New Years weekend

okay, after several tries and a couple hours the video will not load...it has been posted to facebook or if you do not have a fb account and would like to see it leave your email and I will send it to you.

The recital was a success! What a great show with so many talented kiddos! I was getting anxious to watch Autumn and Daddy D. They were the 25th act of about 30. I took the video so I had to  keep it together and still didn't hold the camera steady as I laughed or felt the lump growing in my throat. Autumn had a fan aisle too. Dale and Sherry, a couple that has become very great friends to us, Aunt Jeanie, who drove all the way from Wolf Point, Papa Bob and Grammie Jo, Lala and Papa Mark in from GreatFalls just for the show, and our sweet friend Vanessa, all sat together ready to watch Daddy and Daughter hit the stage:) Dana did amazing! He is so easy going and fearless when it comes to the public. I'm not sure if Autumn did so well because her Daddy was there or if she has his courage. After the show we had too much cake and just the right amount of ice cream and watched the video. Our little star still had her big girl makeup on and had an air about her that she had just done something awesome. When it was time to finally go to bed she crashed hard! Dominic reached his own milestone during the Nutcracker, he was relatively quiet the entire time! Grammie Jo held him for the most part and he watched with huge eyes and clapped when everyone else clapped. Every time I looked over at him he was glued to the stage. The only time he let out a fuss was when I was holding him and the professional dancers were on stage. Perfect timing Dommie;)
On Friday morning, after Dana went to work, my parents and I sat in the living room and had a heart wrencher talk. It was nice to say out loud my fears and thoughts and actually get honest about our last year. It was nice to watch my Mother get tears in her eyes and not fight them to go back where they came from or to laugh them off. It felt good to do the same with mine. Dad looked like he wanted to say "it's about time you ol bitties". We laughed we cried, I realized that I have expected...dang expectations...from people that don't deserve to have expectations set on them. They just deserve to be. It was one of those eye openers that you can't believe it took you this long to get there. It was a great visit. I miss them when they drive away. I'm so glad they are driving just up the highway and not flying across the country. I don't want to  ever forget our year. Our entire family had struggles and lessons and CRAP. Now, we have a brand new year. My friend Angie wrote on a picture I posted that we could look at it as breaking the new year in or bashing the old one out...something like that, talking about the pinyana. I choose to say we bashed the old one out. 2011 brought us amazing miracles, Dominic, our life in Lewistown, stronger relationships and the end of some. It was however a hard one emotionally. I wonder if this is what they mean when they say "past lives". After all, how many lives do we actually have? I'd like to think that I start a new one every time I grow. I've had a lot of lives:)
New Years Eve we rushed to finish our pinata. It came out good:) Not as elaborate and wonderful as I had pictured in my head but we finished it together and we both still had our pride and feelings in tact. I had done some running to find little toy stuffers and finally at the Big Spring Market found chocolate covered raisins, yogurt raisins, all natural jelly beans and peanut butter covered pretzels. Yes yes, still candy but to me when I can pronounce all the ingredients and know what they are I feel a little better. I thought for sure the pinata (pinyana as Autumn calls it) would explode with one good hit. It did not and the event to break this thing was hilarious! Autumn tried with a red plastic bat, "I can't do it" as she hit it over and over again. "Get in there Grammie, she needs some help!" Grammie tried and it still would not break, and she was really trying. Enter Daddy. He whacked it over and over again while the ladies (me and Grammie) chimed in "Look out for the baby!" Dom was sitting on the floor next to Dana clapping. "I know where he is!" Daddy said winded and laughing. Finally a small part of the pinyana tore and Dana ripped it open so the gifts would fall out. Autumn looked very confused but pleased with her stash. We even had little popper fireworks, lei's and more toy animals. Dom just wanted to rittle through the goods and grab whatever Autumn had. It turned out to be a great evening for the last night of an incredible weekend.