Brooke's Sweet 16 Questionnaire & Party

Shoe size- 9

Going into Grade: 11th

Party theme this year: Boho 
Gifts this year: money, flowers, clothes, etc. 

Favorite Color: pink 

Favorite Game: Roblox

Favorite Animal: cats

Favorite Food: steak and fruit 

Favorite Drink: pink lemonade 

Favorite Snack- yogurt bites 

Favorite Dessert- fruit popsicles 

Favorite Season: summer

Favorite Holiday: Christmas

Favorite Restaurant: El paso 

Favorite Tv Show- On my Block 

Favorite Movie: The sandlot

Favorite Book- babysitters club 

Favorite Flower: tulips 

store: Ross

Favorite Thing to do: hang out with friends/boyfriend

Favorite Thing to do outside: tanning 

Favorite part of school: History 

Favorite Thing to Wear: cute outfits 

Best Friend: Alana

Boyfriend: Jesus 

What are you afraid of? space 

What do you want to be when you grow up? IT Tech or lawyer 

What do you want for Christmas this year? A vanity 

Proudest moment from the year? Getting her permit 

We threw Brooke a bohemian (boho chic) themed party for her 16th birthday! Thankfully Arnold's parents were able to get the gym in their church for us to use, so that gave us plenty of space and saved some money! Her cake turned out amazing.. but I didn't't even know they made GREY icing?! haha. You'll never believe who made the cake.. Walmart! They have really upped their game and have some cute stuff! We got a lot of compliments on the look and taste of it! The bottom tier was vanilla and the top was chocolate. 

We bought a balloon arch kit off amazon since it's the "thing" right now. I knew it would be hard to do but WOW! It took forever. Our's never showed up with directions so we kinda had to wing it. Arnold and Caleb tried blowing all the balloons up with a little pump but that was a bust. Then we had to string them onto these plastic strips in groups of colors, then adhere it to the wall. But it wasn't sticking well! Arnold could only get it to go BEHIND the doorway but it was still cute! Such a long time and effort to just pop and throw away at the end though :(

We did a small candy bar with pink and gold colored candies and treats. We did stuff like Twix, gummy bears, starbursts and sixlets. We had little bags so guests could take home treats with them. 

Brookes great uncle and aunt came and in their gift they had printed her out a card with an old baby picture they found of her! Love that.. I miss her being that little! 

The cute tablecloths came from amazon. We used a lots of plants and decor from Brooke's room to set out around the party, and some framed pics of her. 

I set up this table as a "head" table for Brooke but she hardly used it, haha. We did have the cake cutting there and the gift opening there. I had a tealight candle lit in  a little jar. And the table runner was found at hobby lobby. And the leaf garland was found on amazon.. they sent 8 strands. But the packaging they sent it in smelled AWFUL and we had to let them air out over night! 

Found this background at the store so Brooke and her friends could take pictures. Also bought some silly photo props. At the last minute we found this big plant in the bathroom of the church and "borrowed" it for the party!!! haha.. use what you can, right?! Yes, we returned it afterwards. 

Arnold helped me make a photo holder for decor. We spray painted a hula hoop gold and glued white ribbons down it, and used tiny clothes pins to attach pics of Brooke over the years. I was only working with what I had laying around the house... we mostly have our pics online. But I found one of dad holding Brooke as a newborn and that had to make it in the pictures!!! We missed him soo much at the party!! 

Brooke wanted a gold sweet 16 sash and tiara to wear to the party. She also wore a fancy dress and I thought it was a little "extra" but I figured why not?? It was a special day! 

My sweet 90 year old Grandpa was at the party!!! :)

Love that my daughter now gets to know one of the most important women in my life!!! :)

We love our Katie!!

Mom and her best friend Nancy! We sure were missing dad at this party! Im so glad Mom had her bff and her dad there to talk to and hang out with. Ive always known Nancy but we've all gotten way closer since dad passed and she's awesome! 

After the party Brooke wanted to take her bf and 2 close friends out with us to dinner. We went to Ranch Viejo and got Mexican food. 

She also wanted to go downtown and take some pictures as the sun was starting to set. She actually hates this pic... says its embarrassing.. but I loved it! We just kept snapping pictures and picked our favorites to keep! 

Here's all the kids (sorry, teens) on the stairs. Rachel jumped in too. 

I made her take a pic with her mom and dad too! And yes I brought back out the famous beach dress I bought last minute! It has really come in handy! And I normally hate dresses but this ones so pretty! 

Summer 2022!

These pics are all out of order but I thought I'd share what we've been up to this summer!

I helped throw a baby shower for my bff Joanne. She is expecting a baby girl at the end of this month. She wanted a bee theme and once she told me I ran with it! I love planning parties, especially ones with themes! Arnold painted this letter E to look like bee stripes. Her name is going to be Ensley! I am so excited because I always wanted another baby but couldn't have one and now I can at least love on one of my closest friend's babies! 

I celebrated my 37th birthday. I had a fun party at Dos Amigos with friends and family.

We've gone to church with mom a couple of times and stopped by to visit dad

We've been visiting Dairy Queen and letting Brooke drive to practice. Sometimes we take Sheldon too and he will get a pup cup :)

Brooke and the cheerleaders at her school helped throw a youth cheer camp, it was one of their fundraisers and Disney themed. Brooke wanted to be a princess but those got taken quickly so we decided to do one of the 101 Dalmatians. All amazon buys for the win! 

Brookes been driving a ton this summer. She recently got her permit and is needing to get 60 hours of practice before she can get her license in November. She does pretty well. Arnold started getting aggressive and letting her drive on the interstate and in heavy rain and stuff. Makes me nervous but I know she's getting experience early, while we can look out for her. To this day I am terrified of driving in big cities and I don't want her to be like that! 

We've been doing some grilling! Mom sent us some yummy steaks and hamburgers for Arnold for Fathers Day. 

Mom and I went to see the Mama Mia play! Joanne was supposed to go to but had something come up. It was so amazing..I love plays and especially musicals. 

Sadly we lost our Dog Oreo this summer :( Even with an eclectic collar he would sometimes escape the yard and run around town. Sometimes neighbors would see him down at Hardees. But he always came back home. One morning Arnold was out and happened to see him laying on the side of the road. We think he was hit by a car. Arnold took him to our vet and they cremated him and ended up sending us a clay paw print to remember him by. I thought that was the sweetest gesture! we are going to miss him so much. 

We celebrated our Rachel turning 13. I can't believe we have 3 teenagers now! 

Sometimes the kids like to walk down together to the gas station around the corner and get food. I know it sounds gross but they're actually locally famous for their chicken and potato wedges! I love that they actually got along for awhile ;) 

We celebrated Caleb turning 15! And he went to a week long army camp in Fort Jackson SC. It was put on by a program through his high school ROTC. They got to live like military for a week, and do all kinds of activities. He had an awesome time. He said he got to kayak, repel, hike, do archery, and all other sorts of things. They had to get up extremely early and were exhausted at the end of the day. He didn't like the food! But other than that he did great. Some kids had to go home due to extreme exhaustion or heat shock or broken body parts... but he stayed strong and Im SO thankful for that! 

We celebrated my Grandpa turning 90! We had a cookout at his house and lots of family came in to hang out. My mom is one of 4 siblings and there's several of us grandkids/cousins. It was such a fun afternoon. We're so blessed to still have him around! 

We had to leave Sheldon at a boarding place when we went to the beach. we usually either leave him with family or the vet but I wanted a nicer place since we would be gone several days. We tried out the Howliday Inn in Maiden, because of friends recommendations. The place is nice, the people are nice and I was happy with it. Unfortunately poor Caleb got a cold or kennel cough there and we had to take him to the vet but I hear its common with boarding! 

My Speech for Dad and Letter

 

My Part of Dad's Eulogy

How do you measure the life of a man? 

Its not by how much money he had or how many degrees he earned.

Its not by how big his house was or how many places he traveled.

It's the little things he did, that showed his true character. 

The times I watched him give generously to those in need.

The times spent drilling me on the multiplication tables even though I know he was beyond frustrated.

The way he saved half of his food to take home in a box to his buddy willow.

I know how much he meant to me, but I never truly realized how many lives he actually impacted until people came out in droves to tell me stories of his leadership and friendship.

I don't want to live the rest of my life without a daddy. It breaks my heart into a million pieces. I wanted him here to see my successes, to joke around with, and to teach my kids how to drive... just like he did with me

But i have comfort in knowing he will never be in pain or struggle again. He is at peace with God and I know I will see him again one day.

Its going to be a long road ahead and I know many days will be painful. But when I go on a drive to the mountains..... or see a football game on tv.... or hear a corny dad joke..... I'll smile... and remember him.

I love you dad. 

Dear Dad,

     Can't believe its coming up on half a year since you left us. Some mornings I still wake up and for a split second think you're still around. I've had a few dreams about you. In the dreams everything seems like old times, its usually a younger version of you, before you were in pain. 

We just got back from the beach trip you planned for all of us last year. You would have really enjoyed it. I actually got in the ocean and swam some.. I kept getting knocked down by the waves. I could imagine you sitting up on the deck laughing at me. You always did love to pick on me. The sunsets were gorgeous. Every little thing there reminded me of you. It seemed so unfair you weren't right there beside us. But we had an amazing time and thank you for the experience. 

We are trying our best to be there for mom. We got and visit her every Sunday and have lunch, sometimes we go to her church too. Every time I pass by the wall where your ashes are, I wave. I know it's silly, but it makes me feel better. We try to include mom in lots of things we do, I don't want her ever getting lonely. She really misses you. It's hard for us to sit in the living room now, where your big recliner and tv sit. The tv hasn't been on in months. I'm used to walking into the house and hearing sports games or Fox News.. but lately it's just eerily quiet. 

There are so many exciting things coming up soon. Brooke's sweet 16 is this weekend. She is driving now and hoping to get her license in November. We all thought you'd be one of the people giving her lessons. I still remember you teaching me to drive in the church parking lot. Don't worry, she does a lot better than I did ;) The kids are starting back to school soon.. they have all gotten so grown up in just the short time you've been gone. You'd be proud of all of them. We love to tell stories of you and laugh at memories. We miss your "crap in a pot" nights in the summer and hanging out on the deck while you cook and smoke a cigar. Caleb took home some of your books and read them. Turns out one of them was his favorite of the year. You would have loved that :) It was hard seeing books be delivered to the house even after you were gone. It seems cruel that the world just keeps spinning like nothing happened when a loved one dies. 

Anyway, we are all doing ok. We're gearing up for a first birthday without you, then the holidays. I know it's going to be so emotional for everyone. We will get through it though. I think all of this has brought our family even closer. We miss you, but we know we will see you again one day, and that's the greatest assurance there is :)

Edisto Beach Trip 2022

 August 14 finally got here and we were able to go on the trip Dad had planned and bought last year before he unexpectedly passed away It was planned for mom and dads 50th anniversary which was on the 20th.. and he had picked out a beach house that the whole family could stay in together. We went to Edisto Island in South Carolina. Its a lesser known beach, less commercialized, like my parents like it. We have gone several times when I was a kid, and we took the kids a few times when they were younger. After dad died, we were sad thinking about going without him, but we decided he would have wanted us to still go and have fun so we went! We made sure to talk about him a lot while we sat at the kitchen table eating, or on the back deck watching the sunset. It was a bittersweet trip for sure, but it was amazing. We had such a good time making memories and I can't thank Dad enough for that incredible gift. 

The house was so cute, this is the back view of it. It had plenty of room for all of us. 4 bedrooms, and a big living room area. 

There was an awesome deck on the back of the house. This was my favorite part! The deck attached to the bedrooms and living room by sliding glass doors. There were several rocking chairs and a picnic table. We spent lots of time sitting out there and watching sunrises and sunsets. We ate dinner outside one night. Hearing the ocean every night and morning from our bedroom was amazing. 

This was the view when you pulled into our carport area. You could walk right onto the beach from our house! It was so nice because anyone who wanted to go could and anyone else could stay inside and it wasn't a hassle. They had beach chairs we were able to use, and a grill too. 

Arnold spent a lot of time in the ocean. He stole my pretty pink float! I do not like to swim or the ocean but I decided to go in this time.. mostly in honor of Dad. He would have loved to see that! I got a float so I could float along with the waves and it was a lot of fun. Except the times the waves were really rough and kept knocking us down. I got skinned up knees and saltwater in my eyes and mouth! Rachel couldn't handle much of that so she didn't go in much but Caleb and Arnold had a blast. 

Sitting out on the deck together was fun. We talked a lot and we were able to spot dolphins and several birds and watch big dogs playing on the beach! 

One night we went out for seafood at the Waterfront Restaurant. I always have to have some crab legs on vacation! I ordered the crab and fries and grits.. and it was all delicious!!!! I knew seafood was expensive and didn't think much of the pricing when it said market price but it was WAY more than expected and we paid probably the highest dinner bill ever in our entire marriage! Ooops... at least it was vacation.. and yummy! 

I bought this dress last minute on a whim and took it with me on the trip to take some pictures. It was marked down to only $19! Im glad I got it because it was really pretty :) 

One day Arnold and I went out to lunch just the two of us, at the Sea Cow. We also went to look in a few souvenir shops and got him a t-shirt and me a new bumper sticker (Arnold HATES my stickers.. but they are so cute! ;) And that was about it.. lol the island is pretty small so they only have a few things to do there. 

Sitting out on the beach with hubby. I did end up getting a sunburn.. and it was all my fault. I was pretty uncomfortable that first night I got it! 

Caught Brooke playing in the sand! She said she was making Patricks house from SpongeBob, haha. By the way, check our her visor. So many things from the 90s are coming back into style. I swear my mom had that same hat in white on our Disney trip in the 90s! 

Arnold was so silly all week, he acted like a big kid. But I was so happy to see him relaxed and having fun. He had been stressed at work lately and he needed a week off. 

Arnold and Brooke decided to bury Caleb in sand. I would hate something like that, I hate the feeling of sand all over me! 

The buried him up to his head! Yes and Brooke sculpted some "boobs" for him. Totally a thing a sister would do. He didn't stay like this for long.. the sand got heavy! 

One day we drove over to Botany Bay. It is a part of the island that has not been messed with or things altered by humans. You cannot take any shells or similar home with your or you get fined. Arnold really wanted to go see it. Unfortunately we picked a time at high tide and there was hardly any walking space on the beach area! So we just took a few pictures and left. 

I love this picture because Arnold looks like a nerdy tourist!!! His shirt, his camera... all of it. But I love his enthusiasm ;) Don't ask me why Caleb wore pants to Botany Bay.. I tried to warn him he'd get wet! 

Driving down to the area was really pretty.. lots of bent over trees!

We had to take a 1/2 mile walk to get down to the beach area... we walked by a lot of swampy marshlands... reminded me of the Where the crawdads Sing movie I just saw! 

The kids let me take this pic one night at sunset! Sunsets there were gorgeous! They were reluctant in holding hands but I got them to do it for just a second! They were recreating a pic they made 8 years ago when we went and they were little kids! 

Brooke had to get a few pics of her own. That girl took LOADS of clothes and shoes on the trip just for different outings and photo opps.. it was funny. 

Arnold set up his tripod and got one of the whole family! 

Thursday afternoon my brother and his family came to the beach to stay for the rest of the week. I got to see my nephews!! Baby brave had grown soooo much! He was smiling and cooing and I just loved it. That night when he was getting sleepy I rocked him right to sleep :)

I love this pic.. such a happy grandma! I got them both to smile at the same time! 

I wanted to take some sort of memorial picture of dad while we were there, but I forgot to bring a framed photo so I took off my "dad memorial" bracelet my BFF gave me and put that in the sand and took a pic. Brooke helped me get the perfect pic.. I love the ocean in the background. Man I miss him so much! He would have loved this trip with his family. We tried our best to enjoy the time together and do lots of things we think he would have enjoyed. I like to believe he could see us there together and looked down and smiled that week :)