Texas Bound Y'all

With Nick leaving for 3 months we of course had to have a party. For those of our friends here you know we are always having parties, so why not throw a going away party for Nick. So on May 12th we had about 40 friends and neighbors over for a cookout. It was so much fun, but the highlight of the night had to be one of the little kids (about 4 or 5 years old) say to his dad while pointing to Nick, "Dad, is he a real cowboy?"

The food was terrific with Nick of course being the grill master, and I must give a huge thank you thank you to Cali for making the most delicious chocolate chocolate cake your taste buds have ever encountered. Wow--it was really that good and had to have weighed at least 20lbs!

The best thing about this party was all the offers people gave to help me with the yard, fixing anything in the house, and making sure I stayed entertained. We sure do have some great friends and family. Hopefully this summer goes by quickly.

Graduation

Here's that face we all LOVE! Now, we have to call him Mr. Graduate!

Haha-notice I'm holding on to it too. Pretty sure I did some math problems that help make this thing a reality!

Domenic with his proud momma!

On May 13th, Nick graduated with honors (Phi Theta Kappa) from Mesa Community College. He was all excited to practice up for the big ASU graduation next year. Thankfully it did not start until 8pm so it wasn't burning hot outside, and we had nice chairs and waters to keep up comfortable. He has certainly come a long way from saying "college isn't for me" to getting his associate degree in.........humm? None of us are really sure in what! I guess when the real one comes in the mail soon we will see what it is in :) Only two semester to go at ASU and then the real party can start. I'm so proud of you Nick! Way to being the best looking graduate in those costumes they make you wear. Love you!

Visitors

The month of May has been the busiest month for us hands down ever. Unfortunately, I spent two weeks of it sick with a head cold/flu followed by allergies-so I tried to find a way to smile through it all. The second week of May, Nick's mom-Christine came to visit. It is always great to have her out here. Nick is always so excited, and was lucky enough to have most of his finals down before she arrived in town. They spent the majority of their time down at ASU: touring the campus, picking out a class ring, and taking some great photos like the one below!

One of the reasons Chris came to town was for Nick's graduation from Mesa Community College. He wasn't planning on walking since he is graduating from ASU next year, but since his mom was in town he was excited to do it. She was one proud momma! It was great sitting next to her seeing how excited she was. More on the graduation in another post. Not many things have been crossed off the places to visit and things to do while in AZ list, but that just gives her another excuse to come visit again.

At the same time Chris was here, a roommate of mine from BYU, Rochelle, was in town from Boston! As always--it is like time never changed when I see her. This next photo is evidence of that. It was at BYU in the dorms that we learned the art of perfecting our hair, makeup, and style--with all those things being done together. So why should things change 10 years later? Let us not forget that this photo below is taken at 10pm with no place to go, but it was by far my favorite part of her trip.

Since Rochelle was in town, Bethanie drove down to my house to meet up with us. We had a bbq and had fun spending a few hours together. Just like the good ole' days.

Finally, for Mother's Day we had a BBQ with Chris, my Aunt Carol, my Uncle Jim, and my Grandma Goodrich. The three of them drove up from Tucson and spent the afternoon. It was perfect weather, and we all had such a nice time visiting. No pictures taken sadly, but Grandma was looking as glamorous as ever.

I can't believe that as I write this there are only two more days left in the month of May! Where has the time gone?--oh wait, I guess we've played the month away with friends and family. More to come on all the playing we've been doing.

Freeport, TX

Nick found out today that he is headed to Freeport, Tx for the next 3 months as he goes to work for T.I.C. (The Industrial Company). He will be joining two other interns while working on a marine construction project the company has underway. Here are a few facts about Freeport, Tx:

-50 miles south of Houston, right on the Texas Gulf Coast

-The shrimp capital of the world

-Population is just under 13,000

-The city is only about 13 square miles=12 miles of land and 1.5 miles of water

-The median age of residents=27.4 (I think he'll fit right in)

-The city is located at sea level

-Construction is the #1 sector for employment

-Surfside Beach and Quintana Beach are the main tourist attractions

Freeport is the tiny red dot on the map above!

I'm sure I'll find out a lot more about this place in no time! The extra bonus of Freeport, TX is that two of my best friends live in nearby Houston! Yay!! I will get to see Taylor and Julia several times this summer! Only 20 days until Nick leaves. Don't worry I've already booked a ticket to visit the first weekend of June.