So, this has been a month to remember, but I have been putting off posting things on the blog. Enough of the blog avoidance, here goes the post . . .
So the month began with seminary graduation and high school graduation for Willie and all of the other kids his age. It was a time to reflect and look back on those amazing school years. Seminary graduation was just for the kids in our stake, the majority with whom Willie has attended elementary, junior high, and high school. They have had classes together, played together, celebrated birthdays and other things like kids do.
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| Maddie Hunt, Willie, Tanner Lavendar, Josh Gandy, Cassie Curtis |
Then we moved on to the
graduation from high school week which includes yearbook day and all of that stuff. We had a good week! Willie set up camp for the yearbook night complete with his own chair so that kids would have to come to him for signatures (the president can do that you know). The afternoon of graduation we took a few "congrats" cards around and ended up at Austin King's house where he and his family and a few friends were getting ready to open his mission call letter. We hung around to watch the event as Austin read the assignment, "Nevada, Las Vegas West Mission". (I can't think of a better place for Austin. It's not far from home (but far enough) his dad knows where it is and can send him things and get the Christmas phone calls without too much difficulty.)
When we arrived at the Maverick Center for the big graduation at the same time as Austin and Tanner. Tanner and Willie had been friends forever when finally in 4th grade, we convinced Tanner to play on Willie's junior JAZZ b-ball team. In 5th grade, we met Austin through little league football and he, too, was recruited to play b-ball. So the three boys have been good friends for a long time and have played hundreds of basketball games together which includes playing on the Region 2 Championship team. Plans for the immediate future -- Tanner, mission call, California, Riverside; Austin, mission (mentioned above); and Willie, semester at the "U" and then a mission.
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| Willie, Tanner, and Austin |
Willie gets so much support from his family. There was a big group at graduation which included -- Karl, Haley and James, Annie and Ross and all three boys, Cindy and Parker, Karen and Wade, Lee Ann, and Emily (our adopted daughter). The Maverick Center was packed! I can't say it was the best graduation ever because of the poor sound system and and noisy audience, but it was good.
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| Close to 600 graduates! |
Then came the week of weeks -- Petersen family party (which was very nice); U of U overnight orientation for Willie; meeting at Snowbird one day and one at Wasatch High School (Heber City) the next; then youth conference for Willie; a guest teaching assignment for me at the "U"; dinner with Dad @ Village Inn; Elliott's baseball games; and building the block wall @ Dad's (all in one week). It was all good. Whew!
As the month progressed, I knew it would be time for the inevitable, Leigh Ann McCann's retirement. Leigh Ann has been my colleague and good friend at the district office since 2001-2002 school year. We came into the office the same year and have in reality created our positions and laid the groundwork for the College and Career Readiness Department. Leigh Ann's husband retired from Union Pacific Railroad about three years ago, and she has been itching for the opportunity to be home more with him. Although her last "official" work day was June 14, she has been either in the office or in contact with me every day since. Although she will no longer be across the hall, she will still remain involved in the counseling business teaching at the "U". But, I will miss her.
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| Me and Leigh Ann at the Capitol, Washington, D.C. |
So, there you have it! It is written down!
