As most of you know we went to California for my son Nicholas' High School graduation..(ouch I feel old, considering one graduated and one will be entering kindergarten) so our trip started out, I was dreading the drive, as it is a lllooonnggg one..like 25 hours long!! We had to drive, because we had Scott's car, a 66' nova in storage there since we moved. Since we are not moving back there, or anywhere else for that matter, it was about time we picked it up, and stopped paying storage!!
It was a good trip, I was so happy to see my mom and my best friend Melissa!! First up was graduation..Mind you, I have not been to a high school graduation since my own, and that was a long time ago. I lived in Temecula for 25 years, and it was much smaller when we first moved there, like 15k people, now it is over a 100k, having 3 high schools that house about 3800 kids each!! So Nicholas' class was a graduating class of 860 (I think)...I was really nervous, as I didn't know how I would feel..But the reality of graduation didn't hit me til it was over, and I was hugging him on the field, that was when it got emotional and my heart sank....
Until that moment, there were a lot of kids, they had 3 stages simultaneously calling kids, to get through the big list..
sometimes I miss the mountains...I hadn't really thought about how many there are there...
Nicholas is the one on the left with the sunglasses..
lotsa kids, actually young adults..
Alex, Nicholas, Klien and Nick
throwing caps...
they did a nice fireworks show at the end of graduation..there were about 5000 people in attendance that night..
The family...Scotty was so sad, he was crying. the reality of his brother not being in school I think hit him. No more spring, summer and winter breaks...
I was a bit emotional at the end, when I finally got to hug him. I couldn't believe it was all over, he was no longer a little boy (he hasn't been for a long time) It was a lot to take in, at best..
I have heard graduation in Celina, is very cool, a slide show and very intimate. I pray that it stays small enough to get our kids through high school and enjoy that, to be a part of a place where we have a lot of friends, and people that that have watched our kids grow up and support them, along with us. That is important to me, to us as a family. I am so thankful we made the decision to leave and raise our kids in a small town. Yes there is small town drama or politics, but I don't get involved... really in the end it doesn't matter to me. Iam very proud to be living here, calling this home, being a part of "something", coaching my daughters cheer team, helping out at school, and having lotsa friends, and making memories that will hold a special place in all our hearts...I have no regrets of leaving California...none
Friday I spent time running errands for the BBQ on Saturday..Costco, the grocery store...I had forgotten how busy it was there..Not like our small town!!
The girls played in my mom's spa..
I snapped a few pictures of roses in her yard and her GREEN garden...I do miss that!!
Friday night we went to dinner with my Best friend Melissa and her family...we ate Mexican food, our usual favorite!!
Zack, Scotty, Nicholas and Chris
Love this pic!!!
Melissa and Randy
My wonderful husband..and muah!
Saturday was a big day of friends and food...the kids played water balloons and we rented a jump house..we had a great time!
Chris and Scotty
me and my sweet friend Kim
awe...
muah and Melissa, love her!
Scotty, Bella and Grace (Kim's daughter)
Scott and Nick (bubba...they have been friends since grade school)
silly faced kids
water balloons
Charlie (Kim's son) and Brynne..both going to kindergarten
Trista, Bubba's daughter, she is the same age as Bella
Nancy, Bubba, me and Scott
Trista and Bella
Once everyone left and we did a little clean up..Nicholas opened his gifts. mainly cards with "funds" in them..except ours...I wanted to get him an actual gift..so we decided on a Nixon Watch (he better not lose it and he better take care of it)
I think he liked it...that's a pretty big smile!
The diploma...this was the first of many milestones in his life....
Sunday was a "good-bye" day..I knew we were leaving on Monday sometime, so it was time to make the rounds...This is where it gets hard...
I LOVE THIS PICTURE!!!! Finally an easy going, everyone looking, not to mention smiling picture!! This one is going a frame fo' sho'!!
Sweet boys..it is always so hard for Scotty to leave his brother....it hurts my heart!
This time was different, maybe the thought of no school breaks to fly out, hit me. He was not going back to school, it was all different now...it was good and bad all wrapped up in a ball of emotions...bitter sweet.
After that we were off to Melissa's...the old neighborhood.....
Her house is right next door to my house there. So it was weird, after not being there in a while..all the kids were older, bigger..thankfully Scotty and Chris picked right up, like they had always seen each other over the last two years. They all played outside with again, water balloons and squirt guns...it felt like old times (kinda) except we weren't drinking tumblers full of wine, and I wasn't going home (right next door)
like it used to be....
Good Times...
Brynne didn't like the way the grass felt on her feet, nice substitution
I was dreading the good bye part. I always think it will get easier, but it never does...So I put it off til Monday..I had to borrow some towels and rather than end that day in tears, I told her I'd be back the next day to return her towels...(I'm a chicken)
Brooke (my niece) asked to take the kiddos to a movie on Sunday, after the water filled trip to Melissa's...so I snapped this before she left..My goal this trip was to get pictures..while I didn't get all the ones I wanted, I came home with some GREAT ones!
My mom and the kids....
Brynne pestering Melissa's cat..Max doesn't look very thrilled, to say the least
This was Before the tears came from the good-bye..this was the "leading up to it"
I am so blessed...in so many ways, they are countless. But really I am so blessed to have a friendship that is never changing with Melissa. I still talk to her almost everyday, for about an hour. The time changes or states away, have not altered our friendship. I feel very lucky to have her friendship, it is a two way street. Some people go their entire lives with "friends", we all have them, whether they are in the form of acquaintances, passers by, friends through your kids friends, your job, friends come from many places. While I do not have a lot of friends in California, I have the most important friendship in Melissa's. One that some people may go through their whole lives, never having, never appreciating, and never loving. Don't get me wrong, I have friends in Texas, way more than I ever had in California, the people are nicer here, that is a fact...and I have some really great friends, even best ones here too, that I am very thankful for..at the end of the day, I have the best of both worlds, a great friend from my past, and great ones in my present...I could not ask for anything more...
I took this in my mom's yard right before I packed my camera away....I love it..their smiles and happiness says it all, and more.....
It is hard to leave and say good bye, and while I try to think of it as 'I'll see you later", it doesn't get easier...I am grateful we made the trip, made even more memories to put in our memory files..experienced life changes and once in a lifetime moments...and for that I am forever grateful...
Make it count
Aww! What a very sweet post. Temecula is one of my most favorite places to go, just to get out of Escondido. :) But it is miles and miles of houses, and they are still affordable. :)Haha! I always think I would love to live there, but on the out skirts. :) Or way north in the Sierra's. Such a small world to think that I found your blog, and that is where you are from. Small world. It is cool though that you have found a place to call home. Glad you had a great time while here.
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