Ping Pong and an update

April 24, 2013

First the update.  My solution worked... sort of.  Grace and her friend were able to sit at the table with their friends and then go to the nurse, but they had to share one seat to squeeze in.  Oh the life of a 7th grader.

2nd Annual Ping Pong Tournament

On April 13th we hosted the rematch ping pong tournament.  Friends, neighbors, and some (several) people I don't know came to see whether Jim Schu would repeat.  Jim didn't make it to the final round.  I blame that on the eventful night he was having for other reasons that aren't important to the ping pong story.   Instead G-Mac battled our newest contender, Amar, who also happens to be our newest neighbor.
We had a great time with the best neighbors and friends anywhere.  We missed one of our usual ringers this year - Barb.

The Riley's ended up playing against each other this year.

Amy didn't get past the reigning champ

Amy wasn't too upset about losing apparently

My favorite picture of the night

Tuck photo bombing

Rojo & Verde (or is it Verde & Rojo? I don't know who is who)

 Scenes from the final match:
Amar & G-Mac warming up

 Friendly pre-game photo

 Grant's victory speech went on and on....

 Serious Ping Pong is over - now just for fun.

The Lambeth brothers

These boys shut the party down around 1 am.

I love my neighborhood.

Mother-Daughter Ski Trip

March 23, 2012

Over Grace's Spring Break (which was not also Tommy's spring break so he stayed home with Tom and went to school), she and I were invited with 2 other moms and daughters (+ an extra girl sans her mom) to drive to Durango, CO to ski.  Lucky us, we are friends with the mom who owns a condo on the ski mountain and a Suburban big enough to fit all 7 of us plus luggage.  

We headed out at 6:30 on a Sunday morning (March 10).  Around Camp Verde, AZ we drove through this weird fog.  I have never seen such a thing in AZ.  

 We hit Flagstaff and LOTS of snow.  I love Flagstaff.

 Then the very long trek through the res.  Not much to see, but these unusual rock formations caught my eye.  Apparently, they are called Baby Rock.  At least according to my non-official tour guide Diane.

 Eight hours later, after a stop in Durango to rent skis and load up on groceries - literally load up: we crammed the Suburban about to capacity with 5 sets of skis, boots and poles and helmets and enough groceries for a small army - we reached the condo at Durango Mountain Resort aka Purgatory.
This is the view from the condo balcony looking at the ski mountain.

 Here are the 4 girls - or 3 and a bunny.  Jamie's ears made her easy to find on the mountain!!

The views on the ski mountain were amazing.  

 More girls.

Grace on our first ski day.

 The Riley girls

 More girls ... on the lift

 "The Graces"

 Day Two.

 The moms

 I had THE most comfy boots and brand new skis.  I think I am in love.

 "The Graces" again.  I love photos of people on the lift for some reason.

 Tell me that is not a gorgeous view!

 After 3 ski days, we headed into town.  We stopped at this hot spring on the side of the road.  It was rather lukewarm and smelly. But the girls HAD to climb to the top.

 We moms played it safe and just posed without getting muddy or wet.

On Thursday we headed home.  We made a little stop at Four Corners, so actually we visited New Mexico and Utah as well as Colorado.  

 Grace in 4 states at once.

 I am not sure if the movie I took will post, but I wanted to show Tom how the condo was literally ski in/out.  I am skiing behind Michele at the end of the day after coming down most of the mountain, we are skiing the last bit of the run into her condo.

Class of 85

January 9, 2013
So way back on December 1, 2012, Brophy held its annual Parent/Faculty Christmas Dance.  Parents (and faculty I assume) get all dressed up and go to in a fancy car to high school Brophy for a dinner/dance.  It's basically reliving your youth because it's actually at the high school and you feel like a teenager again when the dinner is over and everyone is getting crazy on the dance floor.  Except now you can actually walk in the high heels and they serve alcohol!
We went with one of the MOST fun couples we know.  Tom actually went to high school with Grant & Jennifer.  No dance photos because (sorry to sound like a broken record here) my iPhone stinks with a flash.
Here we are before the dance.  Jennifer's teenage daughter posed us in the "prom pose" for the first one.

 Tommy took some of us before we left in the fancy car.  Funny story about that: when the car pulled up, I wasn't quite ready, so the driver was waiting patiently outside.  Our other crazy friends/next door neighbors snuck into the car (with the driver's blessing) and scared the pants off us when we opened the door.  It was hilarious.

 This is my favorite picture of the whole night...maybe the whole holiday season (except for my Christmas card photo).

 

Halloween

January 5, 2013

October 31, 2012

A while back I posted a picture of Grace & Alex on Halloween.  Here are the rest of the Halloween photos.  She wore a black inflatable suit to look scary at a neighborhood haunted house.  I think she looked more goofy, but as you can see, the whole group was more scary together.

We went to Kathy's Halloween party the weekend before Halloween...

Buddy the Elf (my favorite) and the Black Eyed P's

Buddy and kids at Kathy's party

Alex photo bombing 

Nikki & me

Lance & Bethany (thanks Jennifer for sharing)

The teenagers at Kathy's Halloween party...avoiding costumes and little kids

Scary Grace with the "chainsaw" (a leaf blower they used for sound effects while another kid held an actual chain saw)

The scary huanted house staff