Decorating The Tree!

With Kambree in college we decorate the tree on Thanksgiving weekend while she's home. This year we had so much going on that we had to resort to Sunday morning - so everyone is in PJ's and has bed heads. But at least we were all together!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh my goodness.

I don't know how mom's work full time.

Really. I don't.

I am half way through with my JB training. 

Two weeks from tomorrow I graduate only to work the next two weeks of shifts at the call center and then home just in time to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

Nice. 

I wish I could say I love it. 

I don't.

I actually tried to quit - thinking I was jumping the gun. I have so much going on, my real estate work has taken off, my kids are all over the board and I am just too dang old to learn all these acronyms and  airport codes! 

It dawned on me last week, that I should have waited six years to work here - not that that would improve my aging issue - just that Rylee would be a senior in high school - and James and I could actually TRAVEL! (The whole point of taking this job in the first place.) 

I was discouraged because we were told it was virtually impossible to get out of Salt Lake during summer, Christmas break or spring break. The only time my family can travel. 

What the heck? 

Why am I doing this.

(It ain't the money....I'm telling you!)

Then upon learning that we couldn't trade shifts or volunteer for time off for the first two weeks - making me miss Ry's dance recital, all of Christmas Eve (3:30 to midnight) and the same lovely shift on Christmas Day - I was done. Finished. 

However, I wanted to leave on good terms so I could revisit working here later?

Well, apparently if you quit (or flunk out - my plan B) during training, you can never be rehired. FOR LIFE!
Good grief.

So, I decided to tough out training and then give my two weeks?

I talked with friends that work for JB and they assured me that I CAN travel during the above mentioned times, it just involves being savvy and not that I want to toot my horn, but I like savvy. I like plans A, B & C with an alternate  D.

Then Ry's recital was changed to afternoon instead of night and now I can at least catch her dance - even though I'll need to slip out early.  Then yesterday, a new friend in my class offered to pick up my Christmas Eve shift at 7 pm and perhaps my Christmas Day shift at the same time. (Seriously. What a sweetheart!)  and now I'm like the little train that could, "I think I can." 

We'll see.

Meanwhile, life goes on.

Devree played her first basketball game. She did awesome. I love watching my kids play sports. (Especially when they excel. I'll be the first to admit it was painful to watch Alex play basketball that first year. The year he wasn't sure if he could grab the ball with his hands based on only playing soccer in Ukraine up until that point? It was also painful to watch Austin play soccer when he was five or six as he was more interested in looking for 4 leaf clovers in the grass or tying his hoodie into a little hole that only his nose could poke out of.)

Alex is trying so hard to figure where he fits. He's had a hard time with me being gone so much. I had to laugh when he complained about all the things he misses about me not getting him off to school in the morning. Even that no one ells him to comb his hair in the morning. Yet, he always acted so put out when I would remind him? Good grief.

Austin is never home and if he is home he's "hanging" with his friends.

Rylee is doing well but I will be glad to get through this 6th grade drama. Everything is such a roller coaster. I honestly think junior high is easier than 5th and 6th grade. Maybe it's the rotating through 7 classes each day and not being cooped up with the same 25 children all day? I don't know, all I know is I get detailed reports about who said what, what boy likes what girl, what girl is mad at what other girl, and how mad the teacher got at the class. 

James is home. Thank goodness. He's been my real estate assistant/stay at home dad for the past week. Wish he was home for the rest of this training. 

Kambree is home for Thanksgiving. She is in the process of applying  for schools to continue her nursing degree.

It's so nice to have everyone home. Myself included. I have the next four days off and I plan on doing very little. (Besides hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow.) 

I am so grateful for so many things. My family and friends being at the very top of my list. And despite my grumbling about training and busyness, I wouldn't change my life and/or lot for anything.

Happy T-day blogging world!

Hope your turkey is moist, your pie crusts are flaky and we all take a minute to love those who love us and thank the Lord for all we have.

~Wendy

Fall Ball!

#1 The Ask: 

Austin was asked with a big pumpkin.

He had to clean it out and unscramble his dates name

He answered with a big pumpkin pie and the word "YES" carved out of the middle.

Devree asked with a bunch of bouncy balls tossed all over her dates room and a poster that read:

"We would have a bouncing time if you'd go to Fall Ball me!"

Then he had to find all the bouncy balls and find the ones with the letters on it to make her name.

He answered her by putting little green army men all over her room and making this poster.

(I love this part of the dance. Not only the fun ways to ask and answer but the threat that their date might be visiting their room is a lot of incentive to keep it clean!)

#2 The clothes:

And the shoes, earrings, bracelet, nylons and lip gloss!

(I kid you not!)

Austin? I grabbed him a tie to go with his dates dress the night before. (Boys are so much easier than girls!)

And finally, the big day is upon us.
Why in the world our high school has created a tradition of an ALL DAY LONG date is beyond me. We didn't do this when I went to school.
But the day group activities were:
Austin-paint balling
Devree- rock climbing

(Not to mention that Devree had to take a concussion test for basketball and have pictures taken, then had to decorate for the dance and since she can't drive? That would be me getting her back and forth.)

Around 3pm, they were home to get ready.

Devree getting ready:

Austin getting ready:

The plan was for the Devree's group to meet at our house for dinner. So while they were getting ready, I was getting ready!

The unknown plan was that our house was also the pick up/gathering spot for Austin's group so around 5:30 pm I had roughly fourteen kids here!

But before everyone got here, I got a few pictures of Devree after her Fairy Godmother (aka Sami Rytting) visited:

I had made a deal with Austin that he would oblige me some photo's in exchange for ironing his shirt. 

So all 14 kids had to mill around while I got these pictures.

And then the seniors left and Devree and her date did their flower exchange and obliged me a few photo's.

The dinner group:

Then we had to do some friend pictures.

(Megan is Devree's good friend and they're on the basketball team together.)

Then they sat down to eat and Rylee (my assistant and the waitress for the evening) poured everyone a glass of Martinelle's and they had to toast each other:

Then they ate by candlelight....

(The pictures make it look a lot darker than it really was.)

 The menu?
Shrimp Cocktail
Caesar Salad
Roll
Chicken Cord-on-Blu
Rice Pilaf
Sauteed Asparagus
&
Chocolate Cake
(Yes, very similar to Austin's Homecoming menu. Why mess with what works?)
Now, these kids are sophomores and no one has a license....yet. So I drove them to the dance. Went home, cleaned up not only the dishes but myself and then James and I went back to chaperon. This is a MAG dance (Murray Association of Girls) and Devree is the sophomore rep so as her parents we got the awesome privilege of chaperoning!
Here's James and Austin at the dance:

(Devree pretended like she didn't know us the whole time.)

After wards we also had the privilege of helping clean up.

I had to snap this picture of Cinderella after the ball: 

Here's the kids getting chauffeured home:

Whew! You would think it was over right?

Nope.

Now, it's the night activity!

And it happened to be at our house too.

The original plan was 24 kids and a chocolate fountain and a movie. (Scary right?) 

Then it changed to a mere 12 kids and no fountain.  

It ended up with four kids and enough carmel popcorn for 12! 

James was the designated driver home after the movie - I was throughly exhausted and fell asleep. James did too, we both assumed the kids would wake him when the movie was over.

At 2:30 am Austin woke us. 

He was home! 

What the heck? 2:30 am? 

"We went and sang Karookee and then watched a movie." 

Are you kidding me? I shake James awake. 

"James did you get the kids home?" 

"What? No. No one woke me up." 

I go flying downstairs - in my flannel PJ's - and they they are just munching on carmel popcorn and chatting. 

At 2:30 am in the morning! (Devree's date is asleep.) They had assumed that we would come down and get them when it was time to leave. I almost died. I can't imagine what the other parents are thinking and I can't believe anyone hasn't called! 

James takes everyone home and climbs back into bed around 3:00 am.

Good grief!

PS. During the last dance we were asked to help get the lights down from the upper section of the gym. I shot this video - but it's really quick. I can see Devree look for the green dress. (I sort of felt like a creepy stalker taking this video so it really is short.)

Recognize the song?

Alphaville-Forever Young

I know for a fact that I danced to this song at this very school just a blink ago.

(Shh.....don't tell them. They will not be Forever Young. One day they'll be cooking dinners, snapping pictures, chauffeuring, chaperoning, and freaking out about curfews!)