Today we had our Hope Center staff Christmas party at our house.  We have an amazing staff (4 staff members were missing in this photo) and we love the opportunity to hang out together. 

 

 

 

We each shared our hightlights of the year, and once again I realized how very blessed I am.  Hands down my highlight was being in the room when our grandson Theo entered this world.  Another hightlight was that Emily, Paul and Theo moved back to Omaha this past June.

So now I am officially a nonnie and I love it.  So here are some photos of my amazing, precious, adorable grandson.  Words cannot express the joy he brings to our life.  Just tonight he was biting my nose and I was laughing my fool head off.  Every home should have a baby to bring joy, innocence and laughter.

Is he precious or what????  I melt everytime I see him, which is almost daily.  I feel so blessed. 

Ok another hightlight of my year was anytime all our children were home and we were all together. 

In September they all came home and Ty's Dad and his wife were visiting too,  Definitely another hightlight.  2012 has been another year filled with so much blessing,  I am one grateful lady.

I like doing almost everything with Ty

I love my husband to death, and we love to do most things together.  This past Saturday I was reminded of one of the few things I do not like doing with him.

Ty wants to turn one of our upstairs bedrooms into a prayer room.  We decided to go shopping to look for a comfy chair and ottoman for the room.  I was so excited to go with him.  You see, one of my favorite things to do is go shopping and my favorite items to shop for are home goods.  As a matter of fact, Home Goods was one of the stores we visited on Saturday.  For Ty to suggest we go shopping was too good to be true; one of my favorite activities with my favorite person on the planet. 

So off we went on our shopping mission.  We went to several stores in search of the perfect chair and ottoman.  What I quickly realized was that our outing was actually more of a "hunt".  There was nothing leisurely or browsing about it.  We entered each store, marched to the section that had chairs, scouted out the options, and when we did not find a suitable chair Ty was ready to march back out.  If I veered from the path to look at anything else I realized that I was frustrating my dear husband.  After all, that was not part of our "hunt".  We were shopping for chairs and ottomans and NOTHING ELSE.  To even consider deviating was beyond his comprehension.  He had no margin in his mind that I might see something else that I wanted to look at, touch, or consider buying.

What was I even thinking?  We had been shopping many times in the past and had run into this snag.  We would be leaving a store together and on our way out, I would spot an item that grabbed me.  When I would go to look at it, Ty would protest saying, "I thought we were leaving.  You remind me so much of my mom.  I used to get so frustrated shopping with her.  I could never get her out of the store!" 



Ty and I on a recent trip to the mall (thought taking Theo might help)

Being compared to his mom was a compliment.  She was an amazing "shopper".  She loved to shop, loved buying gifts for others, and had great taste.  So when he would compare me to her I wore it as a badge of honor.

So, I was again reminded that although we love doing most things together, shopping is not one of them.  When we shop together I will most likely exasperate my husband and he will most likely frustrate me.  If we do end up going shopping together, I need to majorly adjust my expectaions and realize this trip will be more of a "hunt" and not my kind of shopping. 

All that to say, I cannot wait to go shopping soon.... without my dear husband.

It was a magical moment

Ty's Dad and his wife Gunn came to Omaha to visit this fall.  Dad and Gunn have been married about 4 years.  Gunn has been a dance instructor for over 50 years.  They met because Dad was taking dance lessons and Gunn was his instructor.  They both love to dance and are beautiful dancers.

While they were in Omaha we decide to take them to a favorite restaurant, Zurlos.  That night there was a live band playing.  The next thing we knew, dad and Gunn got up, walked up to where the band was playing, and began to dance.  Mind you, no one else was dancing that night and there really was no dance floor.  No one was EXPECTED to dance, just enjoy the music during dinner.  Needless to say, all eyes were on them as they began dancing as if they were the only two people in the room.  Their eyes were locked on each other and the smiles never left their faces.

As I sat there watching them I scanned the room and all I can say is something magical settled over the room.  I saw one couple watching them dance and then the wife ( I suppose) leaned over and kissed her husband on the cheek.  Another couple sitting nearby was watching them dance and I heard the wife say, "they remind me of my grandparents, they loved to dance".  It was like romance swept across the room and everyone was infected.  Thats what happens when you encounter those who live life to the fullest.  They are the most "young at heart" senior citizens you would ever meet.  They travel, go to yoga, dance, do cleanses and play rummicube nightly to stay mentally sharp. 

Their life so inspires me to be intensional about not letting my life slip into a rut.

Every day is a gift and we need to live life to the fullest, embracing each moment and squeezing all the life and joy out of it that we can.  I sure needed to be reminded.  They are such a wonderful example of living large.  I wanna be like them when I grow up.  How about you?

Every Wednesday my Millard West Gals come over for WAG.  WAG stands for women and God and this group has been in existence for about 4 years now.  I have had the honor of walking through the high school years with these students.  We choose a book to read and each week we discuss a chapter.  Some of the books we have read together are:

Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild
She's Got Issues
Moral Revolution
A Young Womans Guide to Making Right Choices
To Save a Life
Lies Young Women Believe

I love being a part of their journeys and helping them navigate the crazy years of high school.  Once in a while we bake together and recently we whipped up a batch of my mom's famous "Pumpkin Cookies".  They are for sure a crowd pleaser, especially this time of the year.   

I am never happier than when my whole family is home. They were all home last weekend and the time went way too fast.

 Last fall 2011 we became empty nesters.  I had heard all about the "empty nest", but nothing really prepares you for it.  The house gets quiet and the laundry decreases considerably.  After being a stay at home mom of 4 I hardly knew what to do with myself.  I guess what I am most grateful for is the fact that Ty and I really enjoy spending time together.  He is my best friend and we were intensional about working on our relationship and prioritizing marriage in the midst of parenting. 

I am on a mission to help women prioritize having a healthy marriage in the midst of raising their children and all the demands of running a household.  So here we go:

Always make your husband glad he came home!!!  How does he feel when he walks through the door?

Regular date nights are important.  Even if it is not fancy, go out together and do not talk about the kids.

An annual get away is very important and again if the budget is tight, get creative.  A whole weekend to focus on each other will pay dividends in the long run.

Make it a point to compliment him regularly.  You can always find something to thank him for.  Does he get up and go to work every day?  Thank him for that!!!

Read books on marriage to keep moving in the right direction. 

There you have it for now.  Keep the fire burning ladies and if the fire has gone out, relight the flame.  A healthy marriage takes work so tend to it!

I had the honor of sharing at The Bridge Church's womens retreat last weekend.  What I know for sure is that I absolutely love investing in the lives of women who are coming behind me in wifehood and motherhood and ... life hood.  It just makes sense to me to take the life lessons I have learned in over 5 decades of living on this here planet, and pass on anything of value I have gained.  

One of the topics I addressed is fully embracing who God made you to uniquely be.  It has taken memany years to accept who I am and who I am not.  So often I would look at other women I respect and admire and wish I could be more like them. Wished I was more contemplative or deep or studious.  I have friends who go on spiritual retreats alone and are quiet for days at a time.  One of my worst fears in life is to go on a silent retreat.  If there are no people and no talking allowed, count me out.  That is just not who I am, but for years I thought I needed to morph into that type of women.  Now that does not mean I cannot appreciate those who are like that.  In fact, I really admire them.  That is just not how I am wired. 

I have found that I get quiet by moving,  Don't know if that makes any sense at all, but when I am riding my bike, walking on the beach and even driving in the car, I can connect with The Lord and hear better than when I am completely still.  I do get still at times and value that time too. 

I now have accepted that I love people, need people and enjoying doing most things with someone else much more than alone.  I really like to cook but I LOVE to cook with someone.  I like to shop, but I LOVE to shop with a friend.  I like to bike, but I LOVE to bike with a friend. 

It has been so freeing to embrace how I am wired and not try to change who I am.  Don't get me wrong.  I always want to grow and be challenged to develop as a woman.  I just want to do it as I embrace who I uniquely am.  So, that's it.  I will just be the best version of me and no one else.  What a relief. 

Making crepes with my neice Sydney at the beach

Emily's blog post

I want to share my daughter Emily's blog post from this week.  It really inspired me.

A litte perspective Posted: 16 Sep 2012 09:28 PM PDT   Do you ever just have an off day? I am happy to report that I have less "funk" days the older I get and the more I mature- but yesterday was one of those days. My baby was fussy and teething, my husband was home for only a day before leaving for a work trip, and I felt tired. Urg, can anyone say #funkcity??? Crap, I could feel myself getting sad mid-day, bracing for my husband leaving and missing him even though he was with me. Then I was irritated with myself for being sad on the one day he was in town... dysfunctional cycle... actually, let's hashtag that sucker #dysfunctionalcycle...   I cried in the car after we had to leave Starbucks early because Theo was fussing... I cried, ok,- you caught me, I sobbed. I told him we should maybe only have two kids so that I could have enough quality time in the future- DARN having "quality time" as my #1 love language- there are just no short cuts to filling my love tank!!! If I wasn't sure I couldn't be pregnant I probably would have thought I was! Nope, just living life imperfectly.....   Paul (who is a pro by now at handling emotions) just spoke life over me- told me that this day doesn't define me, that I am a powerful person who can handle life, etc. That popped me out of my funk about being apart the coming week and I was able to enjoy the rest of the night with him.   So today, guess what happens?!! I meet a wonderful, sweet woman from Kenya at a birthday party. She and I start talking and lo and behold, she has been living away from her husband for SEVEN year... yes, SEVEN years. She is here going to nursing school, working, and sending home money to Kenya. By herself. She has 2 kids- also still in Africa. She came to Omaha not knowing anyone or anything about American culture... She looked at me with tears in her eyes saying that she missed her husband, but she was strong and had deepened her relationship with the Lord. "He's all I've had. I thought I knew God before this experience, but no, now I know God. This time has brought me so close to Him." I stood there literally having an encounter with gratitude just talking to her. I asked her if I could hug her and said that I was pretty sure God had sent her to tell me her story at the perfect time.     Nothing like a little perspective. So tonight I came home, I tucked my baby into bed. I called my husband and told him how thankful I am for our life together. Now I am laying in bed, praying for my new friend and grateful for the opportunity to live my life with more joy.

This week Ty and I rode our bikes around lake zorinski.  I love riding bikes a lot.  Ty rides bikes because I love to.  He even bought a bike last year so he could ride with me because he knows how life giving it is for me.  If it were not for me, he would not own a bike.  It is not life giving to him. 

That is what love looks like; doing things that someone you love, loves to do.  We have been intensional about being interested in what each other care about.  Ty loves football.  In the fall he begins to get as excited as a kid at Christmas.  Knowing that the football season is about to launch just makes him plain giddy.  HE LOVES FOOTBALL.  So, sometimes, not always, I sit and watch football with him.  Often I would rather be cooking or riding my bike or shopping, and I do make time to do those things.  This past week I spent a couple of hours ironing and watching a game with him.  Sometimes I will be on my laptop getting caught up on my emails, while he is watching a game. I used to get annoyed that he watched football so much but not so much anymore.  I know it really fills his tank and he can completely get lost in a good game.  I know he needs that escape when life gets stressful.  I am glad he has something that he enjoys so much.  Sometimes when he is chillin on the couch watching a game I will say to him, "Honey, you deserve to relax, I am so glad you are."  It always makes him smile when I say that and I think he even relaxes a little bit more.  And I know... soon we will be going for a bike ride together:)

My man on his bike

Lake Zorinski

the view from our ride

R E S P E C T , that was my topic last Sunday when I had the privilege of teaching at Covenant Presbyterian.  Respect is a man's greatest need, and men need it most from their wives.  I asked the women if they had a vision for their marriages.  I asked if their husbands would say that their wives showed them honor and respect publically and privately.  I shared a quote from John Maxwell that goes something like this:

"Make the big decisions first and then the rest of life is managing those decisions."  I decided early in our marriage that I wanted to be the greatest blessing in Ty's life.  I wanted to be a part of seeing him become an amazing man of God.  I will share next blog entry some of the ways I manage the decision to love and respect my husband.


Theo looks like he is about to make a big decision.  I hope it is that he NEVER WANTS TO MOVE OUT OF NONNIE'S HOUSE!!!!

Today I want to share with you one of my all time favorite children's books; "Sombody Loves You, Mr. Hatch".  Now I must emphasize that it is "one" of my favorites. 

I absolutely love childrens books and I loved reading to our children.  I have so many memories of reading to our children on a daily basis.  Bedtime always included a story or two... or three if they got their way. 

For Christmas each year, each of our children recieved a new picture book to add to their collection.  We have them all saved in a special box and they will each have them to read to their children.

Mr. Hatch is a wonderful story about the power of love.  I especially loved the books that provided a life lesson. 

 

 

Friday night Ty and I went to Millard North vs Millard South High School football game.  Laura Slosson, one of our Calvary youth, snapped this photo of us.  We did not even know it till she posted it on Instagram the next day.  Her caption touched my heart. 

 I am so thankful that 26 years ago I married my best friend.  I am also thankful that God gave me a vision for my marriage and my role as a wife.  I realized that how I loved my husband was directly connected to the kind of man he would become and visa versa.  We have been blessed with a fulfilling, life-giving relationship.  God's ways work!!!  I am so grateful to The Lord for how He has blessed our marriage.

I found the following recipe in a magazine and decided to give it a try.  It has become a favorite.  I especially loved being able to pick the basil fresh from the plant on my deck.  Love fresh basil.  Oh the smell

Quinoa and Bean Salad

One 20 –ounce can kidney (or black) beans (drained and rinsed)

2 Cups cooked quinoa (3/4 cup raw)

1 red onion finely chopped

2 bunches fresh basil leaves chopped

Juice of 2 lemons

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, mix together the kidney beans, quinoa, onion and basil.  In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over quinoa salad and toss to coat evenly.  Serves  4.

PS if quinoa is new to you here is what it looks like in the box:

and here is what it looks like once it is cooked

looks like couscous but even smaller

ENJOY, let me know how you like it :)

My daughters, my friends

When your daughters become grown, they become treasured friends.  I feel so blessed to have two beautiful, wonderful, amazing daughters who I love more than words can express.  Annie is visiting from Austin this week.  Emily(left) and Annie(right) and I had a mother daughter outing this morning.  We started with coffee of course.  Then we headed to the farmers market in the old market.  We bought beautiful tomatoes and other fresh produce to make homemade salsa, and a tomato basil tart.  Next we headed to lunch and had time to just chat and catch up.  I love having them to share my heart and dreams with and to hear theirs.  They are as different as two girls can be.  I love who each of them have become and all that they bring to my life and others who know and love them.  I love how much they love each other and I love to hear them reminisce about their childhood and all the memories.  They are both incredible, but I am one biased momma!!!

Annie loves to cook as much as I do and Emily is liking it more and more.  Yesterday Annie and I cooked and baked all morning.  Since Emily now lives in Omaha we are getting to cook together more and more.  Today we dreamed about the day we can travel together to Italy.  When we go, I hope we can take a cooking class or two. 

So today was a best day ever day, and I will cherish the memory of a day with my beautiful daughters.

Last week my family (extended, 25 of us)  went on vacation to my favorite place in the whole world..........



My immediate family

The BEACH!!!!!

Now I have a great family, 2 brothers, 2 sisters and their children and my parents.  But what you need to know about my family is that we are a bunch of smarty pants.  When we get together there is much joking and laughing,  and with that comes.... S A R C A S M

So early in the week we decided that each time someone make a sarcastic comment, they would have to pay a fine and put it in this jar.

We had many laughs as we waited to catch each other making yet another sarcastic comment.  We were amazing at how effortless these remarks just flowed from our mouths.  After a while we all headed to the beach and forgot about filling the jar.  But what it left me with is how, in the name of humor and joking, sarcasm can get out of hand and peoples feelings can be hurt.  Sarcasm can be a very bad habit and damaging to those around us.  We can think we are just having fun, but words are powerful and can leave lasting scars.  It is not true that, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never harm me".  Words do matter and just saying, "I was kidding", does not void the offense.  It reminds me of a proverb, "death and life are in the power of the tongue".  I don't know about you, but I want to be a broker of "life" and not "death".  I am purposing to watch my tongue and it is not as easy as I had hoped.  But... I am trying.

Chocolate fudge cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache glaze

This is the cake I made for the fourth of July.  It is very rich, but on a special occasion, you can justify it!!!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 cups packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 2/3 cups flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/8 cups cocoa powder

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet butter, soft
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt

Ganache:

• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil 3 (10-inch) cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Alternately, oil the pans and then flour them.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the brown sugar and oil. Turn on the mixer to a low speed and mix in the eggs. Let the sugar, oil, and eggs mix while sifting together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Set this mixture aside.
In another small bowl, mix the vanilla into the milk and set this aside as well. Bring the water to a boil and pour over the cocoa and whisk it until it is smooth. To the egg mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture beginning and ending with flour. With the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixture at a low speed add the cocoa. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour this mixture into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cake for approximately 15 minutes or until tester comes out clean. When cake layers have cooled, remove from pans and refrigerate until cold.
To make the frosting: In an electric mixing bowl place the soft butter and beat it on a low speed while adding powdered sugar. When all the sugar is mixed in, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the vanilla and salt and let the mixer beat for 5 to 7 minutes on a medium speed. Fill and frost the cake and refrigerate it for 10 to 20 minutes to set up the frosting.
To make the ganache: In a heatproof bowl, place the chocolate chips and the corn syrup. Bring the heavy cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk it until smooth then set it aside.Pour ganache over the top of the cake and, with a cake spatula, smooth the top of the cake and allow ganache to spill over the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or longer.
Serve the cake cold or allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

Enjoy!!!!!!

Ty and I had our annual Kansas City getaway last weekend.  I thought I would share with you all one of our favorite spots.  It is Kauffman Memorial Gardens near Country Club Plaza.  Enjoy these beautiful photos I took.  By the way, getways to renew romance are definately another "fidelity fence".

Here is the address:  4800 Rockhill Road Kansas City, Missouri 64110

(816) 932-1200

Ballerina Sculpure

Beautiful Fountain



Blue Hydrangeas



Orchids

Day lilies, I think



Gardenias

You should have smelled these.  It took me back to our wedding day since my wedding bouquet was gardenias.

Just got home from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City Iowa for Turner's Freshman Orientation.  Briar Cliff is a private Catholic Franciscan University.  Turner graduated from high school in May 2011 and spent the past 9 months taking a gap year to attend ministry school.  It was a great experience for him and now he is ready to begin his college journey. 

Turner played football his freshman year in high school and then decided to hang up his cleats.  He was smaller than many of his peers, and attending a Class A high school made the competition fierce.  While attending ministry school last year he began to have an increased desire to play football in college.  He started working out with purpose and has gotten much bigger and stronger.  He searched for NAIA schools within a few hours of Omaha and discovered Briar Cliff.  He contacted the coach and began dialoguing with him.  Long story short, he was given a scholarship to play football there this fall.

I am so proud of him for following his dream and for taking the initiative to make it happen.  This weekend was so special.  It was so fun to experience his first visit to BCU.  The staff so impressed us.  Each person we met seemed to love what they do and were so engaging and helpful.  BCU is the perfect distance from Omaha, so we will be able to go to his games each Saturday this fall.

It is a new chapter in Turner's life and we could not be more excited for him.  It will ease the pain of  stepping into "the empty nest" the second time around.  GOOOOOO CHARGERS!!!!!!!

Uncle Turner holding Theo

my favorite cake

Italian Crème Cake

This is my all time favorite cake.  Even the photo makes me salivate.  I happen to love coconut and nuts, however my husband thinks he does not eat either, but he LOVES this cake.  Promises to be a crowd pleaser.

-1 stick margarine

-1/2 cup Crisco

-2 cups sugar

-2 cups flour

-5 eggs (separated)

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1 cup buttermilk

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-1 can coconut

-1 cup nuts

Preheat oven to 350 (will bake for 25 mins). Cream margarine and Crisco, add sugar and beat until smooth. Add 1 egg yolk at a time (beat well), stir in vanilla. Sift flour and soda, add gradually. Add buttermilk. Beat well. Add coconut and nuts. Fold in egg whites (they should be beaten in a separate bowl until very stiff). Divide batter into 3 greased and floured cake pans to make a 3-layer cake.

Let cool after baking. Remove from pans and let cool after baking. Next add icing:

-1 8oz. cream cheese

-1lb powdered sugar

-1/2 stick margarine

-1 teaspoon vanilla

*optional* top cake with nuts/coconut flakes

Let me know if you make it and what the reviews are.  ENJOY

learn to resolve conflict

Learn how to resolve conflict.  Everyone deals with conflict, but not everyone knows how to RESOLVE conflict in a healthy way.  Every relationship will have its share of conflict.  I once heard it said, "If two people agree on everything, then one of them is unnecessary"!!!  I like that.  You and your spouse will have disagreements, just plan on it.  How you handle it will greatly determine the health of your marriage.  Here are some ground rules:
Deal with each conflict comprehensively so the next conflict will not have momentum from your last unresolved episode.  This does not mean you will agree, but you will come to some acceptable agreement, like agreeing to disagree. 

Work hard to remind yourself, "we are on the same team".  It is you against the problem, not you against each other.  There are times we have had to stop in the middle of a "heated" dialogue and remind ourselves, we are on the same team.

Practice not having things your way.  It is good for you to learn to yield to others, especially your spouse.  Ever been around a spoiled brat??? You do not want to be that person.  Not getting your way  is good for you as a person.  It helps you to be "others" focused.

Try to really understand your spouse more than seeking to be understood... again, others focused. 

Do not go to bed angry at your spouse.  Even though the emotions of the conflict may decrease, the damaging effect is still there if you do not deal with it!!!

Do not attack your spouses character.  You can never take back what you say.  Words have trememdous power.

Determine to be an asset in the life of your spouse.  You have tremendous power for good.

i want to be like Sabrina

my friend Sabrina that I love!!

This is my friend Sabrina.  We met at the gym about 4 years ago and became fast friends.  She is one of those people that you love the minute you meet her.  Not only is she beautiful on the outside, but she is more beautiful on the inside.  She is always smiling and loves people BIG!!!  Everywhere she goes she interacts with those around her, asking them how they are doing, and she really means it.  Even the voicemail message on her phone can cheer you up. 

Although Sabrina is over 2 decades younger than me, I have learned so much from her.  She takes time for others and genuinely cares how people are.  When she goes to the gym she talks to everyone.  My goal when I go to the gym is to talk to as few people as possible so I can get in and get out.  I am focused on my agenda.  Not Sabrina.  She is never too busy to hear how you are doing and to ask how she can pray for you.

She loves her husband well and and is completely devoted to him and her children.  She is "old school" in a world where so many are out for number one.  She is selfless, compassionate, childlike, and filled with love.  I want to be like Sabrina when I grow up.  Oh, and I almost forgot, she is an amazing worship leader with a voice like no other. 

I attended an intimate lunch today in her honor because.... she and her family are moving next week to Des Moines.  We were laughing at lunch today telling her that we all thought we were her best friend.  That is just how she makes you feel.  I will miss her terribly and there are some gals in Des Moines who are about to meet a wonderful friend.  I am so glad Des Moines is only a little over 2 hours away.  Sabrina and I will be friends for life!!!

Sabrina surrounded by her friends

dancing annie

Our daughter, Annie Alice Schenzel, had her final dance production for Austin Community College this past weekend.  She has loved dance for as long as I can remember.  When Annie dances, she owns that stage.  For me, it is as if no one else is dancing but her.  My eyes are glued to her every second of her performance.  I had not seen Annie dance for several years.  She moved to Austin two years ago, and she has been taking classes at ACC since she has been in Austin.  She has also participated in many additional classes and workshops.  When she can find the opportunity to dance, she is dancing.

I could not believe how much she has blossomed as a dancer.  Her strength and poise are amazing to me.  But, for Annie, it goes way beyond sheer talent, which she has plenty of.  Dance is Annie's passion, and when you see her dance, it is a thing of beauty.  To see someone flourishing in their passion is something to behold.  It is quite a moving experience.  When that someone happens to be a very special "someone" in your life, it is downright divine.  Ty recently used that word to describe Annie dancing, and I was searching for another word, but divine is it.  It's like she was created to dance. 

As a mother, to see my daughter pursuing her passion is so satisfying.  Add to that the beauty of dance and it becomes one moving experience.  As I watched Annie dance, what I was feeling is hard to describe.  I am so very proud of her and the hours of hard work she put in to grow and develop as a dancer.  It was excrutiating at times, but when it is your passion, you endure. 

Annie's teachers at ACC have told her, "we do not want to see you here next year".  They have taken her as far as they can and now she is ready for her next step.  She has been accepted to The University of Texas's fine arts program and she will begin dancing this fall on a new stage.  You go Annie Alice Schenzel.  Your parents are so very proud of you!!!

Airborne Annie!!

Annie and I at Texas State Capital

Annie and her dance partner Trevor horsing around after the show