We started November Off Saying "WEE"...

Since Ellie did such a good job dancing at the state fair, her fans decided to stay for awhile and have some fun!
OF COURSE it all started with some CARNI FOOD!!
{What's the state fair with out it?}

The first ride had to be THE CARPET RIDES- as a family!!
Our family always loved the slides when we were younger. I wasn't sure it would be the same thrill..... but....

with everyone holding hands and keeping them up in the air...

IT WAS JUST AS FUN!

We were actually catching air.

As soon as we got off the ride, Ellie & Noah were begging to go again. We told them that there was so many more rides, but they just kept begging. So then we told them that they could pick what their very last ride would be.

Next Ride...

THE SWINGS!

Shalae & I took the kids on these swings. (Noah was barely tall enough with his mohawk.)

ha ha... obviously Shalae & I had a blast.... Notice in most of the pictures my feet are straight out! The reason- I was freaking out! Noah's seat kept leaning backwards & I was so scared thinking of him falling. I actually had tears & I knew nobody could hear me as I was yelling!

Everytime his seat would reach my feet, I would try to tap it to go forward a little more.

When we got off the swings, the kids begged to ride them again! They loved it.

Ellie and Noah had a blast. They loved everything & wanted the scariest, highest, fastest ride.

SO NEXT UP- a real fast ride... (I stayed off & to watch them)

I think Noah "cut" in line. Next thing we know- the worker is telling this {barely} 4 year old where to sit. I was cracking up... it reminded me of the kid on PROBLEM CHILD at the carnival! ha ha

I got the workers attention & told him his mom was in line.

The worker had to get him out of the seat. (At this point he was with another couple, that I am sure was wondering who let this small kid on the ride & wondering where his parents were.)

Noah & Shalae loved the ride,

and so did Ellie with Alisse & Scott.

As soon as Ellie & Noah walked off the ride- they begged to go again & again told us "This is what I want to pick for our last ride"!

Ellie is so glad that Aunt Shalae (and her daddy & g-ma Vicki who had to leave the state fair early) & Aunt Leasy came to watch her dance &

Uncle Scott too! She was aslo glad that Scotty would carry her some of the time. (Since her mommy forgot to bring her shoes to wear after the dance performance!!! AHHHH!!)

Next ride these kiddos picked:


Yep, BumPeR CaRs!! They begged to do it again- so...

they did!

We were running out of time. (and free tickets)...

So we repeated some of the favorites!

Yep! We hiked that hill for the thrill- again!

So what did Ellie & Noah pick for their LAST RIDE???

They were loving life.

It was so much fun!

SO MUCH FUN!!!

If there was anything we could've changed, it would probably only be the really hot weather.

BUT, you know what that does to kids....

and adults to sometime!

(Alisse took this pic of Shae & I- ha ha! We were worn out, too!)

Higher Ground Performance at the AZ State Fair

The morning after Halloween, Higher Ground company had their performance at the
AZ STATE FAIR!

The weather did not feel like NOVEMBER.. it was really hot.
Speaking of hot- look at this hottie!
There was some music problems with the c.d. player there, but Jheri & all the dancers styed calm & did awesome anyway!

First dance- I WANNA ROCK!

(Which is with all of company.)

Ellie did awesome & so did everyone else.
Noah was once again SO PROUD of his cousin/best friend!(Some more of the fan club!)
There was a big tent for all of the dancers to change in - but it was extremely hot & since I knew every other dancer went in there to change- I told Ellie that we were going to wait just one dance & then we'd go in there. (All of us had a list of the order of dances & it said Ellie's next dance was not for awhile.)

So Elle & I ran in to change her outfit, pin her clothes together, and change her hair to piggys.

Next thing I know- a little dancer comes in the tent & says "Mini's are on stage"... (Ellie is in the mini company)

I told her to run & tell them that Ellie was still coming.

I had a mom run in & told me to do one side of her hair as she did the other as we walked to the stage. It was crazy. It made me so stressed & crazy, but as soon as I sat down to watch her dance- all was fine.

The 2nd dance- OH SO QUIET!

It was so adorable.

Ellie didn't know this dance as well, but did an awesome for her age & for the short amount of time of learning it. Miss Cali did an amazing job with this dance. (& Elle tells me she is one of her favorite dance teachers!)

Yes, her skirt was not pinned enough, her pig tails were so uneven... but Oh well!!

{Wardrobe misfunction-------our fault}

Ellie loves her "older sister"- Sabrina - from Higher Ground.

Each performance they are supposed to bring a $1 gift & a card for their sister.

So, one afternoon as Ellie was waiting in the gym lobby for me to finish coaching, she asked Sandye (at the front desk) to help her write a note to her older sister.

So Sandye did.

{Later, Sandye told me this story...}

Ellie told her just what to write:

(5th sister????- Ellie explained it to me as it was her 5th dance performance...???)

She asked Sandye for her own paper to write the note.

She drew a picture of her & Sabrina dancing on one side...

and then on the other side of her card, she copied the letter!
This made me laugh, but at the same time -think how cute & smart she is.

(When I first saw the note I was wondering why she just wrote a bunch of random letters for her... ya know how kids sometimes don't know they need spaces...)

ELLIE really is so SMART!

(I just had to scan it before she gave it to her!)

On the back, Ellie signed her name.

(This also impresses me... because she's in preschool.

When it was Noah's birthday everyone in the class drew a picture for him on their own page... at the bottom of their page it said "Happy Birthday from _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _... Everyone's page said their first name.... except Ellie's.

She wrote: Ellie Auburn Cummard.

She is learning to spell out words, do math & some other things that I just think are so smart.

I know she's my first child, & so far our only- but please! I can be proud.

Here was some of the other dances from the other companies:

Good job dancers (and Kaylee in your singing)!

AND AWESOME JOB TEACHERS & JHERI!!!!