Milestones

Every week I think I'm coming here to write about food.
Every week I write about my kids.
Every week they surprise me.
Every week I'm more proud.

Last week we had the honor of watching Aspen.
She performed for the first time at the State Speech competition in Kearney, NE.
She performed in the VERY competitive poetry division.
She medaled in her first State Speech EVER.

For those that have never attended I cannot believe the intense pressure of the day.

This was before the 2nd round.

There are 2 rounds with 1 judge each round.

There were 3 groups of 6 kids each.

The level of these kids was amazing.

She spent a lot of time alone at this table.

She thinks too much sometimes.

I'm not sure where she gets that.

The 1st round started at 9:30.

The 2nd round started at 12:30.

Finals were not announced until 3:00.

The waiting to find out whether she was going to be in the top 6...

EXCRUCIATING.

This was incredible.

She stood on the podium.

She put her heart into this.

She worked harder at this than I've every seen her work.

It paid off for her tenfold...

This is what accomplishment looks like.

It's also what exhaustion looks like.

Our night ended at 6:30 p.m.

Let me tell you about this speech team.

For (I believe) the 12th year this team

has placed 1st or 2nd overall against schools from Omaha.

(Kudos to Brownell-Talbot by the way, simply amazing talent.)

Aside from the parents there was 1 administrator that attended and

1 teacher.

What an awesomely talented group of kids that Hartington continually produces.

Thank you to Coaches Kathol and Johnson for your time and energy and your

consistent belief and expectation in these kids to succeed.

NOW...

No blog of mine is complete without a bit about Madame R.

Last weekend we discovered the most wiggly, teeny, tiny, tooth.

Sadi spent a week performing oral surgery.

R waffled between wanting it out and never giving it up.

Success came.

WHILE I WAS GONE!

Do you realize this is my last first lost tooth?

I do. I cried. Jeff laughed. Fairy came. The end.

I did bake on Saturday:

These are amazing.

I found the recipe over at Within The Kitchen.

Click HERE for the recipe.

YUM!