Aesthetics Graduation

Some students formed a tunnel

Her teacher talked about her dedication

She won a prize for her final project

Officially finished with her hours

Matching sisters

Final clock out

Her cheerleading crew—Gabby was at work and Justin was home with a fever

Celebratory cupcakes

Gabby’s Stars & Stripes

We celebrated Gabby’s Stars & Stripes Award just over a week ago. We had people from both our current church and our previous one, as well as friends from three troops (our old, new, and even one we met at camp), and my parents came down from Kentucky.

Some of her memories—her Tenderheart vest was made into a bag many years ago, her letter from Patti Garibay, congratulating her, photos, and SWAPS

Katie issued the challenge, and some dear friends and leaders spoke.  They shared sweet memories and funny ones too—staying up chatting at camp, the fellow at the Space and Rocket center in the scuba tank who was teasing the girls, and all of her accomplishments, from badges to hours serving.

Gabby had the opportunity to thank those who have taught her and supported her over the past ten years

Her siblings had the honor to support her too

And these two are forever silly together

Congratulations Gabriella!!

Since her project was to help an organization that is all about getting books into children’s hands her reception was storybook themed:

Cake—chocolate base cake with vanilla book cake

Left to right: True Love Kiss (Hershey’s kisses), Fairy Godmother’s Wands (pretzel sticks), Just Right popcorn (sweet on the left, salty on the right, and mixed ‘just right’ in the middle, Snow White’s Apple (fruit tray), Three Little Pigs in a blanket, Story Book Cake, The Little Mermaid’s Water (salt removed), and punch

Last Year

 What a year we had…

Nate played Airsoft with his Trail Life troop

 

The kids and I refinished some furniture for the new house

We got our septic system installed

Officially celebrated Katie’s graduation

A beautiful day for a trip to the zoo

An Underwater AHG Daddy Daughter Dance: two mermaids, a shark, and a jellyfish

These two hung a bat box

We placed flags in the area of a church for a military funeral

We conquered gravel piles

They went spelunking

We went to breakfast

We celebrated Easter

The four of us went to the area AHG Spring Camporee

Nate went backpacking

I found this man looking not suspicious at all when I was at the grocery store one

Gabby went to prom with some friends

We made our first ever stop at Buckee’s

On our way to the Gulf Coast

These guys baked cookies for the summer research students at the university

Katie went back to camp as a photographer for the summer

These gals went to see the new Little Mermaid movie

Nate helped fix the broken driver’s seat in our truck

Ellie became a communing member of our church

I got to help add sand to the area around our new propane tank

We moved (mostly)

Finally

Then three of us took off for summer camp

Ellie and I got a flat and had to change a tire

 

I turned over the key of our old house

Nate started piano lessons in a new spot

We worked

And worked

And Gabby finished her Stars & Stripes project for Book’em

We got some new furniture

Ellie and I made green tomato relish

 

I made a quick trip to Dauphin Island for a mom’s homeschool lab course

Gabby finished Driver’s Ed.

Ellie made a first aid kit

Katie started practicing her new skills at home

 

Halloween

General shenanigans

 

We got to visit Katie at school.

Ellie took gymnastics classes

We explored our new hometown 

And enjoyed the fair here

Miss Gabby received her official Stars & Stripes Award in the mail

We celebrated my mom’s birthday when she came to Nashville—a facial with Katie and Ellie and I took her to lunch at Puffy Muffin

We stopped by the grand opening of the town’s new coffee shop.

These gals joined a new AHG troop

Gabby drove off on her own for the very first time.

We decorated for Christmas 

 

Nate had a Christmas piano recital

Ellie helped make Christmas cookies

I took Nate out for gelato waffles

Gabby had a friend visit from Virginia

Our new church hosted a gingerbread house decorating night

And that’s a wrap!