Journey to Meet our Grandson Part II ~Las Vegas Trip Continued ~The Main Event

We are so proud of these two.

Our Son-in-Law is a member of an elite group of airmen 

that have been selected to attend Weapons School 

at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas.

It takes a lot of hard work and determination, 

and Nick graduated with “flying colors”.

Some of you remember when we attended

 that graduation ceremony 18 months ago.

This time, we were there to celebrate the 

40th reunion of the Weapons School.

A picture is worth 1,000 words...

This mama had a baby just 13 weeks ago, 

and looks simply stunning as she poses in her pretty cocktail dress...

along side the baby’s changing station!

This Nana and Papa were there to take care of baby Jack 

while his Mama and Daddy spent the evening 

with good friends, attending the special ceremonies.

Thank you, all of you, for your service.

We are Blessed.

Take care,

~Natalie

We Are So Proud of our Graduate ~A Small Peek into Where He Spent the Last Six Months

Our Son-in-Law is such a hard working young man.

This 6 month school term was rigorous,

probably the most difficult training he has mastered.

Nick was able to secure base passes for his family,

however, no photos were allowed in many areas.

But, here he is in their classroom/office area...

Of the 100+ graduates,

there were only 4 pilots.

We all thoroughly enjoyed hearing about 

some of Nick's activities.

And so happy to celebrate his accomplishments.

Take care,

~Natalie

What'cha Workin' on Wednesday ~Planning a Party ~Celebrating Graduation

Today was our Seniors' last day of high school...

and since I have a Senior Super Study,

a little party was in order.

My friend, Karren, is a master cupcake maker...

and she did a beautiful job with these.

If you thought they were cute in the box,

they looked simply fabulous on my cupcake tree!

Zoe made brownies... and,

Josh has been our official ice cream scooper for four years now.

A couple of the girls collaborated and brought flowers for me.

(Thank you, Megan and Mackenzie!)

In the background, a photo from their freshman year.

Check out the full blog post here.

Sweet treats!

Congratulations, everyone!

I'm proud of you...I'll miss you.

I hope we can stay in touch!

I have been at CHS long enough to see four groups of students through from their Freshman year to their Graduation.  As you can imagine, teachers develop a close bond with these students.  

Each and every one holds a special place in my heart.

Take care,

~Natalie

Celebrating a Milestone ~Congratulations to our Emily on Her Graduation Day

Congratulations to this group of classmates 

as they celebrate earning their Master's Degree.

(Our Emily is on the far left)

This processional is for the 2,000 graduate students.

(The undergrad commencement ceremony took place earlier in the day 

at TD Garden with 25,000 people in attendance.)

Hubby and I were unable to attend 

for a number of reasons...

however, our awsome son-in-law

was the best correspondant.

Graduate Selfie...

Non-Grad Selfie.

The Graduate's Hubby had this view of the stage...

...and at home, I had this view of the stage.

I got home from school just minutes before she appeared.

Thank you Northeastern University for providing 

the graduation ceremony live-stream on your site.

Where's Waldo?  Where's Emily??

Bottom and slightly right of the center...

returning to her seat.

And here...center of the photo,

showing off her diploma.

Emily with her classmate and friend, Katrina.

Here they are adorned with the traditional graduation leis,

thanks to Katrina's mom.

And here are the graduates with their main support crew!

Congratulations, Emily!

Congratulations to your classmates.

We are so proud of you.

Take care,

~Natalie

photo credits go to Emily's Hubby, Jake.

Thank you for making us feel like we were there with you!

What'cha Workin' on Wednesday ~Senior Class Meeting ~For the Last Time

Students are required to attend one class meeting per term...

that's four per year for four years.

Somehow it feels like we have done this more than 16 times,

but regardless...this one was their last.

The topic was Graduation.

Yes, I think they're ready!

Congratulations, Class of 2016.

Let's Finish Strong!

Take care,

~Natalie

Twas the Night Before the Last Day of School before the Holidays ~All My Bags were Packed ~Congrats Early Grads ~~Thank you, my Friend

We have this little tree by our front door.

When I got home from school yesterday,

there were packages under that tree!

It was the perfect ending to an energy packed last day of the semester.

My day started like this, from left to right,

crockpot and soup ingredients,

gifts for my co-FACS teachers,

candy canes for my students,

school bag for CHS,

project bag for the ATEC Academey,

staff computer,

lab supplies,

and what was left of my sanity!

In my Foods class we made

Fa la la la Lava Cakes.

Students exercised their creativity with syrup, cocoa, 

and powdered sugar on their dessert plates.

If you like to make them yourself,

here is the link to my recipe.

Fifty-five of our high school seniors graduated early yesterday.

We celebrated with one of our own...

and had to take another Advocate Group photo.

Congratulations, Caitlyn!

Super Study Soup of the Week,

Super easy and Super delicious.

Courtney's Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Seriously, all you have to do is open cans and stir it all together.

This time I added a "chunk" of Velveeta Cheese,

and the seniors said it was better than ever!

Here's the link to that recipe.

After a day of final projects, 

end of course exams,

checking in books,

collecting student fees,

finalizing my SLO,

cleaning up my classrooms,

and preparing for the new semester...

I was more than ready to pull into my driveway!

Thank you,

my dear friend, Lorie.

(I look forward to our coffee date next week.)

I hope you all enjoy some time for 

rest and relaxation this holiday season.

Take care,

~Natalie

Where the Weekend Went

Congratulations, Amy.

We are so proud of you.

I love lots of pictures and details to share with everyone...

but we got home late...and this morning I must be off to school...

Happy Monday and

Take care,

~Natalie