"Road trip.......Spring Break 2012"

We are headed to Lakewood Washington to visit some friends for a few days. Got the car all packed and ready to go. After we go to the bank. Go to the store. Get gas......geessshhhhhhh.....takes forever to get out of town! And while we are at the bank.........we hear something in the tire. A huge bolt! Are you kidding me? Luckily we were still in town and Les Schwabs wasn't very far away. Of coarse that sent LeRoy into a tizzy. It's ok...........Washington will still be there.....................finally on the road!
We stopped for gas in Chahalis, WA. I forget you have to pump your own gas anywhere but Oregon! Nicole said she wanted to do it. So her dad gave her the "life lesson of pumping your own gas!" ha! She did great! Then I realized I have NEVER EVER pumped my own gas. In my life. But why would I have to? I don't usually go out of state (driving!) with out my husband. I really should learn how. Grown woman and have never pumped my own gas. (one time I went to Seattle with a friend and asked a cute boy at the gas station to help me/pump it for me! hahahahahhaahahah!) Maybe I should learn....................

Good job Nicole! And she looked cute doing it! Off to our next stop!

"Bullwinkles...Spring Break 2012"

Our friend Mark wanted us to go to Bullwinkles Family Fun Center for the day with him and his kids. Nicole and I passed to stay home and get laundry done and pack for our next adventure to Washington the next day. So LeRoy took Tyler. He had a blast! They played mini golf. (Luke and Tyler)
Rode go-carts! (Tyler and Allison)

And it looks like the sun came out!

Boat bumper cars.

And sounds like they played arcade games for hours! Fun day for Tyler doing boy stuff and bonding with his dad. They were gone all day and Nicole and I got our chores done so we could leave on Tuesday morning!

"Spring Break-Crabbing at Newport Beach"

The 1st Saturday of spring break we drove over to Newport Beach. Grandpa Mac had taken his boat to go crabbing. Aunt KayDee and Brandi were camped over there too. We headed over for the day to go out in the boat! Hope to get lots of crab to eat for dinner.

I love going out in the boat. Thanks Grandpa for taking us! It was windy and kinda cold but the boat has an awesome heater. And I sat up in the Princess chair (I think that's my mom's spot but she was gone in Arizona!)

There's the captain!

Crabbing wasn't so good. So we just took pic and ate chips.

And took some more pics. KayDee was the pot-puller! Nicole pulled a few but was more than happy to let Aunt KayDee do it. Crabbing wasn't so great. Got about 5 crab in 4 hours! That makes for expensive crab! Oh well. It was fun and we visited and bonded.

Nicole was camping/staying the weekend with her aunties. So Leroy, Tyler and I went down to the beach. And to our favorite pizza place on Nye Beach.

Cold and windy as usual for the Oregon Coast!

We dilly dallied for a few hours and then went back to camp to visit with everyone and eat some crab.

I had a cocktail with Brandi and we had a ghetto firepit and roasted ghetto smores (so much fun! and good job on the smores Brandi.) We stayed until about 10:30 pm and then headed home. Nicole stayed the night again and had fun. Was fun visiting and hanging out and spending time together.

"Spring Break starts early with snow!"

SNOW! In March! 3 days before spring break???????? Crazy! Snowed so much the kid had Wednesday and Thursday off and went to school on Friday and then Spring Break began!

We had about 4 inches. Very unusual for here! Was beautiful. Peaceful. I made it to work both days, but wished I would have had some snow days home with the kids to play.

Tyler and I went out Wed. night and played and walked around for a few hours.

He loves the snow. He was sweet and cleared off his dad's car and his sisters car (they didn't end up having school) so it would be clear in the morning. I think it was just an excuse to play in the snow!

Doesn't look like we will be laying out in the sun or getting any vitamin D for Spring Break!

"sadie hawkins dance 2012"

Sadie Hawkins. Girls ask boys. Can't believe it's time for another high school dance! Didn't we just have one of those? Nicole was excited because her and Tyler (the boyfriend...not her brother!) were going with 2 other couples. They were all meeting here for pics. Parents came. Friends came. Lots of people here and my house was packed! And of coarse about an hour before everyone got here and she was getting ready it started POURING DOWN RAIN!
But never fear!!
I had this cute black ruffled with zebra print umbrella in my arsenal! Doesn't everyone have a cute back up umbrella just laying around? I'm alway prepared for everything! They didn't like that I was using it as a prop. ha! I thinks it's adorable.

I like the getting ready process. And something always goes wrong. But I got it covered and by the time everyone gets here it looks effortless and under control. I don't think my daughter realizes how lucky she is to have a personal hairstylist that can do anything she asks for. In go the hair extensions and away we go.

I had printed off a pic from Pinterest and she loved it and wanted it. It turned out great an she wanted a sparkly flower. (bad lighting in this pic!)

She's growing up way to fast! We still have proms/dances next year and then what am I going to do?! No hair? No shopping for dresses? No getting ready? Tyler (my Tyler) will have to just get dressed and wait for his dates to get ready! I will miss these days when they are gone.....

All the girls looked so pretty (Hannah, Sara, Nicole)

Some more of their friends that weren't going to the dance came by to see them and take pics. Cute girls! They are all meeting up later after the dance to go bowling...........

Nicole and Tyler.

My tradition of taking a pic of her corsage.

So weird that they can all drive and they just leave..............................get in their cars and go.

Have fun!

The rain JUST let up about 5 minutes before they got ready to leave. Hope it holds out! They were all going to dinner and then the dance. Oh the fun days of high school.........

Be home by curfew!!!

"my baby girl turns 17!"

My baby girl turned 17 years old! I'm not sure WHEN that happened! It seems like yesterday she was still in elementary school. Time flies! She wanted to have an "old school" slumber party with her girlfriends like the good old days! I was excited because I love any excuse to plan a party and decorate! I made this banner for her on my getaway weekend with the girls.It was a birthday celebration the entire weekend! Friday night we went out to dinner with grandparents to celebrate.

Saturday was her "party". The weird thing is all I had to provide was cake and candy and decor. No games or prizes or even picking anyone up! They all can drive! So weird because a lot of these girls have stayed at our house since they were in the 6th grade.

All the decor turned out fab. And the cake! Oh the gorgeous cake! My friend Teresa is an excellent cake maker and she asked what kind of cake Nicole wanted for her birthday. I had this pic in a file for a very long time and Nicole loved it and wanted it. So she made it and did an awesome job.

This is the age I last remember of my sweet daughter. Age 2!

Nicole came home from school to all her decorations. She loved it!

Of coarse she needed new birthday shoes! (I'm a bad influence. ha!) So she planned a cute outfilt because she and all the girls were going out to Corino's for dinner. ( I was invited buy stayed home so they could go out without a "mom" there).

Sweet 17...............

All of her friends are very lovely and looked so cute. I've known them all since middle school. They didn't want to take 2 cars, so they ALL (8 of them!) piled into MY car and went to dinner. Eight 17 year old girls, dressed to go out, headed to dinner. Like grown ups.

I overheard their "later" plans (TPing and forking). I told them they had to be in by curfew and I didn't want to know anything about it! Lucky for me (and them) it started pouring down rain and they came home and rented a movie and got into their jammies.

They had cake (served by the handsome younger brother!)..........

Someone lost their cell phone in the couch..............you would have thought the world came to and end!

They finally settled in to watch a movie. I visited with them for awhile and was about to retreat to my bedroom...........when they asked if I was going to stay and watch a movie with them? Really?! I can't think of anything I would rather do. Made me so happy that then let me stay. ha! Once again the times I get to hang out and be part of their teenage world........I'm a happy momma.

Lots of silly. Lots of visiting. Lots of catching up on these girls! (look at my silly son in the background. He got kicked out!)

We watched the new edition of Footloose! LOVED IT! So reminecent of my teenage years! Movie was awesome. Loved that Nicole just wanted a chill and relaxed get together where all the girls could hang out. Some of them didn't even make it thru the movie before they fell asleep. Just like the good ole days........................Happy Birthday sweets!