CONGRATULATIONS TO ROB FOR FINISHING HIS MBA!!!

Last night, Rob finished his last assignment for his last class of his MBA at the University of Phoenix. He began in the fall of 2006, but then took a break for basketball season. When we moved here in July 2007, he had completed 3 classes. These past two school years, he has taken classes pretty much back to back, and has now finished all 15 courses for this degree. I can't tell you how many nights he (and I) have been up til 12 or 1 am getting papers done before the deadline. Rob has also spent many Saturdays, reading, researching and writing, and lots of other evenings on smaller assignments, class discussion and discussion questions. So many times he has fought off exhaustion both mental and physical to find the will to push a little harder to get things done.

Rob has shown an incredible strength of character and resolve, and I admire him profoundly for it. I also admire and appreciate that through this all, Rob has managed to maintain a priority on the family as well. Papers at the University of Phoenix are always due on Mondays, but Rob has almost always still managed to make time for Family Home Evening. He has also been part of many other family activities despite his over full schedule. In the process of getting this degree, he has also greatly improved his writing skills, his understanding of many business ideas and has strengthened his already strong ability to work respectfully with team members.

Now we all need a really big rest, and then we can contemplate what the future without evening school work will be like.

More Portland and Seaside

After the band finished the parade on Saturday, they travelled to Seaside, OR where we played on the beach and shopped in the little stores. It was pretty cold and windy, but still very beautiful. In the evening, we had a bonfire on the beach.

Spirit marching in the parade.

The parade route was between 4 and 6 miles long, and the band marched and played for over two hours. From a spectator's point of view, the parade also took about 2 hours. There were lots of marching bands and some incredible floats. So many roses, everywhere. It was beautiful.

Portland Trip

Spirit's flagbearers carry flags of Alberta, Magrath, the United States and Canada before Saturday's parade

Spirit performing at Bandfest.

A big Ahhhh went up in the crowd when Spirit brought out its massive Canadian flag while playing a fortissimo climax of Beethoven's 9th--Ode to Joy.

In the afternoon on Friday, the band went to Waterfront Park where they were having a carnival with midway rides, etc. They had several ships docked along the shore and Rob and I went about a Canadian destroyer, the HMCS Algonquin. This is me in the bridge.

This is Spirit performing at noon in front of the Standard insurance Center.

Rob and I travelled to Portland, Oregon with the Spirit of Alberta marching band from his school. The band played in front of a large office building at noon, played in Bandfest that evening along with several other bands, and marched in the Grand Floral Parade. All of the events were part of Portland's festival of roses. Spirit is smaller this year than last, but they are definitely playing better. They performed well and were very well-received. Everyone we encountered in Portland was friendly and hospitable. I had never been to the west coast at all or to the Oregon coast in particular. It is unbelievably green with dense forests where even dead trees have moss and all kinds of stuff growing on them. It is also fairly mountainous. The Columbia River goes through Portland, and there are several massive bridges that connect parts of the city. It was really something to see.

Joy in the Journey?

Today I have lots of house cleaning and packing to do, because tomorrow, Rob and I are heading to Portland, Oregon to cheer on the MHS Spirit Marching Band at their competition and performances. We are leaving the kids with Rob's parents (thank you!) and will be gone from Thurs. am til Sunday night. This is also Rob's last week of his last class at the University of Phoenix. He has a group paper to do, which means he will have to write his portion of the paper while we are gone. I have looked forward to Rob being done school for quite a while now, but now, rather than look past his finish date, I think it is time to find joy in the journey!

Austin Wins Hearts at School Track Meet

At Magrath Elementary School, yesterday was track meet day for all Gr. 4-6 students. There are 8 events that all the children have to participate in, and the longer running events, 400, 800, and 1500 m are optional. I have long dreaded this day for Austin, because, of course, he is at a significant disadvantage and I was worried that if he participated the experience would be devastating for his self-esteem. The teacher gave us an option that he could sit out and help with announcing or some other job, but Austin decided to participate.

Austin handled the day surprisingly well, and the gr. 4 boys he went with from station to station were supportive and encouraging. The remarkable moment of the day was the 400 m. This race was supposed to be optional, but the person at the starting line told Austin he had to run. So he did. When the race was over for the other kids, Austin wasn't quite half way around. Once the crowd realized Austin was running, nearly everyone at the track meet, regardless of what events they were participating in, started cheering for him and chanting Go, Austin, Go, and so on. Then, as Austin came to the last 50 m of the race, about 20 other kids poured out onto the track and ran it with him, all the while cheering for him.

What an incredible manifestation of the supportive atmosphere at that school and what a tribute to Austin who, though he doesn't win many races, has learned how to win hearts.

The 'Van' of my dreams!

Those of you who know us know that we have long aspired to own a van converted for wheelchair use. For several years, we have taken Mark out of his wheelchair, buckled him in a carseat then stowed his wheelchair in the back of the van. Now, thanks to an additional settlement from our car accident, we were able to get a new 2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L with a VMI Northstar wheelchair conversion.It was delivered today and we are just pumped.
It has lots of toys with it...6 CD changer, heated leather seats, backup camera, built in garage door opener, steering wheel controls, power everything, etc.

Normally, the middle row of seats is taken out in these converted vans, but in this case, they put a bucket seat back in on the middle row that will go beside the wheelchair.

We had a DVD player installed. It has cordless headphones. Mark can watch a movie in the back while I listen to something totally different on the stereo.

The exterior. It's raining today, so I took pictures in the garage. In fact, within a few hours of getting the van it hailed and I had to hustle to get it in the garage.

Check out the power sliding door/ramp and kneeling hydraulic. Sorry, I didn't get a very good angle.

They're Done! for Now Anyway

Finally my May PAT's are done!!! On Wednesday I had to sit in my desk for three hours and write I did very well considering writing is my weakest subject my teacher was amazed and maybe I will post my story. Today I had to write write a timed math test where you have 30 min. to do 30 questions that ranged from multiply decimals to rounding to dividing and everything in between my teacher marked it and I only made one MISTAKE! 

Moving

Pacing around the room I thought I couldn't believe it my parents yet again were ruining my life, I wanted to scream, I wanted to rip my hair out. I thought I would rather die than move.

 

            Charlotte and I hugged for a real long time before letting go this was the last day of school, I was leaving her and all my other friends behind. The bell was as a death bell it's ringing pierced my ears like a knife piercing a deer in the prime of it's life, killing the animal. Tomorrow, I would be moving.

 

             As the movers hauled all of my belongings to the truck my body became stiff my eyes seemed to turn dark I felt like my body had just died. My face was grim as though I had never seen light. I made faces at my parents as I hooped in the truck. I took one last good look at my house, my neighbor hood, and my tree as the truck rolled away. 

 

             The car ride felt like an eternity, it felt like we kept passing the same grass and cows over and over and over again. My brothers and parents felt jolly and happy as we drove but I did not, I kept picturing my friends my house and my old school, the boy I had a crush on. They were memories now I kept feeling like I would never see them again.

 

             Night grew heavy and before I could comprehend I was asleep.

            I felt a sharp pinching on my arm I arose with a start.

 

            "Were here!" my brother Austin excitedly whispered. On that note I shoot up like a bull in a rodeo.

 

            I looked around I saw my big new house, my room was blue with a big window, I saw some kids playing down the street then I smiled as I thought this might no be so bad after all.

 

 there is the story I wrote I made some parts up but it is also kind of true. 

This is just a random poem I wrote-

There once was a fellow named Jack

Who was scared he had lost his pack

He looked all a round

You know what he found

It was sitting right there on the rack