I love you when you're happy, I love you when you're sad...

Mabel has been taking a dance class from Miss Bonnie

for the past 8 months and she had her big spring recital

a few weeks ago! She has been practicing her dance

for weeks and weeks and she did awesome. I love seeing her

dance around the house and teach me the names of certain moves.

(Next time you see her ask to see a Jazz Posse - it's the best!)

Here she is the week before when we got her dance

pictures taken...isn't her costume great?!

Sequins never go out of style. :)

(She comes up with all her own poses!)

At the dance studio they took individual shots (I can't wait to

 get them back!) and a group shot with her class.

These girls are a crack up!

So excited at the dress rehearsal! She did such a great
job listening and following instructions...it got a little
crazy with so many dancers!

Ready for her performance!!

Mabel thought Brayden looked so beautiful!

Brayden (who is our neighbor) and some of the other older girls 

helped out with the little girls backstage. I think Mabel felt

pretty cool because she knew one of the older girls! :)

Mabel got to watch Brayden dance at the dress rehearsal and

she was mesmerized. 

We loved having lots of family there...it sure

made Mabel feel special!

Elliott barely made it through...he had two dum 

dum suckers and once Mabel danced Nate had to 

take him out for the rest of the performances.

He is a busy body who doesn't like to sit still!

I love this shot!

We are so proud of her!
It takes a lot of courage to dance in front of
a HUGE audience and she did awesome and had a lot of fun! 

All the dancers came out for the finale to wave
and blow a kiss to the crowd:


Pictures with all her fans!
(except I didn't get a shot with Kristy and Dave, rats.)










She got a lot of flowers so we put them together in one
 big bouquet and it surprised me how much she loved them.
She was so excited when several of them started to bloom.
I guess I need to get fresh flowers more often!
Kelsey and Mike also got her a little bucket full
of treasures. She was one happy little dancer!

First Ice Cream Cone

They're baaaaaaack!

Nate's parents got home from their mission!

YAY!!!

They got home from Graz, Austria on April 10th.

Their flight was super late at night (and it got delayed)

so Nate represented for our family at the airport:

Mabel and I made this sign for their garage:

The next day we had a big party at Kristy and Dave's house.

We were so happy to celebrate Rick and Georgia's return home!

Mabel and Elliott thought this was way better than Skyping:

Grandma and Grandpa with all their grandkids:

I LOVE the mission accomplished sign that Lindsey made!!

They got to squeeze on these two cute boys who joined the family 

while they were serving. 

Elliott and Jack (one month apart):

We had a tasty brunch and Dave and Kristy's backyard

was the perfect picnic spot:

Cuteness overload of Miss Reagan!

The boyz munchin on some grub:

Their faces in this one kill me!!

We also had an Easter egg hunt too:

This flute was her favorite find:

 

Myah was tasting some of her goodies:

Not only did Rick and Georgia bring back 

Austrian chocolate but they also had gifts for everyone!

How awesome (and hilarious) are these 

lederhosen swim trunks?!

The older girls got pretty hand blown glass necklaces, 

the little girls got a cute doll, 

and the little boys got an Austrian

marmot stuffed animal guy that yodels! 

 

Taking pictures of these two is always hilarious:

Elliott is slightly obsessed with eyes, sorry Jack.

  

Flashback pic:

 

It was a great day with everyone! We just needed

cardboard cutouts of our Alaska family!!

The next week we celebrated Kristy and Rick's 

birthdays at our house:

(they share the same day 25 years apart!)

The both wore their blue party pants: 

Yum.

Then a few weeks later Rick and Georgia spoke in church

and we had a waffle extravaganza at their house after.

We drove to their house Saturday night and had a sleepover.

Elliott's first time at Grandma's house!

He loved all the toys and new things to climb on.

Mabel was beyond excited to sleep in her little 

closet that Nate used to sleep in when he was a kid!

We got her all set up and she cried the next day when we

left because she said, "I'm going to miss my little closet!"

After the kids went to bed we chatted with Rick 

and Georgia and prepped food for the next day.

We also told them to BUST OUT SOME OF THAT

GOOD AUSTRIAN CHOCOLATE!!

Then trying to get a picture:

Two tired Tews.

Little did we know that Elliott was going to

be up half the night. I think the poor kid was just freaked out

to be in a different house, different bed, etc.  He kept

waking up and looking all around and crying. :(

Every week in Austria Rick and Georgia would make

waffles for "waffle night" with the young single adults.

Rick perfected his waffle making skills over these last 18 months

 and they tasted amazing! No really, I had one and went back for 

seconds but there weren't any more.  

Great Grandpa and Grandma Tew with the little squirt!

We kind of think Elliott looks like Nate's cousin

Chad so we had them take a picture together. They 

make a cute dad couple don't you think? 

Welcome home 

Rick and Georgia!!