Best Buddies and Neighbors

This is Alissa and Shon, best buds and next door neighbors! No they did not go to Prom, together but it was very important for both of them to see each other before they left on their dates and get a couple of photos together. Wow, if you didn't know better you would think they were related? (At least they look like brother and sister.....)

PROM!!!!! The 1st of many, I'm sure....

Well, it's here and now Mom can relax.... The Day Alissa's been waiting for, Her First Date, argh!!!! Our day was a little bit crazy, but we all made it through without Mom strangling someone. Alissa went on her 1st official date today with a long time friend Alex Nichols. They spent the early part of the afternoon at a giant "Bounce" facility with a group of other teenagers and then raced home to get ready for the prom. Alissa made it home with about 75 minutes to get ready. She did a great job with the help of Her Cousin Brooke, Grammy Gibbons and best friend Kaela. Mom was running all over town picking up flowers, bras, jewelry, boys and dancers from practices. Dad made it home from work in time to see his little girl come down the stairs in her 1st, of many I'm sure, formal dress. She looked beautiful and all grown up. These are few of the pictures of her with and without her little jacket and with her cute date! They, with a group, were transported by another parent, due to the strict driving laws with passengers, up to "The Cheesecake Factory" for dinner then off the the State Capitol for the official PROM dance. After, like most kids, they went and hung out at another friends house and watched a movie. Mom waited up, while dad went to bed, due to the fact that Sunday Mornings come very quick for Chris and his 6:00 am meetings, needless to say, we all had to change our clocks forward 1 hour. This is just another day in the life of Our 3 teenage girls and 2 little guys!

The NEW DO!

Jocelyn decided on a change, well a little change. She got a new hair color and DO. This is what happens when your Aunt is a hair dresser and she needs babysitters. My girls love the fact that if they babysit they can get a hairdo or hair color for their payment. Against Dad's better judgement, she did the color thing. I love it, but she looks more and more like her mom every day (especially cause her mother went really dark on her hair color) . I am not sure she likes that reference, but there is no way around it, Sorry Jocey! But she is a character - unlike her mother also. Just another day in the lives of Our 3 teenage girls and 2 little guys.

She Did IT!!!!!

She did IT! Well a day after her birthday, Alissa got her Drivers License! Well if any of you are aware of the new program, Well new to me that is. You basically go to the DMV and 15 minutes & $30.00 later you get your license. This to me was awesome! {I remember 22 years ago (Argh) My Mom took me on my 16th Birthday to get my license, She took me and so much paper work to prove I was actually a female, US Citizen, breathing, etc, and 2 hours later, after the Written Test and Behind the Wheel test you may or may not be leaving with your license. I also remember driving in the worst part of Pomona, California to take this test, and being a little nervous. }
Now you take behind the wheel at school, well during off hours, and after a certain amount of hours, you take the written test with your teacher and the road test with your teacher and he imputs all this information in the DMV system and you are ready to go! Needless to Say the system has gotten better on this one! She is so excited, Dad is a little nervous, so we had the talk about what to do in an accident, all the new laws about driving with friends, and how the phone will not be in use while she is driving, At ALL!!!!!!! We hope she makes wise choices, On the other hand, HOORAY, I finally have more help in the driving department! Just another day in the lives of our 3 teenage girls and 2 little guys.

Can she really be "16"?

OK, so we had the weekend of Alissa, i am pretty sure this has been the weeks of Alissa...She turned 16 yesterday, I can't believe I am old enough to have a daughter that will be driving and dating, Then I woke up with A constant reminder of RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) and I realize I am old enough, or at least my body is. We have had a few weeks of craziness and parties at least it feels like it. The Gibbons Gang and a few neighbors came over on Monday March 2, 2009 to have a little dessert party, did I say little there were 36 in all, We also celebrated Alissa's cousin, Courtney Gibbons, 13th Birthday. Those 2 girls were really spoiled and The highlight of Alissa's evening, besides the cheesecake, was being handed her Varsity Lettermans jacket from Grandpa Gibbons. She lettered as a Freshman in Golf at Riverton High School and has been asking for this jacket since last May. It has basically took this long to pay for it....(All of you who have had to do this will totally understand!) Too Bad for her, that Tuesday the 3rd and Today the 4th are not cold, can you believe it? But just wait, the rain and snow are in the immediate forecast, so she will get plenty of wear time.
On Tuesday, her actual birthday, she started Golf Again for this season at the High School. She was able to have a private lesson at the local course and while she was enjoying the outdoors, Her Young Women's Class from church came over and trashed her room. Now the pictures do not do justice, She has tiny puzzle pieces all over the floor, in her bed, in her drawers, in her socks and paper shreds everywhere. She also has the funnest signs stuck all over the room with cute sayings. Needless to say she has not tried to clean it and just slept on top of her bed. Maybe this weekend? Oh yeah, that would be a, NO! She has a Prom date!!!!! The life of a teenage Girl, how I remember it so........ Well it's just another day in the lives of Our 3 Teenage girls and 2 little guys!