Showstoppers

We went to the Showstoppers Dance Competition this past weekend. 3 days of dance, dance, dance. We didn't stay in a hotel we just drove to Jacksonville everyday. Wow that is alot of being on the road, but the girls had a great time.

Friday night was Bethany's new solo. It is in the category Musical Theatre. It is called 'Little Known Facts' from the show 'You're A Good Man Charlie Brown'. She is playing Lucy VanPelt. This is a good picture of her in her new costume. All those little dots on the dress are 'rhinestones' that I added. So very cute. My really good, talented friend Lenee made this awesome bow, and I of course added rhinestones to it as well.....

Bethany wanted to SPARKLE....

We invited Bethany's friend Shelby along for the weekend to cheer Bethany on....

This is Tina Whaley, and Mia.....Tina's daughters Hootie, and Cheyanne go to the studio with the girls. Hootie, and Bethany are in the same dance class.....enough about them...I must tell you about my new little friend Mia who sat beside me for just about 2 days. She is the cutest little thing ever, and she was a big help rescuing me from bags of Cheetos...LOL

This was Sunday morning, all the girls were trying to get ready under the stairs. This is Katie, and Rachel.

Shelby, and Bethany. Bethany wanted to wear every pin, and metal she ever won....LOL

Ms.Krissi, and Cheyanne

Me having a ton of fun.....I know my hair is now dark, and I look pasty white..

It can be alot boring at times waiting for the girls to go on. I mean I love to watch the other dancers, and I do watch alot, but sometimes you just need a BREAK.....Here is Royal (Krissi's husband, and prop guy) playing around with Hootie..

Cheyanne getting her make-up done by her mom, Tina.

Hootie showing how flexible she is.

My new littlest friend Mia being cute as a button.

Royal, and one of the dance Dad's playing around....LOL

This is Lynsey right before she went on stage with her new solo 'Cinema Italiano' from the Musical 'Nine'. Yes we are a musical loving family....LOL

This is the only picture with awards I took the whole weekend....Lynsey was in the Advanced Division, Musical Theatre Category, and won Gold with 5th overall. There were 16 kids in the overalls for this division....coming in 5th is pretty darn good.

Bethany's solo was in the Competitive Division, Musical Theatre Category, and she won a Platinum award.

Lynsey and Bethany's tap duet was in the Competitive Division, Musical Theatre Category, and they won a Gold (It was 'I Can Do That' from the show Chorus Line)
Lynsey was in 2 group dances.

'Diamonds' was in the Competitive Division, Lyrical Small Group, and it won Double Platinum with a 4th overall.

'Strongest Suit' was in the Competitive Division, Musical Theatre Large Group, and it won Platinum with a 2nd overall.

I wish I would've taken more pictures. (don't I always)

We had a good time. We saw some schools from Miami, and Panama City, and they were AWESOME.....we also saw Studio 1014, it was there hometown, and they were all there in full force, they have some wonderful dancers, they are beautiful to watch.

As far as the two days are concerned I had the best time sitting with Tina Whaley, and Gayle Mosely. They are a bunch of very fun girls. I laughed, and laughed. I also liked that they think my off beat humor is funny....I will be sitting with them alot next time too!! If you want to sit with us let us know and we will take a vote to see if you are IN or OUT....LOL
Note to self: I had some of the best Egg Drop Soup and Seared Tuna from PF Chang's this weekend. I can't wait to go eat a whole meal there. You should try it if you ever get the chance.

Recently Random Camera Phone Pictures....

I have really been so busy since last month. The last post I did was the fire, and since then we have had Christmas, and New Years. It seems like we just can't get this crazy life under control. However, I have still been getting picture texts, and so I thought I would share the best of what I got this month.

This is from Amanda. It is a picture of Jonathon's AR lunch at school. He was allowed to invite 2 friends. So, he invited Ashely Boggs (his lady friend), and Bethany Kirkland (his cousin). They totally enjoyed being served by the teachers, and filmed...LOL He had to get 125 AR points to have such a lunch. For anyone who knows anything about AR points you know that is alot of reading, and alot of test taking...
This is from Chris. Our supplies for the new fireplace has arrived. This calls for a happy dance...LOL

This is from Amanda. This is Noah with his other family, having some really good times.

This is from Jonathon. He sent me a picture of the new calf.

This is from Harmony. It is Remmie with his Christmas mowhawk...

This is from Harmony. This is what Braxton is Thankful this year. I have to agree. Don't you?

This is from Chris. Christopher was on a Scout trip, and got hit in the head. He had to spend the night in the hospital. It was pretty bad. Then when the black eye set in it was really nice looking. Now it is yellow and black. Poor Christopher...

This is from Lynsey. This is Lynsey, and Bethany's new duet costumes. They are tapping to 'I Can Do That' from Chorus Line...

This is from me. I wanted you to see we moved the doorway into the middle of the bay window. Farrell thought this was a mistake, but it turned out really good. He just couldn't see it when I was describing it. He likes it now...

This is from Harmony. For Brandon's 15th birthday they all went on a ski trip together.

This is from Jonathon. The is learning to take pictures with his ipod touch, and play with the features....he used baby David as his test subject...LOL

This is from Amanda. This is a picture of baby David sleeping with his new big brother Jackson. AWESOME!!

This is from Lenee. She made this great looking bow for Lynsey's production 'Strongest Suit'

I think this is from Jonathon? This is Bethany showing off her new Christmas hat, and Emma Mae being as cute as ever...

I hope you have enjoyed the ramdoness of all the pictures.....

Call 911!!

Thursday night right after 2 a.m. Chris decides he will stoke the fire, before he comes to bed. While stoking the fire he hears a popping sound under the house. Weird.....Then he notices little puffs of smoke coming up behind the mantle. He comes and wakes me up to tell me the house is on fire. I come out and see the puffs of smoke, and I say I will call 911. He starts running through the house yelling for the kids to wake up and go outside 'The House Is On FIRE!!'. I am trying to put on my robe, and slippers while I am calling 911. This takes less then 60 seconds. We come out to the living room and the wall was on fire. Yes people there actually flames burning, and crawling up the wall above the mantle. Here is a picture of what was burning.



The kids ran outside. Chris and I filled pots, and large bowls up to try and put the firey wall out. We seemed to have it under control. This took maybe 60 to 120 seconds. Chris says 'I'm going out to get the hose'. He runs out the door, and runs back in and says 'The roof is on fire'....no way...I run out with the large pot of water in my hands....and there it was THE ROOF WAS ON FIRE!! We tried to throw the water up onto the roof, but it was just to high. However, that didn't stop us from trying 3 more times. This is a picture of where the roof was on fire.....
The police show up at that time, and tell us we have to get out of the house. We can't stay here. We have to stop trying......I am in the kitchen, I look around at my house thinking this may be the last time I see these rooms....I have a few seconds what do I take. My most important things are standing outside on the street....what's left?....I see my scrapbook, and say no....I see my laptop, and say no....I see my purse, walk to it, pick it up, and walk out....I have to tell you this is the strangest feeling I have ever had in my whole life, and as I write this I feel it all over again....

We are now all out on the street.....what are we suppose to do, stand back, and watch it burn...yes that's what you do....

The neighbor Nelda took the kids to her house. Another neighbor named Wink came up to see if Chris and I were alright. That's when she realized he had no shoes on, and his socks were wet. She took her slippers off and gave them to him. He said I can't put those on my socks are wet....she insisted he put them on....very nice.....our other neighbor turned a little stove on at his porch where we could warm up and watch the house....

When all was clear they let Chris and I come back in......


The fireman was explaining how the fire went up the wall, and into the attic. I look at the floor and see my netflex return envelopes all around mixed in with the plaster from the ceiling. I say 'I guess my netflex movies are under there somewhere?'....another fireman says 'no mamam I saw them on the floor I picked them up and put them on your kitchen table, I also moved your snowmen over here by the wall'....'But we couldn't get the T.V. down so I'm sure it will still work'...
If you ever wondered how firefighters find their way around your house....don't worry, they will make holes if they have to.....

This is up in the attic where the roof was on fire............

This is outside looking in through the chimney...While we were standing in the living room, the firemen realized that underneath the house where we were standing was on fire. They had to use a chainsaw to cut the floor to get to it....their chainsaw was dull, so Chris gave them his to use....

See how from outside you can see in....

I had a few really crazy thoughts during this whole thing that I want to share with you. As I was throwing the pots of water on the firey wall I thought 'Where is my camera'....just for a second....

What made us think standing on the ground that we could throw water as high as the house?

Lynsey called her Mom and she came with Kelsea. They got together some stuff for the kids, and took them out to Pat's house. The girls have been with their Mom all weekend, and the younger kids have been with Amanda....

Before the kids left with Debi I kissed each one. Bethany wanted to know what burned up in fire, while Noah cried. What does a parent say to their kids at that moment?.....I don't know but here is what I said......Bethany are you alive? she said yes...I said Am I alive? she said yes....I said Are we all safe now? she said yes.....I said we can go buy the other stuff, but we can replace each other.....

Chris, and I wanted to stay at the house. We worked on getting the living room closed off until we can get everyone to come look at it and start working on it.....I'm sure it will be a long process.

We have had alot of phone calls, emails, facebook comments, visits, ect....We could never thank everyone enough for being so supportive....

I will write another post about this later.....I have some other thoughts I need to get in order, but I know everyone wants to see the photos, and read the post....