Daddy Daughter Dance

Last Friday was the second annual daddy/daughter dance at the school and this years theme was TIKI!  As always, the girls were super excited to have a night with daddy.  Daddy didn't own a Hawaiian shirt, so I stepped out and got him one so he would be FESTIVE.
There were hula dancers, a beach ball toss and crafts.  Isabella and Giselle really enjoyed the limbo contest too.  Giselle was the only one to dance with daddy.  Isabella was off painting crafts with her friends.  When she got home, she gave me her painted rock to keep and when she gave it to me, she said "Here mommy, I wanted you to know I was thinking of you."  Until next years dance......

MOVE over Picasso....

There is a new artist in town, and her name is Isabella Marie Vail!  Isabella participated in a two day workshop after school and to my surprise, came home with this masterpiece!!  A BEAUTIFUL hand painted snow owl on canvas.  I COULD NOT paint this if you paid me a million dollars!  Where does she get her creative art skills from?  It is certainly not me! 

Given the challenges this little girl faces in her daily life each and every day, she amazes me with her brilliance, creativity, compassion and kindness!  We proudly hung her hand painted canvas in her bedroom with her other creative art.  KEEP SHINING BIG GIRL!  YOU ARE A STAR!!!!

One Proud Girl!

Isabella's Hand Painted Snow Owl - 2 days of painting this canvas @ 40 mins each session!

Lots of LOVE

A few weeks before Valentine's Day, Isabella entered a coloring contest from the local newspaper.  The prize was two hours of free bowling for up to six people, including shoe rental, along with pizza and a pitcher of pop. 
Every week, she checked the newspaper to see if she had won.  She really wanted to have a bowling party!  The day came and the winners were announced!  On the front page of the paper - THERE was Isabella's HEART that she joyfully colored and decorated with glitter (2nd row, 1st picture).  We were so excited!!  We started jumping up and down and screaming! 

And then we flipped the page to read the article.........

While Isabella did not win the coloring contest, she was VERY PROUD that out of 623 entries across three age groups and seven towns - HER PICTURE WAS SHOWCASED on that front page.  What are the odds of that happening?  Even better?  She colored that heart with LOTS OF LOVE and SPARKLES and that HEART was delivered to a local veteran - which surely had to make his/her day!!  Always so thoughtful and creative.

Isabella's HEART is 2nd row, 1st picture.