A Very Proud moment

Last December Rodney, Lauren, and JoAnna graduated with there Bachelor degree at BYU Idaho, however chose not to walk at the ceremony, so we received these fun pictures of there accomplishment.  

It was a grand day for all of them knowing the hard work they put forth had paid off, 

and was complete at this point.

This past weekend Tony and I flew to Phoenix Arizona for Brent's big day.

 

On Friday the 4th of May he graduated at Grand Canyon University with his Master's in Educational Administration.  He has spent the past couple years working full time as the History teacher at

 Fort Huachuca Middle school, then coaching either track or cross country.  

The evenings were reserved for family, and homework as he took all of his classes online for his Masters degree.

So much sacrificing and dedication has been established by not only Brent, but also Randi and the girls in order to reach this great goal.  Now they can once again enjoy family time. 

Initially Brent asked if we would come to his graduation if he decided to walk, which I assured him we wouldn't miss it. When it came down to this actual event we could all tell how excited he was to put on his cap, gown, and special ribbons for  Graduating with Honors, as well as Masters.  I feel he wore both very proudly, as he should.

 

Throughout the evening people would request a message to be displayed on the reader board in the auditorium for individual graduates.  Though I never was able to capture a picture of the one Randi sent,

 I was able to capture this one that certainly applied.

So many smiles were shared as the evening progressed.                                    It truly was an evening of celebration.

 

Snacks were a must to entertain for two hours during the ceremony.As well as a camera to capture other treasured moments. Mama and daughter bonding time.

 

Pucker up sweetheart!!!

Congratulations to you all for such marvelous efforts to reach your goal !!!!!! 

We had such a wonderful time, and felt such a huge amount of joy witnessing this grand event.

Play time with grama D.

 
I enjoyed my one-on-one time with the girls on several occasions.

But when Naomi, Isaiah & Michael drove to San Antonio to purchase their new car, I got to spend the day shopping, going to the park, getting a Windy's frosty, and for dinner having the girls make their own personal pepperoni pizza's.
Of course they thought that was soo much fun, and wasted no time eating them up.


When dinner was over it was time for pj's, teeth brushing and stories.
 Then the Princesses could climb into their beds for sweet dreams.

A Terrific Daddy and Hubby

When I arrived in Texas I felt it was not only for my own personal pleasure, but to help and relieve Michael of some of his duties at home since Naomi was unable to do very much.
But what I found was he could juggle just about anything without too much trouble. I learned to just help where I could, but try to stay out of the way of his routine.
I loved to watch his interaction with the girls. Whether it was dancing with them, letting them play doctor - with him being the patient,
being a human jungle gym,
teaching them to spell, add, read, or draw.
He would ask them questions that made them think.
What I most enjoyed was to watch him calm a situation down without losing his temper, or gather the family for scripture time and prayer each night, then tucking them in bed.
Isaiah also had his special time.
Usually it was at night when the girls were down in bed. Maybe that was because either Naomi, or I were holding or loving him during the day, but in the evening he would have his special time. I could see in his eyes how excited he was to have a son - he would sit and just look at him with fascination.
He was so good to recognize when Naomi was feeling overwhelmed and he would step in to assist where needed.
Even if that meant during the day while he was working.
I found that I really was not needed on my visit, but so appreciated the opportunity to help in anyway that I could. Michael thank you so much for your hard work and dedication.
We love you so much for providing so comfortably for Naomi and your family. The two of you work well with one another and have so many blessings in your lives to be grateful for.

Savannah's Princess Tea Party

For Savannah's 4th birthday she wanted to have a "Princess Party", and with me having the opportunity to be in town on her birthday I got to participate with the special event. The first step was to make sure the girls had Princess dresses for the occasion, so it was a time to enjoy being creative again.
Of course that meant making something and hoping that it would fit when I got there, but it was a chance I took.
I think the big high light was seeing all the pretty Princesses arrive to the house.
We played a couple games,
Princess on parade ( musical chairs), and the match game prior to the luncheon. They would show interest for a very short time, then would be on to something else to entertain. It has been along time since I dealt with 2- 4 year olds. They don't have a very long attention span. The moms stayed at the house during the party, and got a big kick at my attempts to keep them focused.
Finally it was time to eat. The menu was decided by Savannah, and seemed to be a hit.
Especially the baby dill pickles, olives, and mini brownies as they would call them. (oreo balls)
It seemed to be a great day for all, and a close of a week long birthday celebration.