Ryan's first DANCE

Awww, my son on his very best behavior . . .

Ryan begged and pleaded with us to attend Skyline's Homecoming dance, mainly because all his friends were going, and in Ryan's words "it's going to be SOOOO much fun . . "  So, after much thought and discussion, Chris and I agreed that Ryan (who is still 15 and isn't technically supposed to "date" until 16) could ask a girl to the dance.  We told him we would be supportive under these conditions:

• Mom gets to be 100% involved :-).
• All activities will be supervised by parents.
• The group needs to be at least 4 couples.
• Ryan must wear a nice sports coat.
• And most importantly . . . the girl he chooses to ask must meet our approval ;-).

OK, I had no idea Ryan would allow me to step into his world and actually ENJOY having me there!  Folks, I am confident that we have finally moved past the "oh, no, it's my mom here to embarrass the heck out of me" stage, to the "hey everyone, this is my mom . . . thanks Mom for driving us to the dance . . . hey mom, how do I look? . . . mom, I really appreciated your help" stage, and I couldn't be happier.  Not only has Ryan decided that it really isn't that bad to have your mom involved, but it's alright if your little sister hangs around as well.

Caroline loved being part of the action - we drove up to Jordonelle together to help drive the crew back down the canyon after boating (since when did dances become an all day event?), and the nonstop chatter in the backseat was worth the drive . . . lots of loud male voices all vying for attention from the cute females, and plenty of laughter and fun.  The conversation we enjoyed most took place after we dropped off the girls to get ready and just the boys were left in the car.  They were asking what they should say to their dates' parents when they pick them up, how they should act, how long they should stay, etc . . . it was priceless.

Thanks Ryan for letting me be a part of your life right now.  Thanks for introducing me to your friends with confidence that I won't embarrass you.  Thanks for being the wonderful son you are . . . for choosing great friends who strive to stay strong academically and spiritually.  And most of all, thanks for staying close to your family during these years.  We love you!

Some pics . . .

On the boat with Maddie

We were taking pictures through the window after they were dropped off for dinner -

look how cute and excited they all are!

Caroline and another little sister were the waitresses . . .

thanks to my friend who hosted the dinner at her house.

They all look so grown up!