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

Worst Blogger in the world.

So yeah.
It's me.

Harry and Meghan were married and it was absolutely fabulous.
I was there for every second.  Up at 3:00am.
I watched PBS/BBC and taped CBS.
I oohed and aahed and shed a few tears.  (Is there a way to spell those words?)

I had a little text group.
The gals who were awake.
Di, Cheryl, Cindy, Janet, Janice and Mary Z.

It was everything!

And then around three in the afternoon came a text from Patrick Jr.
Shelby's water had broken.  Shelby was in labor. She was 39 weeks along.
So NOW the baby wait was ON!

This day just went from exciting to real life,  heart in my throat exciting.
This precious, long awaited, baby.  Everything had to be okay.
Everything looked okay.  But, everything had to be okay.

At about eight o'clock our time Patrick told me that Shelby was at 8cm.
Melinda assured me that Shelby would probably deliver by midnight, 2 am our time.
I went to bed at 11:30 and left the phone on so I would hear texts come in.
Remember I had been up since 3:00am.

The phone kept making noises and I kept checking it.

At 1:00am.  I had to turn it off.
I had to sleep.

At 1:52 I woke up again.
Looked at the phone.

"It's a girl", read the text.  (1:29am)

I did not know if Patrick could text back and forth at this point....
but I asked one question.

Hair?

and the answer came back,

Red.

Patrick and I chatted for quite a while.
Lots of pushing.  Everyone is well.

This healthy, happy baby girl is named, Dottie.

Not short for anything.

Dottie Azalea.

A flower in remembrance of Poppy.  Dottie's big sister in heaven.

Patrick's and Shelby's little girl born on Harry and Meghan's wedding day.

(You can be sure I have ordered a little something from England to commemorate the sharing of this date.)

So here are some pictures.

Baby Boucher.

Dottie.

Dottie is very alert and her parents love to hold her.

Shelby is doing great.

Patrick feels lucky.

We are delighted and thankful and longing to meet little Dottie.

Oh my gosh.  Why is California so far away?

***

And as for Meghan and Harry.

Dottie's birthday!

Beautiful Bride in the carriage.

The veil was perfection.  It was embroidered with fifty-some flowers....including some poppies for California.

Oh my.

Walking to church.

So British.  

I love the walking to church.

Pageantry

and love.

Dearest, loveliest Dottie.

I love you honey.

Yaya

What will Meghan wear???

Oh my goodness...I am so excited for the big wedding tomorrow.

I'm glad I can share my joy here....in my real life...I am all alone!

hehe

Except a guy I just met at Target.  We had a nice long convo about the dress and Harry's facial hair and which channel to watch....

So.

I think Harry will not shave.  Even tho he is required to shave while wearing a uniform.
I expect he will wear a uniform.  BUT.  I do not think he will shave.

I hope Meghan wears a small tiara.  My guess is the one Diana wore for her wedding.
Kate's tiara was very small but I feel it is too soon to wear the same one.

I have chosen some dresses that I just feel seem like Meghan's style.
I chose dresses with sleeves and not too low of a neckline.

We shall see tomorrow morning...Bright and Early if she wears something like I imagine.

Beautiful bride.

I'd love to see her hair like this.

I think she needs volume in the skirt but Windsor is really NOT that wide and spacious...

so....maybe not.

I like this pretty top.  Does she want a little lace?

I love this dress. 

Please wear this dress.

And do your hair like this too.

Beautiful sleeves.

I feel like Meghan will wear something structured.  But this structured?

This would be absolutely fabulous!!!  I don't care if it does not have sleeves.  Nice gloves would be cool.  A little Audrey Hepburn. 

How I wish I was a stylist.  

Do you think it's too late to pursue this line of work?

Who will be awake and watching it live with me?

God Save the Queen.

Royal Watcher in Residence.

Miz Booshay