Graduation

The Graduate

She spotted us in the crowd.

Nikita and her girlfriend, Christina.

Andre was all ready to graduate. My parents came down for the big day.

Aren't we the proud parents?

Renaissance Faire

We spent a beautiful Saturday up near Ogden at the Utah Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Faire. We all dressed up and had a great time. We've been going to these things since Nikita was a baby. The kids love it. And of course it's one of Jim's favorite pasttimes! We met up with our good friends, Kathi & Larry Lewis and their kids, all of who've never been to a Ren Faire before.

And Ivan & Andre did something that NONE of us have EVER done:

Andre wasn't sure he actually wanted to do it, but was really glad that he did.

Now they both have something to brag about at school on Monday.

Max's Gift

I know this is a week late, but.....
This is what I found outside the front door on Mother's Day morning.
I know you can't see it all, but he actually wrote "Mommy". (That was my favorite part.)
Pretty sweet from a 14 year-old boy, isn't it?

Last night, Nikita and her friend, Christina went to the Sadie Hawkin's dance at school. Can you tell what the theme was by how they're dressed?

If you guessed the '80s, you're right!

They looked so cute! Of course it helped that Nikita had a professional 80s relic shopping with her.

And her date, Bobby, didn't even mind the pink shirt, collar up, and tucked in with a belt!

He was one brave boy!

They had a great time.

According to Nikita, "More fun than Prom!"

Old Friends

A few of my old girlfriends from Washington now live here in Utah, but too far away to see very often. A couple of them came down to Provo for the BYU Women's Conference. I didn't get to go to the conference because I had to work, but my work was in Provo today. We all got to get together for lunch, though, at my friend Simy and her husband Andy's restaurant, "Dew". (She and her husband are on the right.) We didn't have much time together, but it was really awesome to be together for a little while.

Prom

Last weekend was Nikita's Senior Prom. She went with a boy named Eric who works with Jim.
Aren't they cute? (Just friends, though.)

These photos don't do justice to the dress. It is so pretty.

I'll post the official Prom portraits when she gets them back.

By the way.....What happened to my baby girl???

Irreverent

Have you ever gotten a case of the giggles that you just couldn't control? Over something that was not only not-funny, but also inappropriate?

My Max is such a good and reverent boy during Sacrament meeting, that is, while he's passing the Sacrament. But he often gets a bit distracting afterwords and bothers whoever he's sitting next to, usually Nikita. But last Sunday I let him sit next to me. That was a mistake!

As I'm listening to the speaker, who has a direct line of sight to me because I am sitting right in the center with nobody in front of me, Max leans over to me and quietly whispers into my ear: "fecal matter".

Now just because I'm laughing, doesn't mean something is funny. But I just about busted up out loud! I started giggling so hard that I immediately had tears streaming from my eyes. I had my hands over my face, but my shoulders were shaking so much that anyone who saw me could tell that something was going on. I quickly had Nikita switch spots with me so I could get away from Max who kept repeating his inappropriate phrase in my ear, making it even harder for me to keep from snorting out loud.

When Nikita saw my face, she said, "Are you crying?"

Then when I scooted next to Andre who was on her other side, he asked if I was crying, too. I shook my head, but I'm sure he wasn't convinced.

It was probably a full 5 minutes before I could put my hand down from my face. I forced myself to keep my eyes averted from the pulpit where I just knew that the entire Bishopric was staring down disapprovingly at me.

And even then, every once in a while, throughout the rest of the meeting, I would start up again.

You know that analogy that your mind is like a stage and that you can't have both good and bad thoughts at the same time? It's a LIE! Even during the closing song, I had to occasionally bite my lips shut to keep the grin and then the giggle from sneaking out.

So, Max is now grounded from sitting by me at church for a while. I've banished him to the far side of Jim where he can't bother anybody. Jim would sleep right through it!