First of all, I'd like to thank Paige for being a guest-blogger last week for me. Excellent job! I feel a little pressure following you.

Sunday June 1st
Accompanied Bryn to a Mission Trip meeting where she made posters to put up after a couple upcoming masses to ask for gas money. She's taken on a bit of a leadership role being a one-year veteran and she's proud of it. They're going all the way to Coahoma, Mississippi this year at the end of July.

Monday I had to run with Paige shopping while we dropped Abby at the dentist. Paige needed a one-piece swimsuit for a field trip coming up Friday. What pre-teen/teenage girl owns a one-piece swimsuit????? We found one luckily that fit Paige's fashion sense as well as her size.

Wednesday Abby had her last final exams. How the school was allowed to let the seniors out that early I'm not sure. They must've been getting pretty disruptive. Paige and Bryn have to go until next Tuesday! Paige played softball against the Marlins in the dense fog. Paige hasn't had a chance at the pitcher's mound yet, so we reminded the coaches and it looks like her turn is coming at next Thursday's game.

Thursday I was so busy at work I never even got up from my computer to eat and I ended up staying until 5:00! Then I met Jeff at the Little League fields where we ran the concessions til 8:30pm. We had a gourmet dinner of popcorn, hot dogs and Coke! I went home to cook 6 lbs of chicken for my contribution to the Student Council potluck (thank you Abby!) the next evening.

Friday Jeff and I were both off work. Jeff ordered another 8 yds of mulch dumped in our driveway early that morning. I cut up my cooked chicken, then went to the Y. Bryn had her first day of finals and was done early because she only had one. Earlier in the week I talked to the Financial Aid Office at Marquette about checking into any further aid options for Abby. They told us to come on in anytime, so we took Abby down Friday afternoon. We found the office and met with a Counselor. The Counselor didn't make our trip worth our while unfortunately. Apparently we've already done everything we could. Abby is accepting of the fact that she needs now to focus on getting her plans in order at UWLaCrosse for fall.

Paige had a very exciting field trip to Noah's Ark Friday!! The forecast held the possibility of rain late, but Paige said it never happened. She got her friends to go on her favorite ride, Black Anaconda, with her and the first time they got stuck!!! They sat for 15 minutes on an uphill climb, then had to walk down to the start. So what exactly are you walking on???? I knew there was a reason I don't like roller coasters. Paige borrowed a friends cell phone (no, she still doesn't have a cell phone and it's so unfair) and called us at the Student Council potluck. Paige actually was asked to go over to a friend's, but didn't want to miss hanging out at The Barn. A classmate of Abby's lives on an old farm and they throw parties in their barn. I believe the father was a gymnast so the interior is basically a workout facility complete with trampolines, a swinging rope and a foam pit. We shared a terrific spread of delicious dishes at the potluck and thanks to speeches by Abby's friend, Ali, and the Student Council advisor, Ms. Novack, also a terrific amount of tears. It's a very sappy bunch. Bryn is continuing the Saunders involvement in the Club by being elected as Secretary for next schoolyear.

Saturday was Abby's high school graduation. The silver cord is for 100+ hours of volunteer service and the gold&blue are for National Honor Society. Abby announced to us that "pictures are at Ali's at 4" which didn't quite fit our incoming relatives coming to our house to see Abby so I had to mess up all their plans (this is something I excel in :)) and Kendal ended up getting ready with Abby and having a quick photoshoot at our house with our family before going over to pick up Ali. In the meantime, storms were threatening with the tornado sirens going off multiple times. We hearded our guests down to the basement and the local weather took over all programming. Abby answered the automated call that the ceremony would now be inside vs. in the football stadium. Our allotted 4 tickets got me, Jeff, Paige and Alex into the ceremony. Kendal's parents gave us 2 more which allowed my parents to sit with us. Maggie and Terry graciously took the off-site seating in the cafeteria where they watched in air-conditioned comfort on the big screen. Many booms of thunder accompanied Bryn and the Wind Symphony while they played during the reading of names. The gym got plenty hot. Bryn and Tyler stood up and played their trombone slides fully out and back when their graduating siblings walked across the stage. The whole event only took an hour and a half and the heat was soon forgotten with a frosty mug of beer afterwards.

You think I've been slacking on the blog - I've really been neglecting the Y. I'm excited because I think I have workout partners for a new class I'm dying to try. Wednesday nights Abby and her friend Kendal are going to try "Zumba" with me. It's a mix of salsa dancing and exercise. Everyone who's tried it says it's really fun and people of all ages attend.