Prom 2011

Missy is off to prom, looking beautiful! She & her mom bought her dress when she bought her military ball dress. She & Austin look very nice & he took her to Lowe's Motor Speedway Club for dinner. 

What was I thinking??

I looked at the weather forcast for western PA and yet I still drove up here. Today, it is grey, chilly (that's being generous) and rainy, just like it was forcast to be!
It was a fun drive up here with Jessica. We spent about 2 hours at the antique store in Beckley WV; went to see the bridge at New River Gorge and had good conversation. We managed to turn our 7.5hr drive into 12! 
I've had an Oram's cream filled donut, 35cent pancakes at the Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe, a freshly made burger with cheddar cheese & chili and chili & cheese fries at the same hot dog shoppe. Those were musts on my list of things to do while back home.  I'm enjoying spending time catching up with friends and visiting with relatives (especially Jessica). I wanted to go to one of my nephews track meet today but the rain cancelled those plans for me.
Shhh, don't tell Mike & Missy but I'm missing them greatly!

Central Cabarrus ROTC Earns Awards

Despite the lack of organization & all the changes during the last week of practices, or perhaps because of these changes, Central Cabarrus ROTC brought home several awards.  Missy was very happy for her friend, senior Marie C who placed first in female individual armed. Missy completed in AS1 unarmed flight, AS1 female unarmed element, placing 2nd in each event.

Here are pics taken from the drill meet held Saturday at Independence HS, Charlotte NC.

 Missy cuts up for the camera!

waiting for the judges before unarmed flight

In other news, Missy will have her wisdom teeth removed on Friday, all 4 of them.  I see lots of icecream and soup on the menu for the weekend!

Cinderella Goes to the Ball

Today is Saturday 05Mar2011, it is also the day of the Cabarrus County ROTC Ball. Missy has been waiting for this ball all year! This is also the evening of Missy's first date!!! Poor Mike, its tough for him to see his 'baby girl' growing up. Her date was her boyfriend, Austin. He is a nice young man even if he is one year older than she. His parents took them to dinner, then to the ball.
Some of you may not know but it is a joke between Missy & I that she calls me the 'wicked stepmonster' & I call her Cinderella. The joke today was if Cinderella didn't get all her chores done, she would have to stay home from the ball.
Here is our beautiful little girl, all dressed up with somewhere to go!

Missy Celebrates her Sweet 16!

Missy is celebrating her 16th birthday today! It is hard for me to believe that the little girl I met 5 years ago is now a young lady. Mike & I gave her a pair of freshwater pearls, ones she can wear with her ROTC uniform. She & Mike have gone on a father/daughter dinner date. Then we'll have cake & icecream when they get home. She requested me to make her cake again this year. Disclaimer, I am not Betty Crocker LOL. It looks like Mike & Missy are thinking, 'can we go already?'  They were!

 

What Have the Riley's Been Up To?

Missy enjoyed an entire week off of school, due to snow & ice. No one has told Cabarrus County about delays, only cancelling! She's had a total of 6 snow days this school year. One Saturday, 3 staff development days, President's Day & Good Friday will make up these days. Now I am from the north, and I don't ever remember going to school on Good Friday, nor did my kids, 'Easter Monday', yes, but never Good Friday. She is finishing up her first semester of 10th grade on a much better note than any of her previous years.

The snow was pretty, and you can see pictures on Sandy's blog, Thoughts & Creations From Here, There & Everywhere.

Sandy started 2 online classes at Rowan Cabarrus Community College. Success in College is a required 1 credit course, truly aimed at the new high school grad; Expository Writing will stretch her writing skills. She applied online for a 'merchandise restoration agent' (glorified name for stock person) and, after a lengthy questionairre, was told she did not meet the requirements! Today, she received a letter from an agency that puts companions in the homes of senior citizens, after applying there, was told they chose 'more qualified' candidates. So, she can neither stock shelves for JC Penney nor can she be nice to old people! She can, however, answer calls and take orders for those things you see being sold on TV. This is through LiveOps, she is considered a contracted employee & is paid per minute phone time. She says she cannot talk someone into buying something they don't want, but she can read a script. LOL She will also be certified to take orders for Pro Flowers within the next week. Sandy says she never needs to leave the house again! She could become a hermit, Missy said she will get her a shell!

Mike continues to work, both at JB Hunt and computer work for ABM. He also has the cat quite spoiled! She now will only eat the food he gives her! Keep in mind, he 'hates' cats!

Update on the grandchildren: Justin is doing very well in 3rd grade & Olivia started preschool a couple weeks ago. She told her mom the first day was 'super wonderful'! Who can believe she will be 4yrs old in less than a week?

Year in Review

2010 was an uneventful year, for the most part. There is a level of comfort in things staying the same.

Mike has had several projects going this year. He found a car on Craigs List; worked on it until it was road worthy & gave it to Cheryl. She found herself a new job, then a new boyfriend. Mike also bought himself a truck & it is close to being ready to inspect & license. Currently, he is working on a Dodge Neon for one of Sandy's sisters, who lives in PA. He's planning a road trip there after the first of the year. Renovations on the Jacksonville house continue, Mike has most of the drywall up in the master bedroom, closet & scrapbook room as well as a new window in the master bedroom. Olivia spent a week with us, in July. We took her & Missy down for a few days. One has to love the honesty of a 3yr old---Olivia walked through the door and stated: 'This house is ugly!' You know what, she is right--with all the construction & materials all over, it is ugly! We went to the beach & it was so much fun watching her play in the sand & in the water. Olivia seems to have no fear, no matter how many times she was knocked over by the waves, she didn't want to leave the ocean! Olivia is definitly Grandpa's girl & was so excited to fly from California to North Carolina for her visit.

Missy is enjoying 10th grade, in no small part due to her participation in Jr ROTC & their drill team. She takes pride in her uniform & no one's shoes shine like hers. Missy works hard to earn rank & has been promoted 3 times. She was promoted to Senior Airman Nov 20. Missy is anticipating turning 16 in Feb & Mike is even allowing her to take driver's ed & get her permit.

Mike & Sandy celebrated their 4th anniversary at a Bed & Breakfast in West Jefferson NC. The house was built in the 1800s & each room has a fireplace (changed to electric) & a 2 person claw foot tub. The innkeeper, Doc, was a delightful man & cooked scrumptious breakfasts. It was a nice couple days away & Sandy even gave up antiquing to stay & see cheese being made at the Ashe County Cheese Factory.

The one big change this year is that Sandy is no longer employed. Time will tell whether she gets her job back. We are confident that God's plan is perfect, if His plan is for her to do something different, He will open those doors. In the meantime, she's finding her inner Betty Crocker & Martha Stewart, catching up on her scrapbooking & card making & has started volunteering at a local soup kitchen on Mondays. Truth be told, she's enjoying being at home every day & suspects that Mike & Missy do too.

Buffalo Tavern Bed & Breakfast, West Jefferson, NC

             Missy calling female individual armed at a drill meet.



Mike & Sandy at a coffee shop, West Jefferson, NC

The vat in the back holds 20,000 lbs of cheese! We waited to see them pour the cheese into the round molds. 

 

We hope you are able to take the time to enjoy God's blessings in your lives & look forward to the adventure He has in store for you in 2011.