The One with Twists and Turns

Aug 30 - Sept 2, 2019

This was a pretty good holiday weekend.  Per the usual, kids were here, there and everywhere.  Emma spent most of the weekend in Payne County - some with Nana and Grandpa, and some with us.  And we spent some time in Logan County. Just the way it seems to go around here with everyone so busy and such diverse interests.  Believe it or not, things are about to get even busier as sports get into full swing and schoolwork gets more intense.

Our weekends start on Friday around here.  I never see Lara before school (or after school) any more, so I love it when she had fun lunch dates with friends and they post fun pics on social media.  Like, THIS:

We knew Emma was coming in, like the storm she is, but we weren't sure when.  In the meantime, she got an invitation to "OSU Up Close" at OSU in October.  She has decided she wants to be a Cowboy, we are signed up for the event, and she has submitted her application!  I might get to be the mom of TWO OSU Cowboys in the near future!

It's September in Oklahoma and Friday nights mean one thing.  Or, well, usually.  Stillwater Pioneers don't start their season for another week, but the rest of the state started high school football.  Emma was in Perry with her friends for Friday Night Lights, while Lara and Erika went to Guthrie.  Why Guthrie?  Erika's dad is the new Strength and Conditioning coach for Enid High Schoool.  Enid opened their season in Guthrie, so that was the place to be!  AND!  Lara and I got our first "half-time selfie" of SENIOR SEASON (#SRSZN2020)

Gorgeous Girls, Fabulous Sunset

Half Time Selfies RULE!

Saturday Emma came around our house.  There was a college application to complete, and it was time to start thinking about the future.  Plus, we all had homework, so the couch was the place to be if you had a phone and a laptop...

Sunday and Monday were just easy holiday days.  Homework, football practice, time with friends.  Emma went home to Orlando and to spend time with her friends, and on Monday night Nana and Grandpa came to Stillwater for a holiday "cookout" - burgers on the George Forman and Brats in the InstantPot!  Lara and I also tried something new in the Instant Pot: CHEESECAKE!  I used a tried and true internet recipe with a chocolate graham crust, then she and I made up the topping.  Caramel sauce, chopped dark chocolate chips, and toasted coconut.  IT WAS SO GOOD!

What a great weekend - and now - FOOTBALL SEASON!

The One Where They Reunited With Friends

August 23-25, 2019

Senior year kind of became real this weekend.  There were things.  That gave us feelings.  And we will not be denied!  Class of 2020!

Friday was busy.  Emma was in Stillwater for Tech but then didn't have high school because it was fair day.  She came to visit me at my office for a while before her Senior Class Auction was going down.  They were raising money for their senior trip.  And they had a little photoshoot, too!  And while that was going down, Stillwater High School Pioneers were hosting a scrimmage at Pioneer Stadium, so Lara got her first taste of football for the season.  She was a very busy manager/trainer for sure!

Emma came to my office

But she did not dress up or clean up! LOL!

Mulhall Orlando Class of 2020

Friends

The 2020 Girls

WILD and FREE

Livin' Life

Scrimmages call for A LOT of water

Most I saw of her all week

The rest of the weekend was pretty typical.  I am not sure what all Emma did.  Lara babysat, did homework, went to lunch with friends.  Church, Laundry, family meeting, repeat!  The 5 Stillwater Weavers had a nice time Sunday night with a family movie and NO PHONES!  Those are few and far between these days, so I'll take it.

Lara and her friends at Howdy Week

I can't believe we are under 40 weekends to go...

The One Where They Started Senior Year

August 16 - 18, 2019

Senior Year.  Starts Now.  Class of 2020.

Emma started her Redlands Community College concurrent online classes on Monday; Meridian Technology Center class on Wednesday, and Mulhall-Orlando High School on Friday.  Lar starts Stillwater High School on Monday, and Oklahoma State University concurrent classes on Tuesday.  I am so thankful for smart kids, ambitious girls, and calendars!  It is going to be quite a chore to keep it all starts this year!  (And did I mention, my 2 OSU Grad School classes start this week as well!)

But it was another fun-filled weekend!  Emma went to the lake with friends on Saturday and earned herself an epic sunburn.  But she had a blast tubing and just being out there with friends.  When she got back to town, she actually met a boy (16, Connor, from Okarche) while at a stop sign.  It's always an adventure with this one.

Lara spent Saturday glued to social media to see which sorority all of her older friends went to on Bid Day!  Seeing all the excitement, hearing me talk about it all week (I spent a lot of time in the kitchen at the Welsey Center this week where Alpha Delta Pi held recruitment due to our house is a huge hole in the ground), and now knowing where her friends are has made her even MORE ready for formal recruitment next summer!  She cannot wait to Go Greek!  And Saturday night she spent her last night with Erika and Kendall.  She was supposed to sleepover, but came home around midnight, not feeling well.  Kendall leaves for Harvard very early Monday morning...

But my favorite part of this weekend is the Back-to-School photo shoot we did this week.  Here are my favorites:

There is really no stopping them now.  I cannot believe it is here.  It happened too fast!  Jake also starts 7th grade tomorrow and Finn has an extra week of summer as his BRAND NEW elementary school is not complete enough for the teachers and students to come nack yet, but he starts next Monday.  The first football scrimmage for the Pioneers is this Friday.  Fair Day for MO is this Friday as well. It. Is. HAPPENING!

Maybe a slow start for Lara - st least she doesn't have to be at school until 1pm tomorrow.  Jett the Jetta has a flat tire.  Putting the spare on tomorrow morning so she can go to the tire shop.

And on a Senior Mom note, I ordered football mom and dad shirts for Football Senior "Family Pictures" which are in a few weeks.  Traditionally, the moms take pics with their boys, but this year we are changing it up a bit and moms AND dads get to be involved!  Can't Wait!