AWV Rocker Alumni and Another Birthday Party!!

Someday it will take me less than a week to post about stuff... this isn't the day though!!

Two weekends ago was Ar-We-Va's Dance Team Spring Show and it was the 20th anniversary of the dance team so alumni were invited back to take part in a dance with the current dance team. Jocelyn and I traveled from Omaha to meet the other alumni members for practice at noon to learn the dance and then performed it at the show that evening.

We danced in the opener behind the current dance team members. It was a lot of fun and made me want to dance some more and see if I could do any of the stuff I used to be able to do. It was fun to see a few of the girls we used to dance with too and rehash some of the many fun memories from high school. It's crazy when you think about just how much time we all spent together during the long dance team season. So much fun!

Here are some shots from the evening!

Yes, I'm wearing colored shoes and capris.
No one told me it looked weird BEFORE the show!!

Some of the alumni dancers

Jocelyn and I also had time to make a stop at Grandma and Grandpa Kock's between practice and the performance. They recently got back from Texas, where they had been for the past few months. Right when we got there, the food started coming and didn't stop! She made ham balls, had some warm homemade buns, jello salad, potatoes, fruit, green bean casserole, beef stew, and apple crisp. It was a wonder that we could dance at all that night because we ate so much to make up for missing Grandma during the pasts 3 months!! 

So much food!!

 I stayed with my mom after the dance show and then on Sunday, Trent and I headed to Adel for a family birthday party for Taylor and Jenna. We had a birthday party for Taylor back in February, but Jenna's birthday is in March and some other family was able to make it to this one, so it was a party for both of them this time.

The girls got some good presents: some money, a pretty pink fan for their bedroom, and some new dresses!

Counting her money!

Opening their new fan

Hugs all around for the gifts!

New dresses!

After gifts, we sang happy birthday to the girls and had some scrumptious fruit pizza. 

After everyone was done eating, the three handy men went to work right away installing the girls' new ceiling fan in their room. They are quite the little troop when they are together!

Their cool new fan!

Before we left, Taylor taught a few of us how to make the Rainbow Loom bracelets (or whatever they're called when you don't use the loom). She even attempted to teach Uncle Trent. She's quite the teacher and really showed patience when teaching her Great Grandma and Uncle Trent and myself, answering all our questions that we had! It was very sweet.

It was a great weekend with family! I had another fun weekend this past weekend with my friends, so hopefully I can get something written about that before a week from now! :)

St. Patty's Day Party 2014

This year, we had a St. Patrick's Day party at the "O'Fredericksen" household for the first time.

All of Trent's family made the trip to our house for the festivities and my mom, Aunt Doreen, and Aunt Barb also were able to come for supper.

Trent made a delicious supper of corned beef and cabbage along with carrots and potatoes in the crock pot. We also had some Pineapple-Lime Jello salad (recipe here), Broccoli and Cauliflower salad, Rye bread, and some Mac and Cheese for the young girls (and some of the older people too!). And we can't forget the yummy brownies that Trent's mom brought for dessert! Oh, and the green beer as well!

This was just the second time that I had experienced corned beef and cabbage (even though I didn't have any of the cabbage this time) and it was also the first time my mom and Aunt Doreen had it. I think they both  thought it was good and hopefully they'll come back again next year! (Assuming this is going to be an annual thing - We haven't really discussed it quite yet!) Trent did a wonderful job making the food!

The idea for the party was birthed last year on St. Patrick's day while Trent and I and his parents were out to eat for the holiday. They were all having corned beef and cabbage (I think I had a burger!) and Trent said he was pretty sure he could make it himself and we should have a party at our house the next year. And what do you know - it really happened! And it was fun!! Trent and I had made a little bit of a tradition out of eating out on St. Patty's day starting in 2011, so I'm glad that we got to continue the tradition with even more of our family at our house!

I didn't take any real good pictures (fail), so here's what we've got for pictures...

I also failed to get a picture with all the guests and/or with Trent's side of the family, but I at least got one with my mom and aunts!

And we got the young girls in a pictures too. :) They're just too cute.

It really was a fun party and I really would love to do it again next year! 

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As for the rest of the weekend, my mom came on Friday night and had a supper with us. Trent made some delicious fried fish and tater tots and mac and cheese and we ate while keeping ourselves updated with the Iowa State basketball score (since we couldn't get it on our TV... what gives, Direct TV?!?). After supper, my mom and I made a trip to Target to get some final things that I needed to finish my updates to our guest bedroom and bathroom (posts about those two rooms are coming soon) and then she helped me hang up some pictures while Trent hung some robe/towel hooks in the guest bathroom. I was super thankful to have her here to hang out and help us for the evening.

On Saturday, Trent's parents arrived in the late morning and we all had lunch together and hung out until my mom and I had to take off to attend a bridal shower for my cousin, Molly, who is getting married in May. It was a Pampered Chef shower. I had never been to one of those before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was very nice and I am sure she's going to get lots of very nice stuff from it!!

After the shower, we returned to our house for supper. Trent had put his dad and Russ to work right away when they arrived at our house on Saturday. He was very happy to have them there to help make a table for his Big Green Egg Grills. He only has one right now, but I guess by him making a stand that holds a medium and a large, we're pretty much locked into getting another one... Well played, Trent, well played!

They worked hard for most of the day on Saturday and on Sunday morning and early afternoon and pretty much got it done. They do good work! It really does look great!

The guys with their almost finished product!

On Sunday, I got the Beanie Babies out for the girls to play with again and let them pick one to take home. Taylor narrowed it down to the Blue Jay and the Lizard and then left it up to "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo" to decide she was taking the Lizard. Jenna had it down to the Butterfly and the Fish. This time "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo" landed on the Butterfly twice, but she still picked the Fish... So I guess that means she really wanted that one!

They thought it'd be fun to be buried in them as well! So, of course, I helped them out!

It was a very fun weekend! I've said it many times, but I just love having our house full of people!