Wow...I Really Am On a Roll!!

As you can see from the pictures below, this week was Brie's school play.  She was fabulous.  We've always felt like she was born with a special flair for drama...she seems to be such a natural on stage and has a presence that just lights things up.  It was fun to watch her perform.  There was a lot of talent on that stage, and it was fun to see so many kids from our ward on stage. 

Mark and I helped with the concession stand for three of the shows.  It was crazy busy but we enjoyed it and were happy to help out in some way with the play. With Alyssa's school plays I always helped backstage with hair and makeup but Brie didn't want me to do that, so I was glad we were able to find another way to help out.

Friday evening before the show Mark and I had the opportunity to go out to dinner with two couples from our ward.  We went to Lightfoot, a fabulous restaurant in downtown Leesburg.  The food was amazing and the service was wonderful.  It helps that one of the couples we were with are on a first name basis with the chef and wait staff at the restaurant.  It was really good....I would love to go back soon!  Then we all went to the show and sat with more people from our ward, and then after the show we met up with three of the families for ice cream at Dairy Queen.  It was SO much fun...lots of friends, laughter, chatting, and just enjoying ourselves.  :-)

Brie has been on a smoothie making kick for a couple of weeks and so our blender has been put to good use.  My favorite was a Samoa cookie milkshake that she made...yum!  We're going to have to start eating healthier and exercising more around here...I've put on too much weight since we moved and some of my clothes don't fit anymore.  Not good!

I realized today that we only have about 6-7 more weeks until Alyssa comes home from BYU.  Yea!  I can't wait to have her home.  We'll only have her home for a few months before her mission, but still...I can't wait.  I hope we're able to do some sightseeing and beach trips this summer.  We shall see.

Sequestration and 22 furlough days still loom on the horizon and I'm worried about that but trying to stay positive.  We will get through it somehow.  Our main immediate concern is what to do about Mark's car...find a way to come up with the money to have it fixed, or get a newer used car.  I just don't know what to do.  Neither option is appealing, but we can't continue much longer with just one car. As it is, when Alyssa gets home and starts working it will be hard to manage with three drivers all on different schedules going in different directions.  But I know that somehow it will work out.  It has to, right?

What else is coming up?  Spring break!  We'll be heading to Georgia for spring break.  We're all looking forward to a little down time and maybe, if the weather cooperates, a day or so at the beach.  I hope so.  We're all ready for spring and summer.  I had forgotten how long winter can be...and how cold.  I'm ready for it to be over!!!

Tonight we have a kick-off fireside for our stake's youth conference this summer.  They're taking the youth (ages 14-18) to Palmyra.  What an exciting experience and opportunity!  I wish our stake in Georgia had done big youth conferences for the kids.  Our stake here has a five year cycle that they do, and it includes Palmyra and Kirtland in two of the five years.  I'm glad Brie will be able to participate in that.