Lucky # 13!

Woo Hoo - Lucky #13! E tried out as #13 for the HS Dance team tonight - and made the VARSITY team. She's been working hard, and wanting this so badly - I'm so glad all her hard work has paid off this year!

Vocal Recital - Hooray for Hollywood!

These are some images from A's vocal recital - always a great tribute to Broadway - this year the focus was "Hollywood Musicals" - A sang lots of fun songs, including "Food, Glorius Food" from Oliver, "I want it NOW" from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins, "Cruella DeVil" from 101 Dalmations, "Kids" from Bye, Bye Birdie, and an AMAZING rendition of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" - so good that they are taking it to Access Broadway next year! (admire the Veruca Salt dress - I constructed it from a thrift store dress, lace, ribbon and buttons for about $10!)

Hope to have videos by the end of the summer!

Reflection - Mulan - Honors Night 2009

Strange - I thought I had successfully posted this already - but it's not out here on my blog - so we'll try again!

A. was asked to sing "Reflection" at her Middle School Honors Night by her Drama teacher (who is also the Choir teacher). Congrats to A. also on all her academic awards, including All A's, and special recognition for outstanding work in all her subjects - wa hoo!

Kudos also to the district that has been actively fundraising for scholarship funds. Although A. didn't win one - they did a random drawing for three $500 scholarships last night - one per grade for all students with a 3.0 or higher GPA.

** UPDATE ** So, this was my 2nd of 4 attempts to upload the video. When I finally gave up and embedded the video - then attempts 3 & 4 both appeared. Grrr.... Anyway - since I didn't figure anyone needed a post with the same gist 3 times - I deleted all but this one.

Goodbye Daddy....

I know it seems odd to take pictures at a burial, but I wanted to remember this day - just like other days I want to remember. It's not all about remembering the good days, and the great accomplishments. It's also about remembering the difficult times, and the sad days.

I wanted to post what my sister Margie wrote and read at the burial - it was so perfect, and so fitting:

Time

They say that time heals all wounds.

But I feel time is indifferent.

It progresses forward despite monumental changes.

We used to laugh at your response to,

“Did you miss me?”

Which was always,

“Were you gone?”

We may still laugh, but the stinging truth is

You are gone and we miss you deeply.

In the midst of new grief time does not appear to be our ally,

With every development and every event

There is an empty hole that only you could fill.

From the milestones of life: births, family holidays, graduations,

first communions, new homesteads, 70^th birthdays, etc.

to the every day happenings.

There is a persistent yearning to share life with you.

We are slowly adjusting to our new way of conversing with your spirit.

It is a hard transition from the physical interactions to the spiritual.

Ironically through patience and yes, time

you taught us the valuable lessons we needed to cope with your absence.

Prayer, faith, hope, compassion, family values, laughter and love.

At moments I want to resist the passage of time.

Selfishly I wish I could go back

To the time when you filled our world with delightful absurdities,

silliness and laughter.

To the times when you provoked our thinking and encouraged our faith.

To the moments when you held our hand, gave us long hugs

and traced the sign of the cross on our foreheads.

Time has gifted us with these precious memories of you.

Memories and characteristics that give us strength to move forward.

To take time to gift our families with these same treasures.

We remember you fondly and in time we will be with you again.

Margie Cron Martin

Congrats Bro!

My BIL Brian's graduation from OCC's Nursing program!! We are so proud!!

Sister and Fam - New House

As they await the arrival of baby #4, my sister and family just purchased a new house - across the field from their old house! Here's a pic of them on their new front porch on the day they closed. Moving will be a summer long project - the goal to be completely moved before the baby gets here!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom! I won't tell you her age, but I'll give you a hint. She wore her 10th Anniversary GLMM shirt with the 10 candles on it, and added a little "x7" note at the end!

My sister Jennie and I were able to take her out to lunch to Cracker Barrel!

And I baked her favorite - spice cake - in the camper oven... it's a little lopsided, but it still tasted great!

After a yummy dinner in my sister's trailer (it rained) we said goodnight to my nieces and nephew, and mom and I headed out to the movies, and saw "Angels and Demons". It was EXCELLENT. I highly recommend it.

I spent mom's whole birthday week out at the campground with her - we scrapped and visited, and just had a relaxing week together! Thanks to my hubby and kids, who held down the fort and let me go!