Homecoming 2015

Shortly after school started we told Tanis that if he wanted to go to a dance this year, he probably could. He'd just need to talk with us first and we'd go from there. Because his birthday is in the summer, he'd be missing out on every dance this year and Eric and I both felt that if Tanis really wanted to go to something he should be able to. Of course, we wanted him to be with a big group, etc. So that was that.

Shortly after that we heard that one of Tanis' friends wanted to go to Homecoming with him. She has been his friend for many years and was really looking forward to Homecoming, but wanted to go with Tanis.

She was talking to Tanis one day about it and Tanis told her they could go together. And then I heard about it. We couldn't tell the girl that he wasn't going after he had already told her they could, so we tried to have look for a group to go with. I don't know if he didn't really ask or around or what - but he never found a group.

Eric and I decided we'd just do the driving and go to dinner as well, but we'd let the kids have their own table. We'd then drive them to the dance and wait for them to decide they were done.
So the day arrived and thankfully I had thought about flowers a couple days before and begged my good friend to make the corsage and boutenniere. I felt bad as she was 10 days away from delivering a baby, but she said she didn't mind doing it.

We got ready to go and Tanis got all dressed up and we were out the door.

I could tell that he was a little bit nervous, but he did his best to contain it. We tried to tell him that he's been friends with this girl for so long and they hang out all the time, so it really didn't need to be awkward.
We went and picked the girl up and then we headed to dinner. They chose to go to Chuck A Rama for some reason, so that's where we headed. 

We asked for seperate tables and it kind of confused the hostesses, but they eventually got the idea.

They sat Eric and I in a place where I was able to kind of watch Tanis and Shaila. I wasn't watching them to be nosy, I was more curious if they'd talk to each other or kind of ignore each other the whole meal. When I saw that they were having a conversation, I relaxed and paid attention to my date.

The kids let us know when they were done eating and I just had to finish up my dessert. 

We then took the kids to the school and decided to wait in the parking lot. Eric was convinced the kids wouldn't stay at the dance very long and I told him to not be so sure of that. I wasn't sure what we were going to do for 2 hours sitting in a parking lot, but Eric had planned ahead and got the necessary equipment together so that we could watch some of our 'shows'. I was thankful to him for that and it was nice to watch shows without kids running around crazy and loud.

Tanis and Shaila spent the whole time at the dance (we should've wagered on it) and they said they had fun. They met up with some friends at the dance and had a good night. We took Shaila home and Tanis didn't walk her up to the door. We kinda failed at teaching him that. But we made sure to let him know that the next time he goes to a dance, the proper thing to do is walk her to the door.

It was kind of a hard day for me realizing my oldest is old enough to do things like this and that he really didn't have a whole lot of fear in doing so. He is a good kid and I was super proud of him and the way he handled the whole situation.

What Happens Next...

We've Got Spirit - Day 1

I'll be the first to admit that I've never had school spirit. Okay, NEVER may be a bit too strong of a word. I was happy to go to the school I went to, I was also very happy I didn't have to attend our rival school - but the whole 'school spirit' thing kind of got lost on me.

So when it was SPIRIT WEEK at the schools I went to, I hardly ever participated. Mostly because I was (and still am) so self - conscious that dressing in silly ways was something I was NOT comfortable doing. So, it's kind of odd that I find it fun for my kids. I don't force them to do it, they all decide it on their own and they get excited about it.

So this year I decided I'd actually share how they dress everyday.

Yesterday, February 6th was the first day. The theme for the day was: DRESS AS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK CHARACTER....

(My kids may or may not use the term 'favorite' loosely...)

Tanis chose to be Greg from the DIARY OF A WIMPY KID book series. This is actually a favorite character for Tanis and he has really enjoyed these books.

Shaylyn chose to be a basilisk type creature that is similar to Medusa from a book her friend gave her. It is a Japanese themed book called PET SHOP OF HORRORS. It's basically like Gremlins where the mythical creatures come with a certain set of rules and if the rules aren't followed bad things happen.

Lex decided on Hubie from the TEACHERS FROM THE BLACK LAGOON series of books. I don't know that it's necessarily his favorite character, but it's a book he's really enjoyed. Next year I'm gonna convince him to be ALEXANDER from ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE,  NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY! (HAHAHAHAHA!)

What Happens Next...

30 Days of Truth: Day 18

DAY 18: SOMEONE YOU MET RANDOMLY THAT'S MADE AN IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE

I had to think about this answer for awhile, but I came up with an answer and that answer is my ex-boyfriend, Tolon.


Think that's an odd answer? Well keep on reading - it'll make sense at the end.

It was the start of my Junior year of high school and because I have a birthday in Fall I had Driver's Ed first semester. I only knew one person in the whole class though it ended up not mattering because the teacher sat us alphabetically. An odd way alphabetically, but it ended up that I was sat next to this kid named Tolon.

I didn't know him from Adam. He went to a different Jr. High school and I really didn't know anyone he knew and vice versa. But being the kind person he is - he started talking with me. It wasn't long before we fell into 'deep like.'

By the end of the semester we were officially a 'couple' and even had a few classes together. (Does every high school couple do that or was it just me with my boyfriends?) We only dated for about 5 months because I eventually got bored and started getting a crush on Eric. HAHAHA!


I've explained how I met Tolon randomly, but now I'll get to the reason he had such an impact on my life.

I was very unsure of myself. VERY unsure. I hated that I had to wear glasses, I thought I was horribly fat and my older sister like never dated so I was sure my high school life was going to be a similar story. I even told my bishop at the time that I was NEVER going to date. Not because I didn't want to, but because no one would want to date me.

So then came Tolon. He genuinely liked me! I didn't have to pretend to be someone I wasn't. He liked the person I was. He made me look for the good in life, made me search for the good in myself. He came to see me before Christmas one Saturday morning and I hadn't gotten dressed or done my hair or any of that stuff. I was so mortified that he saw me in that condition, but he said something to the effect of he still thought I looked pretty. That was an awesome thing to hear. Now Eric will try to tell me that he said it just because he was a guy and he wanted something - but I'll tell you it was just him. That's the way he was. He was always trying to build me up and NEVER said anything to destroy me emotionally. I felt really bad that I broke up with him. My mom even told me that I was a happier person with Tolon and she honest to goodness wrote him a letter thanking him for all that he did for me.


Because of Tolon I was able to learn to love myself a little more. I was able to see what I was capable of. I found out that there was more to me than a goofy girl with glasses. He taught me that there are possibilites in life and sometimes it's fun to be a little spontaneous. It may have only been 5 short months of my life, but everything he taught me has lasted a lifetime!

So there is the person I met randomly that's made an impact in my life. And to be fair here, Eric has done so much more than Tolon did, but Tolon was the first one that happened along and I didn't really meet Eric randomly otherwise I may have chosen him. ;)

What Happens Next...

30 Days of Truth: Days 3, 4, 5 & 6

See, I've yet to actually post something EVERY day. In my defense though (yup, I'm always making excuses for myself) this weekend was super busy. Saturday I was busy cleaning the house for Tanis' bday party (more on that in a day or so), Sunday we went to church and then had Tanis' bday party and Monday was spent away from the house all day. So there you have it. And I am just realizing that I need to account for today. It's Tuesday not Monday. Ay yi yi...

Okay, well we're all set to go. I'm gonna count down so that you have the most current entry first.



DAY 6 - SOMETHING THAT EXCITES YOU AND FILLS YOU WITH JOY

This one is super easy and probably super obvious....

My kids are so much fun, especially Ailey. They are all so different and live life so differently. It's fun to watch them grow, learn and develop. Ailey is especially at an age where everything is just so fun to watch. The excitement she feels when she sees mommy or daddy and how cute she looks when she literally runs to us. To see the anxiety she has around strangers - yet she will always offer a smile.

It's all these little things that fill me with joy. Super simple, but so amazing!


----------------------------------------------------

DAY 5 - SOMETHING IN LIFE THAT GIVES YOU BALANCE

Life can be hard, that is a given. And since this is a truth challenge, I'm going to be very forward here...

There's been many days where I just want to give up, call it quits and move on. There's been days I've thought the darkest thoughts you can possibly think. I've been known to harm myself in order to 'feel better'. I've often wondered if anyone would care if I left this world. I've wondered if anyone would show up at my funeral. I've wondered how long it would take Eric to move on. Would he immediately find someone new, or would he live the rest of his life alone? I have had THOSE moments.

But, when my cousin decided to go through with those deep, dark thoughts, it woke me up! It's sad to say that his death had to shake me up and make me see things beyond myself. To witness the grief that his widow and sons had to bare, and to see the horribly wrong choices these young men have made since their father's death was such a wake up call.

Since my cousin's passing it has put balance in my life on those horribly dark days. When I start to think those horrible, ugly thoughts - they suddenly turn to Greg. I wouldn't want to leave my kids in such a state. I wouldn't want to put Eric through all the pain and grief that would come with that. And for the most part - my life is WONDERFUL. I can't let a week of frustration and stress break it all away for me.


---------------------------------------------

DAY 4 - SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF YOUR ROUTINE THAT YOU ENJOY

That word routine I don't enjoy. I don't enjoy 'routines', but I do have one every day. It's just the way things get done. If I didn't have some sort of routine, nothing would get accomplished. Since most of my routine is work and cleaning to keep this place in some sort of order, the only other thing that is routine is my shower/bath. It's my favorite part of the day. I'll usually wait until Ailey is napping so that I can have the time to myself. The older kids are good to watch Nate and so I really do get about 10 minutes of peace. It's wonderful and it helps to have a jetted tub!

-------------------------------------------------------

DAY 3 - SOMETHING WITH WHICH YOU STRUGGLE

I really struggle with liking how I look, as a lot of people do. It's odd because I've never much liked how I looked. In High School I thought I was A LOT bigger than I actually was, now I WISH I looked like I did in High School.

For the most part I can look in the mirror and be okay with what I see from the neck up. It's when I look at everything below the neck that I get uneasy. I hate looking at pictures of me if I'm not hidden behind something.

I know I have 5 kids and they've all added their little remembrance and some days I'm okay with that. But it gets difficult living around people who have as many as 8 kids and they look the same as they did before kids. A lot of my High School friends also look about the same, which is terrific for them and I'm really not jealous. It's just difficult to love how I look.

------------------------------------

And now I'm off to shower. Yes, it's 6:00 at night. No, I really haven't showered yet. Don't judge me! Like I said we had a busy few days and I just barely got clothing washed so I can get dressed. If I didn't have to go Visiting Teaching I probably would've stayed in my jammies all day. Sue me!

What Happens Next...

I Was A Senior Hottie (Eh, Then Again....Maybe Not)

So my friend at Utah Mom's Life happened across this blog hop and I decided to jump aboard. And I'm probably going to go overboard on pictures, but this is fun - right?

So this is my Senior Year photo:



What? It doesn't look like a real 'Senior Year' photo? That's because it's not. My mom decided it was much cheaper for her to take a few kids at a time to Sears Portrait Studio (With coupons in hand), than to pay whatever company the school hired. But, if you want a 'real Senior photo', here you go, taken right from the year book:


Here's a few facts about Senior Year...

* I was NEVER a morning person

(See, I told you... I'm quite scary in the mornings - still)

* I spent an awful lot of time with some dude named Eric...

* I acted, a bit...Wish I would've done more





* I was in Concert Choir - which I've decided is for those people with even a small bit of talent, but not yet talented enough for Madrigals...(And as a bit of interesting useless history...My 2nd cousin married my Choir teachers daughter) So in the Spring we got to go on a Choir tour to Vegas:

...Can you spot me?...

While in Vegas, that dude Eric and I got hitched.


(Okay, not really...it's was a digital picture thing where they stuck our heads in some premade picture)

After the Choir Competition we headed to Disneyland (It was my first AND only time at Disneyland - SERIOUSLY)

(The dude in this picture is one of Eric's buddies...)

* I was also in Lit Mag. Which was our school's poetry/writing book. It was seriously one of the greatest 'clubs' I've ever belonged to.


(I'm totally rocking the scrunchie and those girls that are hugging are sisters, just so you know...)

* Graduation sucked...End of story. But here's some awesome pics of it for you to enjoy!





And that my friends is me, in all of my Senior 'hotness'... And truth be told I much more enjoy these photos of my Senior hotness than I do of the photos of all my mommy hotness.

Now if any of you would like to be as brave, all you gotta do is do it and link on up!!!

What Happens Next...