Beautiful Ballerina Bear

I am so grateful that we have an incredible Christian dance academy in our area.  Hearts In Step is a dance  school that teaches young girls (and boys!) how to dance in ways that are technically sound while also being God-honoring.  Ashlyn is in love with dancing and--I'll completely forgo humility here--I truly believe she has a gift for it!  She takes after her daddy and is very comfortable performing on stage (while her mommy is quite UNcomfortable).  This year Ashlyn's class danced to "Jesus Let Us Come To Know You", a sweet song from Michael Card's "Sleep Sound In Jesus" lullaby album.
In the weeks leading up to the recital I asked Ashlyn to show me her routine, but she would tell me she couldn't remember it.  When she still "couldn't remember" the routine a few days before her recital, I started to worry a bit.  I told her she needed to know it for the performance, be she assured me that if she forgot, Sarah Grace (her teacher) would be on the side doing the routine along with them and she could just follow Sarah Grace.  Kyle and I both told her UH-UH!  Learn the routine, Girly!  Before her final class I asked Sarah Grace if Ashlyn knew the routine.  She looked at me like I was a little crazy and said, "Uh, yeah!  She leads the whole thing."  I recounted Ashlyn's "story" and she told me that she NEVER does the routine along with them and certainly wouldn't be doing it the day of the recital.  We shared a laugh about my goofy little girl.  I mean, if you're going to lie, why lie and say that you don't know the routine when you absolutely do?  Silly girl!  (Ashlyn is in the front/center and begins & ends the dance)

A few days before her recital Ashlyn told me that they would be "dancing for Jesus.  And if people doesn't know about Jesus, our dancing will tell them!"  Just melts a mama's heart!

 After the dress rehearsal, Ashlyn and I went to dinner at Red Robin and then to a flower shop to pick out flowers for Sarah Grace (Sunflowers--SG's favorite!)...and to get an idea of what flowers Ash liked best so I could purchase them for Maguire to give to her :)  We did this last year, too, and I'm really hoping that our little tradition sticks!

What support!  Grandma & Grandpa Warmington, Papa & Mimia, and Great Grandma Desi (my dad's mom) came to watch their little ballerina.

Next year I think we'll get a babysitter for Maguire.  Dance recitals aren't necessarily his thing.  Right as Ashlyn's class came out on stage, he had a little meltdown and Kyle took him out into the lobby.  I was just sick about Kyle missing her dance!  Oh well, I guess that's why you buy the DVD :)  In Maguire's defense (now that I've had time to "cool off"), Ash's group was the 13th group out of 15!  He had sat through everything up to that point so nicely.  By the time she came out, he'd had it!

Ashlyn's best friend, Elizabeth, joined her ballet class this year.  And two of her other best friends, Grace and Isabelle, came with their mom's to watch Ash dance.  Ashlyn loved having her friends there!

We're so proud of Ashlyn and we just adore watching her dance her way through life..."dancing for Jesus", as she says :)