Sunday, May 20, 2007

ARIELLE'S BIRTHDAY!

Arielle turns 10 on Wednesday. We looked over the schedule.....three men working...and decided it would be best to celebrate her birthday today.
Josiah took the kids to RE (Sunday School). This was the last Sunday until fall and so they were having a party. While they were gone Mike, the older girls and I wrapped gifts, blew up balloons, set out decorations and got ready to party. Krista and I had made an ice cream cake last night.
Just to show off the hair do!LOL
When they got home we opened gifts. She was thrilled to get a bracelet from Mexico (girls' mission trip), computer games, princess movie, Mandie books, alarm clocks and SPY THINGS. Here she opens a gift Mike brought back from his deployment. THEN we went to the base bowling ally for lunch and bowling (another RE thing - photos tomorrow?). Josiah test drove another car - a Toyota Camry this time. Mike was preaching in two services today. We went to the evening service. A FUN thing for us is seeing one of the young students in the service. I babysat for his family when we lived in Hardin. It's a joy to see him all grown up and here at our base. He's not in the Air Force but we train all intel and fire dogs for all services here.

Back at home we had cake. Bre and Cy had picked up sparklers for the cake. The sparks don't show well in the photo but Arielle was leery.


JOSIAH'S GRADUATION RECEPTION PHOTOS


Friends from Chapel
Debbie and I (we could be sisters - see how TALL I look here?) Debbie's Husband and Youngest Son Amy and Roxanne from workCy and Big Sisters
Family Shot (Zander was ready to run by this time)

MORE GRADUATION PICs FOR CY

More Ceremony Photos from Debbie's Camera {G}
Diploma! Praying
Hugging Too...


CY GRADUATES FROM HIGH SCHOOL!

CEREMONY

Walking up the aisle, Cy reports a huge adrenaline rush (better than paint ball) as he entered the room.

Giving diplomas. Parents are invited up. We were told that you could say what you wanted...we were also told that usually the Dad's speak as the Mom's get emotional. I really liked this. At Bre's graduation some parents wanted to make quick comments to their graduates and were told "this is about US not YOU". Here the MC (president of association) said that this is celebrating a team work - family, parents, friends and graduate. I really liked this and most of us kept our comments quick. Mike handed me the mic and I spoke. I worried Cy by making some crack about the stories I could tell.
Obviously, in the teaching mode here....enumerating my prayers for his future.

Mike spoke and then prayed over Cy. (I'm really NOT this short, but Josiah really IS taller than Mike. ::snort::)

We gave him the diploma (photo to follow).





He's a GRADUATE!

GRADUATION DAY

The ceremony went really well. The only thing I would have changed had to do with the worship. They had an awesome bad lead worship - unfortunately - someone forgot we ARE a diverse group of worshippers and the majority of folks did not know the songs they chose. Having the words on the screen would have been a great thing...other than that the day was perfect. Oh - right when we handed Cy his diploma our camera battery died. It SAID it was FULL!!!! right before it died. It's not terrible because several friends had taken lots of photos, so we'll eventually have those to add.


Here are some photos of the kids BEFORE the ceremony. I asked Mike to take a few photos. Us on graduation day (family photo on Debbie's camera or Bre's):

Josiah (18) and his table....a few other things showed up there as the day progressed...cap and gown, diploma etc.


Arielle (10 on Wed)

The 5 boys (Jamin 16, Jared 13)

Nolan (8)

Krista (19)

BreAnne (21)
Stacia (19 months)
Zander - 5 (imitating Cy's photo)
OK the men around here have informed me that he was not sweetly imitating his big brother and dreaming of being a MAN and graduating....he was pretending his arm was attacking his face....t-poisioning....can't even let me have my illusion....why would MOM think "ah - imitating" and boys think "attacking his face" when seeing the same photo? Mike confirmed the boys were right. LOL