The Fashion Show

Our youth have begun meeting together again.  They are doing activities twice a month.  This past Wednesday the boys played soccer in the parking lot with a huge ball.  The girls did a fashion show.  I am glad they have the opportunity to gather and grateful for their leaders who make it happen.

 

Aubrey was so excited about this activity.  She gave me an invitation, Brian an invitation and kept one for herself.  Then she realized she needed to invite Gram and Gramp and I gave her my invitation and said Dad and I could share.  Silly girl.

Diana Stringer

The young women leaders went all out with beautiful decorations and fun food.  I think the girls helped plan a lot and they also went early to help set up.

Melanie Ormsby making popcorn for the guests.

The third leader, Sister Lauren Ross.  

Avery M.  One of Aubrey's good friends.  She was a great announcer.  She spoke loudly enough and was very descriptive and creative.

Aubrey rocked the runway!  She was confident and cute.  Here she is in her most comfy outfit above and her athletic outfit below.  She surprised me for her dressy outfit and came out in a dress I had never seen before.  I was thinking maybe she found it in the back of her closet, but it was Trinity's.  She looked really pretty in it, but I didn't get a picture.

Trinity O. modeled this pretty, layered formal for her dressy outfit.

Aub's two best friends from church.  Avery and Trinity.

Runway decorations.  They forgot to tape the runway down, and there were several near falls.  One of the leaders finally just moved it, and things went much better.

Brian couldn't come due to work.  He is such a supportive dad I know that was hard on him.  I am glad my parents were able to come.  Aubrey was thrilled.  Grandpa was asked to take pictures, and he did a great job as usual.

Diana, Martha McKown and Amberly Jackson

Odessa Fourth YW (some of them anyway)  Back row: Trinity, Aubrey, Ally C, Avery  Front row: Analise H, Luna H, Gracie W

Thanks for a fun night girls!

Permian Football

I helped put up signs in the locker room last week.  I have never been in there, and it was cool to see.  We added the large, religious signs....kind of cool.  Cross Roads, a local church, printed them for us.  I love that we can still do that here in the Bible Belt.  Probably won't be able to for much longer though.  Too many loud groups against God.

Parker had his first game on Friday, September 25th.  I feel like I can breathe a sigh of relief for them getting to play at least one game this year.  OHS' first game was canceled due to someone on the team having Covid.  I think that is how it is going to be this year....on and off.  BYU played their first game and cancelled their next one due to Covid.  Anyway...

Parker did great!!  My parents were able to go, and it was perfect weather.  It was so fun sitting with Brian and my parents and just watching Parker play.  He is playing middle linebacker.  He made a couple of great tackles and assisted on some as well.  I'm sure he did lots of other great things, but I just had fun watching him play.  I had the binoculars out and on him anytime defense was on the field.  They play in Dallas next week and Amarillo the next.  Go MOJO!

Tanner's 16th Birthday

 

Tanner's 16th Birthday was this week.  He has been teasing that he would like a brand new, red Corvette.  It would be fun if we could give him one.  On the morning of his birthday, he was packing his lunch and I whispered, "it's out there...your new car....somewhere, I am sure."  He was cracking up as we shared that little moment.  

He did get some new Nike shirts, a pair of shorts and some treats.  Kind of boring....sorry Tan man.  On Monday I am taking him on Mother/Son date because he is sixteen.  I offered Olive Garden, Chilis, Cheddars etc... to give him ideas.  He chose Chic Fil A.  The dining room is closed so I think we might grab it and eat it over in Gram and Gramp's backyard.

Brinley sent him a letter with some sticks of gum inside.  Parker got him NCAA 2021 Basketball for Xbox.  Aubrey gave him some treats.  Both Grandparents gave him cute cards with cash...perfect gift for a teen.

We ordered pizza for dinner and had his favorite candy bar cake.  I pulled out his journal I kept when he was a newborn up to about five years old, and we did our traditional share of some of the cute and funny things he said and did as a child.  I love this tradition.  The birthday kiddo is spotlighted, and we get to laugh and remember these cute times.

For example:  "Mom, I know I am big, but let's not tell Parker."  Parker has always had to try to keep him in his place as the younger brother.  Tanner just wanted to be big without Parker holding him down.

Or the time I took him to Dr. Ramos because he was a little whiney for several days.  Dr. Ramos was amazed and kept asking "He hasn't had a fever?  He has been eating?"  Tanner had a terrible throat infection, a double ear infection and something else.  He had to get two shots and some medicine.  On the way home I asked him, "is your throat hurting?"  He defiantly said, "NO, MY YEGS (legs) ARE HURTING."  He had to get shots in both legs, and he was not pleased.

Another time he let me know he was not feeling well, but "I will take care of it myself."  He is still that way.  He just wants to take care of himself, avoid unnecessary appointments and move on with HIS life.

Tanner is competitive, dedicated (mostly to basketball at this point.) and takes care of his school work and his schedule on his own.  If I ask too many questions about school, he will say, "Mom, stay in your own lane."  I have to remind him that his education is my lane. He teaches great spur of the moment FHE lessons and is still my number one snuggler.  Happy 16th my boy!

September 13th-19th

With blogging not being on the forefront of my mind, I realize I just don't take the pictures throughout the week like I have the past two years.  It kind of makes me sad, but I will just have to think about capturing those everyday moments a little bit more.

Here is me doing an assignment from my eCommerce course.  I am really loving it.  I am learning a ton, and I can see the possibilities.  I do kind of walk around in a fog though because I have so much going on in my brain.  What products should I purchase next?  What is trending.  What kits could I put together to sell?  How can I apply the STARS method to this product listing?  What pictures do I need to take?  Have I ordered shipping materials for X product yet?  And, I am at the computer a ton so my eyes are beginning to glaze over from the glare.  We won't even mention the state of our house.  (I can higher a house cleaner when I am bringing in the dough, right?!)

Aub helped me do a photo shoot for my VSCO and uplifting stickers.

Park is coming home from football pretty beat up.  He's started last year but they moved him to middle linebacker, and he is playing more this year.  He hasn't even had his first game yet.  I can't imagine what his body might look like then.

Gram and Grandpa Vore surprised Parker this week with an early graduation gift: a laptop.  He was beaming, and it was adorable.  (Can I use the word adorable in reference to my 6'1", 185 lb almost eighteen year old boy?)

I love that they gave it to him early.  This is the perfect year for that.  With the state of schools during Covid, he is on the computer for all of his classes.  He even attends school every other day, but they just open their laptops and have class on there.  It's also nice because he may choose to serve a mission right out of high school.  If they waited until May to give him a computer, it wouldn't really be very fun if he left in July for his mission.

Just wanted to document Tanner "sitting up" for seminary.  That is all.

It takes a village...Gram and Gramp helped Braddock, Hudson and Charlotte do school one morning this week.  Britney had a doctors appointment, and Ella had a kinder test at the school.  Brit dropped off Ella off and headed to her appointment.  I picked Ella up and ran her back home.  It was fun to see the little Birds in action with their school day, and Gram and Gramp were taking their duties very seriously.

Isn't my momma so pretty?

Little Riley was blessed last week.  I love this picture with Grandpa G holding his great granddaughter while his granddaughter looks on.

And to wrap things up this week, Aubrey has been a busy girl.  She has been earning money to go to Liahona Youth Conference in Utah with her school.  She and Lauron painted a room and a bathroom at Grandma Honey's house.  They worked after school on Wednesday and Thursday prepping everything.  They painted most of the day on Friday and Saturday to finish the job.  Plus they mowed the Vore's lawn.  She also took pictures of her bike that she has outgrown and a black saucer chair from her room and sold them on Facebook.  I'm so proud of how hard she is working to make youth conference a reality. 

 

September 7-13th, 2020

We enjoyed our three day Labor day weekend.  Tanner had Julian and Tate over on Monday.  They played a little bit of basketball and way too much Xbox.  I finally pulled him aside and said it was time to do other things.  They headed out to the front yard for football.  I was so happy to see their phones set down on the bench rather than in their hands.

I was leaving to walk with Kim (Kim Terry, Tate and Harper's mom) and wanted to get an action shot.  There was no action at the time because they were waiting for us to leave.  They did stage the shot below for me though. 😏

And speaking of walking with Kim....let me say that a few more times....I went walking with a friend!  I have a friend!!  Seriously, it's been a long Covid quarantine and sometimes I feel very lonely.  We have gone out a few times recently, and I love it!  We talk about our kiddos, our faith, the state of our households, what is concerning us...pretty much everything.

Park, Avery, Abbey and Hailey

Senior Sunset.  This is the beginning of all of the celebrations of Parker's final year in school.  He is on Student Senate this year and a little more involved in the planning and carrying out of events at Permian.  Left-right:  Brenna, Madison, Emma, Claire Hill, Avery Temple, Morgan Ward, Hailey Holquin, Emily Hill, Abbey Ward, Kamryn Carrasco, Bethany Fierro, Bailey, Eli Armendariz, Cole Brannon, Harper Terry, Austin Jacobo, Luke Bland, Parker Gwilliam, Reese Rivera

First actual day at school pictures. Park's age group finally got to go back to school in person this past week.  He's mixed on his feelings about it.  School on the couch is pretty great.  He also can just log off and hang out once the teacher is done lecturing.  He says wearing a mask all day isn't too bad.  I know he likes seeing his friends.  And although he is smiling in these pictures, he was super annoyed and growling at me between gritted teeth when I was taking them.

He met his friends at Big Daddy's for a morning back to school breakfast.  He has done this throughout his high school years.  Kendyn Armstrong's mom owns this restaurant and is always good to host.  (Many bring food and decorations to chip in.)

Bishop Ormsby planned a cool "hardest race" activity.  The YM and YW camped out in Colorado City and then were split into teams.  They had to follow a map and complete different portions of the race by biking, hiking, canoeing and swimming.  The boys couldn't attend, but Aubrey went and had a blast.

Aub, Trinity and Luna getting ready to head out.  I can't even imagine all of the planning and time it took to get this activity together.  Go Bishop Ormsby and Sister Stringer!  I love our youth leaders.

Bishop Matthew Ormsby and Sister Diana Stringer and all of those kayaks and canoes.

Aub came home pretty beat but also excited.  She said it was challenging but cool.  I think she'd love to do it again.

Park is #12.

Park had an inner squad scrimmage thing.  They didn't really make contact, but it was fun to see them on the field running the plays.  Above: Kendyn Armstrong, Cade Tschauner, Harper Terry, Kayden Bayze and Parker.  And just for fun, here is a picture from when Park and Harp first met.  They played soccer on the Bruisers together.

Harper and Parker

I waited three hours up at Permian to get this picture.  Because we play at a big stadium, there is never a chance to be together when he has his uniform on.  I can't believe my baby boy is this big and almost 18 years old.

Late Saturday night I talked Tanner into playing a game with me.  He would only play Mastermind because he knows I hate it.  I was willing because I wanted to do something with him.  That game is torture, I tell you.  One person does a four color code and the other has to guess and then narrow down the answer by reasoning things through.  

My brain starts smoking trying to think everything through.  Plus it was so late, and then on one of the rounds, Tanner marked my guesses incorrectly on one row.  So I am trying, row after row to make deductions that just weren't working.  I kept saying, "Tanner, something has to be wrong."  Finally he checked and found a mistake.  The game is torture.

On our very last round, he was determined to get it in six guesses or less because he wanted to at least tie me.  He took 20 MINUTES on one row.  That is way too slow of a game for me.  He did figure it out on that last row, so he was jumping up and down celebrating...at 12:20 am.  Crazy kid.  I was so happy just to go to bed.

Since we left the game out, there were several rounds played on Sunday but not by me!  Please, no more mind twisting, slow motion torture for me.