Mormon Prom

The last weekend in February was the Mormon Prom. It was big dance for all the youth ages 14 to 18 from our church all across upstate New York from the Buffalo Stake on the west to Albany Stake on the east. There were a lot of kids (I heard estimates of upwards of  350) there and it made me happy to see them all together having a great time, in a safe and uplifting environment.

There was dancing, food, a games room, a photographer, and a service project for people to participate in when they needed a rest from dancing. One of the kids from our congregation invited a couple of friends from the school football team so Joel hung out with his football squad for the evening. I asked Seth if he wanted to invite some school friends, but most of them were on their senior trip to Florida (which we passed on because it cost almost as much as a semester of college at Seth's first choice school) but he found some very cool kids to hang out with and I think it took his mind off  missing all the fun with his school friends.

I tagged along as a chaperone and was lucky to get to spend most of the evening visiting with one of my best friends from when we lived in Rochester.

Football squad.

Brothers.

Several of the boys were a little shy about dancing at first but after awhile they loosened up and had a great time.

These kids were best friends when we lived in Rochester. My friend Danielle, reminded me that they were 6 months, 18 months and 3 years old when our families first met and now they are in high school. It was so fun to see them all together again.

It was soul renewing to get to visit with one of my dearest friends, Danielle. We missed our friend, Amy. The three of us together are an unbeatable trifecta.

The youth could take a break from dancing and tie fleece blankets for the elderly and sick children.

I loved this picture. I borrowed it from some kid that I don't even know. I really hope he doesn't mind.

I'm trying to soak in every moment I have with my boys. Seeing how fast the years have flown by has made me realized that all the cliches about kids growing up too fast are absolutely true. Seth will be going off to college this fall and even though that's the goal and what you want for your kids--for them to grow up and be independent adults--it is still heart-breaking in a very real way. But let's not think about that because I don't feel like bawling right now. Let's think about how handsome my boys are and how grateful I am for the good friends and this fun experience they were able to have.