Moving Danielle Home

Last weekend, I traveled to Mansfield solo (Ken had Reserves). Danielle is done for the year and moving "home" to our little duplex in Ludlow. Well, anyone who knows Danielle, knows that she likes lots of things (clothes, shoes, purses, organizer stuff, arts & crafts, sewing things, etc... 

Need I say more :) 

CLOTHES

MORE CLOTHES

ALSO CLOTHES

FOOD

AND ALL THIS STUFF

She sold her bed & desk so we could make the move in the van (missing Ken's Tundra).

We also had her little Kia to help as well. 

Mind you, this stuff not only has to fit in the vehicles but also in our duplex 

(see Duplex Domain blog)

Here was the process

Layer one

Layer two

Inside carrier

Kia back seat

Kia trunk

This was before the last minute bedding, pillows, plant, overnight bags, etc. By the way, almost everything had to come down these stairs of death! (missing Ken!)

The door leads right to Danielle's room

Besides hard work, sweating, and strategic packing we also had some fun seeing a movie, visiting the PA Grand Canyon, and diner dining.

 I forgot my camera when we visited the canyon- it was so beautiful!

Yea, Danielle is home with all her stuff- very cozy!

"Groundhog Whisperer"

Meet Ludlow, my groundhog!

For Mother's Day this year, Gabby got me a groundhog.

Let me try to explain. For some reason, I am pretty good at spotting groundhogs by the side of the road during trips. I'd arrive and report how many I had seen. Sometimes 9 or 10 on a given trip. Well, Gabby coined the title "Groundhog Whisperer" for me. 

I started wondering why I'd see them some places but not others, so I did a little research. (Remember- I am a teacher) So, the kids were teasing me about getting one for a pet and I blurted out in a serious tone "No, they make terrible pets. they are too aggressive!"

Well, I just gave them too much material to think their mother is crazy!

For Mother's Day this year Gabby bought me a sponsorship for a groundhog at the 

Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, NJ.

So, I have adopted him for a year, I named him Ludlow. This may be the most creative gift I have ever received- although my kids have given me many. I guess they do love their crazy mother!

Excellent Company For Mother's Day

I did have wonderful company on Mother's Day; I had brunch with Ken, Gabby, and Danielle. We also got to see Gabby perform in Company (a musical comedy) by Stephen Sondheim 

on Mother's Day as well. 

What a treat it was to see her on stage, in her favorite musical and playing her favorite character, Amy.

By the way she also painted this set. 

If  you have ever seen Gabby act you will know why it is such a treat. She captivates the audiance with her bigger than life comedic performances. This show was no exception- one of her best!

The story is about Bobby who is turning 35 and all of his friends are married or engaged. He is exploring why he isn't married. Amy is his best friend. 

The cast did a marvelous job, the musical was very entertaining. 

She is engaged to Paul, whom she really loves but she has a break down her wedding day. 

I video taped her song, sorry about the quality and the fact that you have to hear me laughing. I tried not to shake the camera too much!

 The song's tempo is very fast, with a lot of words; she really did a great job with it!

Watch Gabby Here

This past weekend we also got to spend time with Justin and Katie at there new apartment. Christopher, Gabby, Ken, and I had a nice dinner Saturday evening. Thanks to Chris & Tim for letting us stay at there place over night. Especially since we were playing hookie from church the next morning. 

My mother's day weekend was full because I got to spend time with my kids, especially now that I am living in a different state than them. I got a very interesting gift from Gabby- future blog material!

Just When She thought It Couldn't Get Any Worse

Maggie has had it rough since those two fluffy intruders came to live in Ludlow. 

But, this week she had her yearly vet visit and the "box of shame."

Her nemesises were not without compassion and a little concern as well. Could they be next?

She Sings Like an Angel

At least that's what Ken always says about Danielle. Well, here is proof. 

She looked so beautiful!

On Friday evening Danielle gave a stunning performance for her Senior recital at Mansfield University. 

She performed for about an hour singing beautiful selections in Italian, German, French and English.

Not only was her voice and the piano playing breathtaking, Danielle also captivated everyone with her dramatic expression as she sang. And did I mention how beautiful she looked.

Here is a video from her final song. It is an aria by Georges Bizet, from Carmen called 

"Je dis rien ne m'epouvante." This means (I say that nothing can frighten me). 

I only filmed part of it because my camera card filled up but you will definitly enjoy it!

After the performance we held a reception for about 65 people. 

Danielle wanted a tea party theme so we decorated the classroom. 

Thank you Derek for helping us with set up, especially hanging the lights!

Danielle made these flowers to add to the ambiance.

The food went over big:

 scones, muffins, snow balls, fruit pizza, tea sandwiches, and lemonade with berries. 

The guests were very appreciative.

 Thankyou Danielle & Nanette Harmon for coming from Lockport and helping me with the food. 

It was a thrill for me as a mom to see my daughter blossoming in her gifts. I know that God has big plans for her, I can't wait to see where He takes her.

We were all really tired after the entire production. Thank you Josh for helping with clean-up and Ryan also, who came from Fredonia after a long day of teaching and also stuck around to help with clean-up.

Mansfield Concert Choir Spring Performance

This weekend Ken and I had the privilege of attending Danielle's Spring concert. This was her last concert at Mansfield University because she will be student teaching next semester. What a wonderful experience to sit and enjoy a group of expertly trained voices. The performance was amazing.

One of the feature segments was a few songs from the Women's Choir's Carnegie Hall performance with The Sound of Music. The girls were the nun's choir in the show. This came about when they won first place in competition, while in Europe this summer. Someone producing the New York show liked their sound and asked them to come.
If you want to read Danielle's reflection on her trip here is the link to her blog. http://everythingsboring.blogspot.com/2012/04/sound-of-music-final-bow.html

Here is a selection from the entire choir. Enjoy!

The members that were leaving received a plaque at the end of the concert.

We are very proud of Danielle and all her music accomplishments. She has grown so much these past years in college and we are excited to see where her life takes her.

We pulled out of Mansfield Saturday night about 9:45PM headed for Lockport. Thank you to my sister Heather & Ken for letting us come in so late and crash. We were in town to see Tim Dombrowski, our Pastor, ordained at Grace that next morning.