Before I get to the news of Emma's Nutcracker roles, I'll let you know that Doug will be in Albany this weekend. His grandpa Armstrong passed away Monday evening and there is a memorial service for him on Friday. Doug is leaving this afternoon and will be returning to TX on Sunday. He's staying with some friends in Delmar so if you want to send anything back to TX with him (Dunkin Donuts coffee, ILOVENYPIZZA tee hee), call or email me and I'll get you his contact info for the weekend. We're all sad about grandpa passing, but at 94, he's lived a full life of loving the Lord, and he is worshipping God now. The sad part for the kids and I is staying behind. It never occurred to us that our next trip to NY would be a family vacation, not a funeral. Keep Doug and the kids and I in your prayers this weekend. I haven't been feeling well this past week (I was diagnosed with Pleurisy last Friday night in the ER), and Erik especially is upset about Doug's going. NUTCRACKER NEWS... Emma has earned 2 parts in this year's production. She is going to be a soldier in the battle scene, and she's also in the second act as a "cake baker". Don't ask me what that is, but she'll be in one of the special dances performed for Clara and the Prince in the Land of Sweets. She was disappointed to learn that she won't be in the opening Party Scene, but then realized that the Battle Scene is lengthy and that all of the parts are being played by her Ballet 2A and 2B peers. So we're in for another interesting fall full of 2 weekly ballet classes, and 1 to 2 Nutcracker rehearsals each week until the performance. BTW, the performance is the weekend of 12/8...feel free to come on down ;-)