All That Dance!

If you have ever seen my kids dance, you may have marveled that they could perform so well -- especially since coordination is not one of my natural strengths. But, wonder no more! We recently received some hidden away pictures from Tracy's brother, Doug, with proof of the origins of those dancing abilities. All that dance has trickled down through the Allreds!

Here is Tracy with his sister, Julie, dancing a jazz number
Tracy says he cannot remember it :(
So, we are especially glad that we have photographs!

And here he is at a ward function -- the details of which he also cannot remember!
Just look at him dance!

Once again, ~What a Cutie!~

While We're on the Topic

. . . of senior pictures

~What a Cutie!~
(like father, like son)

Tracy Anderson Allred
Long Beach Polytechnic High School
1976

Christian's Very Good Week!

~What a Cutie~

I was going to wait to post Christian's senior picture preview until it got a little closer to his graduation date (June 8th), but when several really good things happen in one week, it calls for a CeLeBration -- or at least a timely blog post!

So here are the happenings from his very good week:

* Perfect teeth! On Wednesday, Christian had his final followup dental exam after two years of orthodontic work (plus retainers), and not only are his teeth perfectly aligned but he has NEVER had a cavity. I'm proud and jealous all at the same time. He also started the first step in his mission paperwork - the dental page!

* Scholarship essays and applications for HCSC - submitted. We view the time he spends on his scholarship applications as if it were a part-time job - with hope of a really great paycheck in the end!

* BYU Acceptance. Tracy and I learned this good news as we were on our way home from the temple. I noticed that Christian had tried to call me on my phone, and at the time I thought he probably just had a question about how to plan for the group date he was going to have at our house later that evening. But, he nonchalantly answered with a "hi" and "I got accepted to BYU!" Tracy and I wanted to just reach through the phone and hug him (and jump up and down or something)! We settled with some heartfelt phone congratulations and then bought him a candy bar :) Hey, it was a Toblerone!

Such a fine week, Christian,
Congratulations!

A Valentine's Day to Remember

Tracy and I have a few favorite places -- and we took the chance to visit TWO of them on Valentine's Day this year -- the Taj Mahal Tandoori Restaurant in Heidelberg and the Neckar River. We ordered our favorites, #36 and #72, (don't those numbers just seem to naturally go together) which always come with a side of incredibly delicious Basmati rice, and then we decided to drive down along the river to see the latest very cold weather phenomenon: The frozen river! We have lived here for the past fifteen and a half years, but this has never happened! My German teacher told me today that in 1962 she walked across the frozen river to get to the old chapel AND she saw two cars driving across it that day as well. So I'm wondering if this cold snap is an every-fifty-year event -- although, the river wasn't cold enough to walk (or drive!) across this time. It certainly gave us reason to remember this Valentine's Day for a long time to come.

A Valentine's post wouldn't be complete without a picture of my Valentine.
This is one of my favorite pictures of us together
(from a year ago, last fall)

"Your Happily Ever After"

It was my turn to teach the combined young women lesson this past Sunday. The theme was Divine Nature/Daughter of God and the resource guide supplement suggested a few paragraphs from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's address at the April 2010 General Young Women Conference. The title of his talk was "Your Happily Ever After." Here are a few lines from that address:

"You are a beloved daughter of Heavenly Father,
prepared to come to earth at this particular time
for a sacred and glorious purpose."
(YW Personal Progress Book)

"Isn't it remarkable to know that our Eternal
Heavenly Father knows you, and loves you with
an infinite love? In fact, His love for you is so
great that he has granted you this earthly life as a
precious gift of 'once upon a time,' complete with
your own true story of adventure, trial and
opportunities for greatness, nobility, courage and
love. And, most glorious of all, He offers you a
gift beyond price and comprehension. Heavenly
Father offers to you the greatest gift of all --
eternal life -- and the opportunity and infinite
blessing of your own 'happily ever after.'"

It was a beautiful message to impart to the young women of our ward. I decided to take the photograph above (one of Marie's specialties) and make it into a handout for each one of the girls. It reminded me of the fairytale, Thumbelina, and how in the end she is given some wings of her own by the King of the Flowers, but I also attached President Uchtdorf's message for them to remember his message of their "once upon a time" and the very real opportunity of their own

"Happily Ever After."