Bekah's Sr Prom....she wore red!!

This last weekend seemed to be THE prom weekend.  All my friends were posting pictures of their kids going to prom.  I wasn't any different, but only posted one picture from my phone.  I feel I just have to share more from that night.

Bekah was gorgeous of course!!  She picked a dress that was modest already so we didn't have to do any altering except for the length (nothing new here).  What was surprising was that she chose red this year, with sparkles no less!!  She never wears red!  I think her dress is the only red thing in her closet!  I guess she's getting bolder in her "old" age.  Her date was a sweet kid who was a friend of a friend.  We all met at Bekah's friend's house to take pictures before they took a "party bus" to the prom together.  Not that we worry about Bekah's choices, but the bus is great to help make sure the kids stay smart and safe.

The girls were all "gangsta"

And the boys were high kicking.  A little backwards, maybe??

Two of her closest friends Katie and Janica.

Isn't she beautiful!!!

Bekah's Mormon Prom "Mo-Pro" 2014

Oh how I wish we had Mormon Prom when I was a teenager!

California seems to do it up really big too.

This year it was at the Natural History Museum with hundreds of kids attending not only our prom but there were other Mormon Proms held there as well.

The numbers to me are staggering!

Bekah was asked by a sweet friend of hers in our ward (church).  

He employed the help of the other boys

to hold up signs asking her out then gave her a rose when he verbally asked her.

It was on youth night so there was quite the group of kids watching it unfold.

The best thing (to me) about her dress that she found online,

was that it didn't need to be altered to make it modest.  Phew!

She looked so beautiful!

Her date wore a Mickey Mouse tie because she likes Disney so much.

 Pinning the boutonniere is always so awkward.

I helped Bekah and her date then I tried to help one of the girls make her wrist corsage tighter when it broke and pearls went everywhere!  

I was horrified!  The kids (especially the boy) joked about it but I know they

were worried.  I had ruined a lovely gesture from him to her.  Ugh!  So I finally took it off her

and tied a knot the best I could so the rest of the pearls wouldn't come off then picked up the pearls on the ground and walked away.  Hopefully it made it through the night.

Aren't the girls pretty!  

I love how their modest dresses emphasize their beauty instead of distorting it.

Okay Mom.  Enough pictures already!

school prom night

It's prom night . . .

and I'm writing this at 1:30 in the morning

as I wait for Rachel to safely come home.

It's been my job ever since we began having teenagers.

Although I'm often asleep on the couch when they walk in, I

really do enjoy getting all their stories first hand.

Isn't Rachel beautiful!!

She found her dress at Dillard's online just this last week.

We were worried she wouldn't find anything modest and at a reasonable price.

But she did and we didn't have to alter a thing!  Yea!!

Her date is Tyler, a young man from church.

And in true California form, the kids rented a Hummer limo

Doesn't it look fun?

The ceiling is fiber-optics that change color.

Um, I think the couch is calling me now.

Mormon Prom at the Aquarium

The time has finally come and gone for Mormon Prom.

There was so much planning on both the adult's and youth's part.

Or should I say girls' because we all know what goes into getting ready for a big event.

Everything went really smooth throughout the night.

We started with by meeting at a beautiful home on the cliffs so that we could take pictures, eat,

check for modesty (everyone was 100%), and get in groups to ride to the prom.

Rachel invited a bunch of her theatre friends from school.  They took the whole modesty thing very seriously and soon discovered how hard it is these days to do that.  But they did a great job!

They had such a great time that they want to come back next year!

The prom was held at the Long Beach Aquarium, which turned out to be a fabulous choice.

The kids could eat dinner, candy at the candy bar, take a boat ride,  take pictures at the various photo booths, walk around to see the exhibits, play games, and of course dance.

There were quite a few dark corners, so there were plenty of chaperones to keep the kids safe, if you know what I mean.  Joseph and I got to be chaperones, so we dressed all in black, brought our coats and comfortable shoes  because our "zone" was outside covering the area around the

seals, penguins, and manta rays.

We only had a couple of kids who were waaayyy too focused on each other.  But other than

them, the kids were laughing and having a great time.

All together, there were 16 Stakes, or areas, involved and 890 people (I think the chaperones were included in that number).  What a feat!!  They pulled it off beautifully!

Who says youth can't find good wholesome fun?!

"Mormon" Prom (Rachel's 1st prom)

So I guess I missed posting about Rachel's "Mormon" prom.  I think it was during my blog break.

Anyway, LDS or Mormon prom is big around here.  There were at least 3 stakes (which includes about 5-10 congregations each) were involved.  The prom gives the opportunity for the kids, 16-18 yrs-old, to have fun in a safe and wholesome atmosphere with others that are like-minded.  They were highly encouraged to have a date, although in the end, a few came alone.    There were hundreds of kids in attendance, some of which were not members of the Church.  As long as they agree to abide by the dress code and church standards, they were welcome to join in the fun.

Sam, a friend from early morning Seminary, was Rachel's date.

The kids all met at a member's house to have a before the party party (yes, that's the ocean behind them).
Don't they look beautiful?!
Because they are dressed modestly, you actually notice their shining faces more.

To ensure their safety and fun, our stake rented a bus to get them there and back.  Nice.

I think Rachel had a great time. 

Rachel's 2nd prom

Tis the season for prom and it's Rachel's turn.  Already, she's attended LDS (Mormon) Prom, which I seem to overlook posting here.  I'll share those later.  For now, it's all about the school's prom tonight.

Rachel fell in love with this dress at first sight.  She found it on the internet and pestered me for weeks to buy it.  It started out strapless, but we had a friend make it more modest.
Isn't she pretty?!
Sparkles certainly suit her.

Abby thought she looked beautiful.

Hunter is her good friend from church.  They should have a great time together.

They went doubles with her friend Katie and her date.

Rachel has very long and thick hair.  The more than 2 hour process to put it up started like this, curling and spraying every hair.

With tons of hairspray and many pins later, her hair turned out beautifully.

Miss "Sunshine" is off to share her sparkle.