Father Daughter Dinner and Dance

After many long weeks of waiting...and waiting...and waiting...Alexia and Daddy's big night FINALLY arrived -- THE FATHER-DAUGHTER Dinner & Dance!!!
Alexia was so excited (I think Daddy was pretty excited, too...although he would probably never admit it...)...lol!  He even went out and bought a sports jacket so he could take his little girl to her first dance in style :)  Doesn't he look handsome?

What To Wear???
Alexia wanted to wear the dress she wore for Christmas and we bought her a new pair of shoes for the big event!  She wasn't sure what to do with her hair or what jewelry to wear, so Mommy came up with the perfect idea ~ she could wear the hair clips and necklace that Mommy wore when she and Daddy got married!  Alexia was thrilled!  We had taken her to get her hair cut and nails done the day before, so she was all ready for her very special night with Daddy!

The perfect father-daughter pair!!

SO PRECIOUS!!!

Do you think they are excited...????

 Alexia was also very excited about all of the friends who were planning on going...Leann, Ava, Allison, Reese, Hannah...these girls had been talking and dreaming about this night for weeks!

Here is a picture of Alexia and Leann, one of Alexia's closest friends in her class at school :)
All of the Daddy's received a red rose to give to their little princesses!

After getting checked in...the night began with dinner...

And, lets not forget about dessert...check out all those cupcakes!!!!!

Alexia has developed such great friends at school.  Here she is with Leann and Ava.  Scott said that these three girls were INSEPARABLE all night long. 

Think they are having a good time???

And then...LET THE DANCING BEGIN!!!!!!
I'm not exactly sure how much dancing the Daddy's did, but, from what I'm told...the girls sure "tore up the dance floor!"

These girls danced together all night long...oh, how I wish I could have been there to see it in person (but Daddy did a good job of getting some pics for Mommy)

Complete JOY!!!

 Alexia did ensure me that Daddy danced with her..."slow and fast dancing"...not sure how long the fast dancing lasted as Daddy told me that Alexia laughed at his dance moves (poor guy...oh well, he gets an "A" for effort in my mind)!  Actually, the fact that he took his little girl to this dance gave him the "Daddy of the Year" Award in my mind!

The night was filled with dance contests, the limbo, the chicken dance...and many other great moments!  Talk about a night filled with wonderful memories!
Alexia came home with a rose, a keepsake box, a balloon and a little stuffed animal (would have had a picture, but the batteries in the camera died...oops!). 
But, more than any of those things...Alexia and Daddy came home with an even greater bond as Daddy and Daughter than they had before they left.  These are the kinds of experiences that help shape the kind of girl Alexia will grow up to be!  I'm really thankful that the school district the girls attend offers events and exeriences like these that support the ideals and values that we work hard to carry out in our family!

To my wonderful husband...and the Daddy of my beautiful girls...THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE TIME to take Alexia to her very FIRST Dance!  She is already counting the days until next year's dance (really, she is!)  :)

THE DEEPER MEANING of these experiences...
As I thought about Alexia and Daddy at this event, it reminded me of what I've been reading in a book, called Bringing up Girls by James Dobson.  It talks about the important role that father's have in shaping a little girls's self-worth.
Here's an excerpt from one of the chapters:
"I believe there are many approaches to instilling healthy self-worth in girls, but it begins within the security of a loving family (Thanks Mom & Dad for providing this for me during my childhood...what a difference it made in my life!!!!!)  Specifically, it depends on a caring and affirming father.  Moms are vital in countless ways too but self-worth for girls hangs precariously on their relationship with their dads."  (This, too, was very true in my life)!!!
"I have watched daughters talk to their fathers.  When Daddy's come into the room they change.  Everything about them changes:  their eyes, their mouths, their gestures, their body language.  Daughters are never lukewarm in the presence of their fathers.  They light up--or they cry.  They watch you intensely.  They hang on your words.  They hope for your attention, and they wait for it in frustration--or in desair.  They need a gesture of approval, a nod of encouragement, or even simply eye contact to let them know you care and are willing to help."
"When she's in your company, your daughter tries harder to excel.  When you teach her, she learns more rapidly.  When you guide her, she gains confidence.  If you fully understand just how profoundly you can influence your daughter's life, you would be terrified, overwhelmed, or both.  Boyfriends, brothers, and even husbands can't shape her character the way you do.  You will influence her entire life because she gives you an authority she gives no other man."
"You will make the difference in your daughter's life.  You have to--because, unfortunately, we have a popular culture that's not healthy for girls and young women, and there is only one thing that stands between it and your daughter...YOU!"
"Fathers inevitably change the course of their daughter's lives--and can even save them.  From the moment you set eyes on her wet-from-the-womb body until she leaves your home, the clock starts ticking.  It's the clock that times your hours with her, your opportunities to influence her, to shape her character, and to help her find herself--and to enjoy living!"