day one hundred fifty three

Today is the last day of school and the last day that any of my team will be attending elementary school. Ho. Lee. Cow. I cannot believe I'm done with Bass. I have been schlepping kids to this school for the past 11 years. Myself and a few other "hands on parents", i.e., the only other parents that ever did anything, decided that we were so important that we reserved ourselves spots on the front row. And you know what? No one told us we couldn't. It is because we really are (were) that important.

Here is some of my VIP friends. Tracy, Nameer and I were permanent fixtures at every single field trip, school party, field day and school event for the past 11 years.

Here is the 5th grade graduate herself arriving to the program!

She refused (and I mean REFUSED) to wear a dress or anything "fancy". She put on long pants (jeans) and informed me that, "this is the fanciest I will get". Everyone was actually shocked as this was the first time all year that she didn't wear shorts.

Clapping for her fellow peeps

Here is Jack receiving her 5th grade promotion, AB honor roll and of course the Great American Award!!!

Mrs. Zamora's graduating 5th grade class of 2016

Singing the John C. Bass school song one last time. My kids have sung this song now for years. It is seared into my brain. I had to sing along because John C Bass is a bully free school, protecting others IS THE RULE!

Grandma came for her special day! Of course she also had a reserved seat. It's the perks of being a grandma to a granddaughter whose mother is a VIP. Did you follow that?

I surely do love this picture.... sigh. Just look at those beautiful happy faces that I love.

Me, Jack and Grandma!

Due to our yearly tradition we had to have a LOT of food at the house so everyone could meet over here after school was over. Taylor went to her friends house so we were missing her :(

Jacki and Coco decided to party with some water in our now functioning backyard.

And of course she enjoyed our swimming pool which also doubles as Jessi's water trough.

Off to Coco's pool to finish off the day. After eating the high school kids made their way over to Max's house to swim. It is tooooooo hot here to do much of anything else.

 My post of the last day of school is done now and I'm going to go have a good nap and a good cry.

day eight seven

Happy Easter!! The Easter Bunny made it to our house last night. We had to get up early to manage hunting for eggs, inspecting the baskets and 9:00 church!

I think she's happy with the shells and cheese she found in her basket. Now maybe she'll be able to attract some friends with it.

Even the Easter Bunny knows Taylor's favorite brand of mascara!

Thank goodness Jacki got some new socks! Her current socks are a biohazard. I will need a hazmat suit to even throw them away.

And then there's Pace... a basket full of non-chocolate items!

We went to Grandma Thomson's house later that night for the annual Easter dinner and Easter egg hunt. Here we have Jade and his mom conspiring where and how to hide the eggs.

Jade has NO technique. He just threw 2 bags of chocolate eggs all willy nilly on the lawn.

The egg hunting spectators, i.e., backseat hunters

Here is Jack getting loves from Grandma

Jacki on the run looking for her eggs. Hurry Jack it's getting dark!

Taylor found all her blue eggs. Now she's resting from the hunt.

Jade and Emma

The missionaries from Jeff and Jamie's ward came to dinner with us. They fit right in our family!

day seventy four

The dreaded goodbye day has arrived. We went to the airport one and all to see Grandma and Grandpa off.

Here are all the grandkids minus Derek, Pace and Bailey

John, Michael and Dad

Mom and Jack with a little bit of Lydia in the picture

 

Me and my mommy

Family pic courtesy of the airline employee who certainly earned her wages today!

 

Me and my Pa

Jacki with her airport buddy

Taylor saying goodbye to Grandpa

Just to clarify this picture... My mom, Laurie and I are on the Varsity team while John, Mike and Matt are on the JV team.

Hicks and Mom

Michael and Dad

It's all smiles now... just wait till security sees what my mom has in her carry on!

Lots of hugs, lots of tears, lots of me having melt downs and they're off! Goodbye Grandma and Grandpa! See you in 18 months! WE LOVE YOU!

day seventy three

Sunday dinner with all the cousins and family. This will be the last time we all meet together for the next 18 months. Even as I type this I am hyperventilating! Jade, Pace and Bailey had to stay in Vegas on account of stupid school. Being the only part of the Pace family who lives outside of Cedar is a drag.

Uncle Buck and Sahara

Dad cutting up the mutton. My dad can cook mutton like no other. It's depressing when I make it and my kids inform me that "it doesn't taste like Grandpas". It's kind of true though... it doesn't.

Laurie has been over all week helping Mom pack. They have lists upon lists upon lists. I cannot even imagine packing for a year and a half. I would have a melt down.

They packed an entire carry-on with meds and supplements. It weighed in at 26 lbs!!! I died laughing when I saw this. The DEA at the airport is going to have a field day with this! Hopefully they don't have drug sniffing dogs at customs in Africa.

 No words can describe the cuteness of this picture of Grandma and Max.

Ole Pete stirring up the macaroni and tomatoes

And now for the icing on the cake of a perfect day... the setting apart of Elder and Sister Pace. President Rollins set them apart. In the circle were the rest of my family. To see my dad get set apart by my brothers and then my mom get set apart by both my brothers and my dad was pretty unreal. The spirit was so strong in that room, I felt so blessed to even be a part of it. I don't know of a time when I have been more proud to be their daughter than tonight.