It's that time of year!!

I realized yesterday when I was putting the kids' tennis matches into my phone that it is March, and it is the start of the High School tennis season (hence the birth of this post) and that means that the end of the school year is a mere 3 months away.  As I entered each match, I slowly began to hyperventilate a bit.  

This is not new.  This happens every year about this time.  Don't get me wrong - I LOVE tennis season, and I'm excited to see how Kristin and Trevor do this year as both of them were quite successful last year.  I'm excited because I will see people at the matches that I don't get to spend a lot of time with otherwise and sitting courtside watching our kids play is ideal for doing a little catching up.   And of course, the beginning of March means the daffodils are beginning to bloom, and the forsythia is in FULL bloom and the grass is greening up in the field (this time of year it actually looks better than our lawn!) and it is actually light when I drive to seminary in the morning, and Spring is just around the corner.  Who wouldn't be excited for that?

The panic comes as I realize that another school year has FLOWN by.  That is what I am NOT ready for!  Not that I don't want to have my kids around during the summer, not at all.  One more school year in the past means they are that much closer to graduating.  In point of fact, Kristin is all but graduated.  (Did I mention she is a Salutatorian?  So proud of her!) Senioritis is strong, and she is signing up for housing, and getting a summer job lined up and she has a countdown on her phone to keep track of the minutes/seconds until the big day. Having a senior is my usual panic attack times two - deciding about announcements, planning a party, mentally preparing myself for her to leave, knowing the summer won't go fast enough for her all the time, and for me part of the time (if I'm being honest here!)  I've been here before and survived, but I don't love it, and certainly don't look forward to it.

So, I think to preserve my small amount of sanity, I'd better remember to breathe deeply when the familiar feeling starts, to try to take it one day at a time, and try even harder to enjoy the journey and all the things that I truly do love about this season of the year!  

Along with the calendar entries, I think I better set a few (a lot) reminders of my intentions.  That may be my only hope!!

Congratulations, Dr. Dance! and a little serendipity

Thursday, I hit the road and headed to Seattle!  I was heading west over the pass, probably my last trip that way for a while, to celebrate Dallin's graduation.  Dallin has been in Dental School for the past 4 years, and Saturday, all that blood (patients'), sweat (probably both his and patients') and tears (his, Chelsie's, and Carter's, probably not any patients) paid off as Dallin was able to stand on the stage and receive his diploma to become a D.D.S.  So excting!!  Not only did he graduate, but he finished in the top 10% of his class (there were only 60 students, you do the math!)  He also received a cash award because he worked hard, and deserved it.  (I am sorry to say I didn't make a note of where the award came from, so I have no info on that!)  I only know that he has worked hard at school along with serving in 2 very demanding church callings, being a great husband, and also a very involved new daddy!  Needless to say, he probably needs a really long nap, but as it is, they head out next week to begin their next adventure as he starts his pediatric residency in Salt Lake City. We are so excited for their family, and the new, great things that will come their way.

I doubt I'll be back in Seattle anytime soon, unless one of our children moves over there, so I was a little sad because I really love Seattle!  I think it is such a pretty city, and now that I've been there a few times, I even feel mostly comfortable around the town.  Everytime I am driving along I-90, I wish that I had time to take the exit 80 marked "Roslyn".  For those of you wondering why, I'll tell you. In the early 90's there was a television show named "Northern Exposure".  It was a VERY quirky show, with VERY quirky characters, set in a small town called Cicely, Alaska.  It was really filmed in Roslyn, WA though, and I wanted to see the town for myself. 

Well, as luck would have it, as I was heading over Thursday night, there was a sign that informed drivers that Snoqualmie Pass would be closed at 7:30 that night for at least one hour while they did some blasting.  Guess what time I would get to the pass?  Yep, 7:30.  I realized that I could sit on the freeway for an hour (at the very least) or I could take this moment of serendipity and take Exit 80 and visit Roslyn!!  I chose serendipity!!  It was only about 5 miles from the freeway and a really pretty drive.  There were two roundabouts along the way, but luckily, our little town now has a roundabout and I've had plenty of practice, and thus navigated them with ease.  :)

Of course, I had to take a picture of this...

Nothing says Northern Exposure like this mural on the side of the cafe.  While the show was filmed, there was an "s" added to Roslyn, to make it work with the show, but clearly it has been removed.  And you can all be really glad that I chose not to share the selfie I tried to take with this in the background!  Pathetic!!

This building is obviously a tourist trap now, but you can still see "Dr. Joel Fleischman" (a NY doctor who ends up in Cicely to pay off his student loans) in the corner of the window.  In it's TV life, it was Dr. Fleischman's office, staffed by Marilyn Whirlwind, (did I mention the quirky characters?) his Native American receptionist.  

I didn't really know what to do once I got to Roslyn, this is where a little beforehand research would have come in handy.  I did snap a few pictures, drive down Main Street a couple of times, and that's about it.  I would like to go back during the day and maybe spend a little time.  As it was, it was early evening and the street was pretty quiet, so it was not quite how I expected my trip there would be.  

At any rate, I finally made it to Roslyn, and it made me very happy!!!

But I digress, (A LOT) and need to get back to the subject I started posting on!

I was so happy to be with Chelsie and Dallin to celebrate this great achievement with them.  I did go a day early so I could help them pack up a bit.  I should have taken a picture as proof, but you'll have to take my word that I packed as much of their kitchen as I dared and all of their books, pictures and most of their knick-knacks.  I think I could have done more, but we ran out of boxes.  Shoot!!

Along with the work, we managed to do a few things to mark the occasion.  Here is the cute Dance family at the Thai restaurant we ate at Friday night.  Carter discovered he really likes to suck on ice cubes!  (He's also teething which might have a lot to do with that!!)  After dinner, we had ice cream cake with their friends who live downstairs and then watched "The Monuments Men" on DVD.  It was a very good movie.  We all enjoyed it very much to be sure.  

The "big day" was busy as well.  Chelsie and Dallin had moving related things to take care of, and that took much of the day until it was time to leave for the graduation.  It was a really lovely ceremony.  It was just the Dental Students, so it was a very personal, intimate affair.  Each grad got to submit several slides which were shown on the screen behind them while they were hooded and at the same time, we got to listen to a their parting thoughts as they ended their career as a student.  Dallin mentioned Chelsie and Carter in the first part of his, and I was so touched I couldn't focus on the rest of what he said!  :)  So sweet!  In case you are wondering, yes, I thought this picture was clearer than it actually is, and yes, I wished really badly I had my big camera with me!  (I am used to my iPhone, I guess)

A post-ceremony picture.  (Look at cute little Carter's onesie!  Purple and Gold!!

Only a few of Dallin's family (his mom and dad, and Uncle Alan were there as well as Chelsie and I) came to the actual Graduation, so his Aunt Diane threw him a party afterward at their home.  I don't even know how many people there were at the party, but let me tell you, it was just a portion of the large Dance family, and there were still a lot of people!!  Aunts, Uncles, cousins, cousins' spouses, cousins' kids, a neice, a nephew, and a dog, for good measure, plus Chelsie's really good friend and her daughter were there also.  It was great fun, and great food!

Jake managed to step into this picture just as I snapped it!  Silly boy!

Diane made this great little garland for Dallin.  Too bad I didn't get a very good picture of it!  (Hello again, Jake!!)

 Of course, all too soon, the weekend was over, and it was time to head home.  We went to Sacrament Meeting, then Dallin stayed at church and the 3 of us came home, so I could get on the road.  Quite possibly, my favorite picture of the whole trip is this one!!  One of my favorite grandma "chores" is reading to the little sweethearts!  I got one last chance to read to Carter before he took a nap and I left to come home!  I think Carter enjoyed it also!! (See the title?  I think it was a fitting read for my last trip to Seattle for a while!)

graduation day

It has been a busy few weeks around here with the NAIA World Series, the end of school and Chelsie's graduation. She did a great job receiving her diploma and did it without falling up or down the stairs. (Way to go!!)

I helped organize the food for the all-night party and John and I both worked from about 11:00 pm until the bitter end, around 3:45 am. It was a fun night, and Chelsie scored big by winning one of the grand prizes - a 32 in. plasma tv. She is hoping to sell it to her dad and use the money for school since there isn't really anywhere to put a big tv in a teeny little dorm room.

We had Grandma and Grandpa Rietz here for the day of Graduation, and Grandma and Grandpa Sollenbarger here from Friday until Wednesday. Chelsie appreciates her grandparents' support.

She and 3 friends celebrated a few nights later with a party at our house. The bonus room really came in handy since it decided to rain all day and night. No movie on the side of the shop as planned. But the big room held plenty of people and it was a fun albeit late night. We are now done celebrating and getting back to life as we know it.

The kids are all done with school and looking forward to the summer routine, Chelsie is working and Alli is hoping to be working soon.

Trev had his first baseball game last week. He is a pretty cute little ball player. (He wouldn't appreciate that description, I'm sure.) One night he played catcher and it was a mystery to us how he could move with all that equipment on. It looked pretty cumbersome for a little guy.