Graduation

Graduation day was finally here! As family arrived for her big day, we had fun doing simple things like going for a walk...

And seeing Julia's name on the school marquee.

It was a busy morning as we all rushed to get to LIttlejohn Coliseum in Clemson. Julia had to get to the front of the lineup since she was 2nd to walk in. I loved seeing her on stage with the top of her class!

Then, she gave the BEST salutatorian speech ever! 

Click below to watch. 

  https://youtu.be/H-UPe7uFSUo

As she collected her diploma, I swelled with pride. It will be the first of several degrees for this smart cookie!

I love this close up of her looking at her diploma. 

Then once the ceremony was over, this pic captured her exiting the arena among a line of teachers cheering the graduates on. 

After graduation, we took as many pictures as we could before she'd rush off again to see her friends. We got one with her dad...

Her siblings (and neice)....

Her grandpa (and neice again)...

And one with everyone who came to visit. We are so grateful for those who traveled to be here and for those who watched online from afar. 

This is her bestie and will be her roommate at the University of South Carolina.

Congratulations, sweet girl! I look forward to watching you make a difference in the world!

Pictures and Awards

The senior pictures are starting to scroll on the school's social accounts. Now it's getting too real. 😭

We opted to take her graduation pictures at places that meant something during her high school years. The one place she spent more time studying than at home was at Panera.

We also took a few at the school.

The stadium picture was cute. It showed off her soccer and cross country sports.

On awards day, she was so late arriving (from not being able to find a place to park) that she missed her Salutatorian award. It was embarrasing, at least for me. When she finally showed up, they called her back on the stage to receive the appropriate recognition. 

The PEO scholarship award was really nice. The lady who gave the announcement was a friend of ours from church.

Then it was senior signing. 

There is a large group going to USC-Columbia! Julia and her roommate are wearing the grey shirts in the front.

And finally, as they exited the school for the last time as students, they walked through a parade of parents, teachers, and students from all three schools (elementary, middle, and high). 

The seniors walked to the stadium for a class photo and pizza lunch.

2nd Senior Semester

The final semester of her high school has just flown by! It's been so busy that's it hard to sit back and realize how quickly she'll be graduating. I'm just not ready!

In soccer, her senior banner was hung by the stadium. This picture was also used on social posts for game day.

One of the media photographers took this great action shot during a home game.

The whole varsity team that made it to playoffs. 

On senior night, the parents got to walk on the field with their daughter while the announcer (Luke) shared the post-graduate plans of each player.

 

The seniors each had a special poster during the last home game celebration. I had less than 24 hours notice to make it, so I didn't have time to pull all the cute pictures of when she played soccer in U6 - U12. Those would have been perfect to display.

The younger varsity players each picked a "big sis" to surprise on senior night. Here's Julia with her two "little sisters". They got her a USC Gamecock shirt, a sparkly beverage, dried fruit snacks, and other treats. So sweet!

Her final orchestra concert was also a tribute to the seniors. Julia and her friend, Ansley, were the ones recognized as having played strings every year throughout high school. 

The strings teacher said some kinds words and gave each of them a pink cord to wear at graduation. 

Ansleys mom also made a senior poster for the girls since they have been friends since they were babies at daycare. They had taken so many pictures together all those years!

The senior trip was to Dollywood. How does this girl only go there once in her life and happen to time it perfectly for the rare visit by Ms. Dolly Parton herself? Such a cool selfie, too! 

Senior Prom

 Our last prom night. The girl, the dress, the hair...all just beautiful! 💙

She went with a great group of besties. The one in the black dress will be her college roommate. 

We took pictures at one of the parks downtown. There was a beautiful tree blooming with flowers that looked like icicles dangling down. 

The photo of them spinning around showed off the back of their hairdos. So pretty!

One more group picture with the full length of the gowns.

Then one of us with our beautiful girl.

As each student entered prom, their photos were posted to social media. I love how this one showed off their smiles!

Easter Fun

 I had all the kids home for Easter this year which was such a blessing!

After church, we ate our big meal and did an Easter egg hunt. Yougest always goes first, with a staggered start going up by age. Opa got to go first with our sweet grandbaby. Her eggs were the easiest to find with special treats like "kisses from Grandma."

Next was Julia who was about a minute before Luke. They found some good eggs, but not the best ones. Their eggs were filled with candy, $1 bills, and $5 bills, with an occasional $2 lottery ticket. 

Ashlyn and Alex had to go last, but they sure cleaned up by finding all the gold, silver, and mystery eggs. They won a $50 Walmart gift card, some beet gummies, a $10 bill, and a $10 lottery card along with Panera bagel coupons.

But I had the best gift of all by getting my training hike in with this cutie! She loved observing all the flowers, birds, and people on the trail. 

Green Vally Road Race 5k

Mom and dad went to all of Julia's road races during all her 2024 PVHS cross country season.  We always enjoyed cheering her on.  It was fun to walk/run to different places along the course to cheer Julia on. By walking (mom) and running (dad) we were able to see her multiple times during the race and give her encouragement and positional status.

Recently, we switched the roles. Mom and dad ran the race and Julia cheered them on.  Mom and dad entered the GTC Green Valley Road Race which was a 5K and a 10 mile race.  We opted for the 5k (3.1 mile) version.  

Here is dad nearing the finish exibiting a strong runner's stride. 

Here is mom sprinting towards the finish line, still happy and smiling.  

Julia ran along the course to meet mom and dad in several locations.  She cheered us on and warned us about an upcoming hill ( that seemed like a mountain).  It was fun to switch roles.

Mom and dad both came in 4th in their age group.  It was a strong finish.

Julia checked the race results and compared the results to her typical 5k race time.  Julia would have likely come in first place overall female in this race.  Next time!

Fall Memories 2024

The last few months of 2024 were a blur. So much going on and so little time to capture it all! After three kids and the last possible opportunity in her senior year, Eric and I finally got to chaperone the Homecoming dance. While we didn't get to show off our own moves on the dance floor, it was fun to see the students dress up for the evening.

Then a hurricane decided to reek havoc in our area even though we are over 250 miles inland. Hurricane Helene shut our community down for a week that made groceries reminiscent of the pandemic.

Once things got back to normal (the utility crews were amazing!), Ashlyn and Alex took a few days off to see us for their birthday weekend. It was great to see them and her cute belly!

We had all her favorite foods ready so that she wouldn't go hungry no matter what she was craving.

When the baby finally arrived, we were all overjoyed! I never knew my heart was missing this precious little one, but it was. Now she's filled it to the brim. 💕

Her aunt and uncle got to give her sweet snuggles.

Opa and Grandma enjoyed holding her, too!

I couldn't wait to show off her picture at work.

Then there was another birthday to celebrate! Our own baby turned 18. 

The next day she bought a lottery ticket, registered to vote, renewed her passport, and got a credit card. She must be preparing to travel the world or something. And honestly, she just might.

We met for lunch at one her favorite spots to enjoy smoothie bowls.

Just a few days later, the house was filled with all things Christmas! I surprised the family with a reel-to-reel movie projector. The sound was a bit scratchy and the noise of the projector was interfering with hearing the actors say their lines. 

But the experience was priceless. I think the picture quality speaks volumes for how technology has advanced in 50 years. Still, watching "A Christmas Carol" being played in it's original format will be a classic memory we can cherish every holiday season now.

While our son was home, I enjoyed updating the patches on his US Army uniform. I don't use the machine much, so when I do, it's always special to have a purpose like this.

Being in the moment with the family meant that I didn't capture photos like I usually would. Now that everyone is back to a routine, I took the opportunity to show off one of my favorite gifts. It's a framed poster of Jesus and Mary at a time during his childhood when there isn't much written about him. I imagine they would have enjoyed a quiet starry night as she pointed out the constellations we still see today.

This poster spoke right to my heart because I have fond memories of the same starry conversations with my own children. I found a photo of us back from March 2004 when we were published in a magazine at the Roper Mountain Science Center.

That same magazine contacted me again a few months later about a different article. Who knew these two kiddos would be famous? I guess I slacked a bit when the 3rd child came along.