National Peace Officer's Memorial

Matt was awarded an opportunity to attend this year's Peace Officer's Memorial events in Washington D.C.  He was grateful for the opportunity and sent us pictures throughout the trip.  He started out with a visit to the Law Enforcement Memorial.  It was so moving to read the many notes and letters left behind by family members.

 He was happy to have a chance to see Warren and Marilyn for a quick lunch in the city.  It had been too long since our last visit!

 Thursday evening, he had a chance to take a private tour of the Capitol building.

 He attended a candlelight ceremony on Friday night and said pictures just couldn't do it justice.  He estimated a crowd of nearly 20,000!

Geri was sweet enough to drive up from SC to spend Saturday with him, touring the city.  They visited the MLK memorial, toured the Newseum, did a lot of walking around the mall and enjoyed a delicious lunch. I'm glad they were able to have that time together! 

 Saturday night, he took he guided bus tour around the city…visiting the White House, 

 Washington Monument,

 

Lincoln Memorial and much more.

 On Sunday, all of the agencies visiting, dressed in their uniforms for the memorial ceremony.  Matt met this group of officers from Germany at the Metro Station

 and met these officers from Toronto.

Matt came home with so many stories and really would like to return next year with me and the girls.  We are so proud of the work that he does and the sacrifice that all of the law enforcement officers make to keep us safe!  It was quite an honor for him to attend and I am grateful that he cherished the opportunity and paid his respects to those who have lost their lives in the line of duty!

Powder Puff

Taylor signed up for this year's Powder Puff game…juniors vs. seniors in Girl's Flag Football.

 Some of the football players coached the girls over a few weeks leading up to the game

and some of the guys made a great cheer squad!

Taylor was the starting wide receiver

and made a really nice catch down the middle of the field early on in the game.  Unfortunately, the quarterback threw an interception soon after and the coaches decided to not have her throw anymore.  That meant little action for Taylor, but she still had fun.  The seniors beat the juniors by one touchdown and will go on to play TV and Chap at the Sugar Bowl.

Mother's Day

 

I woke up to flowers from Matt and some gifts from the girls.  I love my new Alex and Ani bracelet and workout clothes and can't wait to use my "table in a bag" at the beach.  Matt and I took the dog for a walk to Starbucks while the girls cleaned the house!

 I've been wanting to check out the new Liberty Public Market in Point Loma so we headed down there for the afternoon.  It is San Diego's version of Seattle's Pike Market or Vancouver's Granville Island. Only one phase is complete, but it is pretty cool so far.

Taylor and I got Shrimp Po' Boys and Allison got a chicken platter from Cane Patch Kitchen

and Matt got a brisket sandwich from Liberty Meat Shop…all delicious!

 We checked out the adorable Crafted bake shop and can't wait to go back for burgers at Stuffed and drinks at the Mess Hall.  Matt and Allison sampled empanadas and Taylor got a few macaroons from the french pastry shop. We battled big crowds, but had a nice family day and they all made me feel very loved on this Mother's Day!

3rd Place

Allison played on 2 Futsal teams this Spring.  "Team 9" advanced to the playoffs tonight.  Unfortunately, they lost the first game against a very talented boy's team, but won the consolation game to finish the season in 3rd place.  Futsal has been great for the team!  

14

Our baby turned 14 today!!  She woke up to this collage on her Instagram

 and the traditional balloons and streamers decorating her room. Matt picked up donuts and we did a little shopping to get her shoes for promotion.  Mission accomplished!

 Then it was on to Norco for the 2nd game of National Cup.  The girls lost 1-0, but Allison had quite a few great saves today.  She brought cookies for the team and they put her through the spanking tunnel!

 She chose Lazy Dog Cafe for her birthday dinner

 and got a special sundae for dessert!

 She loved her new Cotton On shirts, Nike Pros, Lokai bracelet, Lululemon gift card and Skull Candy ear buds!  She had fun opening all of the cards from friends and family that came in the mail too!

She requested Trader Joe's cheesecake and we had one final celebration before calling it a night.  

As I try to process my baby turning 14, I feel so blessed by the young lady she has become.  She is so independent, hard-working, compassionate and truly stands up for what she believes is right.  We learned this week that she reached out to a girl at school that was being bullied and made her feel like she had a friend when she was truly struggling.  She even spoke out to make sure the bullies were disciplined and held accountable.  Proud parent moment, for sure!

She puts great effort into her studies and her soccer and is always asking if there are ways she can help make my day a little easier.  I love seeing her become more and more comfortable in her own skin and anxiously awaiting the start of high school.  I'm still a little bit taller than her, but look up to her in so many ways.  Allison, I love you and wish you the best year ahead!  Happy 14th Birthday!!

Prom 2016

It was a whirlwind morning with Allison's National Cup starting in Norco.  Nene came over around 11 to do Taylor's hair and makeup.  I was home in time to pick up some smoothies for them and get Andrew's boutonniere.  

Andrew came to the door to pick her up and they had the cutest reaction to seeing each other!  Last year was pretty awkward, as it was really their first date, but this year they were so comfortable and adorable!

We followed them out to Falkner Winery for pictures with the group.  She is almost as tall as her daddy in those heals!

Taylor struggled with the boutonniere last year so she was determined to get it right this time.  Strike two!  The rose snapped off and fell on the ground before she even got it pinned!  Luckily, Andrew's dad was able to perform minor surgery on it to at least make it through pictures.  His parents took it home with them so he would at least have the keepsake.

Taylor's corsage was beautiful too and survived the whole night!

 We met up with Andrew's parents and found several spots on the property for picture opportunities.  It was pretty windy, but it worked out just fine.

 They were so cute and playful and were really excited for a fun night!

 Taylor and Andrew helped Nathan pull off his "PromPosal" to Lexi so it was fun that they got to spend the evening with them.

 Carter, Andrew, Cody and Nathan

We found Taylor's dress on our college road trip up to Santa Clara and she sure wore it well.  She looked so elegant and beautiful!

Taylor and Andrew didn't know everyone in their group, but it was a nice group of kids.  The girls all looked stunning!

 Matt and I had a nice time visiting with Andrew's parents and loved seeing Taylor so happy.

We gave them one final lecture for a fun and safe night, as they headed to dinner at La Cocina and the dance at the Wild Animal Park…Arabian Nights theme.

Taylor texted me from dinner saying she was in tears over Allison's very sweet Snapchat post.  She took this cute picture of Taylor and Andrew and said "Want to be like her one day".   I'll admit I choked up too and love the relationship these two are forming as they get to spend one year of high school together.  Sure made me feel blessed and made Taylor feel extra special!

The whole group arriving at the Wild Animal Park.

I didn't get to see much from the dance yet, but Taylor texted me this picture of Andrew on the carousel.  It has extra fun meaning because his nickname at our house is "the panda".  Too funny!  After the dance, they spent some time at the Rose Garden before Andrew brought her home.  They came inside and shared some of their favorite memories of the night.  They shed some tears, laughed a lot and had a very memorable night!