level three graduation :o)

Really.  Graduating from eight grade is not a big deal.

College and High School. They are bigger deals.

But the students from Katie's school have been there since kindergarten. That's a long time at one school.  So the staff really make it special.

Tonight is the graduation.  I think I will be fine at this.
But this morning as the 8th graders leave the building the whole school lines up and gives the big kids a huge send off.

This chokes me up to even think about it.

I do not want to cry.
I do not want to cry.
I do not want to cry.

How do you stop yourself from breaking out into big sobs when you are in public?

That is my question on this graduation day.

Do you want to know what I told Katie as her big advice on her last day of school?


"Don't fall and break your teeth."


Thanks dad.


Happy Friday.
Send me pointers to hold in the tears.

Encourage one another,
Donna

Mentoring and a prayer request.

Yesterday afternoon I mentored a young woman from Texas.  She is visiting family in Wisconsin and we have been planning our session since January.  While it still makes me nervous...I prefer one on one teaching to groups.  Chrystal was able to ask exactly what she needed and I was able to show her.  We could skip topics that she was very familiar with and work on and build confidence in other areas.

After a cloudy morning the sun shone and we were able to really utilize the sunshine.  Which made both of us happy!

Katie modeled her little bott-tom off.



Chrystal has a little boy so we worked on getting the settings right for action shots, finding the light and  getting tack sharp pictures.

I had a lovely time teaching her!

And then my husband almost set the house on fire.

(When Patrick came home she snuck in the kitchen where we were sitting and he put the oven on preheat...without looking inside.  An old pan on the top rack was very close to the heating element and it started smoking like crazy.)

It was exciting.

Fun times at the Boucher's.


****

Lots going on here.
If you could say a little prayer of Help Please for my hubby, that would be wonderful.

I will imagine all the voices floating to heaven like in the beginning of It's a Wonderful Life.

But it will be for Patrick....and not George.

Thank you.


Encourage one another,
Donna

p.s. Hi Chrystal.  What a pleasure to meet you!  Hope you had a great time last night!

Remembering Maya

“I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 
~Maya Angelou



Rest in Peace, Maya Angelou.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful words.


Encourage one another,
Donna

It goes so fast. YOLO.

Matthew. 1986.

The Days Gone By

by James Whitcomb Riley

O the days gone by! O the days gone by!

The apples in the orchard, and the pathway through the rye;

The chirrup of the robin, and the whistle of the quail

As he piped across the meadows sweet as any nightingale;

When the bloom was on the clover, and the blue was in the sky,

And my happy heart brimmed over in the days gone by.

In the days gone by, when my naked feet were tripped

By the honey-suckle’s tangles where the water-lilies dipped,

And the ripples of the river lipped the moss along the brink

Where the placid-eyed and lazy-footed cattle came to drink,

And the tilting snipe stood fearless of the truant’s wayward cry

And the splashing of the swimmer, in the days gone by.

O the days gone by! O the days gone by!

The music of the laughing lip, the luster of the eye;

The childish faith in fairies, and Aladdin’s magic ring—

The simple, soul-reposing, glad belief in everything,—

When life was like a story, holding neither sob nor sigh,

In the golden olden glory of the days gone by.

******

“Let's really look at one another!...It goes so fast. We don't have time to look at one another. I didn't realize. So all that was going on and we never noticed... Wait! One more look. Good-bye , Good-bye world. Good-bye, Grover's Corners....Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking....and Mama's sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new ironed dresses and hot baths....and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth,you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every,every minute? (Emily)” 

~Thornton Wilder

Our Town

***

YOLO,

Donna

BAM

We are headed to the farmers market downtown this morning.
Katie is wearing this.



I told her she should dress warmer.
She won't budge.

So then I laid down the gauntlet...

"You are not allowed to shiver even once."

I feel better.

Parenting.

It's not for wimps.


I'll try to take pretty pictures and post some later today.


Encourage one another,
Donna

School Dances and Jesus

I grew up in a time when school dances were pretty popular.  We had homecoming, and turnabout, and maybe a winter dance and prom.  There was slow dancing to Chicago...color my world... and fast dancing to BTO.   You went to a dance with a boy.  You were asked by a boy.  If you were fortunate.

When my boys were in high school they attended a conservative Christian school that did not allow dancing.  At all.  So they did not attend dances.  I had heard of this...at schools like Wheaton College.  (No drinking, No smoking, No dancing, No hankiepankie)
My boys didn't really care.  Not going to a dance was no biggie for them.

Emma's homeschool group had proms.  Which she attended and danced at.
But by now...girls can go to dances with other groups of girls and same with guys.

I happen to love this idea!  I didn't really care about my prom dates.  I just wanted to wear a pretty dress.  Going with my girlfriends would have been just fine with me.

This morning as Katie and I were chatting about this very topic, Katie held her arms up as in a dance hold and declared,

"Make sure there's room for Jesus."


She claims a nearby Catholic school tells the students this as they prepare for a dance.

The things she comes up with just crack me up.

Oh. And by the way.

Good rule.


Encourage one another,
Donna and Katie

And the winner is....

Katie and I loved Alex Preston singing with Jason Muraz last night.  It was a highlight for us.  Alex was Katie's favorite...and I like Jason Muraz.

However....


My favorite Caleb Johnson WON American Idol last night.
He really is a great rocker...with an amazing voice.  I voted for him all season so I am thrilled!




I love this song.
Good luck Caleb.  Stay away from the drugs and you will be one of the best rock singers ever.
I really think you are that good.



Throw Back Thursday....




This is 2008.  Before babies for Matthew and Melinda.  By the way....they are expecting baby number three in November.  That's a lot of babies....and a lot of love.  Can't wait to meet grand baby #3.
Will it be a girl???


Happy Thursday friends!
Donna

little joy

“I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people KNOW more... though I know that IS the noblest ambition... but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me... to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born.” 

L.M. Montgomery










With love,
Donna


p.s. I am delighted that Maks and Meryl won Dancing with the Stars last night.

kindred

Make new friends but keep the old....

old friends

new friends

all three of the girls will go to different high schools...

i sure hope they remain friends...

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” 

L.M. Montgomery

“Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” 

L.M. Montgomery

I basically said this to Katie when she woke up this morning.

I didn't know then I was quoting Anne, but I was.  It was in my brain and fell out at just the right time.

Brains are funny like that.

Encourge one another,

Donna

A quick visit and a finale.

Call the Midwife ended last night.  I know I have not talked about this season much...the seasons are so short and the stories are usually very dramatic and sad.  Last night was no exception.  Jenny Lee has left now, for good....and the show will go on without her.  Jenny's voice is the voice over...I wonder what they will do about that.  Interestingly Jenny goes on to work in hospice work and leaves the Midwife life.
I think I would like to read the books as I love the gentle, wise, dreamy voice overs and I wonder if those words are real words of Jenny.  They are always my favorite part....well...along with the music and clothes.

Did you watch this season?
What did you think?

Scenes from a weekend.






Saturday had bird eggs and baseball.




Then a drive to Chicago to be with Emma.
She has a new apartment...all to herself.  It is one block from the L and a great little bagel shop.



Her apartment is also next door to her best friend, Whitney.
 (Best friend is a tier...as Mindy would say.)

It is just perfect.




“What they don't know is that I went over the edge years ago, and lived to tell the tale.” 
~Rebecca Wells


“Some women pray for their daughters to marry good husbands. I pray that my girls will find girlfriends half as loyal and true as the Ya-Yas.” 
~Rebecca Wells


“Of all the secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood the most divine was humor.” 
~Rebecca Wells




Encourage one another,
Donna

CNA Speaking Exchange.

Grab your tissues and watch this sweet video.

"I love you."



Too wonderful.


Encourage one another,
Donna


p.s. thank you Kathie Lee and Hoda for showing this on your show.

Throw Back Thursday-California

In 2010 we went to California to visit our son Patrick.  These pictures flash by on my computer when it goes to rest.  The colors are amazing and I love looking at them.

Oh!  What a beautiful world we live in.

(Monterey Aquarium, Big Sur)

Surely all God's people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play. Whales and elephants, dancing, humming gnats, and invisibly small mischievous microbes - all are warm with divine radium and must have lots of fun in them. 

~Muir

Encourage one another,

Donna

what matters

I gave a talk last night to a group of young ladies and their moms.  Some of the girls in the group read my blog and thought it would be fun to hear from me.  I have never done this kind of speaking before.  Autobiographical.  It was a very unpolished speech and I will always doubt myself but it is done and it was done with good intentions.  So there ya go.

This group was so attentive and kind.  Katie took to the girls her age and had such fun meeting and chatting with them.  I think she would like to go to another meeting!  That's cool.  My little extrovert.

It was hard for me not to get to speak with more people one on one.  I like that the best. 

But I did meet a lovely mom and her daughter who is an artist and the daughter is working on starting a blog....and she happens to go to Hillsdale College (my alma mater).  Pretty amazing, huh?   I suggested she go home and listen to Sara Groves' Add to the Beauty.  I just know it will inspire her to pin point her blog purpose.   

~Edward Steichen 1906

Add to the beauty.
Love and encourage one another.
Lead a quiet life...
You have value because God values you.



Do you know that nothing in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving
the people He has made.
~Francis Chan



And then I bragged about you guys.
I told them that you have encouraged me more than I have encouraged you.

It's a blessed place, this blog is.
I'm thankful for what God has done.


Encourage one another,
Donna

p.s.  Hi Claire!  I'm sorry we did not get to speak together.  Katie recognized you...isn't that funny? It was so nice to see you last night.

Great Dancing on Dancing with the Stars!

Dancing with the Stars does not disappoint!

Last night the guest judge was the delightful Kenny Otega.  I 'met' Kenny when he judged for So You Think You Can Dance.  But he is a very well respected and long working choreographer.  He did the dances for Dirty Dancing and more recently he did the High School Musical movies.  He is a fan of dance and he really enjoyed the show last night!  It was very good.




LOVE Meryl's costume!





Maks is a great Elvis!




This was a special "Macy's" dance.  The blonde male lead is Derek Hough.  He helped choreograph this piece and is absolutely spectacular in everything he does.  (He has won this show with his partners many times.)

I loved the brooms and the lifts and the fun, bouncey song.

Good Dancin'!!!


 Encourage one another,
Donna

mom shorts for the win

This kid.
She knows her mom.

Not only did she realize that she didn't tell me she was off on her bike....
but she knew the thing I would be worried about most.

She has a history.

heh.

Don't we all.


****

I get my crown today.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Encourage one another,

Donna

She sings.

Hi!  I thought some of you might like to see Katie singing in Joseph last night.
Youtube is not working right today so I will share it with a link.



Katie Singing in Joseph last night.


So proud of our little girl.
She is so comfortable up there.
She is her own girl.

Go Katie!


XOXO
Donna

Birdies.

I want to find this dress...

and wear it all the time.

It just makes me happy.

And then when I go to bed...

I want to sleep with the birdies.

This wallpaper would be perfect.

Maybe I will make it a goal to take bird pictures in the future.

Encourage one another,

Donna Elsie Birdy Boucher

moving

I need to move lots of files from my computer to the MyBook.  My computer is full.  I am not kidding when I say that.  My computer is so full it is about to go on strike.  It moves very slow and even has trouble loading new images.  My pictures are what take up all the space.  So I have to look at the pictues, name them, move them, delete redundant pictures and trash pictures I don't care about any more.

I can tell you a few things I have learned from this process.

1. Katie is photogenic.
2. There is no shortage of Katie pictures.
3. I love to take a lot of pictures of Katie.


Here are some funny pictures I found.  I did not know that photobooth made a file in photoshop Bridge.
I don't remember telling it to do that.  But it did.  And it's funny.

 

We are just a bunch of hams, I tell ya.

Encourage one another,

Donna

along the way...we love...

We love What Cheer, Iowa.  Well.  Not even the town really...we love the sign on HWY 80 that point one to What Cheer, Iowa.  We drove thru What Cheer one time on the way to Columbia Mo.  It's little with only one or two brick buildings.  It's name, however, gives everyone in our family a big thrill.
We are dorks like that.



Wind mill blade.  BIG and COOL.




We went to a baseball game.  The Storm Chasers.  I really like this ball park.  We saw some baseball and fireworks.



Asher was worried about the fireworks...but he did just fine.





Before the birthday party we went to watch Asher play soccer.  "Let's start at the very beginning..."
It was cute.  Asher scored a goal. Wrong goal.  But that's just a technicality.



People of the North are blinded by the sun.




It's all about the hugs an kisses and love.


Encourage one another,
Donna

Malachi's first birthday

Melinda is great at decorating!  

Asher played outside while we decorated.  I taught him how to make the pin wheel spin when the wind is not blowing.

Happy first birthday dear Malachi.

There is usually something that makes babies smile.  The fake sneeze did it for this sweetie.

I love his blurry little hand.

All this fake sneezing is exhausting.

The happy and tireless parents.  I think you two are amazing; working so hard and doing a beautiful job with your little boys!  God bless!

Encourage one another,

Donna