Memory Lane is Open

Las Cruces may be a small town but in our lives it's a b - i - g city. It is the crossroads where New Jersey meets California and the rest is as they say - history.  What a long haired Spanish-speaking boy from New Jersey wanted was to go to college where there was a spanish influence and perhaps some pretty senoritas too, and so NMSU was his new temporary home.  It was there where he found other long haired, motorcycle riding engineers to hang out and share the college experience with.  On the west coast, a hispanic girl hoped to finish her tennis career at NMSU after a disappointing year at the rival University of Texas El-Paso.  Happy to join the Aggie team, she lived on campus, practicing, studying, and enjoying the fruits of a full-ride scholarship.  Her only friends were other athletes on the team and so she ventured often alone to the cafeteria for three meals a day.  Decked out in t-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes, and a ponytail, fashion was clearly not her thing but developed leg muscles and dark skin showed many years of dedication to a sport played outside.  Jersey boy noticed California girl in the cafeteria dining alone, and asked her to join him for breakfast.  A bit taken aback and startled at first, she agrees and they get to know each other over eggs and cereal. 

 (Original cafeteria is gone, and the current one is under reconstruction. But this is the place!)

After breakfast NJ, in quite gentlemanly fashion, asks to walk CA to her class.  She agrees and they head down the main walk to the Hershel Zohn theater for her first class, Introduction to Drama.

He proceeds to ask her out to the upcoming football game, but she declines as the thoughts, "I don't know you well enough" and "too much too soon" come to mind.  They part and make no definite plans to get together again, but sharing the same cafeteria or crossroads will bring them together almost 3 times a day, and that was all it took. 

New Mexico is known as The Land of Enchantment, and for Rob and I, I would say that is appropriate.  Whether or not enchantment occurred at breakfast in the cafeteria or sometime later, love did blossom there and so NMSU and Las Cruces will forever be special to us.  It's been about 12 years since we've been back, and returning with Sienna and Spenser was really neat.  They both seemed genuinely excited to be on campus and find out where, when, and how mom and dad met, lived, and experienced college.  Let's continue our trip down memory lane, shall we?

The bookstore is now affiliated with Barnes and Noble, which makes it look pretty fancy.

 

Of course we spent some too much money in there buying NMSU wear and vanilla bean frappucinos, but who knows when the next visit will be - so no need to leave empty handed.  The bookstore used to be located in Corbett Center Student Union where we are pictured in the next photo, but improvements demanded a move and after seeing it, rightly so!

Sienna acted as photographer, and thought this tree made for a good backdrop.

 

Spenser and Rob are sitting in front of the old library, a hangout spot for Rob and his buddies to take a break and scope chicks.  Tee hee!  Rob could be found here often in his levi's and muscle tanks!

Can you find Spenser in the next picture?

 

A trip to campus wouldn't be complete without a visit to the tennis center.  Of course the one I played at had been removed, replaced, and much improved, just like the bookstore.  My coach Carlos set us up there to play one morning and we posed for a few pictures. 

Everyone is decked out in their bookstore purchases!  Carlos let us borrow rackets and balls so I could share NMSU tennis with the next generation.  It was pretty hot so we didn't play for long, but both Sienna and Spenser were able to play with mom for a little bit.  Here I am feeding balls to Spenser.

And here he is hitting one back.

Hard to believe that 20 years ago, this was my life! 

But as one chapter closes, another one begins, and trading tennis for starting a family is one of the most rewarding parts of the book.   

While in the Southwest, one must also soak in the southwest decor, play tourist, and buy stuff!  This shop in Old Mesilla was awesome!  As you can see, the size of the pots has no limit, and I was able to find blankets and pottery to take to the relatives in California.  Score!

It was a fun trip down memory lane, which traveled to Las Cruces, New Mexico via New Jersey and California.  Now that Sienna and Spenser have visited too, it's a memory we all can share! 



I Hope You Had the Time of Your Life

Today was the last school day of the 2011/2012 year and with it came pomp, circumstance, reflection, and emotion.  It started with Sienna's Celebration of Learning, and luckily her team was the first to commence.  Here is the program, showing Sienna's place in the ceremony.

Here is our little girl, getting up in front of the whole gymnasium to share her thoughts with all.

 

She said she was really nervous, but I think she handled it beautifully!  As the video and picture below show, Sienna was introduced by Mrs. Flyte, her Science teacher.

 



After the student speakers, it was time for the reading of names.

After the reading of names and handing out of certificates, the symphonic band played the recessional.

That was the last performance of the symphonic band, other than the three celebrations that followed, that Sienna was required to play. 

And here is the graduate...

Then it was time to celebrate Spenser.  Mrs. Eberhart handed out personal awards to each student.

Spenser received one for asking the most questions.

Here's part of the class video in which the teacher and the students remember how they earned nicknames.

 

And the last video shows some fun times at school.  Spenser is in the bottom center of the group photo at the pool.

After root beer floats Spenser and I headed home for the last time from the elementary school.  Here is the big boy after his last day.

He personally asked that I also take a picture and blog his report card, showing straight A's all year long.  Here it is Buddy!

The kids opened gifts and then we were off to Chili's for celebratory dinner!

Congrats Sienna and Spenser, now it's time to enjoy summer!

Aloha

Sixth grade is ending for Spenser and that occasion was celebrated today in an after school dance for all the sixth graders.  I think the only reason Spenser went was because I was going to be there helping out, but motivation aside, I'm glad he attended. 

Here is the entrance to the shindig..... 

quite nicely decorated I thought.  Inside the multipurpose room were many more decorations, food and game stations, and a pretty neat photo booth where Spenser struck a pose.

 

Spenser hung by me most of the time, more inclined to bounce a beach ball back and forth rather than dance, but I think fun was still had.

 

Here he is with his teacher, Mrs. Eberhart.

 

His last day is tomorrow and I'll be helping out in the classroom with a root beer float party.  After that madness then summer will be officially started!

 

Roil-ridding Rob!

Dirt, muck, mud, soil, or roil - whatever you call it - sprint cars ride on it and when they do, that junk flies everywhere and splatters the car like crazy.  Luckily, both racing teams of Thomas Ogle and Michael Curtis have the hard-working hands of Rob Samour, mudscraper extraordinaire!  After each hot lap session or heat race, Rob can be found bent over, hind-side up, scraping tires, ridding the car of dirt clods, wiping down the car with water soaked rags, and spraying the tires with baby oil to make them shine!  I would call it a thankless job but that would be a misnomer, as I was witness to the deep appreciation both teams felt for Rob's toiling.  As you know Rob loves racing, and although he'll never be a Thomas Ogle or a Michael Curtis, he can live vicariously through them and pitch in however and whenever he can.  He may not be the engine builder or chassis set-up expert, but he'll turn a wrench and make the car shine each time it goes out on the track.  He's away from us often on weekend nights, but we're okay with that because we know how much he enjoys it and now that I've gone to a race myself, I see how much he's utilized.

Here is Thomas getting pushed off for hot laps by his wife Michelle and his dad Tim.  Notice the car is fairly clean.

Here's the car upon its return from hot laps.

Then it's time for Rob to get to work.  The rump is up and the mud is falling.

There's always opportunities to talk shop and that's a plus.

Michael's car gets dirty too and could definitely use a de-mudding.

The team goes to work and it looks better.

Here are the Ogles pushing Thomas off for a heat race. 

Rob and I are in the back on a ride-along!

Here's Michael in action.

Don't you want to hear what sprint car racing sounds like?

Michael did pretty well.  He was in the B feature and running good until someone bumped him and he cut a tire.

Thomas had flipped the previous night, spent all day getting the back up car ready, only to experience the same fate.  He was on the pole of this heat race - in the black car - when disaster struck.  Watch and listen....

On the first lap near turn 2 Thomas flipped again.  It was definitely not a good night for him and for my first race in years, the amount of cars turning over was quite frightening, especially now that I actually know two of the drivers personally.  Thankfully Thomas is okay, just sore in body and poor in spirit and in pocket.  This racing thing is expensive and often a money pit.  I thought Samour Sounds was an expensive endeavor but after going racing for a night, I realize it's far from. 

Thanks to the Ogles and the Curtis team for allowing me a sneak peek at life in the pits.  I look forward to traveling with Michael to New Mexico.  Let's hope for lots of luck and fortune in the Land of Enchantment!



A Season Ceases

Spenser's basketball season came to an end last week as he and his team competed for third place in the division.  The game was tight and was decided in overtime, with Spenser's team earning the victory.  Here are a couple highlights from the game.

Although he missed the shot, you can see how Spenser is able to handle the ball and run the court.

The team celebrated with a pizza party after the game where trophies were awarded.

Here is Spenser with his best buddy Kyle, and Coach Tim.

During the awards the coach spoke of Spenser's amazing ball handling and passing skills, well above his years, according to Coach Tim.

It was another fun season but it also made apparent to us that Spenser's hernial problems may not be over.  He still complains at times of pain to the point of needing medicine and was even hunched over in pain during the last game.  It seems to have subsided with the end of the season, but with such an active boy, will need further investigation.  Let's cross our fingers that no surgery will be required.  That was not fun.

Father's Day

The previous post was called Mother's Day and I'm naming this one Father's Day.  I know it's not Father's Day yet, but today marked a momentous occasion for the father of the Samour household.  Today Rob became the proud owner of a 2012 Ford Focus!  The make and class of the car may not impress some, but we should all be impressed by the fact that this is Rob's FIRST new car  - in -  his -  entire -  life!  He was never the type to have to drive the latest and greatest (duh! we all recall the gold duster, do we not?) but let it also be known that he always put the needs of others (that would be me) in front of his.  So the brand new and sporty Focus in the driveway is his to commute to work and tool around town.  How nice it will be for him to drive the 30 miles each way to work without having to worry about a breakdown! And with a 40 mpg highway average, hopefully he'll enjoy a greater fuel economy.  Wanna see it?

It's snazzy, right?

Yes it's only a 4 banger but it's equipped with Sirius radio AND sync, which makes your car a personal computer, able to make calls, take calls, send and receive texts, play music through your usb, all voice activated.  It's pretty cool.  Check out Sienna's face as her phone dials the car...

Rob plans on passing this car on to Sienna when she matures to driving age; what a lucky duck!

Until then, he'll enjoy the perks of a brand new car.  My 300 may be the smoother ride, but his Focus kicks techno butt!  Good for you Daddy, you deserve it!

Mother's Day

On Mother's Day I'd like to share some pictures of my children, as they are the reason I get to partake in this special holiday.  Yes it is my job and responsibility to love, care, and nurture them, teach them right from wrong, and deal with their highs and lows throughout their lives.  As overwhelming as that might seem, it also comes with much pride and joy as I see them grow, learn, and change into the talented and intelligent kids they are. 

Sienna just attended her 8th grade semi-formal lastnight, which was outside under the stars at her school.  She spent the day at her friend's house who volunteered to do her hair and makeup.  Here is the result.

She had a great time dancing and enjoying the night with her friends.  In 3 weeks she'll say goodbye to Santan Elementary and Santan Jr. High, and hello to Perry High School.  I hope that she handles the challenges and obstacles that high school brings with the same grace and demeanor she's had thus far.   

Spenser will be saying goodbye to Santan Elementary and hello to Santan Jr. High.  I think he's ready for that transition and the challenges that come with it.  He'll enjoy having many teachers instead of one, and I think he'll get a great band experience as well.  He continues to play basketball, which will conclude next week with a game for third place.  He's still on a high from Bash 2, where everyone was so complimentary of his talent.  He told me he never said "thank you" more times in his life!

Here are some videos showing Spenser's dribbling, passing, and shooting skill!

On Mother's Day (and every day) my kids make me proud!