...lilac parade...

Yesterday, Mom & I took the Jr Miss girls to the Lilac Parade in Spokane! We had a fun day with them - took them to lunch at The Onion, checked out the floats under the freeway, and enjoyed some shopping & the Royalty Reception at River Park Square.

They are fun girls to be with...Mom & I didn't realize we were giving them such an education by exposing them to the "big city!" Tipping at a restaurant is an experience. Walking across a crosswalk is an experience. :) What a big world!

After we sent them on the float to staging (read: hurry up and wait for another 3 hours) - we went to check into our hotel. Mom & I decided a few months ago to stay the night in Spokane after the parade since we had a Junior Miss meeting at Gonzaga on Sunday afternoon. When we'd decided to go ahead and stay, I found a GREAT deal on a hotel room at the Hotel Lusso...

As we were going up the elevator to our room, we commented that we should've asked to have a room on the street side so we could watch the parade...we got off the elevator and followed the signs to our room. It appeared we were on the right side of the building...this was looking good!

We got to our room - it was fabulous! It was the corner room overlooking the street where the parade would be coming! I would sooooo stay there every time I go to Spokane!!

This is the view we had of the parade:

(This is Lind's marching band - not too shabby!)

Not bad!!

After checking into our room, we walked the two blocks down the street to River Park Square and did some shoe shopping and Pottery Barn browsing! We walked back to The Davenport and enjoyed a little Lilac Parade pre-funk in The Peacock Room:

We went back outside to watch the parade....I didn't get great pictures, but here's what I got:

The Connell float this year is in honor of Connell's 100th Centennial. It's very classy and elegant.

It's beautiful.

I heard there was an estimated 160,000 people at the parade! Crazy! There were people EVERYWHERE!

Jenni stayed the night with us in the hotel. We enjoyed sleeping in, being lazy this morning, then an IHOP cheesecake pancake breakfast (delicious - Jessica - GO NOW!), the BEST pedicures EVER, and then went to a Washington Junior Miss Orientation/Meeting.

Fun weekend!

...to the window....to the MALL...

On Thursday, Mom & I took the 2010 Junior Miss girls to the Tri-Cities to find their "travel outfits" (what they wear to and from parades & to special events). It sounds like it'd be fun right? You're right - it was. :)

Here are their cute outfits they found:

Kendall Taylor, Laryn Wells (JM), Alice Phongsa, Ali Erickson, and Crystal Clyde

Aren't their outfits cute? I think it works with each of their individual personalities. They look like something each of them would've bought on their own.

We didn't go to the Tri-Cities until after practice and then we were mean and withheld food from them until they found their outfits. Mean mean mean! It made them make deicisons faster (sneaky sneaky!).

We celebrate our shopping success at Red Robin! Guess who came to visit?!

And it was Kendall's "birthday"!

We're looking forward to going to the Lilac Parade in Spokane with these girls in a few weeks. If you can imagine, it's quite a comical time with this group of girls! To know them is to love them. hehe

[ washington state jr miss ]

Last night, we went to Pullman to cheer on Connell/North Franklin's Junior Miss, Sarah McGary, at the Washington State Junior Miss Program. Sarah won a Self-Expression Award ($200 scholarship). We are so proud of her and glad she had a fun week. The 2010 Washington State Junior Miss is Mattie Bergeson from Moses Lake.

Sarah and Mattie

[ 2009 Junior Miss ]

Well, another Junior Miss year is over. "Everybody Dance Now" was a great success. I am so proud of all of these girls. They worked incredibly hard over the past three months and showed poise, grace, integrity, and beauty. They are a wonderful group and will be well represented by Miss Sarah McGary as the 2009 Connell/North Franklin Junior Miss. The finalists are Brianna Casper, Chelsea Baker, and Maira Viveros. I'm excited for Katelyn Knight - the Talent award winner, Shannon Jorgenson - Be Your Best Self award, Samantha Fox - Inspiration and Spirit Award, and Lisa Pranikay - Scholastic Award.

I'm excited for what the next year has in store for these girls. What an opportunity!

{And as far as the status for the 2010 Junior Miss...we hear there is at least 15 girls ready to sign up. AH! We'd have our hands full!!}