Phoenix Volleyball Festival June 28- July 4

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1 & 2 - Made it to Phoenix and all checked in. Dinner at the local Corner Bakery. Tomorrow begins the volleyball competition, and this girl will give it her all. She always does not matter what. A fierce competition and a great team player. We are very proud of your hard work and determination Jenna! 3, 4, 5 & 6 - Who has the greatest aunt and uncle ever?  We do! Aunt Michelle, Uncle Shane and Gavin arrived at the Convention Center before the last match started on the first day, and then they came back for two more days. What a great surprise! They were in the Phoenix area at the same time for a wrestling camp. After the games one evening, we went to Cooperstown, a local burger place owned by Alice Cooper. Not my favorite singer, but the food was good, and the company was even better. 7. My favorite side of Jenna is her silly side. 8. I don't know why, but I love huddle pictures. I love the unity and focus as the team heads on to the court or back into the game after regrouping. 9 & 10. Jenna joined the team after playing outside in Vegas to be a setter. She is back playing outside because the girl she replaced rolled her ankle. During day 3, our other outside tore her ACL. It's been a tough injury season for this team. They played really well together and were sad to say good-bye.

Scarlet at Three Months

Puppy naps and puppy snuggles. She sleeps or plays and when she plays, it can sometimes get muddy. Sariah didn't dig, but this pup likes the water and dirt combo. Too bad I didn't catch her until she'd muddied the floor. She also seems to find short cuts to eating when she's tired. That cracked us up. When we took her to the vet for shots, Kelly had to hold her because, who knew? Puppy pads pick up germs and can transfer to the pup before six months. So he held her large self in his lap. We better get her shots done fast! She's going to be too big for laps soon. Why is it that I don't know if she'll think she's too big? Her daddy thought he was a lap dog and still does. He's like 100 pounds.

Photos of Moi

Jenna was standing on her bed and took this photo of me. I had just done my make up, and I liked how it turned out. I don't like photos of me. I have gained a ton of weight (no pun intended) these past few years, and I usually look like Jabba The Hut more than myself. So this was a fun one. It reminded me that I was once pretty and possibly still could be if I lost some weight. Looking up is always a good angle. It hides the chin. Haha.

Father's Day and A New Computer for the Graduate

We enjoyed a yummy taco dinner on Father's Day and had a special guest to boot. Caleb was alone this Father's Day so, we invited him to dinner. He had stayed behind when his family went to Utah because he had to work. It was nice to have another guest for dinner. On Monday, we went to the Apple Store where Heather purchased her first laptop. She had received generous monetary gifts from family and friends, and she was able to put that toward her laptop. She is so excited to get writing and have her very own spaced to do that.

First and Last Day of School Photos

The girls' first and last day of school photos! Heather's was already documented due to graduation and a different last day of school for seniors, but I love the side-by-side.  Jenna had a big transformation in her side-by-side! Who is this beauty? Great year Jenna! Ninth grade brings so many changes--seminary, harder classes, new friends, juggling school and sports, new sports teams, saying goodbye to braces, harder finals, illness and sleep deprivation. It is the hardest year! You survived! Jenna and some friends had a "last day" lunch at Corner Bakery to celebrate. Bring on summer!

Grad Night Party

I worked Grad Night this year at one of the carnival booths. Our booth was an easy ticket winner, and the kids figured that out pretty quick. Heather and friends stopped by several times. The night went so fast! I was thinking 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. would be really hard, but there were so many activities. At the very end of the night, Heather won a $50 cash prize which she was eligible for because her mom was one of the volunteers. Great way to celebrate the end of an era, and I'm so happy I got to be there and see all the fun.

High School Graduation for Heather

Graduation day! We drove to Orange Coast College for Heather's high school graduation ceremony. We sat in the stands and took a bazillion pictures. Jenna even got artistic with her hands making heart frames. Heather stood to be recognized for Scholar's With Distinction, and Mr. Ziebarth read her name. He is a family friend, and he asked Heather how she wanted to be announced. He read, "Heather Peterson is the best!" It was awesome. Best shot of the ceremony is Heather turning around to hold her diploma up for us to see with a thumbs up. She has suffered and endured so much to get to this finish line. We are proud of her, and we hope she is proud of her accomplishment. She is simply amazing. We took family photos and photos with friends after the ceremony. At home,Tammy shared some decorative cookies with us. Such a special day. Time for the grad night party!

Graduation Practice and Aunt Shell Time

Our day started at the high school for graduation practice. I was given the opportunity to volunteer since I had a daughter graduating. It was fun to be there and watch. Three of us had daughters graduating, and the girls have known each other since elementary school. After practice Heather and I went to Barnes and Nobel to spend some money on books. She was a happy girl. There is a lightness in the air now that there's no more school. Later in the afternoon, Aunt Michelle and Jenna got manicures. We took Aunt Shell by Rollin' Creamery to introduce her to the deliciousness. Super fun day.