Mommy, Look

Jr.: I seem to have found myself inside a box.

It's Graduation Day!

May 23 was World Turtle Day. This is what Nichole drew for the holiday. That's my girl.

It was also the last day of school and the day of Jr.'s high school graduation. When I woke Jr., I acted like Frozen.

"It's graduation day? It's graduation day! The window is open, so's that door. I didn't know they did that anymore..." 

This was Jr.'s third and last time playing with the orchestra for graduation. The first time was for Nichole's graduation, the last was for his. That's my boy.

I also made sure to get pictures of the other boys before school because we were not around when they got out. 

We all enjoyed wishing Jr. well and watching him open graduation presents. Then he and Jet played music together. So cute.

My sweet husband stayed up late to take Jr. to grad night and pick him up because I was too tired to do so and slept that night.

Once Jr. got home in the middle of the night, he helped Jeremy with a combined anniversary, Mother's Day, and birthday surprise for me. 

I woke up the next morning to go for a quick walk at Bridal Veil Falls. And I had one of my morning musings: Are the colors in your dreams muted or are they vibrant?

As I was headed out, I noticed my surprise and felt loved. My husband had started a garden for me. He knew I wanted one. Earlier in May, Jr. had been volunteering at the high school's greenhouse for their greenhouse sale. He helped Jeremy pick out some plant starts for me. Since he couldn't find everything he wanted, he did go to a store to get some others.

 

Later the day of my surprise, Jeremy and Jet and I went shopping for some more potting soil and some more plants as well as picking up some starts from someone in our ward. He also gave us pickles that he had canned himself. Mmmm, pickles. 

Jet has become a big helper with the plants with watering them and he even got to pick a tomato one day. That's my boy. 

It's been a while since May. This is what our garden looked like toward the end of June. It's grown even more since then.

Jeremy and I went out to eat to celebrate my birthday then the next day we had cake and ice cream. Jet helped with the cake and the candles.

Another day a friend and I, who both have May birthdays, went out for lunch and a little walk around Bridal Veil Falls to celebrate our birthdays. 

 

May 25 was Towel Day. I did take a towel in my bag to church. 

 

And because this post was supposed to be about Jr.'s graduation...

I am proud of Jr. He worked plenty hard through high school and did some pretty cool things. Way to go, Jr. I think you are terrific.

Sewing Boy

Jr. took a sewing class last year and made a bunch of neat things. I don't have a lot of pictures but here are some of the things I do have pictures of.

He made a rice warmer. He lets me use it sometimes.

He made an apron. I told him my mom would be proud. She makes aprons.

 

He made a stuffed squid for Jet. Jet loves it.

 

He made a card holder (gift card holder).

Well done, Jr. Well done.

Catch of the Day

 

A Night at the Movies

Jr.'s orchestra concert in October was themed "A Night at the Movies." He got to play music from The Lord of the Rings, Howl's Moving Castle, and the song, "Storybook Love" from The Princess Bride.

The audience got free popcorn to eat while watching, just as if they were at the cinema. They could also buy other movie theater concessions. It was fun.

I appreciate how musical Jr. is and love to see his concerts. Way to go, son.

Jr.'s Birthday

We celebrated Jr.'s birthday in August.

He of course got video game time without having to do chores (he still had to do homework).

Whoever put the candles on the cake, used seven candles to make the 1 in the 10s place and ten candles to make the 7 in the 1s place. Ha Ha Ha. 

Someone joked about turning the fan on. It wasn't even in the room, thankfully.

Jr. was very pleased with his present, a cordless controller that he could use on computer games.

Jr., Look

It's my tongue.

What Jr. Missed

Jr. was so busy with the play, but a couple days after it closed, he went on tour to California with the orchestras from his and that other high school.

I made sure to get a picture before he left and one after he got back. I missed the going picture when Nichole went two years ago.

We had a few celebrations while Jr. was gone. March 14 (3/14) was Pi Day. It was also National Potato Chip Day. We had chicken enchiladas and verde rice with potato chips and apple pie (made in our pi plate) for dessert. I used some substitutions in the dinner.

 

March 15 was the Ides of March. Beware the Ides of March. Beware too many dishes. I had planned on making certain food for dinner that day but was overwhelmed with dishes so... I washed dishes but still managed to make Caesar Salad and Orange Juliuses for dinner. (Julius... Caesar...). So better than I thought at the beginning of the day but not what I was originally planning. Oh well.

March 15 was also Everything You Think is Wrong Day. I had kids trying to convince me to let them do things by pointing out what I thought was wrong when I said No.

March 16 we went to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. 

That evening we had corn dog muffins for National Corn Dog Day.

 

March 17 was St. Patrick's Day, of course. Earlier in the week, Lucky, Jet, and I watched a concert at the Orem Library.

"A Season of Family Meal Plans" has suggestions for meals for certain major holidays. Fits me, doesn't it? You know I like to celebrate with food.

According to their St. Patrick's Day suggestions, I made Irish Stew, Irish Soda Bread, and Lucky Buddies.

After dinner, I went to a Relief Society Devotional and Testimony Meeting with a group of women from my ward. We kept adding sisters from our ward to the pew we were sitting in. We filled it up. Afterward there were green donuts for refreshments.

Jeremy texted me that evening. "March 17th is not only St. Patrick's Day. It is also the feast day of St. Gertrude of Nevelles. She is the patron saint of cats and those who love them. I love my KAT!" Tee Hee.

So that's what Jr. missed. I picked him up late that night and made him go to school the next morning. I'm that mom.