Nutcracker

Nutcracker was a joy this year...it was nice to be back at the Gaillard with a great group of dancers and their families!  Kathleen enjoyed her first year as a Party Girl and a Soldier! The Party Girl role allowed her to wear ringlets and participate in the majority of the lively first act of the show!  She did a wonderful job and had a great time dancing and hanging out with her friends backstage.  They are already talking about next year's show!  Yikes!

Kathleen and Holland....

Party Girls and a Soldier...

All eight Party Girls...

Kathleen with flowers from Tutu...

A Soldier backstage...

With Holland...

Party Girls on stage....

Kathleen with Lucie and Bucky backstage after Sunday's performance!

Weekend at the Daubs

The day after Thanksgiving, we drove up to Richmond to spend the weekend with the Daub family.  It was a wonderful couple of days full of giggling girls, projects galore, mahjong and qwirkle!!  Good good times!

All of the girls...

With Grandpa Bucky...

At the Muppet movie...

Chloe, Madison and Lucie...

Chloe and Kathleen...

Lucie and Chloe work on the gingerbread houses...

Elizabeth and Kathleen show off their decorated house...

Lucie displays Chloe's creation...

Here is Madison with her fabulous gingerbread house...

Three lovely (and delicious) houses...

The girls doing art on the porch...

Girls laughing over videos on the computer!

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving was all about family this year...the Darbys, Walls and Muirs enjoyed a wonderful meal together at Tutu and Bubba's house.  We were thankful for many things including our friends and family, our health and jobs, our homes and schools and the delicious food on our table!

The Darby family...



Kathleen, Grace and Lucie...

Tutu and Kathleen...

Tutu and Lucie...

The table by Barb....

Canham (17) and Hamer (20)...

Grace and Lucie...

Candles at Colonial Lake

Yesterday evening, we attended the Hospice Candlelight Memorial Service at Colonial Lake in downtown Charleston.  The event, which is held every year, gives people a chance to honor their loved ones who have died via luminaries that encircle the lake.  Tutu, Bubba, Lucie, Bucky and I met Hank, Barb and Grace there.  We were joined lakeside by dear friends of Barb's, Pat and PO Meade.  We all walked around the lake gathering the labeled luminaries of our loved ones and put them all together near where the brief memorial service was held.  After a few prayers and some lovely music, the candles were lit and the lake glowed in rememberance of friends and family.

Lucile with Lucile's luminary...

 

Honoring Bill and Dux Lucas....



Cousins Grace and Lucie were there to remember loved ones...

A large presence....



Yall fest

Yesterday, Lucie and I attended YALL FEST, a convention of sorts for young adult fiction (hence, the Y(oung) A(dult) - the rest, of course being a pun).

It was a great event and Lucie was in Heaven. I enjoyed it as well and of the three panel sessions we attended, Lucie was the first to ask questions. I was very proud of my YA author and will gladly attend next year. 

(Be sure to check out Lucie's writing by selecting the Wattpad link at the top of the blog.)

Victoria Schwab signing her book, The Near Witch.

Lucie and the author.

Sarah Rees Brennan (The Demon's Lexicon) demonstrating how she stood on a bridge railing on a London bridge to get a better view and all the bystanders thought she was trying to commit suicide.

Beth Revis (Across the Universe) signing Lucie's copy.

Kaleb Nation (Kaleb's Nation) with a note to Lucie's cousin Grace after signing her copy of his book.

At the fair

Our Great American Adventure includes taking part in as many of the American events as possible. What could be more American that the county fair?

My sister, Duncan, was coming to town, so being the good sport she is, decided to accompany us. What fun!

An unexpected plus was the great time we were able to spend together in the car during the three-hour trek from the interstate to the fairgrounds (usually a seven minute trip.)

We prevailed, and had a great time people-watching, going on the rides and eating junk food!

Sisters!

On the ferris wheel.

Duncan having recovered from the event taking a walk on boardwalk at Shem Creek.

Ballet

This week was parent observation week at Charleston Ballet Theatre, where Kathleen dances almost daily!  I attended all of the classes except for Thursday when I had book club, so Bucky observed instead.  It was quite impressive how disciplined and talented all of the girls are!  They work really hard, but seem to have fun doing it! 

Barre work on Tuesday...

With Ella and Alexi...

On pointe on Wednesday...

Marking with Jonathan, Sarah, Grace and Jacy...

On the move on pointe on Thursday...

Pointers from Ms. Patty...

More barre on Friday...

Practice makes perfect!