I promised...

I promised the Instagrams and Snapchats....

They are a bit wild but they are so fun!

Melinda is finally an Auntie!!!

A visit to the Union on a cloudy, cool Saturday night.  A band was playing and the little ones got ice cream.  With all the grad activities it was tricky to fit in a tour of Madison.  Emma and James went to the Farmer's Market and then I wanted to share the wonderful Union with him.  

Zeke got a bowl of ice cream and he was terribly disappointed about it.

When Asher tired of his cone her gave the rest to Zeke.  Cindy is helping the little dude.  It's her speciality.

When did Cindy teach Lorelei how to do this?

Mr. and Mrs. Franklin

Giant senior pictures projected before the commencement!!!!

Katie's cheering squad!

Out of order picture...

this picture is from Friday...

Love the car pics Melinda sends me!!

If you don't have Snapchat, this is what it looks like before you send it.

Selfies.

We got our seats 1 hour before the commencement.

Saved a big row in the perfect spot.

Back to Saturday night.  

Will one of these children be a Badger?

Nurse Melinda posing with the Science, anatomy, Bucky Badger.

There are dozens of Bucky Badgers all over town.  

Folks are having fun finding them all!

Gosh, I couldn't love my family more....

July 3rd I am heading to California to see Shelby and Patrick and meet Dottie!!!

I can not wait!!!

Happy Friday.

It's hot as blazes here in the Midwest but I'm lucky to stay indoors most of the day and have fine air conditioning.  Emma is experiencing her first hot Missouri days.  It always took me by surprise when I visited my sister's in the summer.  Oven-like.  yikes.

So stay safe and cool if you have to be outside.

Guess what I am re-watching?

Downton Abbey!

Loving it!

Donna

The Graduate

I wanted to share some graduation weekend pictures with you.

The party went beautifully!  The weather was perfect!  We dodged the rain and it was great.

Katie's Aunts and Uncles, friends, family and teachers came to congratulate her.  It was lovely and we were all very grateful!

The graduation was at Epic (big local company) so everyone could come and sit comfortably.

The kids all stayed here and it was fun and crowded and the kitchen sink was clogged for 24 hours.

We managed anyway.

What's that poem?

Love them anyway.....

Pretty. Delicious Cake.

Katie and James made this cute banner.

The set up was quick...with the Tollefson's doing most of the work!  

Katie's French teacher stopped by along with a good friend.

Bon Jour!

Lorelei LOVED being with her cousins!

Especially Malachi.  

Katie with her work friends!  She has worked at Pasqual's restaurant for two years and is finally a server!

Katie and Leonie.  All grown up.

Katie and her euchre buddies.

Euchre is a card game like bridge...but more local and not as fancy as bridge.  

My best work.

Aunt Cindy came for the weekend!!!  She loves Katie and makes me let her go and do things with her friends.  haha  Cindy stayed at a hotel with a pool and this was extra nice when we came over to use the pool on a cool morning.

We are her parents.  Really we are.  Not her grandparents.

Do you think I got my money's worth out of that top?

Cousins.  

Cousin Dottie was too little to fly to Wisconsin.  But you can bet we thought of them a lot!!

Ezekiel loved the water.

Tomorrow I will post Instagram photos!

*****

              People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  

Forgive them anyway.

            

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  

Be kind anyway.

            

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.

           

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  

Be honest and sincere anyway.

            

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  

Create anyway.

            If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

            

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.

        

 Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

         

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.

-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

Encourage one another,

Donna

What are Katie's college plans?

Katie graduates from high school this Sunday.  She is ready to be done.  She has tried her very best in her high school years.  We are so proud of her.

Katie took three AP classes( which she passed and scored well), scored in the upper 20's for her ACT, was one of six Verona representatives for Leadership Madison, participated in MUN (and worked super hard), she has a 3.8 GPA, took college French for her 4th year and got an A, she has volunteered for charities and for in the theater.

I am not telling you this to brag.
I am telling you this because all of this was not good enough to get in to the colleges she wanted to go to.

She was rejected by all of the selective schools she applied to.
She applied to these schools because of their curriculum, diversity, international flare and cost.
(100% need based aide).

She applied to the University of Wisconsin.  She was wait listed.

She applied to two other schools, one here in town and one in Minnesota.
She was accepted by these two schools.  But the local school would still cost 20,000 while living at home, and the Minnesota school was a last minute idea...and her heart was not into it.

So four years of doing everything she could do to get into college...a college she could afford,
was for naught.

She is planning on taking a gap year and trying to figure out what to do next.
She is interested in traveling, volunteering, working and learning.

She is positive and hopeful.

I am not taking it so well.  I am sad for her and it is the thing I mull over at 4:00 am when I wake up.

I am trying to believe that this is for the best.

I'm not sure how long I will leave this up.  I'm not sure Katie would approve.
This is the best I can do. Can't add less details without being terribly vague.

Katie is not interested in most of my suggestions.
I really don't like having this big open space in her life.
But it's not my life and I will keep loving her and encouraging her, when she will listen.

But this weekend will be a big blast because Emma and James and Matthew and Melinda are coming to town to celebrate with Katie.  We will have a house full of love and children and I just can not wait.

Patrick and Shelby and Dottie are doing great!!

My baby.

Our Quiet Life baby.

High school graduate.

We are incredibly proud of the young lady she is.

All will be well.

Right?

Love

Donna