Homecoming 2009 - Senior Year edition...

Homecoming 2009... Senior year.

I don't even have any sarcastic words of wisdom to share...

as I ponder what seems to be some final cherishing moments with him at home, it humbles me.

The girls were darling!

The boys, well...

they will be boys...

(they are adorable too)

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary Darling... 5 Years ago today, the day we were sealed for time and all eternity as a family in the Boise Idaho Temple... it was a wonderful day and an answer to so many humble, fervent prayers!

(this photo was not from that day, but it was taken outside the Temple...

I will update it with an actual photo from that day)

Date Night - Murder Mystery at Sea..

Jim and I were selected to embark on a Phantom of the Seas Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise through the Bermuda Triangle tonight with some friends and much to my surprise he agreed to participate!

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I think he just didn't know what he was getting himself into! But he not only participated... he got into character and dressed the part too!

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Of course we had to raid the teenagers closet!

Meet Zachary the singer who has trouble paying attention, and Tiana the aspiring actress...

Something has to go down in the records books!
I was so proud of him and we had so much fun!
Next meet our gracious hosts... The Moore's.
The rich hoity toity millionaires.

And there's always a flousy in the crowd, the Moore's spoiled rotten daughter Marilyn... with her latest pursuit Bryce..
The Treasure Hunters.. Hans and Demitra Franec...

And the zany fortune teller Zelda, and Fred the Playboy...

We laughed, and laughed, some more...

The murderess... was Zelda.

My strong silent mysterious man said he knew it all along... when he asked her who invited her... she said she got her invitation in a cauldron... he knew if she wasn't invited, she was the murderer.

And we learned more about other couples than we may have wanted to... "TMI" "TMI"!! But we had great fun...

If your children are asking you what hand signals mean, you might be talking with your hands too much.... ha ha

It was such a fun date night...

A good time was had by all!!!

Stake Young Women Presidency...

A trip to the Temple as a Presidency... I love these ladies, they make me better just being around them.

Iron Chef is at it again...

Well he hasn't been in the mood for a long time, but he was back in the kitchen and back at it again this week... Iron Chef Jacob's wontons!

These are so good, but not really on the healthy eating plan for me... and apparently strong silent mysterious men don't eat appetizers as dinner.

No matter how pretty you make it!

But good job buddy, they look soooo good!

Senior Pics...

We went out for another senior picture shoot... only this time I didn't have anyone to direct Jacob in his poses for me.

I will admit I am not good at giving directions behind the lens, but he is even worse at taking them. And he brought with him some very specific ideas about what kinds of shots he wanted, since this shoot was at the golf course.

I am sure these premeditated ideas came from some high end golf shots of Tiger Woods he had seen in a magazine somewhere... so no pressure on amature Mom or anything.

These are some of the ones that didn't turn out, because if we decide to use the good ones he didn't want me posting any previews of them on my blog! He is so bossy!

This one didn't turn out either, but I really wanted to have it in my journal that the teenager does still know how to laugh with me! I question if his laughing box was replaced in the middle of the night one night with a snarl o meter that is set on automatic talk back. So this is proof... the laughing box is still in there!

These were interesting shots... he tells me I have to lay on the ground and "take one for the team"!!

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What does that mean? I questioned... But I did it, and kept clicking away while he sprayed me with sand shots.

He kept complaining I wasn't capturing the spray of the sand right... I think he just liked taking shots at me. I am still feeling grit in my teeth and finding sand in my scalp.

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I hope this isn't the sand they use to fill in the holes that has grass seed through it... I could wake up looking like a chia pet.

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It was fun to go out with him on his turf and try and meld our two worlds of photography and golf together... and fun to see him smile and laugh again. I am so grateful he is letting me take lots of pictures this year. We still have a few more photo sessions to go. I want fall leaves and snow scenes before he graduates!

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It will be fun, if we don't kill each other in the process! I do understand why Mom's hire professionals for this job. But I am up for the challenge!

Hillbilly Golf...

For family night we built a hillbilly golf game... finally golf that I can beat the boys at!

Poor Dad, we made him work when he got home from working all day... but the good news is he found something fun but easy he could have his scouts build this week.

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We just made one tower, the scouts will build the other one to learn how. Then you have a set of 3 bolo's (2 golf balls on a rope) for each team. Set up the towers like you would horse shoes on each side of the course and then you take turns shooting at at each tower. You can find the instructions on building and playing the game on the internet.

It only took a few minutes to build and you can take it apart and store it in a bag all together to move from party to party to play.

It really is so fun!

Then the game playing fun begins...

It's really all in the wrist...

Not like that...

He totally had to set up for this picture... no way was he hitting the top rung that many times tonight... but practice, practice, practice makes perfect son! Your too cute anyway!

The spiritual application: Is your goal to reach the highest kingdom? (the highest/hardest rung)
Are you just getting by, doing what's easy (only need one point to win, so you just aim for the lower rung hoping to snag it or with any luck something higher) or diligently pursuing your goal to get there? (working to do your very best on every shot, not just doing enough to get by) Do we apply ourselves to strive to reach our highest potential, or are we just getting by?
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3 Nephi 13:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.