Mark in his tux

What an awesome sight! My son Mark all dressed up in a black tuxedo. As I have mentioned in previous posts, Mark is a senior in high school and we are experiencing all of the wonderful yet scary things that happen during that last year of high school. He has been accepted to the college of his choice, we are gearing up for senior trip, we have been awarded financial aid (thank goodness!) and we are well on our way! I guess I should say “Mark” is well on “his” way. But, the thought of him on his own is one of those scary thoughts I mentioned above.

Last Saturday was the junior-senior prom and Mark went with his friend Jessica. Jess is best friends with my daughter Haley, so the two of them were locked in Haley’s bathroom for hours getting ready. Haley is great with hair and make-up and by the time she was finished, Jessica looked like a princess.

Haley and Jessica

After all the pictures were taken, a group of kids took off for dinner at Enrico’s Italian Restaurant then off to the prom where they had an awesome time. They all came home with sore legs from dancing so much! From there, they went to a friends for a get together after prom. Finally, at about 2:30 AM a group of about eight kids came home with Mark and asked if they could spend the night at my house! I happily agreed and after talking with them all for what seemed forever, we finally got to sleep about 4:00 Sunday morning.

These are the memories that will live forever and I am so glad that I get to be a part of these young people’s lives. They are great kids and I am so blessed to be able to share in their adventures through life.

Senior trip is next week….stay tuned!

I woke up to the delicious smell of baking pies; apple and pumpkin. My Mother and brother are here for the holidays and this year we celebrated at my best friend Cindy’s Italian restaurant. She closed it down just for us to have our party. Fifteen people showed up ready to eat and play games.

After Joni finished carving the turkeys, she started cleaning up. She grabbed the giblets and the neck and started for the trash can. That’s when we all heard my Mom scream, “don’t throw away the neck!”  We all stopped in our tracks and looked at Mom like she was crazy. Some people use the neck to make gravy with, but not my Mom. She saves it for last and eats it like a cob of corn.

We quickly cleaned up, arranged the tables, grabbed our jars of change, and dealt the first hand of Texas Hold’Em. Hours went by and my pile of coins dwindled quickly. I was told that I needed to work on my poker face. I guess I am not very good at being serious, not even in poker. The big winner of the night was my seventeen year old son. He won eight bucks and felt mighty proud of himself for beating seasoned pros like my good friend Erika Rich and her husband Charles.

The time we have with our family and friends is irreplaceable. I am so thankful for my  two beautiful children, my parents and brother and the best friends a person can have. The memories we make each year are priceless.