a bella-rina birthday: tutu cute!

honestly, i had no idea it was national tutu day.  somehow i stumbled into that perfect coincidence this past saturday.  i'd like to tell you i planned it. i'd like to claim that i schemed and organized and adjusted all for the perfect party package,  but i'd be lying.  i didn't.  i chose the date for bella's ballerina birthday party because it was the weekend which worked best for our family.  february 2nd, 2013...or 2-2-13...national tutu day.  get it?  and, come on now, isn't that the cutest thing ever?  i didn't even know it existed until i posted some pictures of bella's party and some friends made a comment on facebook.  they were impressed with my managing to make that all happen.  well, the day was magical, but the fact that we had her ballet birthday on national tutu day was just dumb luck.  (i, by the way, take any luck that comes my way...dumb, brilliant or otherwise).

that said...i just HAVE to share with y'all a few pictures from this precious party. because national tutu day or not, the day was just tutu sweet.  i am pretty sure i was more excited than the birthday ballerina.  this party allowed me to really channel my inner girly-girl -- oh, and do i ever have one!  i wouldn't be caught dead in a tutu today, but i had so much fun making the tutus and creating the pink and tulle explosion.  as my older kids saw things come together last week they made comments like, "wow, mom... you're really into this, aren't you?" that's their way of saying, "mom, you've kind of gone off the deep end."  what can i say...it was the first week of february in minnesota and it wasn't like i was going to be busy gardening or taking leisurely walks around the lake.  i sat fireside last week and made tutus.  ten of them, in fact. and it was thrilling.  (yes, yes it was).

so we had a ballet party to celebrate bella turning 5! and though i couldn't invite y'all, my TU-TU TALENTED friend, diana, took a zillion pictures.  i am including a few.  well, actually, i am including a lot.  but seriously, i could probably post 200.   her work is incredible and i hope you enjoy the beautiful result!

and the little ballerina crashed when her party guests said goodbye ....so did her mommy!

minnows and tutus

my last post was about boys and ice fishing.  power augers and adventure.

but this post is dedicated to little girls and dancing.  tutus and twirling.  

i love that life gives me both.  the boys.  the girls.  grand, messy adventures and soft glimpses of beauty.

i love that God, in His wisdom and grace and goodness,  has stretched me wide between oohing and awing over the the aerator my son hooked up in his bucket of minnows yesterday (bate)...and oohing and awing over the leap and spin of my little lass in her new tutu today. (compliments of grandma)!

i have to admit, sometimes i feel overwhelmed in this stretching:  boys who handle fish and girls who twirl in tutus.  (okay, truth be told, i have girls who handle fish too)...but seriously?  the gender gap feels gargantuan sometimes.  and the age thing can be a stretch as well.  the discussions in our home right now range from kindergarten to college.  whew!  one moment we are planning prospective college visits with emily and the next moment we are praying about sending bella to kindergarten next year.  and then there's everything in between.  

yes, the gap is great. 

but...it's all good.  it's all grace.  it's definitely God's design.  and i have to remember, if He is allowing this stretching then He's also designed me to stretch.  

so, back to that little ballerina. i snapped these one morning last week while she was just hanging around the house.  everyone else gone to school. i love these quiet moments when the house empties and the tiny girl enters her sweet world of pretend. i hang back.  watch. listen. and sometimes grab the camera.  this was one of those days.

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tyler's minnows.  and the aerator.  in my kitchen.  i oohed.  i awed.