Fire Dancer Ballet.

Presley's ballet class was also in the "Aladdin" production.  Her class had a fire dancing number and with their sparkly outfits they loved every minute of their stage time.

Presley and Gabrielle.

Throw on some sparkles and give them room to dance and these girls sure can have a fun time!

Golden Beetle Ballet.

Stella spent her first year at ballet in constant movement and with a darling class that at times could be a handful.  With her first year wrapping up, I think Stella realized how much fun it was to dance and play with all her friends.  Miss Trisha was also Presley's first teacher and we have loved her every year--hoping we get her again next year for Stella.

The class in their ballet pink tutus.

For the recital the dance center put on "Aladdin" for the spring recital.  Stella's class opened the show as the golden beetles that lead to the Cave of Wonders.  They had the cutest outfits and really played their part well.

Stella and Tabitha.

I need to get a digital copy of the professional photos--Stella has the happiest, goofiest grin and I love it!

Costumes.

Here are the girls all dressed up in their ballet costumes--ready for posing!

And the outakes . . .

Later this week, the dress rehearsal and the performace.

She's F-O-U-R!

Stella made it--after all of Presley's birthday celebrations and then the birthday party where they celebrataed together, it was finally Stella's real birthday!  We started the day with a mom and dad breakfast date at Kneaders (who can resist the french toast, and perfect for my sweet tooth Stella).

Classic Stella--underbite smile and NOT looking at the camera!  Such a good breakfast.

So intense!  She ate up all her french toast with caramel syrup.

Later, we celebrated again with a dinner date for the whole family at Costa Vida with quesadillas, rice and beans, and a little bowling.

Another Stella favorite--rice & beans (and another chance to blow out her candle).

Bowling is so slow with kids--I think the top speed was 4 mph--but they love it!

At the end of the day Stella had fun but did ask where her cake was . . . . oops!

Park, Scooters, and Dandelions.

The weather is beautiful, and although I know it could snow again before we actually get spring/summer weather--we have sure enjoyed afternoons at the park.

We have especially had fun meeting up with friends (on purpose and accident) all over town.  Our small mountain town is a fun place to be.  Please don't blame my girls for all the dandelions next year--but they can't stop blowing the seeds everywhere!

Birthday Party.

This year I decided to let the girls have a shared birthday party with friends--we tried to keep it small and simple, but you know that's not how it went.  Everyone had such a fun time!  Everything was butterfly themed--the decoration, the cake, the party favors, and even the face painter painted butterflies on all the little girl's faces.

Happy it is over, sad my girls are growing up.  Maybe in a couple years we'll attempt another big, themed bash!  I loved when the girls spent the extra half hour at the end of the party chasing the ONE butterfly that they could find--poor little guy.  Up and down the hill, they were so worn out and the giggling screams were worth it!

Denver Zoo.

Hyenas, lions, hippos, ant eaters, monkeys, bears (black and grizzly), seals, otters, birds, mountain lions, leopards . . . I can't remember all the different animals we saw today!  Peacocks.  It was a beautful sunny, day and we spent over 5 hours at the zoo--peaking in at every animal we could and reading all about them.  Pictures say it best (mostly of the girls, not the animals--that would have been way too many pictures).

The girls were obsessed about these Komodo Dragons.  Presley had just brough home a book about them the week before and she was fascinated with them.

Cuddles with auntie Krista.  Her cubs were done and we were just getting ready to head home.

The girls and the twins did great and kept moving all day.  They were all so tired--but not tired enough to skip out on a night at Ikea getting Krista a few odds and ends to make her house complete.  What a day!

Butterfly Pavilion.

Our first full day in Denver we hit the road and drove north to the Butterfly Pavilion.  Not only did we get to see so many different kinds of butterflies, but there were terrariums with beetles, spiders and scorpions, as well as a mini aquarium with sea stars and horseshoe crabs.

Here the girls are so excited and waiting for a butterfly to land on them.  Unfortunately, when one landed on Presley, she promptly freaked out and smashed the butterfly on her hand on her cheek.  No butterfly died, just a bit shaken--both of them!

Apparently this is a ginger plant--I had no idea.

Loved these black and white butterflies--they were huge!

This plant reminded me of the Truffula trees from The Lorax.

 

Stella could not get enough of holding Rosie the tarantula--she went back 4 times to hold her!

Not only was the pavilion fun it was hot and very humid (over all Denver seems much more humid to me than Utah, almost too humid).  We all left with frizzy, curling hair and dewy skin.  Definitely a fun place to visit--and it sure got the girls excited for their upcoming shared birthday party (butterfly themed!).

Denver.

We decided to head to Denver for Spring Break this year.  My sister, Krista, and her family have just moved there for Matt's new Nascar job with the Furniture Row Racing team.

We spent the week visiting places like the Butterfly Pavilion and Denver Zoo--all while helping Krista hang up a few things and put together some furniture.  Out of all the things we did I think that the girls really liked playing in their aunt Krista's new backyard with a swing set and their cousins.

We have plenty of places still to visit on our next trip--the Aquarium, Nature and Science Museum (with Imax and the Planetarium), Elitches, Coors Field, and the list goes on . . .

Lucky for me the girls were practically angels on the 8 hour 15 minute drive to and from Denver!  I am sure we will make the trip again, sooner than later!