First Communion

Helaina received First Communion back in May, and she was excited beyond belief for the big day to come.  After months of religious education, a retreat, special Sunday masses, demo masses, preparatory classes and rehearsal nights, the big day finally came.

Helaina looked like a mini-bride.  She picked out the dress herself.  I actually liked another one better, but I left the decision up to Helaina.  It ended up being the perfect dress - simple but beautiful.  White tights, white sandals, a simple veil from Hobby Lobby (of all places) that I hot-glued extra white flowers onto, a gold and pearl cross that I wore as a child and the earrings that cousin Beth wore for her First Communion completed the outfit.  Oh yah, the hairdo.  For weeks we tried out different buns and braids, but finally settled on a reverse ponytail completed with a fishtail braid (I learned how to do it on the internet).  It was beautiful, finished off with a huge white flower clipped right above the braid.  Good thing we did it then because there won't be any braids for quite a while now!

The kids walking into church singing Good Morning Jesus.  So sweet that it brought a tear to my eyes.

Posing with Father after receiving communion and her certificate.

Our first celebration with refreshments and minion cake (!) after mass.

Did someone say cake?

After cake we went back into church and took a few pictures.  Such a photographic little gal.

Helaina's part of the ceremony was to carry a basket of flowers with one of her friends and place it at the statue of Mary.  She was happy with the job she was assigned.

More celbrating after with family at Helaina's favorite chinese restaurant.  Nothing says First Communion party like wonton soup and a huge plate of fried rice and lo mein noodles!

Topped off with more cake.  Helaina squealed when she saw the cake and immediately selected the giant sugar roses that she wanted to eat first.  Yup, she's a frosting gal - could you tell??!!  She feels like such a big girl now at Sunday mass when she can receive communion with us.

Spring soccer is done and over already.  More games in the fall.  Although her team didn't win many games, they played well as a team and have improved greatly.  Helaina's playing a lot better this year and is way more aggressive than she ever was.  In one of the games she assisted with a goal by passing the ball to her pal who scored the actual goal.  Then finally, a few weeks into the season, Helaina scored her first goal!   She was at the net with the ball, kicked it as hard as she could, the goalie missed it and it went in.  The smile on her face as she immediately looked toward Jim and I was priceless.  Huge, cheeky grin, jumping up and down with her hands in the air.  We were as excited as she was.

Helaina loves to read - especially the Junie B Jones series of books.  They are hysterical and I enjoy them myself.  I was making breakfast for her one morning and I turned around to see her sitting at the table reading while waiting for her food.  Our little bookworm.  We're so happy she loves to read.

The countdown to our vacation began several months ago.  We've got something amazing and spectacular planned this year to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary.  Helaina's as excited as we are and can't wait, so I made a little booklet to help her get by.  Each day she pulls off a sheet of paper and it tells her how many days are left until we leave.  Our plans involve several plane rides and tropical getaways.  Here's a clue - what is the length of 4 football fields and weighs 160,000 tons?  Can you guess?

Catch up, catch up - even though...

Even though today is Helaina's last day of 2nd grade, she's gotten a MAJOR haircut, made her First Communion, won 3rd place in a talent show, and now has 2 new baby girl twin cousins (!), I have to play catch up with pictures just a little before I get to the recent stuff.  So.....

In December, Helaina continued pursuit of her acting and singing career (!) by playing one of the orphans in Annie.  She was Florence, a tough little gal.  Helaina LOVED being in Annie.  There were lots of great songs and dance routines.  She's been singing Tomorrow and Hard Knock Life too many times to even count - since she started classes last September through the play in December, and even still now.  Actually, she sang Tomorrow in the talent show last weekend where she took 3rd place in her age group - more on that later.

Helaina's "orphan" outfit, courtesy of the local thrift store.

Brushing her locks while preparing for the Christmas finale. Needless to say, she loved this huge lighted mirror.

On stage during the spectacular end of the play - singing Tomorrow, of course.

Posing in the lobby after her performance with the "congratulations, great job" bouquet of flowers.

We took Helaina tubing for the first time this winter.  She loved it, of course, because our gal feels the need for speed with everything she does.  Helaina has no off switch or slow mode in anything she does.

There was enough snow this winter for Helaina to participate in her 2nd snowmobile event courtesy of our town.  Again, the need for speed.  "She likes to go fast" were our last words to her drivers before they sped off.

Little daredevil - she's not afraid of anything, just like her brother.  That worries me.

Happy, red-cheeked, frozen little gal.

Minions of Jesus.  That was the theme for Helaina's religious education and First Communion class.  The teachers and Father  based the classes and lessons around the Despicable Me movies with Gru, Agnes, Edith, Margo and the minions.  The kids loved it, could relate to it all, and had fun while at religion - definately a different spin on things at church than when I was little.

The busy month of February brought the annual Father Daughter Dance benefitting Golisano Children's Hospital - a place that Helaina knows all too well.  She looks forward to this every year.

They had a fun night, as usual.  Just wish I could be a fly on the wall and watch.  Helaina's wrist corsages have been pink carnations in the past, but this time I picked out red roses to go with her golden dress - and it was a hit.

At WonderWorks with one of her buddies.

Can't go to WonderWorks without going on this spinning, swirling, upside-down crazy orb ride.  Makes me sick just watching her in it.  Again, not afraid of anything.

Critz Farms in March for their annual maple festival.  Yummy pancake buffet breakfast, playground, and animals.

This horse loved being fed the pine needle branches off of the evergreen tree.

One of Helaina's artwork pieces from school was selected to be displayed in the high school art show.  It was her recreation of VanGogh's Starry Starry Night.  She was so excited to have been selected.

It wouldn't be Easter without breakfast with the bunny.  Wonder when she's going to outgrow this kind of stuff?

Helaina and Greta after an exhausting day.  Too funny.  Precious Greta deserves a post of her own, and she'll get it - one of these days.

 Easter - the Easter bunny even left a plastic egg floating in Peaches and Elly's aquarium!

 Finally found her basket hiding under the dining room tables.

The Easter bunny brought bathing suits for both of Helaina's American Girl dolls.  Pretty smart, that Easter bunny.

 You can't see it too well in this picture, but Greta was sporting a Martha Stewart doggie dress.  She hated it, but it looked adorable.  My sister walked in the door that morning, saw Greta in a dress and said to Helaina "Your Mother is crazy."

 Bunny cupcakes, how fun.  I enjoyed decorating them at first, but by the end of the first dozen I was ready to call it quits. 

Reptile Max at the library during spring break.  Helaina couldn't wait to get her picture taken with the snake wrapped around her neck.

 The rope course at WonderWorks.  We now let her go by herself because she's totally capable, and because Jim won't ever do it again.  Our drama queen.

She just loves it.  Flys through the 3-level course for about 45 minutes until her hands start getting blistered from hanging onto the harnes and ropes.