June - Birthday Month

June celebrates the birth of two of our daughters, which lends itself to plenty of picture taking (lucky you!)

Neta turns 11

One week in, we celebrate Neta's birthday. This is her last year in Primary and her last year without her own phone. It will be her first year of middle school and her first year of girls' camp. Life just gets more exciting from here on out.

Eric and the younger kids were working, so they met us at McDonalds (Xela came with us, which was awesome!) where we went for dinner and presents. I can't remember if that is something Neta suggested or I suggested. Doesn't really matter; that is where we ate for her birthday dinner.

Birthday Girl too into her Happy Meal toy
to smile for the camera

Hungry Hippos Game miniature
(Coolest Happy Meal Toy I've ever seen)

Could it be....Legos??

From Aurora - it's a purse

Her's to share with siblings

We got home in time to try out the slip-n-slide in the back yard. 

Neta taking the first slide

Trying to find the "bump" in the road

Working out a game

Sibling Crash

Friday night of that week, Neta had three friends over to use the slip-n-slide and two were able to spend the night. Neta was excited because these friends included Halyn from Little Flower and her good friend from church, who is now in the other ward and a 20 min drive away instead of around the corner, Natalie Robinson. 

Ice Cream Cake - some of the "cones" fell over

I have no idea what Neta is looking at

Loving Legos

Sliding with Friends
(I felt bad for Alice who had red stripes
on her legs from sliding)

After slipping and cake, Alice Rygg went home and we went inside where we watched "The Greatest Showman" and then they went to sleep. In the morning they played and then Halyn headed home around ten before Neta, Natalie, Aurora and I headed to Fishers building to take Ro to a camp work day and Natalie to her mother who was going to be there.

Aurora's Birthday Drive

Two weeks later, it's Aurora's turn. She is going into her senior year of high school and for Xela's senior year she wanted a laptop. Ro said she wanted one as well, and even though Eric thought we should do something different, it's what she wanted so that's what we got (again with the help) of grandparents. 

Because her birthday isn't during the school year, I asked Xela to help me put together a scavenger hunt of sorts with different clues to take her to different places throughout Indy that have been part of her life. Together we came up with 17 clues that did a loop, ending back at our house with the laptop under our bed. It was a good opportunity for her to get some drive time in. Some of the clue were easy; couple of them caused her and Eric to pause and figure it out. 

Finding a clue
at the park that Eric (& his family) built
when Neta was a baby

"It could be the library?"

At Irvington Elementary School playground

The sledding hill
at Ellenberger Park

This is at Herron High School

Grandparents' backyard

"Really, Mom?"
Last clue found in the bike shed

FOUND IT!!!

She seemed to enjoy the drive and was obviously happy with her computer, which she has named LoKi (after the Marvel character, after my recommendation -"low key" - ha!ha!)

I was going to hide the clues early that morning, but then when I couldn't sleep Saturday night, very early Sunday morning, I went and hid things then. For some reason I knocked on Patience's door (I saw the light on), maybe returning her iron, and asked if she wanted to come help. She set aside her homework and we went for an hour drive on the near east side hiding clues and talking. It was good for me to have someone to express some frustrations too, who knows Eric well enough to understand, even though she is not married, and she vented some frustrations regarding my daughter who is rooming with her. Good drive, good day!

Other June Snapshots

Aside from birthdays, there were a couple other photographic worthy adventures in June. On June 20th, Graigry, Aurora and Eric (for the first two days) were at Trek, so after work, we went for a bike ride on the canal and then, as is tradition when Dad gone, we had ice cream sundaes/banana splits for dinner.

At the Zoo side of the Canal

Photo recreation time!

June 13, 2014

June 20, 2018
(I think she stepped up on someone's back;
she isn't that much taller than her freshman year)

Dinner!
(they always fill their bowls; they always can't finish)

The next day, we went with Xela to the Circle to be treated to ice cream at the chocolate shop there. I have no opposition to free ice cream! Collin met us down there and then Xela went home with him.

Ice cream cones at Monument Circle

June was a good month! Then came July.....

May Memories

May had many moments worth remembering, some of them rites of passage.

Mormon Prom 

Mormon Prom happened on Saturday May 5 this year. Xela has been the two years previous, but this year decided, maybe advertised that she would not be going. Both years prior, part of the prom date was coming back downtown to Herron High School so that she could perform with the jazz band (required performance). Understandably, she didn't want to do that again this year.

Aurora did not have that same conflict. She and her friend Leo (that's not his real name - I think it's Daniel or David, something with a D - but that's what he is called among his group of friends, from a book series they all like) went to the dance. I'll spare you the backstory drama. You're welcome. He came to pick her up with his dad as chauffeur (neither Ro nor Leo has their license), we took pictures and they were off for the evening.

Putting on the corsage
(Ro forgot the boutineer - kind of on purpose -
backstory drama)

Smile pretty for the camera!

Having fun with the camera

And then someone, maybe my mother-in-law, suggested pictures with the moms. No one told me I was going to be in photos, so you may want to avert your eyes. ;)

I'd been working around the house all day;
probably smell like a lawn mower

PARAMOUNT PROMOTION

Then comes the educational advancements. First was Graigry's "promotion" is what they called it, on May 16, even though they had the whole walk into the gym with the 'Pomp & Circumstance' playing. They gave out individual awards and promotion certificates. Wa-hoo. Ridiculous, but you go because it's your kid and they want to be there. We got there late so had to stand the entire time because Paramount School of Excellence did their promotion in the cafeteria/gym which is not very big.

When we were finally released, we took a picture, because why not.

Even at a distance,
you can tell Graigry's not smiling
(he doesn't like his posed smile)

HHS Graduation

A week later, a "real" graduation at Herron High School. Our Xela Liseth graduated high school. When you have a child, you know these milestones are on their way and you want to be there for them, but they come so quickly!! Sometimes you just wish time would stop or at least slow down for a little bit.

They held their graduation at the Murat Theater (also now called the Old National Center) downtown. I'd never been in the theater before so that was new and, the Foggs, whose daughter was also graduating, gave us some saved balcony seats they's won because they didn't need all ten they were given. Sweet!! More of a bird's eye view of the production.

The Venue

The Waiting
(I caught Graigry smiling!!)

Aurora sat with the choir as they were singing as part of the program and this made her happy because that meant she got to sit with friends.

The school gave each graduate a red rose, which each graduate held as they walked into their seats. There were some good speeches by peers, administrators and guest speaker, who was a former mayor or governor of Indy (Bart Peterson I think). I liked the advice he gave the students about not painting yourself in a corner because you don't think you're good at something - try it, practice and see how it goes because you never know what you'll discover about yourself if you do. When all that pomp and circumstance was over, we found Xela and her high school buddies, with their parents, and took some pictures.

Xela and Caleb

Xela's high school gang
Ella, Weidong, Collin, Megan, Xela, Karla and Caleb

Xela and Collin
(also known as "not a boyfriend #1
who became boyfriend #1 after graduation)

I wasn't going to leave there without a picture of Xela with her best friend and buddy since the age of two, Max Dunahee.

(their mothers would really like it if they got together)

Xela will be starting classes out west at BYU Idaho on September 17. The sweet baby I held in my arms a few blinks ago has grown up into a wonderful young adult, changing the lives of all those she meets.

Tents & Targets

The last week of May had a few picture worthy moments. One night was warm enough that we let Nate and Neta sleep outside in the tent. Because we now have a gate around the yard, I don't feel like I have to sleep out there with them. When I went to wake them up, this is what I found:

I love that they are buddies

Later that afternoon (May 25th by the way), Eric was trying out his new pressure washer and decided the kids needed rinsing off. They were willing participants as well.

This reminded me of a time, when Nate was 18 months old, after we had helped with a neighborhood project and he was sitting, fully clothed, in a kiddie pool, so I had to take a similar picture (sadly the original is not easily available).

Kayaking Fun

Memorial Day - no school and no work so I told the kids we would help Dad with a work project and then we would go kayaking. Eric says we don't have time to do frivolous things and he's got to make money and I say that we also need to do recreational activities as a family (yes I pulled out The Family: A Proclamation to the World to prove that wholesome recreational activities are part of our religion).

We got a later start than hoped for, but after spending over four hours at a construction site, and me getting chewed out in front of the kids for putting a screw in the wrong place (so much so that I almost walked off the site), we went kayaking. I wasn't going to not do something fun after such a day. We stopped by Sorensen's to borrow a smaller kayak so that Neta could have her own and then we loaded ours an headed to Broad Ripple Park.

It was good to be on the water...

My kayak crew

Neta happy in her own kayak

Nate handling his like a pro

Graigry avoiding the camera

"Really, Mom?"

Heading back to the beginning

 Sometimes it's also good to be IN the water...

Back at the dock

We kayaked two plus miles, enjoying an evening on the White River.