**CHEERS!!!**

~~**This was taken on Mom and Dad's front deck last year {2005} during the Sternwheeler Festival. We have always had such a good time during this weekend and Mom spares no expense to make it fun for family and friends. Unfortunately, since Dad has gotten sick, it has dwindled down to very small gatherings of mostly just the family, but we still manage to have a nice time eating good food, enjoying each others company and drinking a few cold ones as I seem to be enjoying in this photo! {LOL!}

*Edit: As this years Sternwheel Festival edges closer, I wonder what it will bring? Will Mom still decide to have her usual party or will it be reserved for just close family due to Dad's increasing illness? {Probably} How will I cope with the fact that Misty will be leaving us for college in a week or less?

Ehh....Tonight, I am thinking my Blog title pretty much sums it all..."C'Est La Vie"!!

*DADDY'S CAR!*

This is one of my favorite pictures of Denny and Misty posing on his "beloved" Firebird that we used to ride around in when first dating and long before Misty was even a "spark in our eyes"!! {haha!}

I think it was taken sometime around 1988 and Misty was about 6-7 months old and still in what we lovingly called her "Uncle Fester" stage! {chubby, no hair....eh, you get the idea! LOL!}

*Check out Denny's awesome "Fro" and moustache!! Gotta' LOVE them 80's!!

AFTER GRADUATION PARTY!!!

~This was the scene in my backyard after the Graduation ceremony! I think everyone was feeling more than alittle relieved and ready to celebrate!!! {Especially Denny and I!!!}

~The kids played their little drinking games, roasted hotdogs, acted foolish and stayed the night, sitting up and talking till some unGodly hour in the AM!

"Ahhh, to be young again"!!!

~OSU Tailgate/Graduation PARTY!~

~I was quite pleased with how well Misty's Graduation party turned out considering all the work and thought put into it! I was especially concerned about the weather since we were having it out in the backyard/garage, but it turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day!
~We planned on making it a "theme party" and chose an OSU Tailgater since we will probably need practice with such things! {Haha! I HOPE!!} We had great food, a gorgeous day, good friends and family and even a "Cornhole game" to try your hand at! Misty got lots of nice presents and a very sizeable amount to add to her "college fund", but I think the best part was how many friends, family and old teachers came by to wish her well!

Graduation Day!!!

~*Denny, Misty and I at the class of 2006 Graduation!*~

~We waited so long it seems, for this moment in time when all the hard work finally paid off!!!
The long hours and countless nights/days spent studying while the other kids were out playing and having fun, the many parent/teacher conferences, the tests she stressed over, waiting for report cards to come out, and helping her with homework even after she had long since passed the curriculum we were familiar with! {But we tried anyway!}

It all came down to this very special day and it was quite emotional for us all! As I stood and watched the kids, who it seems just yesterday were playing in my backyard, walk down the aisle to take their seats, my eyes filled with tears because I knew there were many that I probably would never see again, and the fact that time had passed so quickly and they were now adults!

I watched the girls that Denny coached in Middle School Basketball and remembered how ornry and fun they were and how they kept us entertained with their silly pranks and antics!

I remembered the countless sleep-overs, birthday parties, play dates and school functions and realized that those days were long passed and would never happen again.

For a few brief moments my tears were those of saddness, but when I saw Misty they quickly changed to joy and pride! She was beaming and beautiful as she walked on the stage to accept her diploma and honors cord! Her smile was one of pride and confidence in herself and anticipation of the future 'adventures' she will soon embark on!

~What an amazing journey this has been!!! What an amazing journey this will be!!!

"Oh! The Places You'll Go!!"

~Misty, after accepting her Diploma and Honors Cord!!!

~"Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy/gal who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets.
Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there.
"With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town. {OSU!}
It's opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do
to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don't worry.
Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too."

*Taken from "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss*

Orange Sequins And A Sailor!

~The 2006 Senior Prom is all but a memory now but I was happy to finally get the photos downloaded and take the time to post alittle about it!

Misty was especially excited that Stephen made it home from the Navy so he could escort her on this special night! The theme was "Alaskan Cruise" and the gym was decorated to look like a cruise ship so Stephen's attire fit right in! {Haha!}

One of my favorite memories was the fact that we were so intent on buying that 'perfect prom dress' and fell in love with this one we picked out in an upscale shop in Parkersburg. The problem was that the dress was a designer and cost almost $600.00!!! I cannot believe I was actually considering buying it, but thankfully Misty talked me out of it at the very last moment! {whew!} I apologized abit later to her after I realized what I had almost done, and for getting her hopes up!
The orange sequined dress, which I might mention was also on sale, was found a few days later and bought on the spot!
*The funny part was that when she first tried the dress {a size-0} on in the store, it fit perfectly, but by the time prom rolled around she had gained a few pounds, so she was freaking out!! Luckily, she shed them, slithered into the dress and looked beautiful for her last high school prom ever!!