Last night was the night, where the girls performed at the National Miss Amazing Pageant.

To sum it up quickly, it was amazing!

 First we got there and had to primp, with body glitter, sparkles, lip gloss, hairspray, all the fun stuff.

 A pict with Miss Stephanie.

 Glitter tool skirts and leg warmers, with our just dance beyond limits t-shirts.

 Tiara's in all 6 girls hair really sparkled.

 Quinn had all kinds of allergy issues during the day and we were hoping she would pull through, and as the night progressed, she continued to forget how she was feeling and by the end of the night, she was all smiles and giggles.

 Grandma got to come with us.

 Wow, it was fun to watch how much love was going around as we got ready.

 We all got good luck cards, and I got all choked up and could not even get it read to Quinn.

 We got to start meeting some of the girls in the pageant, it was such a beautiful night.

 Oh, here she was trying to push through even though her allergies were still making her frustrated.

 Walking and rolling to the stage.

 Getting ready to practice, oh the butterflies were coming on!

 A quick pep talk!

 Oh getting ready.

 Quinn was getting excited and started singing!

 And our practice got started.

 The girls and parents were a little worried the girls would drive off the stage.

 Quinn was all smiles once those stage lights hit her.

 Dancing beyond limits!  Beautiful!

 The audience getting ready to go into get the night started.

 Final talks with parents and grandparents, oh the love was there!  Proud and strong.

 A group picture!  Love these girls!

 5 minutes to stage, Quinn was giggling and ready to go.

 We, the families got to sneak into the back to watch.

 The stage curtains opened!

 Jordan Somers, who got this whole thing, Miss Amazing, started came out to welcome everyone, she could not have been much older then 20, wow, what a great girl to have a passion for this cause and really follow it through.  They showed a great video about the Miss Amazing Pageant.   http://missamazingpageant.com/about/

 And it was our turn.

 Here we are in the back, filled with pride, crying our eyes out.  It was such an amazing feeling, in a room full of people who understand disabilities, and more then that, understand all the abilities all of us have!

 A standing ovation, girls smiling, parents crying even more, wow, the picture does not even truly do justice to the feeling in that room.

 Miss Suzanne, Quinn's other dance teacher.

Wow an amazing night, leads to a tired little 6 year old, and a mother who is so grateful for such a beautiful night, with amazing dance teachers, beautiful dancers, wonderful parents, and a room full of amazing people!  Accepting and loving each person for what they have to offer!  Oh, I get teary just thinking of it.

Finally as the girls were dancing to A Whole New World, a few of us parents mentioned how the words to the song were so fitting for our girls and the night.

I'm so thankful for such a beautiful night!  It was AMAZING!  Thank You!

Part of A Whole New World

A whole new world

A new fantastic point of view

No one to tell us no or where to go

Or say we're only dreaming

A whole new world

A dazzling place I never knew

But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear

That now I'm in a whole new world with you

Now I'm in a whole new world with you

Unbelievable sights

Indescribable feeling

Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling

Through an endless diamond sky

A whole new world

Don't you dare close your eyes

A hundred thousand things to see

(Hold your breath, it gets better)

What an amazing night!  The girls worked so hard at their dance rehearsal.  It's always nice to have an audience as well, thanks to everyone who made it out, and thanks to those of you who were planning on it, but could not make it!  There will be a few more so you have lots of time to make it to one.

Good luck to the girls for their big show this Thursday.  I can't wait for my kids to meet a few of the girls who are competing in the pageant.

I get so much out of going to church, our pastor David Lux is amazing and shares stories that touch my heart.

Today he was talking about how all our lives finish in loss, and how he was reading a book and a quote hit him  -

If you are going to loose, loose big!

We try to live that every day!  We know that having Quinn is a gift, and we are hoping and praying that we have her a long time, but we do live in the moment, and don't take any day  for granted.

That goes for our two foster kids as well, we tried going in with guarded hearts, but that only lasted moments, and we were in 100% there as well.

We try to plan for the future, but also put everything into the present as well!

We celebrated Grandpa Harold's birthday today, it was technically yesterday, and it's wonderful to see him love our three kids and just watch them love him!  Watching him get pulled hand in hand out of the restaurant by little D, or the look he gets when he makes Quinn giggle, or the pride when he hears how great our little guy did so well on his spelling test.

Life is good and we are so lucky to have so much to loose, and we are not taking it for granted!  Celebrate!

School is exhausting!  

Quinn has been sleeping very good lately!  With all the excitement at school, she is ready to crash at home.  She is going to bed early and opting to cuddle with me rather then go outside and play, which is not the norm.

She has also been getting in trouble at school for talking.  Here we have worked so hard at getting her to talk using her Dynovox, and now we have created a monster talker.  Her nurse Nadean was telling her to stop talking, and she looked at her like what ever, then the big guns came out, and her teacher came over to Quinn and told her she needed to listen and stop talking, and wow, Quinn was quiet then, and looked back at Nadean with the oh no, I got in trouble look.

Oh, part of me says put her in the safe seat and keep her accountable, the other part says, YEAH Quinn, you finally have your voice!

I also love  it when she throws all her stuffies on the floor and uses her hands to cuddle her humidity machine!  Oh she is just beautiful to me!

Her big dance program is this next week so I will get pictures from the dress rehearsal and the program, we are so excited!

We hit our first baseball game.  The kids were not sure if they liked it or not.  It was hot and they had to sit still, they had fun some of the time they decided.

Quinn and our other little gal, playing on the Ipad together and Quinn was belling laughing so hard.  Oh I love my girls!  I love how much they love each other as well!

Quinn and her dance friends are dancing in the Miss Amazing Nation Pageant!

http://missamazingpageant.com/

The girls are dancing in it, as a fun event, they are not actually in it competing.  It's just for fun!  I think I can safely say that Quinn will be the youngest one on the stage that night!  The girls are looking forward to it, the mom's are too, we have been working on what the girls will wear, they are all wearing jeweled crowns, and have gold glitter stars on their chairs, with tool skirts.  What a great experience for them!

I think, Quinn has been in dance class for over 3 years, and yet I still watch those girls dance and giggle and love that hour so much, and it still brings tears of joy to my eyes!  Oh I am so very thankful for that class!

 My excitement for today, cutting, painting and glittering stars, for the girls performance.

Our first day of school today!

 The girls wanted matching hair do's!  To cute, if you look you can see our 3rd kiddo's foot in the picture.

I love this picture!  Quinn was so excited for school!

Getting on the bus, and we are so thankful to have nurse Nadean back!  She is amazing!

What an exciting day!  Maybe that is why Quinn was up at three this morning, singing at the top of her lungs, was it being so excited about school?  Maybe?