Homecoming 2014

So since Taz turned 16 in August, he was able to go to his first homecoming dance this year. He decided to ask Courtney Eddington.  His good friend Lawson was going to ask Shae and they were excited to go together in a group.  We were thinking and thinking on how to ask Courtney.  Cynjyn came up with some cute ideas, but Taz was having none of it.  He asked Lawson what he was going to do to ask Shae and he said he had talked to Brother Van who owns horses and was going to ride up to her and ask her on a horse.  Taz loved the idea and asked if he could do it too.  Lawson said sure.  So they worked it out to do it on Shae's birthday since they knew Courtney would be there too.  I didn't know exactly what day they were going to do it, so I get a text from Taz while I'm at work asking me if I'd help him make a poster after school to ask Courtney.  I immediately said no way, poster are so what everyone does.  We need to do something different.  Tanner was still here at this point and he was coming up with some pretty creative poster ideas though. We were going to go with a roping one since it was cowboy themed and then it dawned on me to make a wanted poster in Photoshop. I made it and sent it to Sam's one hour photo and got it before he got home.  I had it waiting for him and I thought it turned out super cute, but he said no way!  I explained to him that everyone and their dog was going to be asked to homecoming with a poster because creativity is limited in some people and that this was still poster like, but just different enough to be special.  The more he looked at it and thought about it, the more he liked it and agreed.  His friend Lex was telling him it was cool, so that helped his decision.  We borrowed some cowboy boots and a shirt from the Thomsons  (where's grandma when you need her and his cowboy birthday clothes she thinks he outgrew??)

He met Lawson at the Van's and from there they went to Shae's neighborhood  to get saddle up.  I know I posted these earlier, but this was a shot of them waiting at the Van's and then riding up to the girls who were waiting outside.  Lex was helping them by having all the girls outside on Shae's lawn at a certain time. Then Lawson rode up with his poster and a rose and asked Shae.  Then he left and Taz got on the horse and rode up to the lawn and asked Courtney.  It was funny because they were laughing and giggling from Shae and then all of a sudden another rider starts coming and they are freaking out asking who it is and who its for.  It was pretty funny and  I'd given my phone to Lex to video it all for me.

So after their big asking they had to wait until the girls replied.  That came a few days later...The girls had texted me and Linda to see if we could get Taz and Lawson together at my house at a scheduled time.  So we planned for a Tuesday at 4:00.  The doorbell rang and when T and L opened it, these two were on the front doorstep.  No sign, no nothing. 

A few minutes later the girls popped out from behind the pillars and had Raising Canes chicken and posters with their answers.

A cute ending to the asking saga of homecoming.

 Homecoming was on a Saturday evening.  Taz group got pretty crazy.  More and more people kept jumping in on it.  In the end, it came down to 11 couples.  Ryan and Andrew Pappas organized it and because both of their parents work on the strip, they were able to get all of the activities discounted for the boys. 

They met at the St. Rose Cancer gardens for a group photo shoot that all the moms and some dads were at.  That took about an hour and a half and there were other groups there...a popular place.  From there, a party limo came and picked them up and escorted them around to their various locations since most of them had just turned 16 and could only drive family members.  The first thing they did was the gondolas at the Venetian.  They went in groups of 4.  Then they did dinner at Bucca's in Excalibur.  Then they all rode the linx, or high roller Ferris wheel.  Then the NYNY roller coaster.  He got home at 1:15, but by all accounts he had a great time.  We had purchased him a tux figuring he'd be going to 4 formals including 2 proms and another homecoming.  With the discounts it came out to $170/couple for the evening.  I ended up making Courtney's corsage from a similar one I'd found on Pinterest.  I thought it turned out adorable and different.  It is something she can keep as we bought a pretty blue bracelet that matched her dress and attached the top part with ribbon that she can take off and then wear the bracelet separately.  The top she can keep as a keepsake, or turn into a hair barret or something like that.

 So, here are more random pictures from the shoot that didn't make it onto the layout.

 Taz and Andrew

 Taz and Lawson and Taz and Josh.

 Taz and Lex and then Lawson, Shae, Taz and Lex.  They've grown up together and been in the same ward since forever.  So glad they are still friends and like doing things together.