Catching up!

Please bear with me while I try to update our blog with past events. Hopefully I will do that frequently here since our blog has grown quite stale over the past year. I finally feel like we are coming up for air again! It will be good to see you all again!

She Graduated!

I was trying out the telephoto lens

I had borrowed. We sat clear at the top of

the bleachers and across the football field from

this stand! Not bad!

400+ kids filing out of the gym!There she is! She was helping with the boy next to her.
Walking up on stage to get her
certificate

Friday was Deidre's graduation! It has been quite a trip down memory lane. I'm one that always, ALWAYS puts things off to the last minute--and then go crazy trying to get them finished. My delayed project this time was putting together a scrapbook for Deidre. It was just her school years--but she started preschool at the ISD (Intermediate School District) at age three! It was fun taking a trip down memory lane and seeing just how far she has come.

When Deidre was in first grade she had an aide start with her. That was a tremendous help. From second grade through fifth she had one aide with her the whole time. We still claim that special lady as a very special part of our lives. Middle school and high school were a struggle, but she made it through.

This next year Deidre will be moving on to an adventure that we are all very excited about. She will be starting a work training program through a transition center in the area. For the first time in many years we feel very positive about the assistance she will be receiving. She is excited too, that she will be training with others that understand her!

It just feels unreal to be at this stage of life with a graduate! It seems like just a couple years ago we were laughing about the fact that she would graduate in the year 2010! And here it is already!

Her party was loads of preparation, but the actual event was so much fun! Wayne and I both enjoyed it--and are already looking forward to doing this again! My only thing is--I just wish I could hang onto this time a little longer! I'm anxious to see where they go in life--but I enjoy this time, too!

How Times Have Changed

Remember the days when going on long (or short) car rides meant counting license plates, singing songs, finding things that start with ABC, annoying your brother (or sister) and threatening them with crossing your line on the seat? It's a whole new world out there now.

Just a fun example was this past weekend. We had planned to head up to Auburn for Sunday. I send a message on FaceBook to a dear friend in the area letting her know I would see her the next day. Within 10 minutes she calls me and wonders if we can come up Saturday evening instead and stay the night. We pack up and head out.

While we travel Carlin is finishing up homework on his laptop. Kyle is playing games on my laptop. The gameboys are on board. Wayne is on his cellphone, I'm on mine. And, of course, the GPS is directing us! Our car rides are definitely quieter then they were when we were kids!

Happy 18th Birthday, Deidre!

I can't believe how fast 18 years has gone! For as much as I always forget in the day to day life, that special day when our little girl came into our lives is still as clear as can be! I will try to get some pictures posted of her day soon.
(I'm needing to do a major overhaul on this blog too and get it updated!) New computer, new camera--now find time to practice with both! SOON!

Robotic Season

The first two pictures are taken in the pits area.

It is the first day of competition, making sure

everything connects.

The picture below is a set up of the field.

Carlin's teams robot is the blue one on the

far side of the field.

The picture below is what you see quite often

on the field. (Carlin's team have on the yellow shirts.)
Sometimes you don't have much time between matches

and you work on fixing your robot and hope it runs again

by the next match. In this picture they were next up. They

had to repair a chain. Other teams really pitch in to help wherever!

The first Saturday in January the Robotics Team learn what their game is. This year their game is soccer. Heads get together as they begin to plan the robot. All the guidelines have to be studied. An overweight, oversized robot can be disqualified from participating. No one wants to spend weeks building a robot that can't participate!

The kids get to work designing, building, programming, electrical, etc.... They are at school until 7p.m. every day and all day on Saturdays. This year Wayne got involved with the team and he would go in at 4 and spend the evening down there.


I'll post a few (of the many) pictures getting ready and participating in the competition this last weekend. This weekend will be their second competition.

Snow Days!

We have been enjoying our snow days to the fullest. Life has just been so busy and it just felt good to have a couple days off! So far this year we had just had enough snow to barely cover the grass--for a day maybe! Tuesday it finally started coming down pretty good. It was enough that they dismissed High School and hour early so the buses could make their run and head to the elementary schools on time. They canceled for Wednesday, but then called off Thursday, too. It was to be student head count time too which may have been why they called off Thursday. We already have off Friday through Tuesday for President's Day and Teacher's Inservice.
Yesterday we bought some new sleds--since our other ones have long since expired. We went to the one hill in town and spent the afternoon sledding. I didn't think to take my camera with me though.
Usually this time of year we are heading up North to go skiing. This year Wayne's schedule at work is busy enough that we thought we had better stay put.
Carlin was the only one going crazy on our snow days. They wouldn't let anyone back into the school for after school activities (Thank You!) so he couldn't work on robotics! :) Today, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday they get to work all day on their robot so they are happy again!