The Nutcracker

Seeing The Nutcracker is one of those quintessential Christmas activities that I always wanted to do but never put forth the effort to.  This year, my cousin did and planned a fun evening for us.

I remember watching The Nutcracker on PBS on Christmas Eve when I was a little girl.  I have always admired the ballet but was never interested in going to one live until I got older.  Morganne took a few years of dance but quickly lost interest (soccer girl), so I didn't think she would be interested in seeing a ballet either.  But as the opportunity came up, I am glad we took it.

We met Macy & Ben and her mom (my aunt), Mary, at a fun restaurant downtown for an early dinner.  It was really fun to be going out on the town with my girl.  When I was young, ordering a Shirley Temple was meant for special nights, so I suggested she get one.  She was thrilled to be drinking a "big girl" drink and proceeded to have 3.

Macy & Ben always do such a  nice job engaging Morganne in to conversation.  Sometimes as parents, you get used to not talking with your kids when you are out to eat with others.  It was nice to sit back and see her talk about the part in the play she just got and what classes she likes best in middle school.

The Nutcracker was at The Long Center for Performing Arts (my first time) and it is a beautiful facility.   The lobby faces Lady Bird Lake and downtown Austin and has such a great view.

The performance was all with local dancers, including children and they were magnificent.  I guess I always thought that ballets were boring with all dance and no talk.  How can you understand what is going on?

Even though I knew the story of The Nutcracker, I had no problem following along - the gestures and movement just spoke to you.  It is so interesting to see the dancers interpret the story so gracefully.  You get lost in their movement and you never get bored.  Truth be told, I thought that Morganne would get bored but not a bit - we had a great discussion of what was happening during intermission.

The dancers make it look effortless, as they glide across the floor.  But you know it is hard work as you see the ladies dancing on their toes and hear the toe shoes clacking as they are dancing.  The men leap into the air and seem to hang their - they have so much strength in their legs.  The last dance of the first half, with the Snow Queen and King was just mesmerizing - they were all in white and just danced beautifully.

We had a wonderful evening - it was so great to do something different with my girl one-on-one.  And I am so happy to finally say that I have seen The Nutcracker at Christmas.  And I saw a ballet - number 30 on my 40 B4 40 list. Woo-hoo!

Birthday Blessings

You know when your birthday is in the middle of the week and nothing is planned, it's a pretty routine day?  My birthday this year fell on a Tuesday.  Matt goes to work, kids go to school, Ian is at home with me. Blah. 

So I choose to count my blessings throughout the day and make it an extraordinary day.

Count with me:

Birthday Blessing #1: Finding our silly elf, George hanging upside down from the wreath on the pantry door.  Ok - that wasn't the blessing, but the giggles it gave my kids was.

Birthday Blessing #2: THREE cups of Pumpkin Spice coffee in my favorite Christmas Mug.

 Birthday Blessing #3: Putting together this cute puzzle with my three year old.  He is into puzzles this week and I absolutely love the quiet together time it gives us.

 Birthday Blessing #4: This new little piece of technology!!!!!! I can not believe how much faster this guy runs compared to my 3 year old 4G.

 Birthday Blessing #5: A rare lunch with my hubby and my youngest.  I insisted he take me to this very hip burger bar - it's very Austiny and wayyyyyyy too cool for an oldie like me.  But I enjoyed the time with just the two of them.

 Birthday Blessing #6: The previous night was our Book Club Christmas Party, where everyone brings a book to exchange in White Elephant style. One of my sweet friends remembered that I had not read Gone With the Wind and personally bought a hardback copy of it just for me.....and then directed me as to which book to pick.  I spent a few moments reading today.  Heaven.

Birthday Blessing #7: Enjoying a quick "natter" with a close friend on our patio - it was 80 degrees out!! 

 Birthday Blessing #8: Spending the entire evening with these three adorable children.

 Birthday Blessing #9: My hubby surprised me with a new pair of aviators! I have been wearing Target cheapies for 2 years now! So excited to have nice sunglasses for my new super-sonic eyes!

 Birthday Blessing #10: Enjoying a margarita on the patio of one of my favorite restaurants - it was 70 degrees at that point and perfect.

 Birthday Blessing #11: Getting to blow out a candle at my old age!

 Birthday Blessing #12: Driving around to see local Christmas lights with the kiddos - hubby was very patient, even when I got  us lost, but it was all worth it to see this amazing show - a tribute to men & women serving!

It really was a fantastic day, filled with a TON of blessings, more than I showed you here.

And the next night, I was blessed even more, as I spent the evening at our local wine bar with 5 of my closest girlfriends!

I know they say as you get older, birthdays are not as important and I can definitely see that.  But you feel so loved and appreciated when people go out of their way to do something special for you on your day.  I was overwhelmed and full of gratitude at how very loved I felt that day.

40 B4 40

Today is my 39th birthday.  Should I feel melancholy?  Should I feel sad?  Should I feel old?  Cause I don't.

Instead I feel motivated.

As I sit here in my office, writing this, I face a big wall that we have covered in pictures of our family.  It is a testament to our happiness, our great love and what we have accomplished in the short 39 years I have been here.  Each one of these pictures holds a special memory in my heart.

And instead of feeling sad that I am almost at the "mid-point" of my life, I feel motivated to create even more fun memories.  So motivated, that I am creating a list of the 40 things I want to do BEFORE I'm 40.

And to that, my husband just laughed at me - "Why must you ALWAYS create lists??"

I don't know - it's my thing.

40 B4 40

1. Pay it Forward
2. Start a new blog 
3. Learn to Snow Ski
4. See the Grand Canyon
5. Take a cooking class at Central Market
6. Run a 9 minute mile
7. Read 10  good books this year (good ones.....)
8. Blog here weekly
9. Do the Austin Geocache
10. Take Ian to meet Lightening McQueen
11. Complete a puzzle
12. Climb Enchanted Rock (again)
13. Enjoy a wine tasting
14. Write notes & actually mail them
15. Teach a class
16. Have one published article
17. Paint the boys' bathroom
18. Volunteer with my kids 
19. Start a Geocache Race
20. Swim in Barton Springs
21. Read Gone with the Wind
22. Sleep in a Tent at least once
23. Family Game Night
24. Pray More
25. Go on a date with my son
26. Cook Crab Legs
27. Go on a Cruise
28. Zipline 
29. Send birthday cards 
30. See a ballet with my daughter
31. Donate Blood
32. Run 2 Races
33. Hot Air Balloon Ride
34. Swim in the Pacific Ocean
35. Order Sushi on my own
36. Try Yoga
37. Cook a meal from Julia Child's Cookbook
38. Picnic of bread, cheese, and wine after a hike with the hubby
39. Girls Spa Day
40. Try Stand Up Paddleboarding

Not that I think I can accomplish all 40 things, but its a list of things I have "always wanted to do".  There they are in writing.  Can't back out now.

Let's just see how many I can accomplish, shall we?

The Best Park

There is a really amazing park that opened up last Spring here in Round Rock - it's called the Play For All Abilities Park.

It's a park that is for kids of all abilities - mobile, mental, maturity - everyone has something they can with play here.

Not to mention, it's a really FUN park!

One area is made up of businesses and streets - you can bring your own riding toys and drive up & down them.

There are so many little facets and interesting gadgets to play with.  There is even a sensory board to learn opposites, touch & feel, and sizes.

You can make your own music at one section of the park.

And there is a lot of shade at a wooded area of the park.

It is a really amazing place to take the kids - Bubba LOVES going here. It's his sized "amusement park".  The whole place is fenced in too, so he can run free!!

Coach Matt

Matt has been Sis's soccer coach for 7 years.  I can't remember exactly how he "lucked" into coaching, but I think it had something to do with "needing a volunteer".  So he stepped up.  Can you imagine the kind of patience it takes to coach a group of 4 year old girls who'd rather be picking flowers??  But he did it and loved it.

And when we moved to Round Rock, he was able to continue coaching, though every year it became harder for him to coach - he wanted to see progression and seriousness...and some of the girls still wanted to "pick flowers".

But he had a group of girls who really listened to and respected "Coach Matt".  Some of these girls played soccer with him for years, so it was really hard for him to let it go.

Soccer gave him something he really enjoyed outside of work to focus on and he gave it 100%, coming up with creative practices, helping with the lights on the fields, and really being passionate about the games.  Sometimes a little too passionate for my sake.

But the best thing Matt got out of his time coaching was an incredible bond with his daughter.  They speak a language that I don't understand - they watch games together - they have inside jokes together - and I am so happy they have that relationship.  Soccer has been a great thing for both Matt & Sis.  And even thought he may not be her coach on the field anymore, he will always be her Dad.

A Last Game

This Spring, Sissy had her last game of the season with her long-standing team she has been on since 2008.

Most of these girls have moved with us as we moved from rec soccer to Academy to Select this year.

Matt has coached them and has been so very proud of how much they have accomplished.

I remember these sweet girls when they were tiny little 2nd graders chasing the ball up & down the field.  Now they are all moving on to middle school and they have awesome skills.

They have matured in their passion to play the game. It has been so fun watching them come together and play so well.

And I love seeing how much Sis has improved in the game.  She becomes someone else on the field.  She anticipates the ball, gets in front of it, blocks it, stops it...she amazes me.  And she becomes so aggressive when playing - knocks into other players to get to the ball and takes it away.  I love it.

She is also very passionate about winning - gets most upset when they lose and is so very hard on herself. I can't wait to see where soccer takes her.

These 4 cuties have played together since 2nd grade!!

As I mentioned, this was their last game to play together.  Matt is finished coaching.  And many of the girls are pursuing other interests.  We have decided to not continue on with the Hutto Gunners either.

In May, Sis started practicing with another Club, Lonestar, tried out for them in June, and made the A team!!! Woo-Hoo!  We are really excited as this starts a new chapter for her - Dad is not her coach, she is playing on a whole different level of soccer - more travel, greater commitment.  It is something that she clearly loves and is good at, so I am excited to see her grow.

Who knew this little 4 year old who loved to play soccer because she would get to hang out with her Dad would turn into this?

A McBeth Family Tradition

We don't get together enough with my father's side of the family.  Even thought we live fairly close, it's never enough.

So when we do, we go big - we go to Brunch at the Base!  Birthdays are celebrated at Randolph Air Force Base at the Officer's Club Sunday brunch.  We have been coming for years - it is a treat for everyone.  

Even the "kids table" enjoys it!!

The newest member of the family, Miss Elle, enjoyed it too!

My Grandparents are 90 & 85 years old this year.  I think we have a great looking family.

Grandma with all the Grandkids (5 plus 3 married) and Great Grandkids(4).

My Uncle Randy's kids & Grandkids.

The newly married couple.

Us. duh.

My Uncle David and his family.

Sissy is the oldest Great-Grandbaby of the family and is great with Elle.

And Ian is just fascinated with "Pa-Pa San Antonio".

The McBeth Family circa 2010.

Bruch at the Base in 2006.

Brunch at the Base started many many years ago and is a treasured tradition for us all to get together.