AHG Mother Daughter "Splatter Paint" event

So the Mother Daughter event was at "Pinspiration:  Where community meets creativity" for the full splatter experience.   Just what does this include?

Plan for an hour of messy fun for kids and adults! Includes private Splatter Room™ and protective gear (Splatter Suit, Shoe Caps, Shower Caps, and Goggles). Dress up, fling paint at a canvas, and take home a messy masterpiece!

I did not witness this event, but did see little splatters of paint still there the next day.   Glad they got to enjoy this time with Magan.   

 

Another tumble thru Tumbling Rock

I had this cave trip on the calendar for awhile, but if I would have known this was the day after prom, and day before me going to Georgia for a week, I might have skipped it.   But so glad we did not, especially because at the last minute, Anabelle decided she would join us in the cave because her friend Sarah Beth was also going.   Mostly friends from church on this trip, with John coming over and meeting us that morning at the cave.   This was a very crowded cave on this weekend, as there were a group of boy scouts in there, and a couple of other smaller groups in the cave also.   

Sam and Davis led John to the very back of the cave and up Mt. Olympus.   This was Sam's first time leading that far, and John's first time going that far back.   And they must have been moving because they hit the Topless Dome in about 45 minutes, where it took my group (the other 13 people) 2 hours and 15 minutes to get to.   John told me he was wondering if they were ever going to take a break.   They made it to the foot of Mt. Olympus for lunch, and met our crew at Tumbling Rock just past the Topless Dome.   Sam took a nasty fall near the bottom of Mt. Olympus.   I did not see it, but saw all the purple bruising on his arm and chest.  

Our crew did fairly well going in, and I never got the group lost, and we took many needed breaks.  I let Cole and Rinoa try out a second passage near the dome, and we met back up with them after a short distance.  We stopped at Wildcat rock pile to turn off all lights and listen to the sound of silence for a little while.   After a prayer and a song, we continued on our way.  We had some guys in our crew that were definitely struggling at times, some of the climbs are fairly tough, but this group was great with no one every complaining a bit.   

Belle's favorite spot was the waterfall, and she splashed around in there for a bit.   By the time we came out many of the group no longer cared about the pathway I was trying to lead and show them where to stay dry, instead they just plopped through the water.   Everyone made it out well, Sam and Davis leading a faster group that beat us out by over an hour.   And I will admit I got lost at the Wildcat Rock Pile on the way out...the cave is completely different going the other way...but if you look around enough, people have over the years marked the cave slightly...so we saw an arrow with an almost legible "OUT" pointing to one opening, and it worked.  

Outside, we enjoyed the fresh air, and everyone groaned at the pictures I wanted at the end, but they were taken, and we headed back home.   Cole's dad, Chris, rode with me, and shared some really cool stories of the Airline catering business on the way back.   When a bathroom break took us by a Krystal, and Davis mentioned he had never had one, well, now we have.   Another fun trip.   I asked Ruby if she was ready...and while she did not answer, those eyes told me...not yet.   

 

Junior Senior Prom

Last year, Jillian was a senior and Sam a junior.  She drove him to school every day, and they are obviously good friends.   Sitting at Sneaky Petes last year (This is where the youth meet every Friday before school), Jillian was talking about not having a date for the Prom, and mentioned that Sam should go with her.   He said "But Why", because Sam is Sam and is quite awkward at times.   And thus Jillian went with someone else.   Apparently everyone at that Sneaky Petes table heard this exchange, so Sam was ridiculed for a long time for his "Why".   In a son dad moment later that week, I explained that when a pretty girl asks you to the prom, you say "YES".   And flashforward to this spring, where Jillian is in Florida at college, and Sam needed a date.   He reached out to her and asked if she wanted to go with him, and with some slowly maturing charm said "It's ok if you just ask WHY".   But it worked, and instead she said "Why Not?"   

And to the other side of this picture below was Lauren Rawls, who was Sam's date to the previous dance in the Fall.   She was looking for a date, and reached out to her friend Davis, who seems to always be invited to a dance.   I don't know what all the rules are in this game, but Sam said "Davis knows the bro code", so I guess that is that.  Magan took both of their pictures together in our neighborhood before they went there separate ways for the prom.  I will admit Magan handled all of this, I really had no clue what was going on at any time, just showed up where she told me to show up.   

Davis and Lauren went down to Columbiana for some more pictures with her friends.   Davis drove Magan's van because he did not want to have to park his truck everywhere that night...but then when Lauren's dad asked him if he wanted to drive his 2023 Ford F150 Lightning, he jumped on board for that.   How brave is Brandon letting Davis drive that truck.   They ate at Mt. Fuji, skipped the prom, and went to a birthday party at Savannah Bailey's house to end the night. 

Sam's crew had a huge stretch SUV, and took their pictures at Mt. Laurel.   It was really the weirdest thing because we were there while all these pictures were being taken.   There was like a mass of parents just watching all of this go on.   I wish I would have gotten a picture of the parents, it was slightly crazy.   We walked around and chatted at each new picture location.   I don't know when this practice started, but it was just strange.   Sam and Jillian went to a steak place in Mt. Laurel, then to the prom for a bit (his friend Noah got Homecoming King) and where did they go after this...Buccees.   Yes, this crew in the fancy tuxes and dresses drove to Leeds and went into Buccees.   I can understand Chick-Fil-A, with its crazy efficiency, heavenly chicken, Hillsong in the bathroom, and pleasure all around...but Buccees...what makes the young crowd love them so much?   It's a large gas station...yet also for me, I feel the pull every time I am near...Interesting.   

So that was prom...I guess we will have a few more thru the years.   I think both boys had a great time and hope if not Jillian or Lauren, they will find similar Christians of like mind to share their days.