Cinderella Goes to the Ball

I had the honor and privilege of dancing with my firstborn last night at Cotillion. It was amazing! Of course I flashed back to dancing with his Dad (only very occasionally!) and of dancing with Rylan as a baby/todder. Where does the time go? I close my eyes and once I open them Rylan is 11 1/2 years old, dressed to the nines, and dancing the waltz and foxtrot with pretty girls dressed in frilly dresses! I was VERY excited to get to dance with Rylan and see how much he's learned the past few months during his Cotillion classes. He's actually an amazingly confident dancer! I found myself constantly checking my feet to make sure they were doing the right moves while Rylan kept his gaze constantly on his partner's face (as per his instructions!) And I found myself, especially during the waltz, asking HIM if I was doing the right thing!!?? My, things have changed--when I'm asking HIM for reassurance!! The whole evening only lasted about an hour for me (Rylan had to go a little earlier), but I felt like it lasted only a minute and then it was over, and I wasn't ready for it to end! I saw many other Moms and Dads experiencing the same surreal feelings as I was. And it was so sweet to see so many Dads dancing tenderly with their daughters--I know they were thinking, "I'll be doing this at her wedding someday!!" And I plan to dance with my son again, hopefully MANY times, before his wedding! I feel so blessed to have experienced last night, and I can't wait to see wait lies in store next ...

The picture really doesn't do this pile o' clothes justice. Billy and I decided to thin out our closet a bit and ended up purging 6 huge trash bags of clothes. While this may seem mundane to most people, I assure you it's a major accomplishment in this house. Billy apparently hadn't "culled" his belongings since moving out of his parents' house to GO TO COLLEGE!! I did add a bit to the pile myself, and I actually go thru my stuff seasonally. It's such a good feeling to get rid of stuff. I used to be a More is More gal but not anymore....Less is definitely more!

Landon enjoyed the horses and the pretty girl leading the horses. He was actually "steering" the horse all by himself although the horse was closely following its owner. Landon considers himself an actual horseman/cowboy and wants to move to the country, today, to ride horses and 4-wheelers to his heart's delight.

Cluck

We spent a recent Saturday afternoon at "Mr. Jack's" son's farm. It was an adventure-filled afternoon, full of hen chasing, pig petting, and horse riding. I learned a lot about different breeds of dogs, mutantly large goats, and the countryside in general. Rylan enjoyed chasing the hens (and sometimes the pretty girls, too. lol)