Off To The Land Of Wonder!

Well, at 5:15 AM SHARP (according to my Ranger, hubby!), we'll be leaving for the airport in the morning to embark on a 10 1/2 hour journey to a place of waterfalls, rain forests, beaches, and these creepy critters...

It's called a Cane Spider. Though, not poisonous, they can be quite aggressive. I REALLY hope I don't encounter any while I'm away! You see, we're heading to the Big Island of Hawaii! Isn't it just beautiful??? I have never been and it's one place I've always wanted to visit as long as I can remember. Chris surprised me with the trip this past Christmas because he knows how much I love to travel AND make memories with our girls. So, this trip is going to be very special to me. I can hardly wait!

Guess I should get busy and start packing, huh? I'll see you all when I return...hopefully, with no stories about being attacked by a Cane Spider! YUCK!

ALOHA, my friends!

One Chapter Closed...

Hello, everyone! I am still around, believe it or not! The girls last day of school was this past Wednesday, then Brittany, of course, graduated on Thursday. It truly has been a whirlwind of activities!

Graduation went off without a hitch...and my tear ducts survived! :) The only problem was that it was so HOT! It was held at the football stadium and the temperature was around 90 degrees! Plus, we sat on the side where the sun was beaming right down on us...UGH! Once the sun went down, it turned out to be fairly pleasant. The ceremony lasted for 2 1/2 hours.

Now, just to backpedal a bit, the day before graduation, we decided to give Brittany her graduation gifts since we had company coming in the next morning and it was going to be such a busy day. I made her a scrapbook of all of her running accomplishments and newspaper articles. Here she is checking it out...

We, also, had a t-shirt quilt made for her using 12 of her most cherished running t-shirts.

Here's the full view...

Her biggest surprise from us was an amethyst birthstone ring that she'd been wanting for awhile. She was thrilled with all of her gifts!

Now, here's some pictures we took before and during graduation.



Here's all the graduates streaming into the stadium.

Here's Brittany turning around to talk to some friends on her way up to get her diploma.

And all their caps flew up in the air after the principal declared them 2010 graduates of Mill Creek High School!!! What a moment!


I still can't believe it's all over. One thing I have learned from this whole experience is that change is inevitable. I can learn to embrace it, or I can fight with all my might to push it away. I choose to embrace it for all it's worth and I look forward to this new chapter in our lives with great anticipation!

Thanks for all your support...you're simply the BEST!

Cinderella For A Night!

Brittany's Senior Prom...her last one...was on Saturday night. The day started off by taking her in to get her hair done. I loved sitting there watching the transformation from an 18 year old girl (in MY eyes) to a beautiful young woman. It just about took by breath away!

After we got home, we ate a quick lunch, then Brittany began putting on her makeup. I'd walk past the bathroom every few minutes or so just to make sure things were moving along smoothly. Thankfully, she didn't have any "makeup malfunctions", as she calls them. Whew...one more worry off the list! After she finished her makeup, she slipped into her dress. Ever have one of those WOW! moments? Well, that was definitely one for me! I know she's my daughter and all, but she looked drop-dead gorgeous! See...

Patrick arrived right on time and gave her a pretty corsage. Here she is attempting to pin his boutonniere on without stabbing him in the chest. I think it was a close call!

Everyone met over at Chateau Elan for pictures and to get picked up by the limo. It was so windy and all the girls were in a panic that their hair was getting messed up...Brittany, especially! Here they all are together...they looked like a rainbow!

Here's one last shot of Brittany and Patrick...yes, he is VERY tall! Brittany was wearing 3-inch heels!

And here's a picture of the entire group lined up in front of their limo! They had such a fun night! Brittany got home at 3:30 AM and came into our bedroom to tell us she'd made it home alright. Her voice was music to my ears!

Looks like I survived yet another milestone no worse for wear. Now, the real test is only two weeks away!

I'll do my best to visit all of you today or tomorrow. Abby has her final choral performance this evening, so I'm short on time. I so appreciate your continued support and understanding during this crazy, stressful, and emotional time in my life. I'm trying to savor each and every second the best I know how!

Senior Week Fun!

Whew! Four showings between Tuesday and Sunday makes for one stressed out momma! I'm not kidding...I just want this whole process to be O-VER in a big way! I wish we'd, at least, get an offer or consistent feedback from the realtors who show our house. Please say a prayer that our house will sell soon...I'm trying so hard to remain patient.

This past week was a busy one! We, not only had 4 showings, but Brittany had SENIOR WEEK at her school. Each day, all 800+ seniors got to dress up in different outfits and they provided doughnuts for breakfast and ice cream after school. Here's how she looked on Greek Day. We constructed her toga from a king-size pillowcase and I think it turned out pretty snazzy.


Thursday was the Senior Walk. Hundreds of parents lined the hallways of the high school to see all the seniors walk in their caps and gowns. I was prepared to cry some crocodile tears, but, miracle of miracles, I didn't shed a single one! Can you believe it? I definitely think God gave me the strength I needed to get through it with flying colors. There was a moment when "Pomp and Circumstance" began to play over the intercom and I got a lump in my throat, but I held it together. Yay ME! :) Here's a shot I took of her as she was passing by.

This one was taken by a good friend of mine, Margaret...I really love how she captured her bubbly personality!

After the Senior Walk, all the kids and volunteer parents headed over to the football stadium for the Senior Carnival from 10-2. It was so much fun for everyone, parents included! The kids had a blast just lettin' loose! Here's Brittany trying to convince Patrick to do the Electric Slide with her. He, finally, caved...and it wasn't pretty! LOL! Poor guy...or maybe poor Brittany! I suppose it all depends on your perspective. :) I'm just so glad I was able to be a part of it all!

On another note, Brittany ended up doing well in the Region 7-AAAAA Track and Field Championships. In the 1600m, she placed 7th overall and ended up beating Alicia by a second! She sprinted in to the finish like she was on a mission!:) She PR'd with a time of 5:31 and set the Senior Record for that event! In the 3200m, she placed 6th overall with a time of 12:00 flat. It wasn't the time she was hoping for, but the wind was gusting like you wouldn't believe and it was cold and misting rain. Definitely not ideal running conditions. Oh, well...she ended her high school running career with 5 school records to her name! What a great journey it's been!

Brittany and Alicia haven't spoken to each other in over a week now. It really is sad. They've been best friend since freshman year and have never gone this long without communicating. As I mentioned before, it's all because Brittany confronted Alicia about something she did that she didn't approve of...and Alicia turned on her because of it. Brittany has shown more character and humility in this past week than ever before and I couldn't be more proud of her. Only time will tell if their friendship can be repaired. Please say a prayer that she'll continue to stand strong on her morals and values.

It's a rainy Monday here. I just might have to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over my head. Oh, how blissful that would be!

I Almost Forgot!

I was thinking the other day about something I forgot to share with you that happened on our Orlando trip. Well, we were all standing in line one morning to enter the gates to the parks. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a man walking up on the left side of us with his family. He looked like he was trying to break in line. There was a lady in front of us with a baby stroller and she was talking to another woman, which left an opening. Well, as soon as she passed through the turnstile, the man made his move and stepped right in front of us! I couldn't resist saying something to him. He had his back turned, so I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. I said, "Excuse me, sir, but we were in line before you." He immediately countered, "Oh, no...I was here before you!" Chris and I both chimed in and informed him that we had seen him walk up with his family while we were waiting in line. We went back and forth several times, then he conceded and got in line behind us. He said, "Sorry 'bout that...I don't want to hold you up." I gave him a curt, "We appreciate it", then we went on in. Oh, did that ever get my goat! I can't stand for someone to try and break in line! I might be little, but I'm not easily intimidated! :)

Now, on to other news. Bet you'll never guess who's taking Brittany to the prom. C'mon now...who do you think it is? OK...time's running out! It's...drum roll...PATRICK??? Yep, you got it! At the end of last week, she went out to her car to head on to school only to find that he'd written, "Brittany + Pat+ Prom=?" all over her windshield. He even left her a single red rose, a note, and a bag of her favorite candy tucked under her windshield wipers. She sent me a text soon as she got to school and wrote, "You have to admit, Mom, that was pretty sweet!" She tells me that they're going as "just friends", but I'm not 100% convinced. She tells me all the time about how sorry he is for the way he treated her and that he makes her very happy and is so kind to her. So, I ask...what do you do when your daughter is 18 years old and is old enough to make her own decisions? Sometimes, you just have to bite your tongue and go with the flow. I don't think I'll ever have warm fuzzies toward Patrick, but I will do my best to tolerate him. It's situations like this that make me long to move away...far, far away...QUICKLY!

I'm off in a bit to pick up a locker strip to decorate Brittany's locker on Saturday afternoon. It's a tradition for all the seniors at her school and something all the kids look forward to seeing on Monday morning! So, I have to get a bunch of photos together and get to work. I'll try to remember to post a picture of it once I'm done. For someone who's "craft challenged" like myself, this could be quite an undertaking! :) Wish me luck!

Orlando Highlights...To Sum It All Up

Well, I think I just might be able to wrap up the last bits and pieces of our Orlando trip. Hope I haven't bored you too much! Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Our last day at the parks was another memorable one, though we were all beginning to feel the effects of sore feet from all the walking we'd done! Nevertheless, that didn't seem to stop us or slow us down...off we went!

We, of course, couldn't resist having our picture made with the famous "Jaws"...it's been our tradition for years! In fact...look at this picture I found when the girls were little. I think it was our first time to visit Universal. Seems like it was just yesterday!

The girls convinced us that this would make the perfect photo, so we couldn't resist.

Thought I'd throw in another picture of Hogwart's Castle!

Before we left the parks, the girls and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have Donkey harass us and Shrek make us laugh. Oh, and they did just that! Shrek's big ol' hand weighed a ton!
On our way out, Abby had to "ride the waves" one more time! Hang ten!
We decided to hop on a ferry and go to some of the swanky hotels nearby. This one was out of this world! It's the Portofino Bay Resort and it looked like a little Italian village. Absolutely gorgeous!Their flower arrangements were breathtaking!We, also, checked out the Hard Rock Hotel, which was quite impressive, too! The walls were lined with rock~n~roll memorabilia. Here's Elton John's boots. I think I need a pair of shoes like that in my wardrobe!Here's a neat sculpture outside of the hotel...

So, all in all, it was another great vacation that we'll tuck away in our memory banks forever! Hope you have a bright, warm weekend! Enjoy it to the max!

Orlando Highlights Pt. 2

As the school year begins to wind down, I'm finding it's becoming increasingly more difficult to find the time to sit down and compose a post. Today, I have to pick up Brittany's graduation announcements, get some pictures developed for a scrapbook she has to make for school, write several Senior Letters to some of her classmates, and attend her track meet at 5 PM. Oh, and I'm still in the midst of attempting to write Brittany a Senior Letter...talk about hard! There's so much I want to say to her. I'm already up to page 6! So, that's why I've not been very consistent about blogging lately. I suppose you might say there's bigger fish to fry. :) Thank you for your continued support and understanding!

Now, let's see...I can hardly remember where I left off! I know I mentioned how on Monday of our trip, we decided to sleep in and enjoy a little pool time. Well, that afternoon, we went back to the parks and rode nearly every ride there, time and time, again. Here's some more pictures for you to enjoy.

Here's a shot of Brittany and Chris I took when they were riding the Incredible Hulk Coaster. They're on the front row...AGAIN!

Here's a picture of Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls. I tell you, when you come out of that hole at the very top...it's straight DOWN! It really takes your breath away, but it was a BLAST!!!

The three of us girls wandering through the streets of Universal Studios trying to figure out what kind of trouble we're going to get into next! :)

Brittany and Abby decided to try on various hats/headgear in one store we went in. Pretty snazzy, wouldn't you say?


Here's the first glimpse of Hogwart's Castle at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which is due to open in June. We will definitely have to go back next year to see it!

This is one of our favorite shows to see...Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue! Those folks can SING!!!
Here's Chris and the girls after another long day of fun in the sun! When we came back to the parks later in the evening, we were greeted by a teenage boy who gave us 4 "Fast Pass" tickets. They allow you to go to the front of the lines without having to wait for 30 mins. to an hour to get on a ride. We had the best time running around and hopping on every ride we could in 2 hours! That kid made our day!
Well, I really thought I was going to be able to wrap everything up today, but I still have some things I'd like to share. So, stayed tuned for the final chapter! :)