Tag: dance

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#207}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Fridays in May just hit different. I feel like we’re crawling to the finish line of the school year!

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

The 8th grade dance!

Y’all, I know. I know. I’ve shared lots of dance photos this year, but those were the four cotillion dances. Friday night’s 8th grade dance is the only school dance of the year.

Friday night, Hadley & Co. were ready to mingle with their classmates. The theme was “Vegas” hence the “little black dress” attire. Of course, kids could wear whatever they wanted, but these girls leaned in to black dresses.

I still had store credit, so Hadley got another cute dress from Hello Molly.

They danced the night away, got Chick-fil-A on the way home, and had a great time.

Meanwhile…

Travis and I were with Hayden at a track meet in Louisville. Hayden ran in the “Dream Mile” which is a race with the top 16 middle school milers in the state.

It was a beautiful evening to watch him run.

He has gotten to know most of these guys over the past couple of years from cross country and track. It’s neat to see them chat beforehand, run together, and support each other, while exhausted, at the end of the race.

It was a fast race and the pace was pushed; Hayden had a 4 second PR…4:48 mile.

Mother’s Day was great! After a busy Friday night and Saturday, Sunday was a bit more low-key. I appreciated the gifts, the family time, and then sunshine!

I’m loving my new candles for spring. I think Summer Rose Bud is my favorite.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This has been an issue for quite some time. haha

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

The end of the school year means field day in elementary schools. I used to love that day.

When I was in the 4th grade, I was on crutches at the end of the year, and couldn’t participate in field day. I was so bummed.

The past few years, my kids have had the middle school version of field day. At least they’ve been able to get outside and have fun for a bit with their friends. They also usually sign years book on that day which is fun.

Flashback to elementary field day.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Share Our Lives
Mother’s Day Recap
Wednesday Hodgepodge

What are your weekend plans?

These two have a track meet. I ordered their individual track pics, and when I opened my email, the photographer had also made one of them together!

Hadley has her last volleyball tournament this weekend, and otherwise, we might get outside if the weather allows!

I hope you have a great weekend,

Posted in Holidays, Kids, Weekend Top 5

Hello Tuesday?

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How was your weekend? Ours was busy…busier than normal. So busy that I started this post on Friday, and never had time to complete it over the weekend.

I had good intentions of linking up with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday…but since it’s now Tuesday, let’s just consider this a…

The kids ran in the district championship track meet. Thankfully, the rain held off, and it was great running conditions.

Hadley ran the 4×800 relay, 4×200 relay, 400, and 200. Hayden ran the 4×800 relay, 1600, and 3200. Overall, they had great performances. Hadley improved the most on her 400, and she’s qualified for state in it and some relays. Hayden was still feeling under the weather, but he gave it his all. This season, he has qualified for state in the 800, 1600, 3200 and a relay.

We went straight from school to home for them to change, and then didn’t go home until after 10:00. Friday was just the start of our marathon weekend.

Hadley’s final dance competition of the season was in Louisville this weekend. She had her two large group (line and production) dances on Saturday afternoon, so we left for Louisville around 11:30.

We went straight to the convention center, and she finished getting ready.

They had awards after one of the dances, and then her other large group dance. Then, she had a couple of hours of free time before the other awards. Some family came to watch her dances, so she had time with them. Travis went to check in to our hotel, and Hadley and I grabbed a bite to eat at Qdoba.

We walked to our hotel and were there about an hour. One of her friends was also staying at the Embassy Suites, so they hung out. Then, the adults had time for a happy hour beverage (one of the reasons Travis likes an Embassy Suites!) before walking back to the venue for awards.

Before each dance competition, the girls receive goody bags with snacks and other odds and ends. For this competition, they received these sunglasses. Can you tell they loved them?

Another thing in their goody bag was a little rubber duck, and a note that said “good luck duck” and the studio name. They were to give it to a dancer from another studio as good luck. I thought that was the sweetest idea.

After the awards, it was getting late, so we grabbed some dinner at Mussel and Burger Bar before going back to the hotel. The dinner was good, but we were so tired. Some of the girls hung out for a bit, but the adults were extra tired. Anyway, we got to bed at a decent time.

Sunday morning, Travis went to his mom’s house for a bit. Hayden had spent the night there. The girls slept in, but another mom and I met for the buffet breakfast. We received a pink carnation which was a nice touch!

Hadley got up and started to get ready. It takes her about an hour to do hair and makeup along with getting organized for the day. We checked out and left the hotel and walked back to the convention center.

Hadley had her two small group dances (jazz and lyrical), and they did an awesome job. Her lyrical performance brought me to tears (I was in my feelings this weekend, I guess!)

I’m just always amazed by her. We have no clue where she got her rhythm and grace, but I love watching her shine on stage.

Again, she had family in attendance, so she saw them afterwards before they left. Then, she and I went with her friend and mom to Chipolte for a quick bite to eat before awards.

The girls had such a fun two days…and they really loved those sunglasses!

I can’t believe the competition season is over. This is Hadley’s third competition season, and it’s been my favorite one yet! I know she’s thinking about what she has time for next year. She loves dancing, so we will see.

After the awards, I called my mom (it was her birthday as well as Mother’s Day) as we drove to Trav’s sister’s house for a quick early dinner. Then, we headed back to Lexington. We got home around 7:00.

The kids obliged for one more photo which I appreciate. We’d had a long and busy weekend, but we got the photo.

We all unpacked, and Travis and Hayden went on a bike ride. Hadley went to a friend’s house for a bit.

In Louisville, they’d given me flowers and a card as well as a gift card for a massage and facial. That sounds like the perfect thing to use once school gets out.

I put my flowers in a vase and then spent about an hour on the front porch enjoying the weather and reading a book. It was a great day.

I feel blessed that I got to spend the weekend watching the kids do what they love…run and dance!

Well, today we are home for election day, and let’s just say I can definitely use this time to get caught up on life. Well, truth be told, I probably won’t be caught up on life until June. Eight more days of school! haha

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#157}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Ours was pretty good. The week started off less busy than how it ended, but it was nice to have a couple of free evenings. We only have two weeks left of school, and thankfully, starting next week, we’ll start having more downtime in the evenings.

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Going all the way back to last Friday, one of my favorites was going to the Kentucky Oaks. It was such a beautiful day, and we had a great time.

Friday night, I was asleep by 10ish, and wide awake Saturday morning around 5. I decided to turn on King Charles’ coronation. I watched most of it but fell back to sleep around 8. I woke up at 11:30! Honestly, that threw my whole day off waking up that late, but I really needed the extra rest (obviously).

This made me LOL…

Hadley had a dance competition last week. The one they were supposed to attend in March was postponed due to the storms we had and no electricity. So, these girls hadn’t been on stage in a while, but they did awesome!

It’s so fun to watch the large and small groups perform.

The lyrical small group dance that Hadley is in earned a Judges’ Choice for best emotion, and Hadley accepted the award on stage.

Y’all know I’m pretty good about taking photos, but that’s too hard to do during her dance performances. I’d rather focus on watching her dance, and the quality of photos wouldn’t be great anyway…so I loved that this competition had the option to buy a photo package. There were so many amazing photos!

I started a new workout program this week. Another reason I love Bodi (Beachbody) is because I get to try programs that I don’t think I’d do outside of my own home.

This one has a bit of dancing, core, weights, and also some aspects that feel like Pure Barre.

The dancing combos would especially not be something I would do in public …but would certainly do in my own basement. (I do not have Hadley’s rhythm and grace!)

These workouts have been a good change in my routine.

Last Friday, when Travis and I were at the Oaks, the kids went with my brother and sister-in-law to watch Wyatt’s game. Hayden missed out the last time we went, so I’m sure Wyatt has excited to have both of his cousins there to cheer him on.

Track season is wrapping up, and can you tell that I don’t say “no” to a digital download! Hadley said the “action” shots were awkward…I think she’d prefer to smile. 😁

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hadley snagged this Olaf at a friend’s garage sale. She’s been calling him “her guy” 😆 How lucky is Olaf to get Hadley hugs?!

Favorite Clothing Item:

Sarah shared this Walmart dress recently (It’s less than $18!). I don’t go to Walmart often, but we were there a couple of weeks ago, and there was one in stock. I didn’t try it on until I got home, so I might have been able to do a medium, but the large is what they had.

On Monday, I wore it to school with one of my favorite cardigans.

Favorite Mom Meme:

The current state of our house right now…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

I probably share this every year, but here’s a throw back to my first Mother’s Day in 2010.

Weekly Recap:

I had a busy week of posting:

Not Just a Mom
Kentucky Oaks
Enneagram Mother’s Day Gifts
Day in the Life

What are your weekend plans? Y’all, this one will be a doozy. We have a track meet tonight followed by a weekend of Hadley’s last dance competition of the season.

Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Uncategorized

Friday Favorites {#148}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

Yay for Friday after this super busy week.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Hadley and I had a lot of fun at her dance competition last weekend.

She was in four dances, two large musical theater and two small group (lyrical and jazz), and they were amazing performances. I love watching her dance.

I can’t wait to see all the dancers accomplish this season.

We stayed at the hotel connected to the convention center where she was dancing in Cincinnati, and the hotel was so nice and convenient. Our room had a really nice view!

I’m not trying to be dramatic, but letting go of my “guilt” for not cooking on Sunday and ordering Thai food instead may have been the single best decision I made all week. From our orders, we had dinner for two nights! Plus, my beef pad thai was delish.

No photo, but on Tuesday, I went out to dinner some neighbors to meet a new neighbor. It was nice catching up with them and meeting our new neighbor.

Hayden had lots of basketball this week. His team won their last regular season game, but lost in the first round of the tournament. The end of a season gets me every time. I know they always give it their all, and it’s a bummer to see heartbroken players.

We’re proud of him and his whole team. They were so fun to watch over these past couple of months.

Speaking of basketball, my MU Tigers have had such an amazing season. Listen, when you live where everyone “bleeds blue” with the CATS, it’s nice when your own team has a winning season! I stayed up late on Wednesday night to watch their comeback victory.

On Wednesday, it was over 75 degrees! The temps have been amazing. I decided to run an errand before picking up Hadley, and realized, while in Walgreens, that I was wearing my slippers!

Favorite Mom Meme:

My kids like to test my patience…haha

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Well, now that it’s March, and I’ve talked a bit about basketball in this post, it made me think it’s about March Madness…

I usually do throwback photos of the kids but…this memory for 2012 is a fun one for Travis and me. We went to Atlanta to watch the CATS play in the sweet 16 game. Then, we spent the night in Knoxville the next night and enjoyed a dinner out.

I love the pic of us on the left. I had it framed in our room forever.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week! They include a little bit of everything.

Monday Memes
February Books
WIWW
Blog Challenge Part 7

What are your weekend plans? Well, our weekend is starting a bit early. We’ve been hearing about the potential for severe weather all week, and last night they decided to cancel school due to high winds, rain, and the potential for tornadoes…and it’s not an online learning day!

We also have another dance competition and track meet on tap.

Have a great weekend!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#124}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Well, we made it to Friday! This week was a doozy with school (of course) and then plenty of kids’ activities every night. We’re ready for the weekend, but it looks like I will need to set an alarm for Saturday wake up. Oh well…it is what it is…

Today, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Favorite Pic:

We got Hadley’s dance studio headshots back, and there were so many good ones. It was hard to narrow down a fave, but this is the one I ordered…I can’t believe how grown up she looks!

Favorite Moment:

Speaking of grown up…Hayden (and Coach White!) had his first cross country race of the season, and I apparently need to train my eyes to look for a big kid out there running. I almost missed him as he ran by. He’s off to a very solid start with a second place finish. He’s put in a lot of time (and miles) this summer, and I can’t wait to see what he accomplishes this season!

Favorite Clothing Item:

I’ve been making a point to “shop my closet” (Travis really appreciates that too!), and I’ve shared my school teacher outfits the last couple of Wednesdays.

I was reunited with these Matilda Jane pants during my closet clean out, and I really loved Monday’s outfit. I felt put together and comfy all at once.

Favorite Scent:

Sunday started off cool and rainy, so I did exactly what you’d expect me to do: I lit a fall scented candle, of course. I’d been saving this Antique Candle Co. one for just the right time. The warm caramel crumble scent was a favorite way to start the day.

Favorite Food:

I tried a new slow cooker recipe (Creamy Crockpot Crack Chicken) this week, and it was a hit. I will definitely make it again. I only used two chicken breasts, and next time will use at least one more to guarantee leftovers.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Nothing in particular stood out this week, but instead just some extra one on one time with Hayden. Travis has been extra busy in the evenings (Hadley too), and it was just Hayden and I for dinner on Wednesday night. It was nice to have some solo time with him.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Or unload the dishwasher!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

With cross country starting back up, here’s a little throw back to the kids’ first ever race when they were in Kindergarten. I’ve shared this before, but they were even in the local online magazine. They were so little…

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from this week…a little of this and a little of that…

Hello Monday
What I wore Wednesday
Monthly Musings

What are your weekend plans? I don’t think we have much going on tonight, but Hayden has a cross country meet tomorrow, and then we have some other odds and ends to get accomplished this weekend.

See you back here Monday for some of my favorite memes this month.

Posted in Kids

Just Dance: Recital Recap

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello from hot and muggy Lexington. 😩

Hadley had her dance recitals over the weekend, and we loved all her performances. Kind of like my baseball wrap-up for Hayden, I like to have all the dance memories in one place for Hadley as well.

There were three recital times: one on Friday evening and then one each on Saturday afternoon and evening. That meant three recitals practices for Hadley as well last week leading up to the recitals.

Friday night, Hadley just danced in the opening number and the finale, so I just dropped her off for that one and then caught the end of the recital after Hayden’s basketball game.

Saturday was a busier day with recitals at noon and 7:00. The noon recital was extra special because that’s when Hadley helped with her younger cousin’s class. Hadley also danced in the opening and finale numbers as well. My mom was in town to see Layla and Hadley’s Saturday performances.

Then, Saturday evening, Hadley had six dances overall! All the family was there, including Hayden! 😆

Recital Recap:

The opening number was one of the competition routines with all of the competition team members at the studio. It’s a fun, action-packed performance.

Then, Hadley danced in her other competition routine which was a small jazz ensemble performance. It’s one of my favorite dances, and Hadley has the opening turn to start the performance.

Great group of girls with their amazing teacher.

This was my favorite costume and Hadley wore it for jazz and ballet performances.

They did an awesome job.

Then, Hadley had her ballet performance before quickly changing for the finale.

Performance Photos:

Hadley and Layla after their routine on Saturday…

Lots of fun memories and family….

Of course we had to get flowers for our dancing queen!

…and a family photo…

Hayden obliged for a photo after Hadley’s final performance.

(Halfway through the Saturday evening performance, Hayden did ask for money for the concession stand…😂! (There were no snacks at the recital!)) Also, when Hadley asked which dance was his favorite, he mentioned “the tap routine with no music.” That was a great acapella performance by the older girls…but Hadley wasn’t in that one. Oh, brother!

Well, you’d think we’d have a bit of a dancing break, but Hadley signed up for hip hop and ballet conditioning this summer. It is only one night a week, and she loves being at the studio and dancing with her friends.

I always say that I’m not sure where Hadley got her rhythm and grace, but that she also has the heart of a dancer. She loves being up on that stage.

Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Homer, Kids

Friday Favorites {#116}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday.

We had a good but busy summer week. Personally, it was nice to not get up and think about school, but I still had to set an alarm every morning due to Hadley’s activities.

Also, I’ve felt “off” all week. I guess it’s a summer cold, and Hadley has been dealing with congestion too. On top of having a sore throat and drainage, I was tired and sometimes achy. I did test neg for the Vid, so who knows! Maybe the hustle and bustle of the end of the school year caught up with me.

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

I mentioned in Tuesday’s post that what was supposed to be a couple of hours at the pool Sunday turned into many hours at the pool and a Pina Colada with Trav.

Hadley has decided she wants to play volleyball again, so we signed her up for a camp this week with a friend. That meant 9-12 camp four days this week!

Hayden left on Monday to go to the lake with a friend, so I had lots of Hadley time this week.

After camp on Monday, we hit the mall for a few things and lunch in the food court. What is it about kids and the food court?! It seemed like a treat to her. haha

She has had dance recital practice three nights this week with the recital this weekend. It’s nice that she’s old enough to handle costume changes, but I definitely sweep in at the end to make sure she has everything!

Wednesday night’s recital practice included Hadley (and her friend) helping cousin Layla’s tap class up on stage. Super cute group of little ladies.

While at the lake, Hayden had so much fun with two of his friends. With limited WiFi, they had all kinds of good old fashioned fun. They swam, ran around, went in the kayaks and fished.

Hayden was so excited to catch a few fish (a first for him) including this large mouth bass.

On Wednesday, we celebrated our 3 year Homer-versary! Since we don’t know his actual birthday, we celebrate him on his “Gotcha Day,” and he obliges for a few photos in his birthday scarf thanks to a few treats!

6/8/19

He’s calmed down since we got him and is overall a pretty good boy (even though he destroyed a roll of toilet paper this week!)

Travis and I finally finished Season 4 of Ozark. I love me some Jason Bateman, but man, that show is intense! I wish it ended a bit differently, but I’m glad we finished the series. Now Travis and I need to find something else to watch together. Let me know if you have any recommendations!

Favorite Clothing Item:

Is anyone shocked that my favorite clothing item is a new pair of pjs?

I bought these a couple of weeks ago when both the top and the bottom were each on sale for $8. I’d pay full price for them though! They are cute and light-weight…perfect for summer!

I actually have this pair ready for pick up too. I will let you know how they are once I get them.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Me…all week!

Flashback Friday

In honor of Hadley’s dance recital this week, here’s a throwback to her first-ever dance recital in 2016! #pinchycheekcute

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of link up posts this week as well as one other one:

June Amazon
Let’s Look: lunch
Baseball Wrap Up

Not Just a Mom

Also, before I go…we have our Not Just a Mom link up this coming Monday. The topic is dream travel locations.

If you are a blogger, we hope you join us! It’s the perfect topic as we dive into summer!

What are your plans for the weekend? We don’t have tons going on today, but Hadley will be a busy dancer this weekend! I can’t wait to see her routines!

Thanks so much for reading!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#115}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! This week was a good one, but it was a doozy! I was busy most of the week coordinating summer school while still also managing my kids’ busy social lives and schedules. I relied heavily on my mom friends, and I’m grateful for them!

Today, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are my favorites from the week:

On my weekly Trader Joe’s run, I saw this candle when I checked out. I picked one up. The Mango Tangerine scent is perfect for summer.

The studio dance photos came in this week, and they are so great!

Then, the moms split the cost on some of the group photos. This is such a great group of girls.

Swim team started this week for Hadley. She had her first swim meet on Wednesday night. This is her second year in the 11-12 age group, and she’s happy to be on the older end of the age group!

She definitely found her stride (stroke?! 😆) with each race on Wednesday. She swam free, back, breast, and free relay. She got second in the breast stroke and her relay team was first! The swim meets make for late evenings, but it’s always fun to watch them swim and improve each week.

While Hadley’s been swimming, Hayden has been busy at basketball camp during the day, and baseball at night.

Tuesday night was the last regular season game, and here is lucky number 7 up to bat.

The tournament starts this weekend, and then that’s a wrap on baseball for Hayden (forever?) #sadbaseballmom

Favorite Mom Meme:

This is me pretty often but definitely this week!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

In honor of the first swim meet of the season, here’s a throwback to the kids’ first ever swim meet in 2017. Hayden “retired” in 2019, but Hadley continues to swim and loves it.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week. Here they are:

Life Lately
May Books

I hope you have a great weekend! See you back here next week.

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#104}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! We made it to the weekend!

I’m linking up with Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Some favorites from the week:

Hayden’s team made it to the championship game for the district’s middle school season! While they were better than their record showed, this team came a long way this season. They entered the tournament the 6th seed, and won a close game in the quarter finals two weeks ago. Then, they won the semi-final game by one point and moved straight to the championship. It was a close game as well, but they lost. They definitely took the loss to heart, but they were so fun to watch. Of course, we’re all proud of their effort.

{I love these photos, but my fave is the one of Hadley finding Hayden on the court after the close semi-final win!}

Travis was in California for work, and spent most of his time at Santa Anita track.

On Saturday afternoon, while I was out running errands, I got a few texts about Travis being on TV. Then, I saw my sister-in-law share his interview on Facebook. One of his farm’s stallions had three horses running in the big race, so Travis was interviewed on TVG. So proud of him, and the interview was great. I would have watched it live had I known 😉

Saturday night, Travis was out of town and Hayden was at an overnight. When it’s just Hadley and me, she requests take out Chinese food and a movie. We watched the Clifford movie, and it was so good.

Homer was very concerned about what was happening with these pups!

On Sunday, Hadley had her second dance competition of the season.

Her small group routine came in 4th in their category, and the large musical theater number was the highest scoring routine of the competition.

They are so fun to watch.

My school had a big game this week, and it was sweet watching Hayden watch the big boys play.

Favorite Food(s):

I was proud of myself for meal prepping my lunch this week. On Sunday, I browned some ground turkey and taco seasoning. Then, I put that in a tortilla with eggs, a few black beans and some cheese. I put a few in the fridge to grab for my lunches this week.

One night this week I made a recipe I’d seen on an Instagram reel: Lazy Enchiladas.

You cook taquitos as directed. Then, you pour a bit of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish, put the taquitos on the sauce, cover the taquitos with sauce and shredded cheese. You bake on 400 for 15-20 minutes. So good!

Favorite Quote:

Usually my favorite quotes come from the kids, but Travis had me laughing on Sunday night. I asked him about the TV interview and if he knew what they were going to ask beforehand. He said he didn’t know specific questions, but that he had a general idea of what they may ask. He said he had a few responses prepared because, “That’s what TV, people do, Jen.” 🤣

Favorite Mom Meme:

So many shows and so little time…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Elementary Facebook memories pop up all the time, but this one hit me…and really made me miss the elementary years. This was taken after the Read Across America 3rd grade performance in 2019.

They look so little and cute.

Weekly Recap:

My posts this week included a recap of how I spent my personal day off, many of the errands I run, and all the lists I have on the “Notes” app.

Hello Monday
Errands
Notes app

Hey! Monday is our Not Just a Mom link up, and we’d love to have you join us.

This topic this month is: reading habits

Well, we have a chance for significant snow tonight through tomorrow…and then we “Spring Forward.” hmmm….that just doesn’t seem right!

That being said, this weekend should be a good one filled with baseball, basketball, a few errands, and some downtime.

So, that’s it for me today. Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays, Kids

Friday Favorites {#94}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! Well, we made it to the end of the week!

Today is the best kind of Friday…the last day of school before a two week break!

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

The kids both had a very busy Saturday last weekend. Hayden had his last club cross country race of the season, and Hadley’s dance studio had their Winter Showcase.

I missed Hadley’s first performance trying to get to Hayden’s cross country meet, but I was able to make it to her second performance. My mom was in town, and was able to see both her grand daughters’ performances.

Hadley performed in both a ballet and competition jazz routine.

Hayden was supposed to run at 11:00, but the race got pushed back to 12:30 due to the storms. I thought I could watch Hayden run, and then make it to Hadley’s second performance, so I tried to do both. Well, it’s a forty-five minute drive, and Travis warned me about the long line of traffic to park. Right as I reached the mile long line of cars, it started to rain again. Travis texted me that the race got pushed back again to 1:15. So, I drove all that way just to turn around in order to make it to Hadley’s performance.

This was a USATF National race with top runners from throughout the country…and these were the running conditions:

While I know Hayden didn’t finish where he wanted to, he still ran a great race. He gave it his all which is all we can ask for from our kids.

My mom was visiting, and brought the kids these hot chocolate bombs which, of course, were a favorite.

Then, they helped her bake cookies. This is definitely a favorite Christmas tradition.

On Sunday, my brother and sister-in-law hosted us for an early Christmas dinner.

The kids were excited to open some gifts! My mom was able to stay a couple of extra days and help with school drop off, pick up, schoolwork, and was able to see my nephew’s Christmas performance too.

Homer welcoming us home is always a favorite. He’s been such a good boy this year with the trees and ornaments.

Wednesday night, we were able to carry on with another favorite tradition. We drove through the Southern Lights at the Horse Park. I love this tradition, and it was the perfect night to see the lights.

Red has been back in action at our house…

He hasn’t been getting into too much trouble.

Hayden brought home this ornament he made in art class. The wooden Santa belt is the perfect addition to our tree.

Usually, I share a “favorite mom meme,” but this one seems fitting right now as a teacher:

Weekly Recap:

I was a busy bee blogger this week. There are my posts:

NJAM: Holiday Movies
Day in the Life on Insta
Holiday Home tour
This or that: Christmas Edition

What are your plans this weekend? Hayden has a basketball game, I have a friend’s birthday party, and we hope to make time to let the kids shop for their gifts for each other!

Thanks so much for reading,