Putting on the Ritz

Tonight, Darin and I attended a sunset dinner on the beach at the Ritz Carlton. It began with a cocktail hour then dinner followed by a live band. Darin had been participating in a national financial convention at the Ritz. Today, his keynote speaker was George W. Bush. However, I think his favorite was yesterday's luncheon with the surprise entertainment by Capitol Steps. I really enjoy all the perks of Darin's career and really appreciate all Ascendant Wealth Management has done for our family. I am especially thankful that Mackenzie is old enough to babysit her brother. Thanks Mackenzie!

P.S. Can you spot Darin in the first picture?

Who wore it better? Mom vs Daughter

I wore this dress two years ago to a fundraiser Gala. Mackenzie wore it today to an "Oscar Party" themed birthday at the Ritz Carlton. Yes, only in Naples is a 12 year old invited to an afternoon tea at the Ritz. Needless to say, Mackenzie had a blast at the party and couldn't stop talking about the delicious food at the Ritz. By the way, the "Best Magician" Oscar went to Mackenzie Morgan.

Getting ready for First Communion

Tonight Mason had his one-on-one interview to verify he is ready for First communion. At first, I was a little nervous for him. I shouldn't have worried, he made us proud. Mackenzie received her First Communion through a traditional catholic education (the same way I was taught). On the other hand, Mason has been educated using a new program called Family Faith Formation. I must admit, he and I have learned a lot during the past two years.

His First Communion is scheduled for Sunday, May 23rd during the 9:00 am mass. Sadly, Mason's godparents from Stuart will be unable to attend due to the big wedding the following Saturday. Mason isn't too disappointed because Cousin Lindsay will be coming all the way from Texas along with his grandparents from Georgia.

Rain, Rain and More Rain

What do two bored kids do after two weekends of rain? Mackenzie and Mason got tired of waiting for the weather to improve and decided to make the best of it by swimming in the rain.

And the $10,000 winner is ...

....not us! We attended the St. John $10,000 reverse raffle tonight with our good friends, the Tuckers, and our new ballroom dancing friends, the Goldhorns. Needless to say, none of us won but we sure had a good time. Maybe next year we will have better luck!

Sunsets vs Sunrise

Because we are lucky enough to live on the west coast of Florida, we often post pictures of the sunsets on the gulf. However, this morning, we witnessed a beautiful sunrise over our lake.

Can you tell what kind of week we had?

School resumed on Tuesday after a week of Spring Break. By Wednesday afternoon, Mason was complaining of a sore throat. Needless to say, he never made it back to school due to Strep Throat. That's okay, after two days of teaching I was ready for a day off (ha, ha). Mason is feeling much better and should be 100 percent by tomorrow.

Shannon's Bridal Shower

This past Saturday, Mackenzie was invited to attend her very first bridal shower. The shower was held at my aunt's home in Stuart, Florida. Mackenzie was a little shy at first but started to warm up once the bridal games began. She really enjoyed dressing the bridesmaids in wedding gowns made of toilet paper and drinking her soda out of a champagne glass. When asked if she would attend another shower, she answered "yes"!

Go Big Red!

A surprise package arrived in the mail today. Thanks Aunt Deborah! We can always count on you to dress us in the latest Texas Tech fashions. For those who have not heard, there is yet another Red Raider in the family. Deborah's daughter (Lindsay) was accepted into the Masters program at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center. "Get your guns up" for Lindsay!

Coloring of the Eggs

Have you recently perused the Easter isle at the grocery store? It is amazing how many ways you can decorate an Easter egg from stickers to glitter to tie dye. This year, we found even another new way to decorate. We would like to introduce you to shiny accents. Okay, so they don't look like the picture on the cover but we still had fun.