Katie turns Sweet 16!

I can't believe how fast time flies....  especially when I remember holding my newborn baby girl in my arms, and seeing her now as a beautiful young woman.  Sometimes I wish they would stop growing...

When I was 16 ... my family made it a special day for me.  So, naturally I wanted to do the same for Katie.

 

One of the family lines is through the Tiffany family (of the famous Tiffany & Co -- yes, that same line) ... and since Katie LOVES the color blue, namely turquoise, or the Tiffany blue color, I was going to do a Tiffany & Co party.  However.. b/c we had boys coming, and to have jewels and all that all around, we sort of went away with that idea, and just did a basic color theme.  And polka dots...

 

So she didn't care what I did .... so I picked turquoise & red.  Boy, was it an awesome choice!!

My fabulous friend Christine hosted this at her gorgeous home, and had a lot of decorations on hand already.  She is so talented in decorating!! 

 

We had cake, with a Tiffany box typed cake.  Then, a candy bar that was on the same table as the cake.  There was also a popcorn bar on a different table.  Since this activity took place in Texas, where it can be warm in January -- we played outside games to start the party.  Everyone received a glow in the dark necklace and a few bracelets.  Then we went outside and played glow in the dark kickball (with a kickball that did NOT hold up to its name!  BOO!).  After we played a few rounds of that (which was so much fun!), they played the hula hoop game -- basically getting into two groups and they join hands.  A hula hoop is placed in between two people, and the circle that can pass the hula hoop through everyone wins!  it was hilarious!

After those games, we came inside to eat cake and stock up on candy .. and popcorn.  Because after all of that, we went outside to watch a movie -- Despicable Me 2 -- it was a TAD bit cold that night -- but everyone had blankets and chairs.  All in all, everyone had a blast of fun. 

 

This is what the party decorations looked like:



What is it about giant Pixie Sticks that makes everyone grab those first?  I bought 50 of those suckers.. Katie had 6 herself.  :: rolling eyes ::

 



 

The balloons were duct taped to the ceiling, and at the bottom of the ribbon, were pictures being held up with a clothespin (that was spray painted to match the colors)

 

 



 

 

 

 

We also had a photo booth!!  It wasn't SUPER popular, but a lot of kids did get into the action.

 



 

The banner is basically letters cut out from a Cricut, glued onto scrapbook paper, glued onto a paper plate.  Tulle is holding each plate to each other.

 



The popcorn bar had candy to put in the bag along with the popcorn, as well as spray butter (not on table), and different types of toppings (seasonings).  I also had four types of popcorn on the table:  caramel, popcorn drizzled with milk & white chocolate, and popcorn made with coconut oil (went super fast!) and popcorn made with vegetable oil (a whole tub leftover!).

and to wrap up this blog post... here are a few of the cute photo booth pics!

 

 

It was a rough start ....to getting back into Highland Dance competitions

I wrote this article for the Scottish Society group here in our city, who wanted an article about Katie.

Katie decided to get back into competitions, after being gone for FIVE years.  Her last competition was when she was 10 years old.  When she found out that San Antonio was going to have a competition, she was eager to jump back in the ring.  She took lessons from Miss B .... (an amazing teacher, by the way!) for six weeks, and was ready for competition the first weekend in April.  Here is the story -- it involves spraining a certain girl's ankles... three times.

Katie became a Highland Dancer when she was six years old. She participated in her very first competition shortly after as a Primary dancer (the youngest group there is). There she learned how to count her pas de basques (16 in a row) and where her feet was to go exactly.  As her mother, I learned the sword dance, and taught the steps to Katie at home, so she would learn it at a faster pace in time for her first competition. After her very first dance competition, Katie would go on to compete for another four years in competitions all around the Midwest, often winning "Best Dancer" award, or "Most Promising Pre-Premier Dancer", and even a scholarship.

 

When Katie was 10 years old, her family moved from Missouri to San Antonio. There, she joined the San Antonio Scottish Society's Highland Dance group. She was able to share her talents and her love for Highland Dance with everyone. After taking a short break from competitions (OK, five years, really!), Katie started lessons with "Miss B".  In a funny twist, "B" taught Katie's first dance teacher when she was a teenager. Katie had taken several of Miss B's workshops when she was younger.

Katie's BFF Madison holds up a sign she made for Katie

When Miss B announced a dance competition was going to come to San Antonio, Katie decided to get back into competitions. She started her lessons again with Miss B in February of this year, and six weeks later, she was preparing for the San Antonio Highland Dance competition.
 

 

Katie as shown before the competition starts ... she was excited!

The big day arrived, and Katie was very prepared. Nervous, but excited! As she stood on stage to perform the Lilt, she took one step out, and when her foot landed, it landed at an odd angle. A gasp was heard from several people. Immediately, all could see she had hurt her ankle. She finished her dance, and limped over to where family & friends were sitting. Ice was applied immediately, and her ankle was wrapped. She went on to dance the Highland Fling, and did a beautiful job! The third dance was the sword dance. She asked me to help her with her leaps. So we walked to the grassy section of the grounds, and she took one giant leap to the right, and landed on the same ankle in a bad way. She fell to the ground.  I pleaded with her to stop ... it was OK to forfeit the dance. She had done a great job and had much to be proud of. However, Katie is a very determined girl. When she has her mind set on something, she is going to accomplish it. She walked on her ankle a bit more, and said "I'm fine ... let's walk to the other side and practice on the practice stage." After realizing little dancers were playing on the dance floor, she said "we can do it here on the grass .. it'll be fine." She took a leap to the left, and this time when she landed her foot down, a LOUD pop was heard,and she fell to the grass and was in dire pain. She looked up at me and cried "why?!"
 

 Katie dancing the Lilt -- the very next second is when she twisted her ankle the first time

By now, I was frantic, and could barely believe Katie had twisted both of her ankles THREE times that morning. What are the odds?! More ice was added to the other ankle, and that ankle was wrapped. Her turn was coming up quickly for the sword dance .. the dance that she had to perform with leaps. After speaking to Miss B, who assured her it was OK not to do the leaps she needed to do, she walked (limped) to the staging area. She gets on the stage, and starts the sword dance. Next thing we see, is Katie doing her leaps ... I am holding my breath, praying that Katie will have the strength to accomplish what her heart desires, and just to be able to get through this dance in one piece. Tears run down my face when I realized Katie did it .... Katie pulled through perfectly. Through all that pain.

 

Katie talking with her teacher, Miss B -- asking what to do about her Sword dance with her ankles as bad as they were. 

Miss B gives her a hug before she goes on the stage.



Katie performing the Sword dance 

 

Katie performs the Seann Triubhas

Katie danced one final dance, and did a beautiful job. All Katie wanted was a stamp. Of course, her eye was on the trophy, but at this point in the game, she just wanted to place in something so she could get a stamp on her dance card. To get a stamp on her card meant she was much closer to going into the next category. 

Katie's group was announced for medals. Seann Triubhas... Katie placed first. Sword Dance ... Katie placed first. Highland Fling... Katie placed first. The Lilt.. she was disqualified because she twisted her ankle. Best Dancer of the group? Katie! Imagine going back into serious practice in only six weeks, and walking away with a Best Dancer trophy of the group! The joy in Katie's face when her name was announced was worth it all. She was truly surprised. She was surprised by the strength she had in her. She said "I can do hard things!"

 

The first award she wins of the day

 

After all the awards are given, the Best Dancer award is yet to be awarded. 

Katie's name is being announced here -- see her smile?!

 

 

 

 

Katie with her dance teacher, Miss "B" after the competition

 



Katie suffered a second degree sprain in her left ankle, and a first degree sprain in her right ankle.  She had to skip the Houston Games which were held three weeks later because she was not ready, but she did participate in the Dallas games (which will be told in story in a few days!).  Way to go Katie!

 

Katie told me I had this wrong ... she twisted her right ankles twice, and her left ankle once.  Her left ankle was the worst!

 

On the way out of the Games, Katie & Maddie both spied with their little eye, my picture of Katie leaping in the air on someone's vehicle!

Happily Ever After Girls Camp 2012

I'm only ... 8 months late for this blog post...  :)

Although I am now serving in Young Womans, at the time of Girls Camp last summer, I was not.  I just went up for the day to bring girls to camp.  I had such a blast that first day, and was so excited for all these girls and the experience they were going to have!

I did not come up with ANY of these ideas.  I was just the photographer for the day ... but I loved all that was given to the girls, and put on display for the girls so they would have an enjoyable time.

The theme for the Girls Camp was "Happily Ever After".  Each ward had their take on the theme, and decorated their table.  This was how our wards table looked:

I loved these fake diamonds in the middle!

When they got to the camp, each girl had this at their place waiting for them (a bag, a crown and a bandanna for their head)

 

 

Each girl had a place to sit each day, and for their placemat, it was this

 (the opposite side was scrapbook paper).  At the end of camp, each girl wrote a message on the back of the placemat for the girl.  It was an amazing item to have!

 

 

I absolutely love that picture of Katie!

Their shirts for camp was this on the back.

The front basically said "Happily Ever After" Girls Camp 2012

 

The YW Presidency at the time worked super hard on little gifts for the girls..

and these were the gifts for them

 

 

 

 

 

 

  This was actually to be filled w/ candy at the table (like M&M's) each day...

 so they left it at the table

 

 

Because camp was in the beginning of July in Texas, it was boiling hot.  The girls got these little fan that squirts out water (it was kind of useless since it didn't work well)

 

 

Because they went to camp over the 4th of July, they got fun things for the 4th.  Including these glow in the dark necklaces to wear and these fantastic sunglasses!

 

 

 

This opened to a mirror ....

 

 

This was a pin they could wear at church...

 

 

 

.... and a bag they could hold all their gifts (which most ended up broken or lost)

 

 

 

 

I'm sure a lot of these were found at Oriental Trading, or the Dollar Store -- I know the 4th of July things were found at the $1 Target bin. 

San Antonio Robert Burns dinner 2013

Every year the last Saturday evening of the month of January, the girls are participating in the Robert Burns dinner for the Scottish Society.  They had a great evening, and all did a fantastic job in their dances! 

Katie warms up before going on stage

 

Mom's gotta get in the pictures every once in awhile!

 



The girls with their best friends ... they started dancing a year ago with the girls

The entire dance group before the performance

Katie & Christine (on the far left) both realized they have the EXACT same tartan for their kilt!

This dance the girls learned in just two practices.  They all did amazing well for the Broadswords in such a short amount of time.  They are dancing with their teacher Miss Annette and her daughter Christine (also a teacher).

Katie & Christine both are dancing the Seann Triubhas  .... after they dance this, they have literally 5-8 minutes to change into their blue dress similar to what the other dancers are wearing

Look at those leaps!

Maddie is dancing the Lilt

Here all the dancers are dancing the Highland Fling

the last picture is of the girls & one of their current (and former) dance instructors, Mary Beth ... aka "Miss B".  She taught the girls' first dance instructor, Carla.  Miss B traveled to Kansas City to do workshops, so the girls have trained with her before.  Imagine our surprise when we found out she was moving to San Antonio.  They took up lessons with her, then Katie decided she wanted to quit.  She took a bit of time off, and is now back to dancing again and preparing for her first dance competition this April after being gone from the competition world in almost 5 years! Miss B is whipping her in shape!  The girls LOVE Miss B!