Graduation Week, continued

I will pick up where I left off last week.

Graduation day was Monday. I spent the majority of the day over at the high school decorating for the all night grad party. As I mentioned last week we turned the school into a castle - complete with golden turrets, gates, and groomsmen! It looked great.

After decorating I ran home to go with the family to dinner. Cali chose Rockbottom Tavern downtown for dinner. Their big soft pretzels are amazing!! Grandma and Grandpa Best joined us.

From dinner we went to the Chiles Center over at University of Portland where graduation was held. With over 600 graduates they did an amazing job of getting through the whole ceremony in about an hour and a half. The band played, the choir sang and there were 3 student speakers. Our next door neighbor Tom, a member of the school board, was on the stand and gave both Cali and Hannah a big hug when they walked out.

















It was drizzling afterwards but we still hung around and took lots of pictures.







The neighborhood girls had their picture taken together. (One of them, Claire, was missing) These four girls grew up together -and started many first day of school together!

From graduation we headed right over to the high school for the all night party. The kids had a great time - the high school had been transformed and the activities were great. I ran the photo booth and had a photo printer there that I printed the photos off for them.

There was a prize wheel - Cali won a mini-fridge, a cash booth where you stood inside and money blew around and you tried to catch as much as you could, a DJ and dancing, caricature artists, tattoo artists, a fortune teller, huge blow up toys, pool tables, ping pong, a casino, Rockband (think that's what it's called) , a fortune teller, a hypnotist show, lots of food, boxer bingo. I lasted until 4:00 a.m. and the kids were home by 6:00 a.m.




Tuesday was pretty much a daze as all went around sleep deprived.

Wednesday was a catch up day - trying to take care of all the things that had been neglected the last week or so with the craziness of graduation.

On Thursday Cali and I headed to the Washington County Courthouse to go before the judge to make her name change official. When we got there we realized she had forgotten her Driver's license so we had to drive all the way back home - instead of worrying about how much time we were wasting I now worry about how much gas - in my Suburban that was about $20.00 worth!

The judge showed up about an hour late but it is now official - Calista Wilkes is now Calista Mary Wilkes!

Friday Jim and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary by getting a quick bite to eat and then going to a grad party and then home to watch the season finale of Lost - pretty romantic!

This past weekend was full of graduation parties once more - I think about 10 of them!

Tessa also had her ballet recital with 4 performances - she is one tired little girl!

Jim attended the baptism of one of his Primary class members and Cali's ballroom class did a floor show at the Paradise Ballroom Saturday night.

This next week is finals week for Tessa - one she will be glad to have over. Now that Graduation is over we can focus on Girl's Camp. Cali and her group are excited about being KIT counselors and Tessa will be a KIT (Kounselor in Training). A very exciting year. I am busy preparing for my Destiny presentation - everyone please pray for good weather!! It has been cool and drizzly all week and we need sunshine next week for camp.



Boy Update: Logan returned to Provo and work Tuesday eveningl. It was wonderful to have him home - things are always a little bit more fun and loud when Logan is around.
He attended the baptism of cousin Ward on Friday night, went to dinner with all the Wilkes adults on Saturday and Sunday he attended a missionary farewell of a fellow Young Ambassador and the missionary homecoming of cousin Marcus and then a family dinner afterwards - a busy weekend.

Clark headed south for the weekend to St. George with a group from his ward. They were going golfing, hiking and hanging out. ]

Graduation Week

I am a few days late with this week's post - did anyone notice?

Thought I'd give you an update on all the graduation happenings around here the last week. I think at last count there were about 25 various graduation related activities on our calendar in about a 10 day period. It's just one big party after another!!

The week started out with the day off school for Memorial Day - we told the girls they had to spend two hours with us! They somewhat gladly joined us for a hike at the Audubon Society and then a milkshake at Skyline Drive In.

There were lots of trips to the high school this week for Leigh Anne working on Grad Night Party decorations. The committee was transforming the high school into a castle. We built a huge facade on the front of the school that looked like a castle - they entered through a tunnel and then walked through the gates of the castle where 3 princes stood guard. There were hundreds of twinkle lights hung from the cafeteria ceiling and hundreds of stars - the school looked great!

Wednesday night we arrived at the school at 5:30 to watch Cali's ballroom group perform. They did the quick step.

After that we headed down the hall to the auditorium for the end of the year choir concert. Both girls sang in it. It was a bittersweet night as it was Cali's last high school concert.

After the concert they had "A Little Night Music" - kids are able to perform solo or groups numbers. Cali sang a solo called "Shy" from Princess and the Pea. Five hours later we left the school! It was a long night but a good one for a couple of proud parents!

She and Jameson also performed a duet - they sang 'My New Philosophy" from Charlie Brown. They were darling!

Thursday evening was the Senior Reception hosted by the teachers for the students and their parents.

Friday was Senior Assembly where they practice walking in for graduation and where they will sit. Cali was 27th from the end! Her class has over 600 in it - the largest ever in the state.

She received her silver shawl or whatever they call it for her Honor's Diploma, a silver tassle for completing her CIM , a silver cord for National Honor Society and a gold cord for being an Honor Thespian. Cantores also sang at the Assembly. She was well decorated.

Saturday - we prayed for good weather and had a beautiful day for Cali and Hannah's graduation party. We had a double celebration for their friends and neighbors. A friend of mine put together a darling DVD of all the pictures we have of Cali and Hannah together since they were 3 - it was a real tear jerker. We used the music from Toy Story - "You've got a friend in me" and the song "For Good" from Wicked.

Saturday night was the Academy Awards for the theater department. We all attended - even Logan who flew home Friday night. It was so good to have him home!.

Tessa had her first date to the awards ceremony - her brother! And of course Cali's date was Jameson.

I was in charge of organizing the food for the after party -but kept it super easy and just did Costco food - sushi, buffalo wings, croissant sandwiches, turkey wraps, fruit, and I did dip strawberries in chocolate. Had other parents bring desserts.

Cali's one act won for 'Best One Act" which was fun - especially since Tessa had been in it. Cali also sang a solo number as part of the program. Cali had worked super hard the past month on two slide presentations for the awards night - one was the year in review for 2007-2008 and then she did a special DVD for all the seniors. She had gathered pictures of all of them for their 4 years in school and put it together to music and gave them each a copy.

Another highlight of the evening was when CJ (the theater director) was proposed to right on stage. Her boyfriend surprised everyone and walked right on stage , knelt down and asked her to marry him. He had been in contact with the set designer and as he walked on stage a sign came down that said 'Will You Marry me" Very romantic and very sweet and of course the kids all went crazy!

Sunday was our "day of rest" - taught my 3rd lesson in a row on Temple Marriage... not an easy task and then went to Seminary Graduation.

So are you tired yet? I am! It was an exhausting but wonderful week. I'll tell you about Graduation and the Grad Night All-Night party next week!!!

Countdown to Graduation

Only one week of high school left for Cali! We are knee deep in graduation celebration/preparation at our house.

The kitchen table is covered in party invites (100 people next Saturday), graduation announcements, special scrapbooking projects, grad night decorations to finish up (I'm in charge of the photo booth).

We spent Saturday shopping for the perfect graduation dress - Jim can't figure out why she can't just wear something that is in her closet. I told him, that if after being married to me for 27 years he hasn't figured that one out yet - he never will!!

We found a darling dress - at least I think it's darling, Cali isn't convinced yet so another shopping trip might be on the horizon....and then there are the perfect shoes to find.

It will be a busy final week of school for Cali -on top of finals there will be a choir concert on Wednesday with "A Little Night Music" afterwards. Cali is doing a solo and a duet with Jameson., there is a senior reception on Thursday, Senior Assembly/Breakfast on Friday along with two invites to grad parties that night. Saturday is Cali's grad party from 1-4 and then invites to 3 more after hers and then the Theater Department Academy Awards - which surprise - I'm in charge of the food for. This will be a few hours after I fed 100 people at our house!!! Someone slap me please!!!

This past week was busy with One Acts. Cali and her friend Bianca directed one (the seniors all direct them) and Tessa made her debut on the Westview Stage as Bonnie, the alcoholic, trophy wife. She did a great job and had a good time. Cali has a new appreciation for what her theater director goes through with each production - she has decided it is a very stressful job.

In between the One Act activities we managed to squeeze in Young Women's Senior Quilt Night - the moms put the quilts together and then the Young Women, their mother's and sisters from Relief Society join in tying them for the girls. Each girl had a table display and they did a slide show with pictures of each of the girl's growing up put to music. Dinner and dessert were served and guess who was in charge of that!!! Yes, yours truly. We serve penne rustica pasta, roasted garlic bread, strawberry spinach salad and Lemonade Pie (recipes are on my other blog).

My mom was a huge help and made all the pies plus helped me serve and clean up that night.

Cali's quilt turned out great - we used green minky fabric so it is really warm and cozy.

Jim's vertigo episodes (due to Meiner's Disease) have dramatically escalated in the last few months - several a month instead of several a year. He had one on Mother's Day and is having another mild one today. We finally (after a little threatening) got him to go see a Meiner's specialist here in Portland. He had a two hour appointment with the doctor and his nurse and goes back for another 3 hour appointment in a few weeks and then another 2 hour appointment. We are hoping they can do something to help him!

Boy Update:

World traveler Logan couldn't handle staying in one place for more than a week so decided to make a trip to LA for the weekend. He, Becca, Becca's brother and sister and her sister's friend headed to LA on Friday. They went to Knott's Berry Farm on Saturday and then went to see Wicked which Logan absolutely loved of course! They are staying at the home of one of the other Young Ambassadors. They went to church with them today and are having a bonfire on the beach tonight. They head home on Monday with a stop in Las Vegas for an In n Out Burger and a walk down the strip. Logan is living at Wynn and Emily's this summer - thank you Wynn and Emily!!! He is liking having "little brother's and sisters" around again! He won't be in Provo long though because he is coming home next Friday for graduation - we can't wait to see him!!!

Clark had a date Friday night - went out to dinner and to see the new Indiana Jones' movie which he said was "stupid". He played racquetball with another girl Saturday and then just "hung out" Saturday night.