One busy weekend

So... my baby sister graduated from high school on Sunday. Saturday, we had the graduation party. Saturday, I discovered that I could never enjoy being a caterer. We had taco dip, hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and macaroni & cheese. Of all the things listed here the potato salad was the only item I did not prepare. I was grill master and oven/stove top master. It was exhausting! But, it was also delicious. Even if I do say so myself! :o)

It's hard to tell it, but for the "Smith family" I post this picture so that you will know, when you guys come up for Christmas this year and it's at my mom's again, there will be considerably more room for the family to move around in. Michael is pretty much standing where a wall used to be, if you look above his head you can see the beam across the ceiling where the wall used to be. I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had tearing it down and mom is still in the process of getting it finished out. It is an awesome space and will allow us all to be in the same room without requiring us to sit in each others laps. Here are a few more pictures from the party.

The "gift" table. Gifts were mostly cards. Here's a pretty cool picture from the party. This is Allen, Jennifer and Nathan. Nathan is 2 now and this picture for the Smith's probably feels very much like a picture of Neal feels to me. It's nice to see a picture so you know they really are still alive and happy somewhere. It was really nice to have my whole family in the same place at the same time. I said Nathan is 2. I forgot to mention that he is as tall as my twins, who will be 4 in August.

Look at her face carefully and you'll see the red soda mustache. This is a picture of a child who has had one hot dog, God knows how many soft drinks and at least one slice of cake. Happy to be on a sugar high so that she can stay up late and PARTY!!! LOL :op

Sunday, at the graduation ceremony, the high school band preformed "Pomp and Circumstance" for the seniors. Our school mascot is a "Highlander". In my own school years we affectionately called the mascot a "fag in a plaid skirt". Not until Erin's graduation did I discover that it's actually pretty cool to have a bag piping highlander as a mascot, because it means you can have a bagpiper in your high school band. In this picture, they are playing "Amazing Grace" I don't know of any more beautiful sound than a bagpipe playing this song. The only thing is, I tend to associate it with a death, not a graduation. It was really cool nonetheless.


Here she is entering the gymnasium. If you look closely, you can see colored tassels around her neck. They were to recognize her achievements in Art. Erin is a very talented artist. She uses several different mediums and has won several awards for her paintings. She also has an amazing eye for photographs. Her and Louise would make a perfect team! Not that me, Amy and Michael don't take really great pictures too. :o)


And last but not least, here she is walking across the stage taking her final steps into adulthood.

OK. So I was wrong. I had to post this picture too. This is approximately 440 caps tossed into the air to celebrate breaking free of the jail that is high school. Congratulations Erin! I couldn't be more proud! Also, I don't know if you'll be able to zoom on this picture or not, but in the upper half almost in the middle there is a banner on the wall depicting a gorgeous Nordic type man. This is a much more attractive Highlander than the life size statue that we had back in my day who was indeed wearing that horrible, green and gold (school colors) kilt and toting around a bagpipe.