny... just in case you're visualizing it now.)

McKenna and her Quick Step Partner. 

Kenna competed in an open ballroom competition this month.  It was a long day, but very fun to watch. Kenna did great for her first year.  She didn't win any events, but she looked stunningly gorgeous out there.  (I may be a tad biased.) It was so cool seeing all these tiny kids samba, cha-cha, waltz... It was amazing.

A few girls from Kenna's team.

Kenna and best buddy/cousin Jaden. They dance on different teams, but have fun dancing with each other when the family gets together.  We're hoping they make the same team next year!

McKenna and great friend, Kambria

I haven't blogged about our family moving yet... but we are heading... somewhere... in less than 30 days.  It's been a little frightening for McKenna and Kyler.  They're old enough to care.  But last night, McKenna said, "I don't care where we go, as long as I can still go to Rimrock Elementary and continue dancing at Extreme."  That was very telling of how much she is loving her dancing experience.  I'm learning that ballroom is a world of its own.  To be in the top groups, you have to commit tons of time and money.  I'm not sure if McKenna will choose this as she gets older, but for now, she's having the time of her life.

Old Kids

We've had an odd theme reoccurring in our home this month: 

 Gray hair and wrinkles!  

For Carson's 100th day of school, he got to dress up as a 100-year-old man!  For a boy who loves costumes anyway, this day was a dream come true for him.  From the second I "baby powdered" his hair, he was in full blown character.  I was laughing in fits watching him walk to the bus stop.  I can only imagine what the bus driver was thinking as he waited for several minutes with the bus door open while Carson took his time... walking hunched over... slowly tapping his cane...  and hobbling... oh, so carefully.  And Carson kept this get-up going all day long.  When I picked him up from school, he STILL was hunched, hobbling, and balancing those spectacles on the tip of his nose.

McKenna was transformed into a Grandpa as well... but not just any Grandpa... A really righteous one:  David O. McKay!  

Can't you tell?  Just look at that resemblance!

For Achievement Days, all the girls in her class had to choose a prophet, research their life, memorize several facts about them, and teach the rest of the girls as the character!  Did you know that David O. McKay's middle name is Ohman?  Did you know that the church membership tripled while he was the prophet?  Did you know that he created the first stakes outside of the U.S?  Did you know that he became an apostle at the the age of 32 and served as a General Authority for over 64 years?!  Did you know he was the one who said, "No success can compensate for failure in the home"?  Well, I do because I did the researching!

  I really, really love that my kids have the courage and spunk to sport all the crazy hair and costumes I come up with!  They don't mind getting attention for looking different or even ugly! When I was a kid, I was embarrassed to wear a winter hat to school.  It's so sad that I was so overly concerned about fitting in.  My kids are nothing like that, and I'm really thankful.  They're going to have a lot more fun!

This final photo doesn't have any gray hair and wrinkles, but it's the "oldest" one of them all!  This is McKenna holding the poster used to introduce her at New Beginnings!  Yes, McKenna is leaving primary behind and becoming a young woman later this year!  It's hard to believe.  A mischievous ward member leaned over to Justin and I at the program and whispered, "You know, you're officially 'middle aged' when you have a daughter in young women's."  I couldn't agree more.  Though it seems like she was born yesterday, I feel old!! But looking at my beautiful kids makes all the stress, diapers, drama, messes, worry and aging worth it!    

Ky Turns 9

This January, we celebrated nine years with our amazing, sweet son, Kyler.  For months, Kyler insisted that the only thing that he wanted for his birthday was to go skiing with his Dad... so that's what he got!  He even got to skip school!  He was pretty ecstatic about it!

People are always telling me what a good boy Kyler is--respectful, obedient, and kind.  However, few people get to see another aspect of his personality... Kyler can be absolutely hilarious!  His comedic timing is spot on.  The camera doesn't lie!

See?

Heroically showing off his birthday money from Grandma Luke.

Grandma Stevens literally gave him a bag of "Silly." He loved it!

It took him forever to open his few presents because he was so dramatic and goony about it. 

Here he is building the suspense before diving into this gift.

Seriously silly.

Kyler also shares a birthday with Uncle Brett!

Brett was kind enough to stop by on "His"day to share some love with Ky!

Here's a look at Ky at age 9:

Interests:  Drawing dragons, Legos, motorcycling, and a new love for reading.

Best friends:  Dad, Zach Warner, Brady Foster, Haydn Ferney, & Paxton Webster

Favorite Foods:  Ramen noodels & Orange Leaf frozen yogurt

Dream Job:  Plane Engineer

Pet Peeves: Clothes the don't fit perfectly, being late, & practicing the piano!

Things Ky is great at:  Music, sports, beat boxing, school, making friends, making our family laugh, caring about others' feeling, and sharing!  (Really, every time Kyler gets a treat at school or church, he saves it until he gets home where he breaks it in 6 pieces so that everyone in the family can enjoy it to!)

Happy Birthday Kyler!  We love you!!!

The Race Of Your Son's Life

Growing up with a bunch of sisters, I had heard of Pine Wood Derby's, but never actually attended one.  Now that I have been baptized by fire into the world of Scouting, here's a "Head's Up" for all you unexperienced "boy moms" like me:  This Pine Wood Derby thing is a big, big, Big deal for sons and fathers alike!  I started to catch on when I found Justin and Kyler huddled over their sketch/dimension plan plotting and planning away.  I actually heard Justin say, "You see these axles, Kyler?  We're going to polish the crap out of them!"  I doubled over in laughter and immediately received glares of death.  I apparently had made light of something truly sacred.  

Kyler's car went through several phases of sanding, paint, and adjustments.  Justin has built many incredible things in his life time--including homes and furniture--but to Kyler, this little blue car was his father's greatest masterpiece.  He was so proud of it.  Everyone who stopped by our home got to view his work of art.  He just knew he had something special.  

On the night of the big race, I started to get really nervous.  We were first-timers after all.  I had no idea how his car would stack up against the others.  What if it was the slowest?  Kyler's expectations were set so high--I knew he was going to be shattered if his car didn't pull through.  His faith, however, was steadfast and immovable... which made me all the more nervous!

Great friends–Kyler & Brady–posing with what they both know are winning cars!

Hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and cars... sounds like a boy's dream, right?

It was.

The line-up.

Love this picture of Carson sitting just behind the Scouts!  He can't wait to be a Boy Scout too!

After months of anticipation and craftsmanship, it was finally time. 

"Gentlemen, start your engines!!"

And.... Kyler's car was definitely not the fastest.  Each car got to race every other car in every lane–meaning they got to race tons of times... and Kyler's car only won once.  Kyler was truly perplexed!  How could his perfect dream car not be winning?  As the night wore on, his shoulders slumped lower and lower.  And little boys, by the way, are not sweet and polite like achievement girls.  To the poor losers, the winners would taunt, "In your face!!" and "Take that!" or "Ha!"

But just when we were sure that Kyler would crumple into tears at any moment, a miracle happened.  The track man brought out... "THE CIRCLE OF DEATH!"  The track was re-set and the boys began chanting and jumping up and down.  Whose car would survive this deadly maneuver?  One by one, the cars failed... except for Kyler's which sailed around the loop perfectly!  Oh, Circle of Death, you saved my little boy's night!  Bless you, Circle of Death.  Bless you.

Kyler's car didn't come close to winning, but he took home the award for "Sportiest Looking Car." 

 That smile?  Sincere and truly proud! 

In the end, we learned that "winning" isn't everything.  It's about the experience, the time spent with Dad, the excitement, the anticipation, and good ol' fashion competition.  (But look out 17th ward!  By the time Ashton's eight, we're gonna have this Pine Wood Derby race figured out!)

Real Life

Sometimes, blogs remind me of reality television: a view of life that's supposed to appear real, but isn't.  If I'm not in the right mood, blogs can annoy or depress me... pictures of perfect people dressed in their perfectly fashionable clothes making their perfect crafts in their perfectly clean houses.  I can only take so much before I'm feeling terribly imperfect.

So, I thought I'd share with you what the Stevens home is really, REALLY like 100% of the time.  May I present an untouched, non-posed look at our family room... or a more accurate, REAL, description of this room would be, "The WWF-Power Ranger-Samarii-War Zone." Welcome to my life everyone! Enjoy and protect yourself.

P.S.  I'm pretty sure the 2 year old on the couch is playing with my phone which he has stealthily snuck from my purse and is proceeding to take 200 pictures and videos of himself which I will later have to delete one by one.

A Cheeky Discovery

Last night, I was washing the dishes while the kids took baths.  Ashton came running in, stopped with his back towards me, and said, "Look Mom."  I glanced down, didn't notice anything, and continued drying dishes.  He repeated, "Look Mom!"  That's when I spotted it... his new-found discovery.  Can you spot the Star Wars figurine light saber? 

Oh the bum... so many uses.  You can sit on it, shake it... even store toys in it! 

Who knew?  What can I say... my kid's a genius.

A Nativity to Remember

If you're a Stevens, the annual Christmas Eve Nativity re-inactment is serious business.  Grandma Stevens keeps track of which grandchild plays which part each year--so that everyone gets equal "Star" time.  After checking her records, she discovered that Kyler has never played Joseph... ever.  This isn't because he hasn't had the opportunity.  Year after year, Kyler has declined the role, saying he just prefers the Wise Man part better.  Well, when I pressed him further this year about why he refuses to play Joseph, I got the real truth.  Kyler (who has always taken life very seriously) does not like the idea of being MARRIED to his sister or cousin... even for a 10 minute skit, once a year!  I tried to convince him that Joseph was such a cool guy, and that it would be an honor to play his part, but Kyler simply wasn't having it.  I let it go.   You can imagine my surprise, then, when Kyler happily suited up in the Joseph garb and beard on Christmas Eve!  The biggest surprise of the night, though, was not Kyler... You know that 2-year-old of mine who runs a million miles a minute, destroying everything in his path?  That busy, ever-in-motion, little boy crawled up in that manger and pulled off the most sweet, docile, calm Baby Jesus you've ever seen!  Sleeping on cue, smiling on cue... you name it.  He stole the show---and how appropriate, being that Baby Jesus IS the star of story and all!   It was nothing short of a Christmas miracle.

Ashton as Baby Jesus

Jaden & McKenna

Carson as the Inn Keeper

Second greatest moment of the night.... When the Wise Men presented their gifts to Baby Jesus, Ashton sat right up and accepted them!  He then proceeded to open the gift, pull out the gold beads, and drape them around his neck.  It was so funny!

Number one moment of the night.... When Ashton pretended to fall asleep while we sang the closing number, "Silent Night."  He truly understood that this play was all about him.  He loved that everyone was circled around him, gazing at him, singing to him... He ate up every moment.  Move over, Lady Gaga!  I think we may have a male diva on our hands!  Look out, World!  A Star is Born!

 The Stevens Family--Bethlehemfied!

As always, a wonderful and memorable Christmas Eve!  

Thank you, Grandma & Grandpa Stevens, for always making it so special!