Winning Moment for Princess Five - Career Day Tablet Blessing

Princess Five had a choir trip over the holiday weekend. She went to California to visit Disneyland for the first time she ever remembers.
 
We took her several times as a baby and I took her once when I won a trip. Click here to read about that.  I wish I were in a position to take all the girls but over the years, they have gone with choirs and friends and probably would rather be with their friends at such a fun place. 

Before she left, we had Jr. Prom and my mother was still here and getting ready to go home. I was super busy but for days, I kept asking Princess Five what I could do and what she needed from me. I asked when she needed me to do the wash etc. For the most part, she had snacks, clean laundry, suitcases all ready. Last minute she remembered things she had forgotten but since I had lots going on and planned early, we didn't have problems. 
 
The morning she left, she got a ride to the bus so I didn't get up as she knew I didn't get much sleep with my mom here. When I woke, she had a wrapped gift on the counter, a note and the flowers she had gotten as Prom royalty on the counter for me.   

For her to take the time to wrap a gift for me and even use ribbon when getting ready to leave for a trip was SUPER sweet. The note was so touching and I think having my mother here made her realize that not all mothers are doting. In the entire time my mother was here, only once did she ask if she could do something for me without a prompt and only one time did she rub my feet and that was with a prompt. She never cleaned up after herself or offered to help with anything.

My mother was a wonderful mother in many ways but with 8 kids, singing in a world renowned choir, traveling to beauty pageant reunions and traveling around the globe speaking as a motivational speaker, we just didn't see her much after I was about 10. Princess Five has only known me as a mother and as you can tell by my blog, I am very aware of everything going on in her world and do everything in my power to support her in whatever she chooses to pursue. I don't care so much what she chooses to do as long as once she commits, she follows through.

When I read the note, it did make me think having my mother here has been good for her. She has always had attention being the youngest, she hasn't had to compete for attention but my mother does like the attention so when Princess Five would show up, my mom would compete for the attention and Princess Five would just disappear. 

When I opened the gift, I was taken back by the contents as it was an expensive gift. It is a Irulu Expro 1 X 10 inch pad which runs on droid which is what my phone uses so it is something I am familiar with. 

I was shocked as I know she doesn't have any extra money and needed what she had for Disney so I didn't know how she got it. I texted her a "thank you" text asking if she won it or something. I guess they had career day the last day of school before the spring break and she won it! Yahoo for Career Day! 

I asked if she wanted to keep it and she said if it was an ipad, she would have wanted it because she is familiar with ipods and iphones as that is what she uses. So, I was the lucky recipient. I thought about selling it but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to keep it. I had a small pad from my sister with a cracked screen and no charger thinking I could find a new charger for it and the screen isn't all that bad but I have looked for months and haven't been able to find a charger at any of the stores, the quick stops, second hand stores and I don't want to spend lots or shipping for one as it is a cracked pad. 

So, I decided to open it, buy extra memory and put movies on it and we can use it on our trip in the car this weekend to visit Princess One and her family in their new home which none of us have seen in person! We can also use it when Princess and I have a few minutes sometimes while snacking, we watch youtube videos that are funny or an episode of "Chuck" or "Psych" or something so now, we can just leave it on the table where we visit and watch those funny posts etc. We used to watch it on her phone or mine but they are so small it isn't easy for us both to see it. Now, we can both easily see it! 

I also thought about how great it would be to listen to audio books while working on rooms in the house, I used to carry around a cd and tape player to the rooms while listening to the books but now, I can just download them onto the pad and take it around which is much smaller and easier.  

I can also use it at our church meetings as all of the manuals and scriptures are online and I usually am looking at my phone but sometimes I share with those near me and it can be hard on a small phone screen so I can see that it will be a blessing to enjoy. 

The last thought I had about enjoying a pad is that it is easy for the grand children to watch things on netflix or youtube and I used to have a tv/vcr/dvd player in each room but with all the new devices, those are a thing of the past. I can get rid of them cleaning out the rooms as many are small and the less in them, the better. 

I need to charge it for ten hours before using it but know that the girls will help me "Set it up" when it is charged and will download all the fun games for me. I am excited to see how the cameras work on it as my phone camera is terrible. If it works better, it may be easier for me to make youtube videos as I won't have to carry around the larger cameras and then take out the cards and upload them on the computer. 

This could really be a huge blessing in my life. My cell don't work well with the snap chat, skype or facetime apps so hopefully, this will and I can then skype Grand-Princess number one more often and in a few months, Grand-Prince number 1!!!! We are getting super excited about that event! 

Before deciding to keep it and open it, I was looking it up online but the box was very vague about what was in it. It didn't give details of what model it was or how much memory it comes with or any specs so I had to look up the general irulu expro to see what comes with it. The FIRST thing listed was the picture of the tablet with a $111 price crossed out. I laughed seeing my favorite number. For those of you who don't know why I like the number 111, here is a link to the first post about that. 

Basically, any time I see the number 111, it is God telling me that "things are good" and I think it is my guardian angels letting me know they are around as I see that number often when I need it. You can look up all the "111" posts as there are some wonderful stories, miracles, and blessings surrounding it. Just type "111" in the search box at the bottom of the page to find those posts.

I scrolled down a few of the tablets listed on my computer search and just smiled all the more when a seller on ebay had sold 111 of them. I felt like it was a sign that I should keep it and not try and sell it. I just wasn't sure how much I would use it but after that, I started thinking how it could be a blessing and felt that it was very thoughtful of Princess Five to give it to me as a gift and I will always think of her when I use it and her beautiful note. 

Princess Five really is lucky but I count myself blessed more than lucky as I have such amazing girls! God truly gave me an added measure when he picked out my children! I am truly blessed!

Time To Say Goodbye

"At This Time," I have been thinking much about TIME. Princess Four is home for spring break and we have had a few discussions about time. 

My mother is "running out of time" and we talked about how Princess Four doesn't like people to tell her what to do so when someone tells her what time she needs to be somewhere, she has in the past "bucked" being "on time" due to the feeling that she wouldn't be in control if she was "On Time."

We were talking about how she could let that issue go by choosing that she wanted to be on time and then no one would be telling her she had to be there as she would just choose it for herself. 

I believe, we sometimes in our lives, create issue when we feel we have no control. Princess Four was a difficult pregnancy for me. I was on bed rest for three months with her as it "Wasn't my Time" and we decided to induce her early as my feet were swollen and hanging over the edges of my shoes. 

I wonder if situations like that affect our entire lives. Forcing her to come perhaps when she wasn't "ready" to come. As we talked about that and other situations in her life where she didn't have control of time, we came up with many "times" when she wasn't in control of "time" in her life. 

Other situations came into our conversations and made me reflect on what we do with our time and the phrases that have come about and are really "telling" of time. 

Do we "take the time" to do what we should or want to do or do we just "spend our time" on things that don't really matter. "Often times" we don't "take the time" to "Say hello / goodbye, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late" because "Time after Time" we set "Time Limits" waiting for the "Perfect Time" to visit or be with friends. 

Princess and I also talked about how I have often quoted the scripture: Matthew 20:16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last" when the children were young and would fight to be first, I would make those fighting about being first be the last ones to get something and would quote that scripture. Also, in our society, we have a saying: "Last the best of all the game." making it seem to a child that being last to something or being in the last spot is something desirable. I gave her mixed messages about her "place in time."I had to ask her to forgive me for creating the belief in her.  

For children, there are many "times" that they don't like. "Time to Leave" and when my children were young, I would count down leaving hoping to make the "Time to go" easier so I would say, "We are leaving in 15 minutes" then break it down to 10, then 5, and then have them get their shoes on and tell them it is "Time to go Home."

Another one that most children hate to hear is "Bed Time" as it means they may miss something. Princess Two always thought for sure that we would get ice cream and watch movies ever night to "Pass the Time" once the kids were in bed. 

One my children really disliked was "Time Out" as they would have to leave what they were doing and be alone for a certain amount of time depending on their age. Princess Two actually enjoyed time out and would stand on her head and talk to her imaginary friends etc. Princess Three got to the point that she would want to be in "Time Out" with Princess Two because she looked like she was having more fun in the corner. We have had many laughs about that over the years. 
 
One that all of my children struggled with was their "Times Tables." Those "Took Time" to learn. Each person "Takes their Time" to learn them.


Another one my children really had a hard time learning was "Telling Time." We had to teach the difference between digital and regular clocks. I always thought that was an odd figure of speech. How does one "Tell Time" but I guess if they can tell you what time it is, that would be "telling time." 

When we are teens, we have "Too Much Time on our Hands" and are told  "Have the Time of your Life!" Lately, I don't feel like there's "Not Enough Time" to get what I need to done.  

With my mother being here, there have been a few different songs running through my mind over and over. One is a song from a Christian Musical called "Saturdays Warrior" about a boy trying to decide to make his own way and choices or if what his parents taught him all his life was "true" for him. The song is called - "Sailing On" and here is someone singing the song and when you read the first chorus of the lyrics, you will understand that while having my mother here, the song would come to me over and over as her "Time" on earth is coming to an end. 

Sailing On 
What is that sound risin' up from the world?
The sound of a clock ticking on
With hours and minutes I've yet to meet in a life that soon will be gone, soon will be gone, soon will be gone.

What is that sound risin' up from the world?
The swell of the tide at the gate.
Where children set sail without knowing too well
That the time is growing late, growing late, growing late.

(chorus)
I'm sailin' on I'm not a stranger.
My faith will ride through wind and tide and stormy sea.
I'm sailin' on out of the harbor
There is a distant lamp that lights the way for me.
I hope they hold it high so I can see.
I'm sailin' on

What is that sound risin' up from the world?
The clang of a bell on the ledge.
While young ones play on there merry way
As they float right over the edge, over the edge, over the edge.


I know one that I don't like hearing myself "Sometimes" is "Isn't it About Time You..." and then someone fills in the blank with something they feel YOU should be doing. I think if it was something I thought I should do, I would do it, so when someone tells me "Isn't it about time....." type of comments, it isn't something I enjoy hearing "Most of the Time."

As my mother gets to the end of her "Time" of life, other phrases come into my mind. "Time Waits For No Man" and "Time Passes". 

The song that has come into my mind over and over the past few weeks at least once a day or more is the song, "I'll Follow You into the Dark." A few years back, Princess Three sang this for me and I hadn't heard it before. I posted about it and here is a link to that post. 
 
Here is the video of Princess singing it for you. I will post some of the lyrics here and will highlight the ones that I think are on my mind. 

Love of mine
Someday you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light
Or tunnels, to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark
If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

You and me have seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary
The soles of your shoes are all worn down
The time for sleep is now
It's nothing to cry aboutCause we'll hold each other soon
 The blackest of rooms

One morning last week, I was singing the song in the kitchen while getting my mother breakfast and she asked me what song I was singing. Since I only know the chorus and the title, I told her it was a love song called, "I'll follow you into the dark." and she said, "That sounds like a morbid love song." 

Looking back, I wish I had searched for the lyrics and figured out why it was on my mind so much all the time. It wasn't until one night when I was in bed trying to go to sleep and couldn't that I searched the lyrics, as the song was playing over and over in my mind keeping me from sleep. When I read the words, "The time for sleep is now" I laughed out loud as I WISHED I could have slept and that the time for sleep was then because I was so tired. 

However, I don't think that is what the song coming into my mind was telling me. My mother has been all over the world over and over many times. She is the most world traveling person I know. I am sure there are some world tour artists that may have been to more countries but my mother has actually visited places in the countries and seen the sights. Learning new cultures, languages and customs is probably one of her favorite things as she collected original costumes, jewelry, dolls and musical instruments from every country she visited.  

Her last major trip happened to be with me a few years back which was a 48 hour nightmare trip to a museum grand opening in the Czech Republic. The company that hosted us was great but with it being Thanksgiving week and Princess Two having an unexpected surgery the day before, and having plane trouble on the way there, it wasn't our hosts fault the trip was so horrible. It was just circumstance. Here is a link to our trip a few years back to the Czech Republic.

My mother has "Taken the Time" to see the things she needed and wanted to see. She has traveled from Bangkok to Calgary. She has walked countless miles and her shoes are worn. It is "Time to sleep." 

I couldn't help thinking of her crying in her bed the morning she left with the next line as, "It's nothing to cry about" is about what I did tell her that morning as she told me she was dying. 

This brought me to the scripture in Ecclesiastes 3 1-8

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Truly, we are all given a certain amount of time on earth and we get to choose how we will spend "OUR TIME" while here. I bought some jewelry recently at a second hand store as you know I do if you read my blog regularly. Here is a link to a post about buying some at an estate sale and why I buy it.

The bags I purchased had LOTS of watches in them "This Time" and I thought it would be fun to use them for my blog. It is funny how the watches are like people. Some spend their time following famous people. Some are very colorful and some are black and white. Some are wide, some have numbers of all sizes for those who can't decide to commit. Some are expensive and some are cheap. Some are flashy and some are very plain.A few are broken, some are scratched so much from being worn while working they are barely functional. Some are really direct and straight forward, some are vague with no numbers and just a few dots marking four spots on the watch. Some are "Sporty" and can be worn in extreme places like under water or in the cold and can take the "pressure" needed for those extremes. 

"Time Heals All Wounds" - Even the loss of those we love. I wish that the saying "Time is on my side" were true for my mother at present but know that "In Time" I will be able to deal with my mothers loss and realize that very soon, it will be "Time to Say Goodbye." I leave you with video....

Dear Little Bed - Grandmas Thank You Note

As you know, my mother has left my home this week and has gone back to her place. I have had much guilt and lots of tears with this decision. 

I LOVE my mother. She is the most knowledgeable person I have ever met. There may be people who know LOTS of things about ONE or TWO things but my mother knows something about EVERYTHING. She knows words in every language, She has shaken the hands of Presidents, world leaders, Prophets of God, raised 8 children and served many in this world. 

My mother has a way of seeing the world that isn't like most people. She has NO fear. She would fly to New York, find a way to get into the city, find a cheap motel and then go to "Broadway" find tickets to a show and go. 

She will walk up to a gang member, call him "cutie" and have them all eating out of her hand in about 1 minute. She has no judgments for anyone. She LOVES everyone and every THING! She sees everything as having value. She won't throw anything about but will find a way to use it or create value out of it. I was talking to Princess Two today and we were discussing my mother and her situation and we started talking about my siblings and how each of us were in someway like my mother. 

I joked about my youngest sister who will literally take someone's trash and give it value by decorating it or painting it, re-purposing it and sell it or rent it out etc. I told her that was my mother. She saved everything because she could see the value in it. Things were her "friends" and she saw value in all the "things." Just like she sees value in every person, she saw value in the things. Each item tells a story. 

My sister and I spent three days sorting jewelry she had that filled nearly four banana boxes. (Click here for that post) We had many laughs at some of the things she did to "Fix" the jewelry. One time, she chewed up a red cough drop to replace a red stone on a piece of jewelry. She could fix things and talk people into buying or renting the item even when everyone else thought it was trash. 

What a unique gift she has to be able to find the value and beauty in everything and everyone! Where some would judge, she just loved. She at different times in my life had a Native American stay with us who just walked in off the street and came into her bedroom where she was breast feeding the baby. Instead of calling the police or freaking out, she invited him to stay in our home until he could find a place. 

On another occasion, she had a man addicted to drugs staying with her. We were all grown but she saw value in him and loved him for what he could offer. Not in an indecent way but for who he was as a person. She would find immigrants and refugees and would invite them to our home and befriend them. 

We had LOTS of kids growing up that she would befriend. Sometimes, I would have fear about some of the people she would find but her love seemed to transform them from where they were and would lift them up in their own minds because a beautiful woman could see the value in them and love them despite their obvious short coming that were so obvious to the rest of us. 

One day, my brother was being hit by rocks as a little boy was throwing them at him. My mother asked my brother why he thought this little boy would do such a thing and they went over and met the boy and his single mother and my mother befriended them and they joined our church and eventually moved away but kept in touch with my mother thanking her for helping them find Christ. 

So, as I spent the afternoon and evening cleaning out the house of the "grandma" stuff that had become so a part of the rooms, I pondered on my mother and her life. I know she is tired and I feel like she should be in a nursing home but being one of 8 in the decision process, I get outvoted. 

I removed the couch cover and washed it and had to laugh, as my mother, just before leaving pulled out the rolled up magazines with elastic on them that help hold the cover in place and stuck it on the little table I had near her tv set up. She is constantly in motion and with her memory failing kept pulling the magazines out of the couch telling me she "found" them for me. Each time I would laugh and tell her why my couch had the magazines in the creases. 

I washed up all the bathroom mats, bedding, couch covers, aprons, towels, blankets and vacuumed the entire house and deep cleaned the bathrooms, washed the walls and wanted to surprise Princess Five having cleaned up everything before her return from her choir tour today. 

Imagine my smile when I found this little note tucked in beneath the bed pillow. It is a thank you note to the bed! She wasn't being silly or funny, but truly loves EVERYTHING. She sees things like her friends and has to tell them "goodbye" when she lets them go or gives them away. 

I chuckled and thought I would keep that note forever. It reads:

"Dear Little Bed,
Thank you for your kind warmth each night as I have been here. XO" 

She asked me for a pen and paper as we were packing up her room and I asked her what it was for but she wouldn't tell me. How could she tell me she was writing the bed a thank you note! :-)

She wrote me a "Thank You" letter as we wrote letters to everyone before she called them so she could get her thought on paper. I joked with her that her writing was so bad that she couldn't even read it half the time. I asked her, "If you wrote me a check for a million dollars but no one could read it did you really give me a million dollars?"  so she started my letter three times and rewrote it twice but never finished the re-writes so I have had to pick out the words I could read to enjoy the letter she wrote me. 

I am VERY grateful that she wrote it when she had her mind and love that she wrote, "You have just spent a lot of time to help me see things the way things really are and that is not always a pleasant experience." She really had a wonderful blessing to be able to have her eyes opened to "fix" what needed fixing and even though I feel guilt about where she is knowing she is really tired, I know I have done what I felt I needed to do to help her feel OK about where she is and is going. 

I heard her say over and over on her calls to her siblings and mine, "I am just grateful that I don't have any pain." She truly did realize that she was blessed to have lived such an amazing life and that she could end her life just being tired but without the pain that accompanies so many other illnesses. 

It wasn't until I was replacing her mattress with a new one and making the bed in that spare room that she had spent the last three months surrounded by things she loved. That room was Princess Fives old room and is filled with film, theater, costumes and several pictures of my mother as a beauty queen and several crowns. She mentioned to me one day that it meant a lot to her that I had her pictures around my home in places of honor on shelves high on the wall right in the center. I realized then that I do have several spots where I have her pictures hanging, not just of her as a queen but of my father and her, her after she had children and a few of her as a beauty queen. I guess that would make me feel special and honored as well. 
 
My mother had a costume rental business for most of my life so yes, she would feel right at home with the little costumes I have hanging on the wall in that "theater" room. I also have a few movie props and a directors cap right above the headboard. I would think that my mother felt right at home in that little bed being able to view all the things that she loved in her life as she woke and went to sleep each day. 

The Dr.'s warned me months ago that the blood transfusions may stop working as the often do when someone has many of them. This last one seems to have taken it's toll on her and I really don't know how much time she has left. I can say I will never look at that bed in the same way, I will never view my couch cover and magazines the same way and I will smile about her "thank you" note to the bed each time I change the bedding! 

HE Gives Flowers To Everyone - Flower Blessings

The past few days have been REALLY emotional for me. My mother is more tired than anything and got two units of blood this week but was more tired than I have ever seen her. She struggled with anything she did and would just flop over on her side on the couch telling me how tired she is. 
 
It is hard watching her be so tired knowing she is nearing the end of her life. If you follow my blog, you will know that she has faced her fears of dying and forgiven where needed and asked forgiveness where needed. 

Here is a link to the post where I share about her doing that. 

Yesterday, my brother came to pick my mother up. She was so tired when I showered her that she sat on the toilet crying flopped over and I put a towel around her and used a blow dryer to keep her warm until she had enough energy to allow me to get her dressed. 
 
I had her oxygen up high hoping she would get enough oxygen to not be so tired but all the tricks that worked before didn't work. 

It was rough as when I got up and went in to get her ready for her shower, I found her sitting up in bed sobbing. She had about 20 tissues on the floor near her bed. I asked her what was wrong and she said, "I'm dying." 

I tried to tell her that it was "OK" that she had lived enough for many people as she was a national beauty queen and traveled the world representing the U.S. She sang in the Tabernacle Choir for 10 years. She raised 8 children that have done amazing things around the world. She has over 50 grand children and counting and already has  double digits of great-grand-children. She has spoken to thousands of Christians around the world for generations giving suggestions and words of encouragement. 
 
Even with all those words of praise, she told me "You don't understand because you aren't dying." I guess she finally "realized" that there most likely isn't much time left and that things won't be getting better. 

Those events started my day off rough and I literally carried her folded over on my back shuffling her feet making "choo choo" sounds encouraging her as I got her to my brothers motor home and he pushed from behind as I lifted her up on my back up the stairs. She was so tired by the time we got her seat belted into the comfy chair watching a video for the long trip "home." I don't think my brother realized how fragile my mother was until he witnessed me having to "carry" her on my back.

As I said "goodbye" she started crying and told me "thank you" for taking care of her. I thought it could be the last time I see her alive. I turned to come back into the house and noticed the beautiful daffodils that are blooming in my yard and my mother commented on them every time we left the house. She always comments on things of beauty she sees. I smiled as I went in. 

I wasn't home alone for long when Princess Four came home for her spring break. She went to the store to purchase some food since I hadn't been able to go as I didn't have anyone to sit with my mom as my family was camping and Princess Five is on a choir tour. Princess Four arrived home with a beautiful bouquet of brightly color tipped shasta daisies. 

I had just been giving gratitude for all the flowers in my life while my mother stayed. Princess Five got flowers from being in the Prom royalty and took tons of pictures of them and left them for me on the counter with a sweet note when she left.

Here is a link to the post about Princess Five getting flowers for being Prom Royalty.

Before that, my cousin sent my mother flowers for Valentines day that lasted a month.  Here is a link to my post about the Valentine Flowers.

I have tulips and the daffodils blossoming for the past few weeks in the yard and I was giving gratitude for the beautiful flowers to cheer my mother and I through this difficult time. Into my mind came a song that I love called "He Gives Flowers To Everyone" by a wonderfully talented woman called Cherie Call. I've seen her in concert and she is really one of the most down to earth people I have had the honor of seeing in concert. She has so many songs that really "touch" you. 

I truly am grateful that God does give flowers to everyone and that He blessed me with them when the past few months have been so challenging. I am blessed!  

Jr Prom 2016 - Dancing with Grandpa - Best Night Ever

My favorite tradition in our town for the Jr Prom evening is the "Parent / Child" dance at the end of the promanaude and just before the parents leave and let the kids do their thing. 
 
My dad has driven down to our town for four of the five girls. The only reason he didn't come down for Princess One is that we didn't ask. I had no idea what a big deal it was in this town.
 
Since I am not from this town, I didn't grow up knowing about the "father / daughter" or "Mother / Son" dance at Jr. Prom. 
Princess One came home from prom practices talking about the "father daughter" dance and since the girls don't have a relationship with their father, she asked her uncle that lives in a near by town to come and dance with her. 
 
It wasn't until after that night and seeing everyone dressed up and paying to watch that I realized how big Prom is in this town. With the rest of the girls, I tried to "live up" to the towns Prom ideal so that they would all have good memories.
 
I LOVE that the girls have my dad in their lives. The fact that he is willing to drive six hours to have a three minute dance with them has to make them feel special. 

I like that this time he brought his wife and insisted they have a dance. Usually, he comes, has his dance and then drives back home late that night. This time his wife came to keep him awake as he had a long day. 

Another thing that I liked better this years is that instead of having the boys and girls dance with their parents at the same time causing LOTS of congestion on the floor, they did the mother / son dance and then the father / daughter dance after so they had plenty of room for people to take pictures and dance without being in front of others while they were taking pictures etc.    

Here are pictures from Princess Two dancing with grandpa.


Here is a link to Princess Three dancing with grandpa.



We are SO blessed to have my dad and his wife in our lives! It truly was a magical dance for Princess Five. 

Junior Prom 2016 - Princess Five is a Princess - Royalty

A few years back, Princess Three helped out with prom and was voted into prom royalty. I guess back in the day, whoever was prom chair on the prom committee was voted "Prom Queen." 
 
Here is a link to Princess Three's prom post where she was first attendant. 

I know LOTS of girls and parents who got themselves into LOTS of work by being chair of prom thinking it would get their daughters into the Prom Queen position. Somewhere in the middle years of my girls, they got a different student government advisor and things quickly went downhill on that front. 

Those doing all the work were on the ballot but the popular girls who came once to a committee meeting also got on the ballot and somehow, one of those girls got put in charge of the ballot itself. 

Three years ago when Princess Three was a Jr. she was on the committee and did her fair share or more. That afternoon, one of the girls showed her the ballot and had scratched one of her friends names off saying she hadn't come to any meetings. It was true, the girl had only gone to one meeting and hadn't helped much so Princess Three didn't say anything but that night when they handed out the ballots, Princess Three's name wasn't on the ballot. She was really hurt that the girl took her name off the ballot so that her "friends" would be the royalty knowing that if Princess Three was on the ballot, she would probably end up in the royalty. 
 
I was not happy as you can imagine. Seeing her do so much work only to have a girl bully her that way. We had a new principle at the time and it was his first year. I shared the situation with him but being in a small town, there are always politics.

They didn't do anything to the girl that "altered" the ballot but they instituted a different system the next year and put a teacher in charge of overseeing the situation. They started keeping track of meeting attendance, committee involvement and there were points for each time they helped with decorating and planning.  

This is the only way they can get people to help decorate and get involved lots of times. There are always the same kids and families that help with events even as early as elementary school, it is always the same parents involved with class parties, PTA and being the parent on the field trips and activities. 

The same thing applies in high school except when it comes to Prom, all the sudden there are LOTS of girls interested in being on the committee. I think it is a great way to get people to help. It is sad to me that many parents only help with that one event rather than through their child's school career as that shows kids an importance on beauty or popularity rather than the scholastic education but "it is what it is" in our society. 

Princess Five has been involved with all aspects of school spirit and academics since she was young and helping with this is just another part of who she is. She was SO happy that the prom queen ended up being the girl who was the chair and did TONS of work for prom. Even though Princess Five didn't like all the themes or choices, she appreciated the time and work of those who planned and helped put prom together. 

I was so proud of her that after prom was over and the kids were dancing and the parents had left, she sought out the Student Body advisor and thanked her for all her hard work in supporting and organizing Prom. I am guessing there weren't many kids that did that. It just is who Princess Five is. 

There were still many people on the committee for prom and many on the ballot for prom queen so Princess wasn't expecting her name to be called as there were "popular" girls she thought may take the spots. I always laugh when my girls say they aren't "popular." They always have been that way. They think because there are girls whose parent have money or they drive a nicer car or the "cute" or "popular" boys like, that they aren't popular. 

I know there is a stigma with the term "popular" but they don't realize that because they are "nice" and "beautiful" they are popular with everyone, not just the "popular" kids. Popular and "popular" are two very different things. One girl that won a spot on royalty has a mother that is a favorite teacher at the school which makes her "popular." Another girl's parents are probably the richest (if not, close to the richest)family in town which makes her "popular" with kids.

The queen did all the work which made her "popular" with everyone. I am SO grateful that Princess Five was just up there because of who she is to people. She is kind to everyone and I LOVED that she sought me out and asked me to help her find a certain girl and take a picture of her with this girl who is one of the least "popular" and awkward kids in her grade so the girl would have a fun picture with a "popular" girl. She is constantly thinking of others which in my book, makes her POPULAR!

Princess ended up being second attendant and the boy that was voted second attendant was her homecoming date. I thought that was cute so we snapped a few pictures as they are good friends and have both been involved in student government over the years. Here is a link to their date which was also Princess Five's first date ever!

Her date didn't seem to mind being with "royalty" as you can see by his big grin. She got a few fun pictures with her friends and didn't want me to post them because she is "saving" them for her friends birthday. Once again, thinking of others. 

They each get a key-chain as the "ticket" to enter the dance and remember the night. The girls have never kept theirs but my girls aren't tons into "keepsakes" so I figured I would take a picture as I doubt it will last long in the house but it is a fun memory. 

When one couple came out for their twirl and walk down the stairs, they fired off "crackers" or confetti cannons and then the girl threw something on the stairs. I was still trying to figure out my camera lighting so I didn't pay much attention to what was going on. 

As we took pictures and ended back up on the stairs, I looked down and smiled as there on the ground was a huge $5 bill. There were quite a few on the stairs there. I guess the girl had a handful of these fake bills and was throwing them on the stairs while her date fired off the confetti cannon. I am not sure why she threw the bills but imagine my grin when I looked to see, "In God We Trust" staring up at me from this large bill. I felt it was a wonderful way for me to end the evening. I picked up the bill and cut out the words to put on my gratitude frame to remind me of all the things God has done to help me with the prom, the dress, the fabrics for the jacket etc. It was a great night and tomorrow, I get to post about my favorite part of the night!