And The Countdown Speeds Up...

Senior year is a series of milestones. The clock heading to graduation starts ticking the night before senior year begins and ends when your child walks across the stage to receive his diploma. First day of school.  Tick.  Last home game.  Tick. Mid term exams.  Tick.  Graduation supplies ordered and delivered.  Tick Tick.  The time is elapsing but like the New Year Eve's countdown in Times Square, no one really pays attention until the time is almost over. People start counting along when 10 seconds are remaining, not two hours. I've known for months that the end of senior year means Taylor leaving home is real. There are no more finish lines to cross before his enlistment begins.  Tonight is his senior prom though. Did anyone else hear the people yell 10, 9, 8...?

 Taylor and his beautiful girlfriend, Rachel posing in front of the azaleas. Rachel earns many points for this because this is Taylor's fifth prom and she is the first girl to come to our house for pictures.  Every year, Taylor goes to pick the young lady up from her house and I either join him there for pictures or I depend on the date to share pictures.  Rachel willingly came to the house after Taylor picked her up to pose for pictures. Nice change.  Of course, we then drove to Greenville to take pictures of the entire group but still...

 Every year, Taylor and Wrenny, my great-niece take pictures while he is all dressed up.  Last year, a classmate asked if she was his and Taylor laughed.  In today's society, teenagers having children is more and more common.  I am proud to say that Taylor is not one of them.  He does love Wrenny the Pooh though.

Lucas, Taylor's best friend, also came to the house for the photo session and a little help figuring out the pocket square.

This is Taylor's prom group. Taylor is blessed to have an incredible group of friends that he has known forever.  Starting from the left is Suzanne.  In first grade, Suzanne hurt Taylor's feelings by telling him that he had to go to remediation because he was dumb.  He was devastated.  He was (and is) dyslexic.  Taylor forgave her long ago.  Me?  well... Next to her is Chelsie.  She was the tough girl on Taylor's peewee soccer teams.  He once invited her to an all boy birthday party, but she didn't come.  To a seven year old, the invitation was high praise. Interesting side note, Chelsie dates Zach who went to camp with Taylor year after year as they grew up in church together. Small world... The handsome young man next to Zach is Lucas, Taylor's very best friend who he has known since nursery school. In the long pink dress is Sarah., beautiful and sweet Sarah.  Taylor and she have been fast friends since middle school. The young lady in the dramatic red dress is Tori, Taylor's prom date from last year.  In middle school, Taylor told me that Tori reminded him of his "big sister cousin" Cricket which is the highest praise anyone could be given. The tiny blonde next to Rachel is Bree who has went to school with Taylor since first grade. She likes to wear baggy shorts and t-shirts most days so it is wonderful to see her all dressed up.  The last couple is Taylor and Rachel who are absolutely goregous.  Taylor has talked about the twins (Rebecca, Rachel's twin didnt go tonight) since middle school.  He has always thought Rachel was beautiful.  She is.  You know how in Father of the Bride, Steve Martin sees a little girl telling him she was getting married rather than his grown daughter?  That's how I feel when I look at these kids...  How is it time already for them to be grown?

The countdown is speeding up...  Swearing in May 2nd.... Class Day... Graduation... Basics... Tick Tick Tick...