I'm Sorry... and Thank You!

I start this blog by apologizing and then thanking everyone. First, the apology. We had a GREAT trip to Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, and Indiana. Everyone was awesome and the kids has a blast. I created this great blog entry with tons of photos, sparkling comments, etc. Then, our computer crashed (after 40 minutes of working on my project mind you). So, none of you get to see the great photos or sparkling comments because when am I going to find 40 minutes again? Rats! I do plan for more photos, but it might be in another venue (our home computer is too slow!).

Now the big THANK YOU! Thank you to everyone who put us up, allowed us to stay, fed us, and in general were just...swell. I love knowing that Kent does exist, that Eva is as super cute as she is in photos, that there actually are 10 Rodriguez kids, that I love my sisters-in-law as much as I knew I did, that Grandma H. is a mean bike rider, that the Jiffy factory is in Michigan (can't wait to go again Mel), that I had the chance to be an Aunt and join my nephew and daughter in the temple, that I got to celebrate a 12th birthday with my other nephew, that I got to play outside, enjoy cool weather (and I mean cool -- did I mention it gets hot in Mississippi?), that my sister and brother in-law are awesome guitar hero players, that my friend from college is now a great friend out of college, that Laurissa is as sweet in person as she is in photos, that Lexi is so tall, that Shane is super smart and is willing to share his talents with others, and the list goes on and on.

Other things I learned on my trip: I do not need to return to certain parts of Indiana in the near future, that I need to teach Emoree more geography, that I love GOOG411 (thanks Mel), Grandma H. makes a great chicken tetrazzini, and turkey burgers, that my nieces and nephews rock.

Thanks again and I can't wait to do it next year. Perhaps next year...Virginia...or New York!! :)

The Piano Recital

This year's piano recital featured Emoree AND Bryton. I only caught Bryton's piece on tape (Dad got Emoree's on the video recorder) but they both did a spectacular job.

In fact, their piano teacher said that they both made a tremendous amount of progress this year and that she was very proud of them. Next year, Shae joins piano lessons...hang onto your hats!

Another Hole in Her Head (two actually...)

Emoree turned the big "12" last week (she asked for 12 roses on her cake). That means Young Women's and at our house, most importantly... permission to get your ears pierced. So, two days after the big birthday we headed over to Claire's...

Emoree was pretty calm before the lady started marking her ears. You can see that her face was a tad bit nervous...

But she toughed it out (I think she squeezed the grips off the chair) and now she has two more holes in her head. Yet, these have diamonds in them. For the next 6 weeks she has to keep these in and take care of them. After that, she can wear post earrings for a year and then if all goes well (both her Mom and her Grandma have metal allergies) she can wear whatever she wants.

Happy Birthday big girl!!

Our Patriotic Drink

We had a BBQ with family and friends to celebrate the 4th of July. Our contributions to the event included a Patriotic drink (see below for drinks used). The colors do not bleed into each other so people at the party were walking around with red, white, and blue drinks. It turned out great. Let us know if you want the details. Our other contribution were fruit sparklers. The little kids loved these and the adults loved that they were (somewhat) healthy!

Bryton Goes to MSU Football Camp

Bryton went to MSU Football Camp last month. He had a great time acting as a real "Bulldog." He had the opportunity to work with the MSU Football Coaching staff (got a photo with Coach Dan Mullen even), had lunch in the locker room (sounded pretty gross to me, but he LOVED it), and at the end of camp he rode the MSU bus...

The boys got off the bus and the parents were on the sidelines cheering for their boys. The boys then came into the MSU Football Stadium and they were each announced over the loud speaker as they ran down the field to high-five Coach Mullen. It was worth every penny!

Our bulldog on the 50 yard line. GO DAWGS! Hang onto this picture folks, it might be worth something someday!

Hair Cut!

Shae has been begging to get her hair cut all summer long. Finally, we gave in...
She now has several new nicknames, including Strawberry Shortcake, Dorothy Hammill, Madeline, "Bob," and more. We love it and she does too!

The 2009 Peep Show

Yes fans. It has reached that special time again. Time to vote for the best entry in the 2nd Annual Peep Show! My brother and sister-in-law invited everyone to particpate and this year Emoree, Bryton, and Shae have been the masters of the show deciding what they wanted to do, and how they wanted to do it. Can you guess which entry was done by which child? While the kids would love for you to vote for their entry, vote for whatever peep piece inspires you and have fun. Go to http://liz.heiselt.org/blog/ to vote. Have a great time!