Caroline stuff

Girl’s had some excitement lately. 

DARE graduation

Her teacher in the background gave her an awesome French braid almost as good as Aunt Debra’s

5th grade Ultimate Recess Day

Last day of school, last day at Cassens forever

 

A few of her faves: 

  

Going out to eat and bringing home leftovers

Bob the cat wearing a tuxedo bow tie

Is it called a photobomb when you don’t even try?

  

Ugly face contest --  WINNER!!

Working hard at dance class

 

Dance recital   Ross’ new ride

Curls from her new curling iron

Her 11th birthday spent at SixFlags with Paris and

 

her loving brothers  (ha?)

 

Her birthday coconut pie (which actually tasted good)

Happy Birthday, Miss Sis!

Diane does Disney

So Jack had an opportunity to go on the high school band’s trip to Disney this year.  He wasn’t sure if he wanted to go and asked our opinions.  We both said it needed to be his decision; we wouldn’t tell him what to do (this time—haha).  The morning came that a commitment had to be made and I just figured he had decided not to go since nothing had been mentioned.  With about ten minutes to go before walking out the door for school, he says that yeah, he did want to go.  I looked at Gary and Gary looked at me.  Gary said, “Well, if he’s going, then either you or I are going.”  And I said, “Oh! Are you willing to go then?” (He is Mr. Anti-Disney).  And he said, “No.” 

I see how this works.

Ok, well, then!  Guess I'm going to Disney for my first time ever so I too signed up as a chaperone that morning.  We both made a down payment on the total cost and paid the rest at intervals that made it a little less painful.  Jack even sought out a job so he could help with the payments.  The months of the school year passed by so quickly and then it was time to go, the day after school ended.  By that time, I’d talked to enough people that I was not looking forward to this trip at all.  Managing a group of teenagers, travelling on a bus for 19 hours one way, arranging for the family to survive without me, spending all this money, the crowds, the heat, the sun.  It seemed like I was paying to be miserable for a week.  What had I done?!

But you know what?  It turned out to be an awesome time with my awesome son and I wouldn't have missed it for anything now. 

Day 1—On the bus

(Internet photos)

Now add 45 kids!  Times two busses!

And about 12 adults

Did I mention 19 hours?

 

Day 2—Blizzard Beach and Downtown Disney

Brisket sandwich, yum

Card game while waiting for the La Nouba by Cirque du Soleile show.  As of the evening of this pic, we are on 34 hours without any real sleep other than a couple minutes shutting our eyes on a very uncomfortable bus.  The show was incredible though!

Day 3—Animal Kingdom and Universal Studios

Safari

It was Star Wars weekend. Let’s just say there are some real fanatic SW fans out there.

Day 3—Magic Kingdom

The reason for the trip, a parade performance

 

Jack there in the center p

 

I didn’t always ride the craziest extreme rides (old lady neck) but still had a ball. Saw bunches of shows and loved all the walking around.  We went to all the Disney parks except one water park.  It’s amazing to see this huge operation in person and how successful it is.

Day 4—Epcot

Me taking his picture, him catching me taking his picture

The best kids in the world, I swear

Other chaperone moms

 

A couple days it was sunny but mostly we had cloudy days which was perfect, not even humid.  A short rain some afternoons but not on this day even when the sky looked like this. 

Therefore I can’t explain this hair.  ?

Jack in Germany and our one splurge meal, the Beirgarten buffet

Let me tell you, I LOVE band kids!

Probably my favorite ride.  Unlike The Simpsons ride that almost made me lose my lunch.  And it wasn’t even a real rollercoaster.

Day 5— Universal Studios

  

I am not even a Harry Potter fan but, man, this was a cool place. 

 

For Grandma Betty  : )

Our last night there, supper at Bubba Gumps, having a ball with the group

Day 7—Bus ride headed home, tired girl, and taken before our bus died on Interstate 64, luckily just 25 minutes from home

 

But see that smile above me?  Made it all worth it.

Latest project, almost a reject

 

I bought this big little girl picture years ago when we were first married and had bought our fancy white furniture for a formal living room experience at our Walton house.  The large picture was originally $250 at JCPenney at the mall and was marked down by half so I thought that was a steal I couldn’t pass up...  back when we were a total of two people living on two incomes, not six living on one.  Man, that can change your perspective on what’s really a steal or a deal. 

So anywho, we lived with it hanging in exactly the same spot at the Walton house for thirteen years and then we moved and didn't rehang her. And then we moved again. Little Missy was left leaning up against a wall being stored for the past four years,  along with the other pictures that seemed past their prime like these. 

 

But the frames were still nice ones.  Plus, I really needed something to hang in this spot down here i at the new house after trying out various things I had just lying around, none of which seemed to work.   This wall is a focal spot from entering the front door so whatever was there, I wanted it to be something I was proud of.

 

Since our Michaels’s doesn’t carry them anymore (?!), I went to Hobby Lobby to find a print that would work in the living room with our colors:

and narrowed it down to these that I liked.  I think I see a pattern of maybe liking tree pictures?  And then I tried to figure which of the outdated pictures’ frames I would want to use. 

Scary but there was even some math involved.

Even though Little Missy herself was way too blue and 90’s anymore, I liked her classic frame the best and saw the multi-layer matting as having some interesting potential so it was her.    

    

And I went with the most reddish tree picture. 

Can’t you just see it all together?  I could.

And then I about pulled my hair out working with this mess on the table for a week. 

Dealing with sticky gluey mats and prints is not easy and now I get why getting a framing job done is pricey.  I trimmed and re-trimmed the print, disassembled and masked off and played around with painting the matting until I got the right color, fiddled with taking off and on and off and on the backing via manipulating heavy duty steeples, and tried to get all the bits of stuff off from under the glass that seemed to appear out of nowhere.  And I knew if I could see a little bit of anything under the glass once I had it all sealed up, it would forever drive me crazy hanging up there on the wall.  I will say there were a few moments that the whole thing almost ended up being launched through our big back window and into the pool.  

Finally I asked for an extra pair of hands from Gary and was able to get it finished good enough to let it go.  And thank goodness we lucked out with studs in the right place because, oy, this frame is heavy.  And now it’s hanging in the spot and I love seeing it every time I walk through.