Prom 2013

Today is Sunday, April 14, 2013. Yesterday was Nicole's Senior Prom; another "last" that I will remember as long as I live. This prom was especially memorable because both David and Nikki went. David has been out of high school since 2010 and never went to prom while he was a high school student. However, he went this year with his girlfriend, Shadi, who is graduating from high school with Nikki. It's hard to describe the pride I felt seeing my two youngest children dressed up and ready to go out last night. David is so handsome with his dark hair, fair skin and golden eyes. Nikki is also breathtakenly beautiful; tall, slender with light brown hair, green eyes and her father's golden skin. She's almost as tall as her brother! 

We began getting ready a few weeks ago shopping in the Fashion District in Downtown Los Angeles. We went two days in a row and she finally found and bought a beautiful dress. Once she got the dress home, she proceeded to customize it to suit her taste buy removing the gold chain trim and replacing it with a gold stud trim, then adding a slit on the left side of the skirt. Those alterations gave the dress a very classy, understated look. She chose gold accessories and her shoes were black suede platform pumps with gold trim. Her dress, accessories, hair and make up reflected her taste and she looked so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. We spent yesterday morning getting her hair and make up done, then Chuck arrived and it was time for her to get dressed. Chuck is tall, dark and very handsome. He wore a classic black suit, white shirt and black bow tie; together they made a very elegant couple.

David rented his tux but, as luck would have it, the pants that came with the jacket and vest were not the ones he'd originally tried on. The pants were baggier and a size too large for him. At 3:30 he asked if we could go to H&M in the mall to see if we could find pants that fit him better and were more to his liking.  Luckily, my dear friend (who makes his living in fashion and has impecable taste) was here and able to go to the mall with us. David found the perfect pair of pants, we bought them and were home in an hour. He got dressed in his new pants, with the rented black shirt, vest and jacket and put on the turquoise tie that was matched to Shadi's dress. We went to Nikki's friends' house to take pictures of Nikki, Chuck and her friends, then drove back to our house to wait for Shadi and her friend.  The friend's date arrived about 5:15 and then he and David waited for the girls to arrive. The boys were a little nervous as they discussed how late it was getting. The girls finally arrived and they were gorgeous. Shadi is petite and her dress was very beautiful. She looked radiant as she posed by herself and with David for her mother, Candie and me. David looked very happy and proud of her. Finally the kids got into David's car and they left to take more pictures at a park.

Ray, my friend and I came in the house and started discussing dinner. All of a sudden, I realized how quiet the house was without the kids there, and that this was the last time I would prepare them for a prom and I started crying. Part of my tears came from the place in my heart that aches everytime my late husband misses a significant event in his kids' lives, and the rest were because the prom preparation experience was over forever. I'm reminded once again that "lasts" are just as special as "firsts" in children's lives. I'm grateful to be able to share experiences like this with my children and thank God every day for lending them to me to enjoy in this life.  Nikki's graduation is coming next month; this coming September will be the first time since 1980 that I'm not sending a child to school and my heart is hurting over the end of that phase of my life.

Please remember to celebrate the "firsts" and "lasts" in your life. God bless everyone, especially our troops and their families.

Time to Update My Profile?

After I put up my last post I caught a glimpse of my profile...I think it's time to update. I will do that as soon as I'm done here.

Firsts and Lasts

It's Thursday evening which means Ray is bowling. It seems like just last week that, when Ray would bowl I'd be home with the kids watching while they did homework or running to Target for something they need for school. My how things have changed! These days David is usually gone visiting his girlfriend or attending a Honda meet. My usual companions on Thursday nights are Nicole and her boyfriend Chuck. I really enjoy spending time with them; they get along well and seem to enjoy each other's company very much. I remember when I used to bowl with Ray. The kids would go with us and have dinner at the bowling alley. In between bowling I would go and sit with them. It was fun for a while but then they got a little older and started staying home while we bowled. It's amazing how quickly that happened; one day they were always with me and the next they were old enough to stay home. Sometimes I see young mothers treating their kids like little adults. It breaks my heart because they don't realize that much too soon your children are adults and all you have are memories of them. I believe that "firsts" are important memories for children but "lasts" are important memories for parents. "Lasts" are: the last time you change their diaper, the last time you carry your child on your hip, the last time you give them a bath. Celebrate the "firsts" but treasure the "lasts". On another note, I've been complaining to Ray lately that I don't have anything of my own. In order to avoid becoming a whiny, needy woman I've decided to dedicate more time to my blog. I like writing because I never know where it's going to end up. Tonight I sat at my computer and started with one subject and ended up writing about something else entirely. I hope if you're reading this you'll follow my blog and leave a comment every once in a while. Please continue to pray for our troops overseas. Be good to your loved ones and yourself. God bless you!

Update On My Life

When I started blogging a few years ago I decided to write about things that happened in my life, sharing my experiences and putting my thoughts about my life in writing. Then suddenly my life got incredibly busy and I didn't have time to think about my life, much less write about it. Well, now my children are almost adults, I'm a grandmother and there are times that I find myself at loose ends because I have nothing to do but watch TV. Time has passed by so quickly! Nicole is in her senior year in high school and we're preparing for her graduation. She was co-captain of the varsity volley ball team (she made the team her freshman year) and is currently coaching a youth team with her friend, Anyssa. She has a boyfriend (they've been together a year now) and a driver's license and a car! Thankfully, her boyfriend is a great guy and they get along well. I really like him, not only as her boyfriend but as a person. So far he's taken her to the prom and homecoming. It was really fun getting her ready for those events. Sometimes my heart hurts when I realize I will never again see my curly-headed 5-year old again. What I wouldn't give to spend a day with that little girl again. I actually have voice mails from her between the ages of 5 - 7 saved on my voice mail at work. Sometimes I listen to them just to hear that baby voice again. I wonder if there's a way to put them on a CD or something? My David is 20 years old now and out of high school. He reminds me of his father so much! He's had some ups and downs in his life but seems to be figuring things out so I'm pretty proud of him. He is hoping to get into a program at college to become a diesel mechanic. Cars have always been a huge interest for him and I'm happy that he will be able to make a living doing something he really loves. He has a girlfriend and she has been a positive influence in his life. I like her and I like when they spend time here at home with us. She recently invited him to the Sadie Hawkins dance at school...it was incredibly sweet and I'm looking forward to seeing them go. Graduation this year will be special because both Nicole and David's girlfriend will be graduating. Candie and Thomas are living close by now. Thomas left the Army after Noah was born and is now gainfully employed. Candie works part time and is an incredible mother to her son. They are looking for a house to buy and Noah is now a 4-year old little boy. While Candie was going to school for her EMT license, we had the pleasure of taking care of him until his daddy got off work. It was wonderful to spend evenings with him, watering the roses, palm trees and Lantana in the yard. He's so smart, loves the ocean and performing. I will have to devote an entire blog to Noah because the child is absolutely incredible! Rick and Mandy are still together and seem to be happy. They get along well and I'm grateful that they have made a nice life for themselves. This past Christmas I suddenly realized that all of my children are paired off and I had a wave of nostalgia thinking about what it was like before I met Ray, when the kids were all young. I can't close before saying a little bit about my life with Ray. We are preparing to celebrate out 8th wedding anniversary next month! We hope to renew our vows for our 10th anniversary (if we were younger we would wait until our 25th but we didn't get married until we were 51 so you do the math-LOL) I have to say, our life together just flows along. When we married we decided God would be first in our marriage and I think that's the secret. We are practicing Catholics, and somehow our faith seems to be cementing our relationship. I love spending time with him and never tire of talking with him about stuff. I am hoping to continue blogging on a more regular basis from now on. God bless everyone and please be kind to everyone you know.

Baby Desiree--Here At Last!

As promised, this is about the new addition to our family. She was born yesterday at 10:23 a.m. She weighed in at 7 lbs., 11 ozs. and her name is Desiree Adeline. How beautiful is that? We are all thrilled and can't wait to watch her grow and turn into the person she'll become. Desiree is the latest addition to the family that includes her parents and big brother, Daniel. May God bless them all!

On Baby Watch!

This morning I woke up to my cell phone ringing. My mind was still not quite awake but I instinctively picked it up and looked at it. When I saw it was my sister's cell phone number, my mind snapped awake and I answered with a little excitement. The reason for the call and my excitement is that my niece is in the hospital ready to deliver her second child! In my family every birth is viewed as an event. All the cousins gather around the prospective parents to oooh and aaah about all events in the pregnancy and the impending birth.

Like my dad before me, I view every new baby and a special gift from God to be cherished and loved. As thrilled as I am about every new baby born into our family, I still can't help but think about what my dad's reaction would be. He adored his grandchildren and would have been beside himself with joy about his great-grandchildren. I've often told Candie that my dad would be at Fort Irwin at least two weekends a month to see Noah. It's the cycle of life and death I'm discovering...the joys of a new life and the sadness of losing a loved one. It's odd to me how closely they are linked.

For now I'm focused on the birth of the new baby. When there is news, I will write about it. God bless all mothers and babies everywhere.

Summer Nights

At last today it began to feel like summer! We've had unusally cool weather this year and I'd started thinking summer would pass us by this year. On the 4th of July Ray, Nicole and I went to my sister's house to barbeque and watch fireworks at the local high school from the field behind her house. It was cool when we got there and by 7 p.m. we were sitting outside in sweatshirts freezing. We watched fireworks in bundled in sweatshirts and blankets, too!

Last weekend Ray finally got the pool ready so on Sunday we actually got in for the first swim of the season. It was great! I've always wanted a built-in pool and realized that if I lay on my floatie with my eyes closed, it feels exactly like a real live built-in. I'm almost ready to give up my dream of a built in pool and be happy with the little pool I have. Now that summer nights have arrived I look forward to sitting outside with Ray, watching the stars and talking about whatever comes to our minds. I treasure those evenings outside, lost in listening to him talk, exchanging ideas for our future and our hopes and dreams. This is our 10th summer together and we still haven't run out of things to say to each other during our summer nights outside in the driveway. I guess this is what a happy relationship is about. Here's to summer! Thanks, Lord, for all the blessings You've given me in my life. It's been a great ride!