2 Day Get Away for Moms

 Open Skies & Wide Spaces...

A little Get away for Sarah and I to discover a little bit of Texas Country.

 Hiking Enchanted Rock on a Perfect day!

You Never Know - LOVE this Video!

Limo Photos Dinner & Homecoming Dance

 Here the friends are all suited and pampered up for the evening.

In keeping with the affluent traditions, some rich parent got them a limo 

to get around in for the events.

( NO it was not Mike - he is not that rich and doesn't care much for those traditions.)

Being pampered dressed up, in a limo, and bombarded by parent Paparazzi's,

they get to feel like celebrities. 

After the photo-shoot, this is where the parents take off and the kids pretend to be adults! 

And go to an upscale Restaurant: Brio's in this case.

They then return to being teenager by going to the actual Homecoming Dance - for about 45mn.

They finish the evening by being like little kids -
They changed into comfy clothes and had fun playing a game of
Ghosts in the graveyard!

Emric's favorite part of the evening was teaching Sydney to swing dance.
He would have liked to have stayed longer at the dance but the music was really inappropriate!
But Sydney said Emric could invite her to the next church dance!

Picking Up the Date

Saturday was a busy day for Emric!

After going to a service project for the Interact Club he is part of at school, 

we went to picked up Sydney for Pictures, Dinner and Homecoming dance.

Emric looks sharp and handsome in some of these!

So does his sweet date!

BTW 

These were all taken with my little Samsung Camera and edited in Lightroom a bit.

Homecoming King, Queen & Game

Mike and I attended half of the Football game.

I really just wanted to be there for the Half-Time show!

I wanted to see the selecting of the Homecoming King and Queen.

We were sitting right behind our High's school band.

Mums were present too... 

The queen candidates and cheerleaders had them on display.

Very interesting and strange tradition.

The other team got crushed like 45 to 3!

Texas MUMs

What is a mum you ask?

What is it for?

Click Here for explanation.

 This is the first mum we have come into contact with since our 4 years in Texas.

Last year, Emric's date was not from Texas and did not want one.

His date this year is Sydney. 

She is a good friend of Emric's.

They have known each other since their freshman year.

She is adorable! :)

But back to the mums.

They are pricey and heavy and have gotten huge and nuts!

They can range from about $70 to make to $300 made professionally!

And no, I did not make this one!

The girls and guys (they have smaller ones called Garters) wear them all day at school 

on the Friday of the Homecoming football game.

And the more noise and rambunctious they are the better!

Some have tried to break the tradition by donating the mum money to charities, 

which the kids do, but they still make the mums!

Some traditions are just hard to break.

Kinda Crazy!

Here they are doing the exchange...

Parenting Mistake #1075674890...

Do not buy a used Kawasaki Ninja 500 for your 17 year old inexperienced teen boy!

Who granted wants it and thinks he can handle it and would like the freedom, 

and is a responsible good kid, but and lets face it is also a little clueless and has NO Business on a bike like this monster!

What was the irresponsible mom thinking you - and everyone else to that matter including dad- asks? 

Well she wasn't!

She was clueless and made a huge mistake!

End of Story!

And Now is stuck having to selling the darn-speed-monster-thing and having to live with her shame! 

Mountains to Climb

Pool time

Love being lazy in the lazy river at our community pool...

Good times!

Daddy Daughter Date

While the Browns were visiting us, 

Mike, Amelie, Danny & Clara went to a Daddy/Daughter date at church.

The dads got the whole treatment!

Manicures, full facials, and a personal custom decorated cake!

The Girls LOVED it!

F U N * F U N * F U N

Our Very Own New Eagle Scout

After 10 years of Cub Scouts and Scouting, Emric has finally joined the honorable rank of Eagle Scout.

Way to go Emric!

He had set a goal and made a promise to be the first Eagle in our family.
He wanted to get it at 14 years old and was well on his way, but then we moved to Texas.
And that kinda slowed things down a bit, right Emric?

But he made it!

Got his gazillion badges
 Fund-raised (THANK you Friends and Family)
Started and finished his project at the local animal shelter HERE
Aced his interviews
And last but not least, got through the paperwork!

We are
Sooooooooo HAPPY
for Him

 And only moms of Eagle scouts know how happy I am and glad it's done and over with! :)
Getting a kid through that program can be like... a 10 year birthing process!
Moms should be able to add that to their resumes!!!!

Eagle Oath

Buddy & Moms who nagged, pushed and helped make it happen!

Awesome Accomplishment! To be worn with honor...

Lovely Mentors & Cheerleaders

Eagle Official Paperwork, letters from officials, flags & Joining the Eagle's Nest

Pinning the Parents

Again Way to Go Emric!

Bambi

While with Amelie in San Antonio for her 5 day Dive Camp.

Amelie and I went to visit a french friend of mine.

She had rescued a little fawn on the side of the road and was taking care of it, 

before releasing it onto her huge property in the San Antonio country side.

She was so adorable!!!!

Downsizing my Camera

It was time to upgrade my Rebel. 

I wasn't happy with it's most recent performance.

After going to Hawaii with it and it being replaced with Mike's cel phone camera, most of the trip, 

it was time to look for something I was not going to neglect so much, and actually use.

I sold an expensive L series lens for 780$

And with it bought this little mirror-less Samsung NX1000 gem of a camera.

It came with 2 lenses too...

I LOVE IT!

It performs beautifully!

So much easier to hold and use and keep in my purse.