The One With Wrestling and Take Overs

December 7 - 11, 2018

This one extends a few days into the next week to accommodate a special event.

With Football season over for our Pioneers, it was time for Lara to exit the Football Locker Room and head over to the warm and smelly wrestling room.  After a day of cleaning and putting away football, wrestling, in all it's glory, was in full swing.  Thursday night Lara was off to Southmoore for the first away dual of the season!

But, as usual, there is no rest for the weary!  Friday morning the crew was up bright and early for a little end of semester family vacay and basketball tournament in San Antonio, Texas!  We were excited for the trip, because the weather was forecast to be really bad in Stillwater, and we didn't want any part of that.  Joke was on us for Friday, though.  Our 7 hour drive stretched well beyond ten when we were caught in torrential downpours, construction traffic, and lots and lots of wrecks.  We finally made it safely to our hotel around 7 pm that night, and all we wanted to do was SLEEP!

While in Texas and San Antonio, Lara got to do a lot of firsts.  This was her first time to see Jake play with his AET teammates.  She ate at her first In-And-Out Burger, and made her first Buc-ee's Pit Stop.  She was a super basketball sister, and Big Sister for the whole team.  she offered to run the clock, took boys drinks on the bench, and helped moms with iPhone problems!  We were so glad she took the time out of her busy schedule to come on this trip with us!

In the meantime...  Lara had been selected to be the junior class representative for Wrestling Homecoming.  Which was Tuesday after we got home from our trip LATE on Sunday night.  She found out 11 days before the event!  Luckily, she was able to borrow a BEAUTIFUL Navy and Silver dress from Emma's friend Katie, awesome earrings from my friend Jennifer, made a hair appointment with Charlene, and her friend Haydn agreed to do her make up.  WHEW!  We were ready.  Escorted by Junior Henry Warren, so she was ready to do this.  It was old hat - since she was freshman attendant last year!  She did a fantastic job, as expected, and we are so proud of her accomplishments!  Those boys really love and respect her!

We are so thankful for everyone who came out to support her at the pep rally on Tuesday afternoon, and to the Homecoming Wrestling Dual that night.  She has so many people who love her and love to cheer her on!  What a bright light she shines!

And Thank you EMMA for making the special effort to come out Tuesday night.  You girls are awesome!  Here's to another week!

The One with SIX Dream Weavers

September 14-16, 2018

What a FUN and SPECIAL weekend!  It was Football Homecoming 2018 for the Stillwater High School Pioneers, AND our girl Emma was at our house the whole weekend!  Times like these are few and far between and they deserve to be celebrated.  Beyond the football festivities and game, there was a lot of down time (read: homework), and we were able to capitalize on it and spend time as a family.  Such a needed blessing.

Of course, Friday was BIG and busy.  It was Homecoming, and Lara's BFF Molly was on the HOCO court as the junior class attendant.  She had a full day!  All of the student trainers went to her house for lunch and to help her get ready for the pep rally that afternoon, then it was SHOW TIME!  I will let the pictures speak for themselves:

Emma met us at the game, but I think I only saw her for about 2 seconds the whole game!

This is my favorite picture form the evening.  At half time, my big kids all found each other and snapped this awesome photo:

Pioneers came away with the win.  And ended up being ranked Number 1 after this showing.  Pioneers are ON FIRE!

Saturday was homework, rest, and watch OSU Football.  Emma went to a rodeo in Perry with several of her area friends, and scared me half to death when she came in the house late - I was 1/2 asleep and I forgot I had a kid out in the world wandering around!  :)

Sunday was FAMILY day!  We went to church together, hung out, and went to dinner at Shortcakes.  We even got to "keep" Emma over night since she has class at Meridian in the morning - and I live closer to Meridian than she does when she is out in Orlando.

It was a truly special weekend, and one I hope we get to repeat again soon.  Here's to another week!

The One With Court

January (11) 12-15, 2018
Another weekend.  And another one that started early and ended late.  This one was special for Twin B.  And that's why it started early.  Last Thursday night, January 11, 2018, was Stillwater High School Pioneers Wrestling Homecoming.  We may not be the best wrestling this team - plagued with injuries - but homecoming is always special.  And in Stillwater, we celebrate it the best way we know how!  So, this post is a photo show of all the fun we had last Thursday.  Each picture can be clicked on for a larger view.

Lara was chosen by her peers to be the Sophomore Class attendant for the Wrestling Homecoming Court.  Sophomore and Junior classes each have a female attendant with a male escort.  And the Senior class has 4 queen candidates with their escorts.  For this event, the girls were chosen by the wrestling team, and they each got to choose their escort from the boys on the team in their class.

We know she had been chosen before school got out for break, so priority one was finding a dress!  We found one she LOVED online at eshakti and ordered it quickly so it would get here in time.  Next up were hair and make-up appointments.  Then, we waited for the big day.  I had taken the day off to spend it with my girl, and after going to her 1st hour class, she was dismissed for the day - as there was a pep rally that afternoon.

First few stops - hair at Wavelengths with Charlene, Nugs at Chick-fil-a, and Make-up with Betsy at Ulta.

Next up, we headed to the high school for the pep rally rehearsal/run through.  As I expected, it was a bit chaotic. LOL  Started late; confusion about if the girls should be in their dresses or not, and Lara's escort was MIA at go time - even though we had seen him and knew he was there...

So, even though Tanner (her escort) missed out on the rehearsal, the pep rally went off without a hitch.  Dad and the boys joined us for the pep rally.  Jake loved his first high school pep rally - the senior basketball boys danced and his sister was in a fancy dress!  Finn (who kept calling it a pepper alley) was just glad to be checked out of school.  It was fun to hear them talk about Lara, and we were super excited that the emcee for the even pronounced BOTH Lara's first AND last name correctly!  VICTORY!  We learned all about the queen candidates and at the end of the pep rally, the students were dismissed to go vote for their queen.  And Lara was done until the dual started later that night.  Great time for a few pics with family and friends.

One of my favorite pics of the day was a random one we snapped in the lobby of the fieldhouse as we were leaving to go home for a couple of hours.  She just glowed.

After a break and some rest and food at home, it was back to the high school to get ready for the Big Event.  This time, I was left at home, and Lara's BFF Molly took over the "mothering" duties of getting Lara into her dress and make sure she looked her best.  The votes had been counted, the court was presented; and the Queen was crowned.  It was a BEAUTIFUL night in so many ways!

Lara had to change quickly out of her dress and back into dressy clothes for her student trainer duties.  She chose pink jeans, and an off white shirt with lace insert cold shoulders.  She looked adorable the whole night!  We didn't get anymore pics in the dress since she had to change so quickly!  But, we did catch one with her sister before the festivities started.

Lara and Emma - Twisters

Love this girl!

My Shining Star!  You looked so beautiful, Lara Beth!  Great job!

So, Thursday night ended with  Emma and her crew leaving after the first couple of matches, the wrestling team posting a loss, and Lara collapsing into bed late that night after a long and busy day.  Friday, she was up SUPER early to be at the high school by 5:30am to get on the bus for a wrestling tournament in Moore, OK.  Emma had a basketball game Friday night - tough loss.  SO, they each got to their respective homes late Friday night, then Lara was back at the school by 6:30am Saturday for the long SECOND day at the Southmoore Tournament!

Lara got home late Saturday afternoon, went to dinner with us, then was off to her dad's for the rest of the weekend.  I never really know what goes on at the ranch in Logan country, but I did get a weird snap chat video of Lara getting ice cubes out of a tray with some random Grey's Anatomy show reference and Emma's infectious giggle in the background.  Plus there was a story about Leon the Mountain Lion... 

This weekend ended late due to the MLK Day holiday.  Lara and the boys were out of school, and Jake played in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament where Lara killed at keeping Finn entertained.   After all the excitement of a long weekend, Monday night bedtime was a welcome distraction!  Another installment of the 2020 Project in the books.  What's next?