Riley's Gymnastic Vlogs

Hello everyone! Melodie here! Today I asked Riley to post one of her Gymnastic Vlogs. Riley has been vlogging about gymnastics for ahwile now, but this is her first one at her new gym in TN. Her teamate and our friend Hazel Cookes guest-starred on her first episode. They made a video about their gymnastics practice.

Here is Riley's Gymnastic Vlogs: Episode 1

I hope you enjoyed this video. Please comment below if you would like to see more. If enough people liked this, Riley says she'll post one every week.

What did you think of the video, and would you like to see a new one weekly?

~Melodie

Guest-Post by Riley: My Trip to Pigeon Forge

Hello. This is Riley, guest-posting today. I can't believe it is already Christmas Break. I realized I had never given Meloide the photos for this post, and I'm so sorry about the delay. Here is my travel-journal of my trip to Pigeon Forge!

November 22, 2015 3:01 P.M. ET

Hello! This is my travel journal. I am going to record my adventures on this trip.

I guess I should begin by explaining why I decided to make a travel journal. My love for journaling started when I moved to Hungary with my parents. I really missed all of my friends, so I decided to make a journal that I would send to them monthly by email. I told them all about my new house, friends, and some of the fun things I did in Hungary.

One of my favorite things to write about was the trips I went on in Hungary. During the summer, my dad would take me places, and I would come home and write about it. I would also print pictures we took on the trip and put them in my journal.

So here I am now. Melodie and Morgan saw some of my old journal entries I sent to friends, and they really liked it. So, when I mentioned that I was going to keep one during my trip over Thanksgiving break, they asked if I might want to post it on their blog. They explained the "guest-post" idea to me, and of course I accepted.

We are going to Pigeon Forge, TN. Well, pretty close to there. We plan to go to the aquarium in Gatinburg, which is only twenty minutes away. I don't know what our plans are for the second day. We are going to be there for only two full days, but I'm still glad we get to go.

Oh, I almost forgot. Charlotte and Audrey are coming, too! They had planned to go on vacation in Pigeon Forge before we even met. When I was hanging out with them one day, Charlotte mentioned it, and I told her that we were planning to go there. So, we got the addresses from our moms, and we were only a few cabins apart! Charlotte and her family are going to the aquarium with us. I can't wait to get to know her better.

November 23, 2015   8:26 P.M. ET

Today was amazing. We went to the Ripley's Aquarium in the Smokies, and I got so many amazing photos. 

We got to the Aquarium and got our tickets. When we first walked in, there was a round tank with fish to greet us.

"Well, what do you girls want to do first?" my dad asked. I looked over his shoulder at the map.

"There's a Penguin Feeding in about twenty minutes, " I commented. "Could we go see that?"

"Sounds like a plan. So, how do we get there?" We all looked at the map. "I think we need to go this way." Dad pointed. "Shall we try to find those penguins?"

So we set off. We had to go through another exhibit, and I tried to get few pictures, but the lighting wasn't great. Finally we found the penguins, where I got a few photos with the better light. I also took a video of the feeding. The penguins were so silly.


Next, we went to the Stingray Tank. They, too, were about to have a feeding show, so we decided to watch that.

"Look, those are eagle rays!" Charlotte said excitedly.

"They're so big. I forgot how big they were." I took a few videos of the rays just swimming around. "I remember the eagle rays at SeaWorld in Orlando, but Lexi told me that there was only one left last time she went."

The stingrays were amazing. The diver talked about the rays, and the rays kept swimming on him to get his fish. After the dive show, the diver fed the rays near the touch tank so we could touch the rays. I actually touched an eagle ray. It was so cool.

After the rays, we went through the Shark tunnel. It is a large tunnel with a moving floor, and lots of shark. I took a video as we went through. It was so cool to see the nurse sharks, sawtooth shark, and other fish and sharks I don't remember the names of.

As we exited the sharks, Audrey commented that she was kind of hungry. we all agreeed, and so we bought and ice cream from one of the vendors. We also discussed what else we wanted to see. We had been through most of the big exhibits, and it was getting kind of late. We decided to hang around for a half hour, then go to Texas Roadhouse for dinner.

There were a few little tanks over by the ice cream, where I took some silly photos of a pufferfish. He looked straight at me, and I just had to get a picture.

We walked through another exhibit, but I didn't take any pictures due to the bad lighting. We left by the gift shop, but decided against buying anything. We drove to Texas Roadhouse, but the wait was really long. So, we went next door to McAllister's Deli. Melodie told me it was good, and I have to agree.

So that was our day. We actually spent the morning playing pool (the cabin has a pool table) and watching Food Network (the cabin also has cable). I can't wait for tomorrow. We plan to do something, but so far it's still a surprise to me. See you tomorrow!

November 24, 2015 10:30 A.M. ET

We have decided that we are going to spend the morning here at the cabin. I am going out to take some pictures after I finish this. We are going to go out for lunch, and then go to the Christmas Store, a whole shop dedicated to Christmas stuff. We want to find an ornament for our Christmas tree. Then, we are going to Hard Rock Cafe, a resturant filled with memorabilia of famous songwriters and music artists. Then, if that wasn't cool enough, we are going to go see the Terry Evanswood Magic Show! I can't wait for tonight!

9:37 P.M. ET

The magic show was amazing. And so was the Hard Rock Cafe and the Christmas Store. I had so much fun, but I didn't take any pictures. I did get some of Charlotte and I this morning on the deck of the cabin. Tomorrow we leave, so I had to pack up today. I'm sad to leave, but I'm really excited to see all my friends at home. I will blog tomorrow on the way home to highlight my trip.

November 25, 2015 11:32 A.M.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I'm so happy to be with my friends this Thanksgiving. I am also so thankful that I got to go on an amazing trip with my family.

My highlights of the trip would have to be the eagle rays at Ripley's Aquarium and the Terry Evanswood Magic Show. The eagle rays are so majestic and I loved getting to touch one. I texted Melodie yesterday and she told me Lexi had never even touched one before. Terry Evanswood is so funny, and he got the crowd involved in his act. I laughed so hard that I forgot we were leaving the next day.

So, now my trip is over and I'm headed home. It is so fun to get to share my vacation on Melodie's blog. Thanks Melodie and Morgan for letting me guest post.

This is Riley, signing out.

So that's my travel journal. Here are a few photos that didn't make it into the journal.

  

Thank you Melodie and Morgan for letting me post it.

What was your faortie part of my travels, and where do you like to go for vacation?

~Riley

Guest Posters and Travel Journals

Hello everyone. Morgan here. Melodie and I have been thinking, and we are going to allow our friends Samantha and Riley to guest post. Samantha is always getting pictures of Nutcracker rehearsals that we don't get. Speaking of Nutcracker, we are all in it, except Riley, Kariss and Lexi. Samantha is Clara, so she gets a lot of pictures of rehearsals we aren't at. Riley wanted to guest post because she is going on vacation today. She wants to post her travel journal from the trip. She should post on Friday.

We have talked with both girls, and they are thrilled to have opportunities to post. We plan to talk with our cousins and Hazel and Charlotte to see if they would like to join, too.

What do you think of the idea of guest posts? And would you like us to do a post about Nutcracker rehearsals?

~Morgan

Guess Who Just Moved In?

As you can tell by the title, someone moved in recently. So, we wanted to take the time to introduce this new girl and let her tell about herself. But first, here's the story that goes with it.

I (Morgan) was walking our dog Lauren one afternoon (as you can tell by the picture). I had my phone, and I was taking pictures of Lauren walking. I thought it would be fun to do special effects with the pictures.

Suddenly, Lauren took off in front of me down the hall. I had to run to keep up with that little puppy. She stopped in front of a girl who I didn't recognize.

So I introduced myself to...

...my new friend Riley. That's a picture of the two of us. I told her about myself, and I mentioned the blog. Riley said it sounded cool, so I showed her a few post on my phone. Then I asked if I could post about her. She said that would be really cool, then asked if she could introduce herself. I agreed and so I am passing the keyboard to Riley.

Hi. I'm Riley Katherine Matthews and I am so excited to introduce myself. I just moved to Tennessee from Budapest, Hungary. I've lived there for five years now, and I'm super excited to be in the States. I am an only child, but I am hoping to get a pet soon. I love designing clothes, singing, and doing gymnastics.

We are so happy to get to introduce Riley to you, and we hope to have many fun times with her.

As a side note, Melodie is planning to do the next post in the What I'm Wearing series soon. We just wanted to introduce Riley to you.

So, what do you think of Riley?
~Morgan

What I'm Wearing: Morgan

Hello everyone! Here is the special post we promised. As the title suggests, this blogpost is going to be about clothes. My sisters and I thought of a fun blogging series we're calling "What I'm Wearing". I (Morgan) love fashion and making fun, new clothes with my own twist. So, I am going to start off the series.

The series is going to have pictures with some of my outfits, along with comments about the clothes and ideas on how to make the look for yourself with your own style. I am going to do it in three parts: fancier wear, regular clothing, and sporty outfits.

This is my first outfit. The top is just a black tank, then a floral skirt I made, and my blue flats. I did my hair in two braids like I would if I was having a bad hair day. This outfit can be made fancier with a necklace, jewelry, or headband.

This is my other fancy outfit. I was experimenting with different camera angles, and I loved this idea. The outfit is a little flowery and light for fall, but it is cool enough for late summer/early fall.

Now onto the casual wear. This is one t-shirt that works perfectly with any outfit. Here is the first idea I had of wearing it. Shorts, a simple ponytail and a pair of sneakers is a simple but fun way to go when I'm in a hurry.

When I want to dress up the outfit a bit, such as if I'm going to nicer restaurant or meeting some friends, I like to add a few accessories. I love my navy bow to keep my hair out of my face while still looking elegant. The shoes add a little flair to the outfit.

When the weather is colder, I turn to my hat. It is a light gray that looks good with anything. The shoes are just Crocs, and I put my hair into two pigtails. It looks very cute altogether.

Having a fun t-shirt that goes with anything is always a must for me. You can keep it simple, or add your own touch with what you wear with it. Make it your own with how you accessorize. It's not about the clothes you wear, it's about how you wear the clothes.

Here we are to the sporty clothing. I do cheer, as I have posted about before, and I need a flexible, cool, fun outfit for practice. The shirt is the same material as the previous shirt, and it is one of my favorites. The pants are thin enough to keep me cool but not to thin. Crocs really come in handy when you have to change shoes. I love wearing this over my ballet leotard when I'm going to class.

My cheer uniform! I love the color, and it is so fun to wear to games. The shoes are my black sneakers. They are definitely my all-purpose shoes.

Here's the outfit with pom-poms and spirit. I love practicing with my pom-poms.

Here's another cheer photo. I couldn't resist doing one of our moves for the camera. Go Team!

Whenever I have cheer on a chillier day, I add my cheer jacket, fun bright leggings, and my crocheted boots. They are warm and fuzzy, and I know I won't be cold.

These are the things I am going to be wearing this year. You will probably see them other places. I love having fun clothes and accessories to go with any outfit. I also love to make my own outfits. A lot of what you see here are things that I made.

Which outfit do you like best, and what are some of your favorite outfits?

~Morgan

Labor Day Weekend

Hello and Happy Labor Day weekend! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We had a lot of fun from Friday night until this morning. Here's what we did.

Ella, Samantha and Charlotte had a soccer fun night Friday night, so of course we all went. There were three-on-three tournaments, bounce houses, food and a lot of fun. Audrey wanted to play in the tournament, so Ella asked her coach if she could play on Ella's team. The coach agreed and Audrey got to play. Ella and Audrey were the winners of their league, and they were elated. Charlotte and Samantha also won. Here are pictures of our winners.

The four winners; Ella, Samantha, Audrey and Charlotte

Samantha and Charlotte with the ball.

 High-five!

Our littler winners with the ball.

Saturday was a little less hectic. We had a big Labor Day veterans show with our dance company, and Melodie and Mom spent most of the day sewing costumes and finding music. I took Ella and Ariana to the park, and Melodie decided to join us to take pictures.

Ella didn't actually carry Ariana to the park this way, but the girls like goofing around, and Melodie loves getting pictures.

Before we started off, Melodie wanted a picture. The white dog is Anna, a Yorkie. The pug is Lauren. We love them both so much.

Lauren really wanted to go to the park. Ariana, who had taken the leash, couldn't keep up.

Lauren! She kept jumping up on Melodie, so Melodie bent down and took this picture. Silly puppy.

Puppy love. Maybe this was Lauren's way of apologizing for pulling Ariana.

 We met Briana, Elizabeth and Anna on the way. Their light brown dog, Chrissa, is a bit wild, and Anna, the basset hound, is a big sweetie.

Audrey is holding onto Curly, Charlotte's pug. Lauren and Curly are puppy besties.

Melodie had the girls take a picture when we got home. How cute.

Sunday was a crazy day. We had dress-rehearsal for the veteran's show. Mom was there and took pictures before of everyone. Here are pictures of the soloists and duets.

Samantha had a solo to start of the program. The pictures are in order of how they were on the program. Samantha's dance, 'Goddess,' was inspired by Greek mythology. 

Ariel's routine was inspired by the song Part of Your World from Disney's The Little Mermaid.

Elizabeth and Anna did a duet called 'Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?' from Frozen.  They look just like Elsa and Anna.

Audrey's dance 'The Rose' was inspired by Beauty and the Beast. I love her dress.

Ella and Ariana had a dance called 'Sisters'. Perfect for two sisters.

Hazel choreographed her own solo, called 'Angel'. She looks so pretty in her white dress.

Charlotte and I have been working on our 'Cardinal and Bluebird' duet for a couple of months. Don't we look fabulous?

Melodie and Briana helped backstage, and they had solos during our group number.

Our group number was called 'Spirit of America'. This was taken after the performance today. We had a lot of fun dancing for veterans.

I hope your Labor Day weekend was as fun as ours.

What did you do for Labor Day weekend?
~Morgan

A New Friend

Hello everyone!

As you can tell by the title, we have a new friend. Charlotte and her family applied to be in the foster care program, and yesterday their foster child arrived.

Meet Audrey Katherine "Kate" Johnson. Charlotte and family met her yesterday, and she came home with them.

Audrey is seven, like Ella. She loves soccer and dance, and is very energetic and fun.

Here is a picture of Charlotte and Audrey together.

Charlotte is so excited to have a foster sister, and we are happy to have a new friend.

What do you think of Audrey?
~Morgan

Happy Birthday Briana!

Hello everyone. So sorry for the lack of posts, but we have been easing into school and really haven't had time to post. We are planning a few posts coming soon.

Anyway, today is Briana's birthday. We had her over early to have presents, because we are so busy with school and cheer-leading.

Before anyone came, Melodie took photos of the gifts. Here are all the gifts.

Then, Hazel and her sister Ariel came over, followed by Charlotte, and then Briana's sisters. I went over to get Briana and bumped into Samantha in the hall. After Briana was seated, Melodie handed her the gifts while I took pictures.

 Kariss had made Briana a plate of her favorite cookies. Yum.

 Ariel, Gracie, Elizabeth and Anna had saved their money and got Briana a gift card for $25 to Hobby Lobby. I wonder what she will use it for.

Charlotte made this beautiful plaque for Briana. It's very colorful and pretty.

Hazel made this doll to look like Briana. I love the dress.

 Samantha also got Briana a gift card to Target. Briana is going to have to go shopping.

 These were the gifts from our family. Melodie and I made slipper socks, and everyone helped pick fabrics and designs for both the bag and the socks. Briana had no idea what to use the bag for...

Until her parents gave her a camera! Briana's mom had told me about it and asked me to hide it at our house. We made the bag to she could carry her camera wherever she goes.

Briana is having a wonderful birthday, but the fun hasn't ended. We have two hours between co-op and cheer, so we are going out to lunch with Briana's family. Briana's mom made a chocolate cake with Oreo icing. I can't wait to try it.

What is your favorite thing about birthdays?

~Morgan