Graduation Week Part 2 --Finally--

So, i keep putting off writing on my blog because i don't quite remeber all the details of Erin's graduation week. But, i figure i need to just start writing again and maybe it will come to me.
As a recap, my last blog left you in suspense as to how the week went after i picked up my sister and Erica from the airport. That was a Tuesday night (well, actually early Wednesday morning). So, we got home from the airport around  2 a.m. and pretty much went right to bed. Erin and Jess had spent the night at a friend's  house, so Kat slept in Erin's room that first night and the Rachel and Erica slept in Rachel's room. It was so nice to wake up the next morning (Wednesday) and have my sister in my house with me! I don't remember if my in-laws came over for breakfast, but eventually they came over to hang out with us, as did my parents. It was nice being all together. We decided to make a big pan of ziti and salad for us all to eat before the graduation ceremony that evening. Erin was in and out during the day, getting ready for her night (for quite a while i must say), and had a great attitude, even though i knew she was nervous. She had practiced her salutatorian speech that morning at the Bob Carpenter Center and said that she was ready. I think I was more nervous than she! We all had dinner together and than my parents went back to their hotel to get ready, we all got ready, and off to graduation ceremony we went. Thank God i listened to my hubby when he said we needed to get their early. The seats were filling up very quickly....and we had almost 15 people to find seats for. Finally we all got seated (in the front ;-)) and waited for the class of 2010 to come in. As soon as the seniors started coming in, i got all teared up. I watched as Erin made her way up to the stage, as she got a seat of honor for being salutatorian. You can imagine how proud of her i was-and am. The ceremony went well, Erin's speech was GREAT, and she got her diploma. She looked so great up there, she sounded so sure of herself-- and i have been told by more than one person that her speech was wonderful. After the ceremony, some of us came back to the house to celebrate with cupcakes, ice cream, and a home made cheese cake that i had made. I got the recipe from my friend Debbie's daughter Rachel's blog. It was so rich and delicious. Thanks for the recipe Rachel :-) it was a big hit.
Wow, see how much i actually remember now that i'm writing this down, lol. Here are some pictures on Grad night:

Erin and Jess after graduation with my parents

Erin before graduation with her friends

Erin giving her salutatorian speech

Erin and Matt

Erin and her proud parents

Erin's Graduation Party Cake

Erin on stage with the valedictorian and officers of the senior class

Thursday, me, Steve, Erin, Jess, Ryan, Matt, Kathy and Erica went to the hotel that my in-laws were staying at to take a swim in the pool. That was fun and noisy! Than we came back home to see my parents for a bit and had home made Chicken soup for dinner.
Friday i took Kathy to her friend's house and then went to my friend Courtney's house (where we were having Erin's graduation party the next day) to get the house ready for the party. There was a lot to do and it was hot, so i was pretty much exhausted and cranky for the rest of the evening. I said goodbye to my in-laws, who were flying back home, and pretty much just hung out with my sister for the rest of the evening.


Saturday was the party, and it was a pretty good day. I'm not much of a party planner, and generally do not like hosting parties, so it wasn't my favorite day. Thankfully, my hubby knows that i don't like hosting parties and he really did most of the work that day. All in all, Erin had a good time...and that is what it was all about. After the party there, we came home and invited about eight of the kids to stay and hang out at our house, where i was much more comfortable anyway. So, that was relaxing and fun. I got to hang out with my sister for a while and i really enjoyed that. I didn't really get to spend any time with my parents, which i did not enjoy, but it really couldn't be helped, there was just too much going on.
Sunday, my parents and my sister went back to Florida :-( and everything pretty much went back to normal.
So, that was graduation week. All in all, it was a great week spent with family and friends and fun. Now, Erin is done with high school and is starting her first college class next week. We have hit a couple little snags with trying to figure out her financial aid for college, but hopefully it will all work out. If it doesn't, i will probably blog about it and complain, lol.

Other than that, our summer has gone pretty well. We (me, Erin, Matt and Rachel) went to Florida for two weeks to have a proper visit with family. I wish it could have been three weeks like it has been for the past couple of years, but Erin and Matt could only take off 2 weeks from work. I am hoping to go back in December to visit my new grand-nephew (who is due in September) AND my new grand-niece (who is due in December). School starts back on the 24th of August for me and the 31st of August for Rachel and Matt. Right now i am still trying to wade through curriculum choices for Rachel's last year of homeschooling before she goes into high school. I am really nervous that i won't prepare her enough for her to be comfortable with high school work. There are so many choices out there for curriculum and i don't want to make the wrong choice. This year we are focusing on reading comprehension and writing skills....lots of writing skills. Because, in my opinion, if you can read well, comprehend what you read well, and write well, than you can do well in any subject, except for math--which will be pre-algebra this year (i think). Science will probably be general science, and history will be American history. I am trying to keep to our school district's sequence for science and history so that she will be prepared in ninth grade. So, i need to have her reading and writing curriculum chosen no later than this time next week, and i guess i'm gonna have to buy her next Saxxon math book soon, i have my eye on e-bay :-)
That's about it for now...hopefully i will be more diligent writing on here in the near future.
Today i am thankful for:
1. The opportunity to have another year home with Rachel...because after that, i will probably be working and she will be in high school...so i just want to enjoy her for the whole year!
2. Erin's willingness to give college a chance and her mature, grown up, responsible actions.
3. Matt's desire to go to college, no matter what it takes, and the hard work ethic that he has.