Tiny dancer...

Nine months ago, this was my little Ashley:

She was at her very first dance lesson, excited, but also nervous as could be. There is tension in every line of her body in this picture, and her little nervous feet...so precious.

Yesterday was her dance recital, and my little girl danced around the stage, tapping and twirling and singing her heart out, beaming a sparkling smile the whole time! She has had so much fun in this first year of dance, and loved every second of her recital. We are so proud of her for giving herself to the experience whole heartedly.

Waiting backstage...and waiting...and waiting...I think there were 16 dances in the recital, and Ashley was only in one of them, so there was a lot of waiting. This is one of her babysitters, who was also in the recital, and came to the rescue with VeggieTales on her ipod. Rhegan, I love you!!

Also, in that picture Ashley's hair isn't curled yet, but I curled it, and it seriously took at least 45 minutes. It was a little bit ridiculous. Her hair is about three times as long and thick as the other girls in her class!

We were all SO proud of our beautiful Ashley! Ok, except for Hannah, who apparently wasn't proud at all. She was more like, "Ok, someone said we're going to have dinner next. Right? Are we going to have dinner next? Next, as in soon??"

This picture just speaks for itself... *LOVE*

Ashley, you danced beautifully, and we're proud of you! But we're even more proud that your beautiful heart shined through. You spent nine months listening to your teacher and following her directions, practicing diligently and with a smile, fighting your way through skipping backwards (even through the tears) until you mastered it so well that you can do it better than Mummy can, befriending your classmates, and sparkling like the princess of the King that you are. Yesterday your smile lit up the stage, and my heart overflowed to see how dozens of people -- your fellow dancers and your teachers -- gathered around to give you big hugs before we could leave. You are beautiful in every way.

We love you, tiny dancer.