May, Part 1-Aubrey's NJHS, My New Job, & Tessa's All-Region

Aubrey was inducted into NJHS at her middle school. She had to answer some questions about her service and leadership skills, get some teacher recommendations, and have a print out of her grades to be considered. At the ceremony, they each walked up to the microphone to announce their name. 

 

Aubrey looked so pretty and she did a great job. We're so proud of her. Her friend, Jocelyn, was also in the NJHS and I got a picture of them with Tessa after the ceremony.

On May 4th, our school planned a parade for the older grades to hype them up for the upcoming STAAR test. Our counselor had the younger grades make signs and line the parade route and she also got the Franklin drumline to come and be in the parade. I was excited to be their guide so I could see Tessa. The high school students thought it was fun to be at Lundy since a couple of them had attended Lundy like Tessa did.

May 4th is also Star Wars day so everyone dressed up in Star Wars outfits. I did Princess Leia hair and wore white. The fun thing was that Audrey had dressed up like Princess Leia too, and we hadn't even planned it. I had to get a picture of the two of us together with the drumline behind us. It was a really fun event. I also found out that day that I was selected for the secretary job. I had interviewed the week before and had been waiting to hear. I started the next day. The other ladies in the office decorated my door with a huge sign and decorations. It was so pretty and it made me so happy. I was so excited to get the job, work full time, and be with such a great group of ladies in the office.

Taryn was invited to some birthday parties of her classmates and she had two parties in the same weekend. One of the parties was a pool party and the mom sent me some pictures. The party was for Kamden and their friend Devin was also there. They had younger siblings at the party as well, but Taryn was so excited to walk home with them after school and to swim and party with her friends. They had a great time together.

Abby and her volleyball team started spring league games. They played once a week and basically ran the games themselves. Coaches are allowed to be there to watch, but not coach so the captains take over and the girls just work together to play. Abby was debating if she was even going to play volleyball next year, but after the first few games with the team, she decided she really likes the girls and she still loves playing. She was nervous because there are three setters fighting for the setting position, but she was able to play a lot during the spring league games and show her teammates and coaches, who were watching from the stands, that she is a necessary part of the team. I still love watching her play and they did really well. They won all of their games except for one and then during the final tournament games, they lost in the championship game. They still looked good and will have a good season together if they continue playing hard and working together.

Aubrey had another softball game on the east side of town. She was able to bat every game, but I don't think she ever got a hit. All of the teams are new, so the pitchers are still learning and since most of the batters don't know how to hit either, most girls just get walked. This was the case for Aubrey. She didn't mind walking because that usually meant she got to go all around the bases. She was good at stealing bases on a wild pitch and she listened to anything her coach would say from the coach's box.

 

One of the girls on her team, Simone, has played softball for many years. She was the catcher and their best player. She always batted right before Aubrey. Aubrey would just do whatever Simone did when they were on the bases together. I got these two pictures as Aubrey was on first base and then third base. It was fun to watch her run the bases.

I tried videoing as Aubrey ran around the bases, and I luckily was able to get this picture as Aubrey crossed home plate during one of her runs. Sometimes she wouldn't get all the way to home because she was one of the later batters so if we made it to our ninth batter and we hadn't gotten all the runners around, Aubrey would end up stuck on third base when they called the inning for the other team to get a chance to bat.

This was their first win and they were so excited. Aubrey played second base and didn't have to do anything while in the field during this game, but she was ready. I took a picture after the game of Aubrey and Rianne. They both played second base during this game and had fun.

We were able to get a team picture with Coach Janes after the game as well. The girls were so excited about the win. My friend Kristina and I had to take Aubrey and Rianne for a victory treat at Dairy Queen after the game to celebrate their first win.

Aubrey had solo and ensemble the first weekend in May. She prepared a flute solo and was a part of a flute ensemble. We went to Franklin HS for the contest and she played her solo in front of a judge and an audience. She was very nervous and wasn't sure if she felt prepared enough on her solo, but she sounded beautiful and she did a great job. Here's Mrs. Allen helping her warm up and then one of her playing with her accompanist, Chris Allen, Mrs. Allen's son. She earned a 1 for her solo and she was very happy with that.

All of the flute players and the oboe player from Honors Band played a flute ensemble together. It was really pretty. Aubrey and the first chair flute, Aurelie, were the only two flutes on first part. It was the hardest part, but Aubrey worked a lot on that number so she felt a lot more confident on her ensemble than she did on her solo. I was so proud of her because she was the one who spoke for the ensemble and introduced them and their piece. She's always been our outgoing child and she does not shy away from being in the spotlight or being the center of attention. I took another picture of the group as they spoke with the judge after their performance. They did a great job and received a 1+ for their ensemble.

After they were finished performing, we took a couple pictures before heading home. Here's Aubrey with one of her good friends Anna Grace. Anna Grace is a year older than Aubrey, but they're in band together. Anna Grace plays the bassoon. Here's a picture of most of the girls from the flute ensemble, plus some other band friends.

Aubrey and Tessa both made their all-region bands. Since they are through EPISD fine arts, the shirts are the same on the front with the different band member names on the back. The girls were wearing their shirts on the same day and wanted a picture. They decided to do awkward faces for the picture and I thought it was pretty funny. Tessa's all-region concert had been postponed from January, so they finally got to perform in May. They wear their band's concert uniforms which is a formal dress for the girls, and all of the Franklin kids got corsages too which was really cool.

 

Tessa was first chair percussion in the 9th grade band. Their clinician was Mrs. Lambrecht, a professor at UTEP. Tessa loved her and said she was hilarious and a great conductor. They played three songs and I got a picture of Tessa and Andrew with Mrs. Lambrecht.

It's always hard to see Tessa during the performances since she's in the way back, but at least she's standing so we usually can see her head. In their three numbers, Tessa played snare, tympani, and bells/marimba.

Her favorite song that they played was the one where she played the tympani. They actually had to stop in the middle and start again because the trumpets missed their entrance during the performance, so Tessa was sad about that; but it was a hard number and they had only rehearsed for a day and a half. It was still a really good concert. Here's Tessa on the far side while she played the marimba and then one while she played the bells.

We took one more picture after the concert of Tessa with two of her fellow percussionists, Jake and Andrew. Jake is from Coronado and Andrew is from Franklin with Tessa. They had fun learning the music and spending the weekend together as they prepared for the concert. Taryn's friend, Malerie, came to the concert with us, so we took a picture of them by one of the sculptures on the UTEP campus as we walked from the auditorium to the parking garage. It was a fun night of music.

April, Part 2-Abby Goes to Prom, Aubrey Dances & Plays Softball

Abby campaigned for Senior Class President. She had to interview, make posters, and fill out a lot of questionnaires. This was one of her digital posters that she sent out on her social platforms and we had some actual posters made as well for her to post around school. She also made a video of why she wanted people to vote for her and it was really good. She ended the video with her little CDL class saying "vote for Miss Abby!" It was really cute. Her CDL class is all the preschool kids that she helps teach everyday. She waited for a couple of weeks and finally found out that she was voted in as Senior Class President for next school year. She was so excited! The other big news for the end of April was Prom. Abby was planning on going with friends without a date, but she was at a church activity one night and between all the kids, she came home and said "I think I'm going to prom with Caleb Deca." Some of the other kids realized they weren't going with anyone, but were planning on going and decided they should go together. So Caleb asked Tyler first and then a couple nights later, he showed up with a poster and a Bundt cake and asked Abby to prom. It was cute.

There was some drama on how the groups were going to eat. They tried to find a group to go out to dinner with, but everyone apparently wanted to eat alone as couples, so Abby and Caleb picked their favorite place and went to dinner on their own as well. They went to Corallitos for dinner for steak and enchiladas. Caleb came to pick Abby up and I got to tag along while Caleb's mom, Niki, took their pictures. Abby was excited about her dress and hair and after some disastrous attempts to mimic the hairstyle she found online, we were able to find the stick-on hair gems that made it simple and elegant. We loved how it turned out.

 

These were just a few of all the pictures we took. They were a cute couple and all of the pictures turned out great. Here's some close up pictures of Abby's hair. She loved how her look turned out. She had a poofy, princess dress last year with curly hair, so she wanted to go way different this year. She looked like a goddess! 

We went to a newer shopping center where there are a lot of cool-painted walls and sculptures. We walked around and found each one and had to come up with a different pose for each spot. We were running out of ideas, but it was fun posing the kids and getting so many good shots.

We had to walk around restaurants where people were eating, so the kids got a little embarrassed, but the moms were on a mission to get as many pictures and as many different backdrops as we could. I really liked this one with the stripes behind them.

There was a store with some columns of flowers by the front door that was one of my favorite backdrops. Even though I really like the picture of Caleb and Abby together, I had to have some pictures of just Abby in front of the flowers too. They were just too pretty and she looked great.

Abby only sent me one picture that she got once they were at the dance, but I was happy to get that one. Here she is with a lot of her good friends. After Caleb and Abby finished dinner, they headed to the dance. They were together most of the evening dancing with everyone and they said they had a fun time.

One other picture had to be included from our pictures - the one in front of the El Paso wall. I hadn't ever been to the wall but I've seen it in everyone else's pictures, so I was happy when Abby said I could take a picture with her. On Easter Sunday, Abby spoke in sacrament meeting. I didn't get any family pictures for Easter, but I did get the girls to pause for a minute outside the church building for a picture of the girls. I just love them so much. They are growing up to be such lovely young ladies.

I took individual pictures as well. Aubrey needed her 13 year old picture for my wall of pictures, so I had to get one of her and then I got pictures of everyone else too. I love Aubrey's picture because she's so photogenic. And she wanted bangs and they turned out so cute on her, so I'm glad we got a picture of her with her bangs to forever remember her hairstyle as a new teenager. She's such a cutie. Taryn is looking more and more grown up with each passing Sunday as well. 

Tessa and Abby have beautiful, confident smiles and I love when they're all dressed up for church and have their hair done. I was able to get their pictures at home before we left for church. Abby did a great job on her talk and she got a lot of compliments.

Aubrey had a dance recital the last week in April. They performed at Coronado High School. It was her dance teacher's spring semester recital where each of the dance classes perform. Aubrey and the Vortex dance team performed multiple times that night. I took more videos than I did pictures, but Aubrey was in four numbers. They did their hip hop routine that they did at a school pep rally and their spring contemporary dance in their yellow dresses where Aubrey has a quick solo. I love that number. It was probably my favorite dance of the year that they did.

They also did a new dance with a new uniform that included anyone from any of the dance classes that wanted to try out for the piece. I was a little upset about this one because Aubrey told me when they were performing this one, so I started recording but then couldn't find her and didn't recognize any of the dancers, so I stopped recording. Of course, then I saw Aubrey right after that so I quickly started recording again, but I was so upset that I didn't have a full recording of that performance. The final number that Aubrey was in was a piece that one of her teammates choreographed and Aubrey had a huge solo for the first third or so of the piece. It was so pretty and I loved that one. I wish I had gotten pictures of it, but I only did a video. I was able to get one at the finale when all of the dancers came out on stage. They all did a really great job and it was fun to watch all of the dances and realize how far they had come since they're first semester dance recital.

Aubrey tried out and made the Hornedo softball team this year. She was a part of the first ever 7th grade team. Last year when Tessa was on the 8th grade team, they didn't have a 7th grade team, so this year with both grades having a team, Aubrey was on their first ever 7th grade team. She was also excited because the 7th grade coach was her favorite teacher, Mr. Janes. She has him for social studies and she loves him. She was excited to be able to try out for him and make the team. Here she is at their first game. Her friend Jocelyn also made the team so we got a picture of them together too.

 

Aubrey plays second base just like Tessa, so that was fun. Aubrey walked once and struck out once during her first game. The first inning took forever because they just kept batting around because we couldn't get three outs. Luckily at later games in the season, they were only allowed to bat once and then the inning was over whether they had three outs or not. I'm glad Aubrey likes to try new things and to go into something new with a good attitude. She has never played softball before, but she went all in ready to learn and grow at something new. I'm so proud of her.

Tessa went to a friend's quince with two of her percussion friends, JD and Gisele. They had a fun time together. It was Jayline's birthday and she's also in band. It was actually a sweet 16 birthday since she wasn't able to do a regular quince during COVID.

Tessa, JD, and Gisele traveled together to the even center and hung out together the entire time. Tessa said they had a lot of fun and she sent me all of the pictures they took so I could have them. They were really cute pictures.

I love how easily they get along and how they're all such good friends. They took pictures together and on their own. The party was at Grace Gardens and there are a lot of cute picture spots there.

Tessa said they danced a lot and were able to see a lot of their friends. They had a fun time together and were happy to be able to be a part of a big celebration again. I love Tessa's hair and her beautiful blue eyes. She wore her homecoming dress again which I also loved. She's got such great friends.