Brian's Graduation!!!!!!!!!!




Joshua took this picture of Grace and I while we waited for the ceremony to begin

Last Friday night was Brian's graduation from the LVN program.  After 3 long and arduous semesters (plus kidney stones, major bowel resection surgery, pnemonia, plueral effusion and what am I forgetting?) he has completed this first step in his journey to become an RN.  Even with all of his health problems, he maintained a 4.0 GPA and was one of the student speakers at the graduation.  We were all so happy to watch him walk across the stage. Hopefully next fall he'll begin the RN program.  This semester will be just a regular semester of classes (yeah, no biggie...microbiology and physiology, plus a sociology and a speech class...piece of cake, right?!).  Here are some pictures from that:

The End of an Era

Many many years ago...when I was around 3...my dad planted a maple tree in our backyard.  I remember him digging the hole and holding the tree while he refilled the hole.  That was over 35 years ago and that tree has grown and grown.  This past week it started to come down...not by itself, but with help :) The volume of leaves this tree dumps is daunting!  We raked twice while Mom and Dad were in Arizona last month and got at least a dozen bags each week. And I think they got a couple dozen more the times they raked.  I know Brian & I will miss its shade this summer as our bedroom is in the back where it was! I think we may get blinds for the windows since the curtains don't keep the heat out like the blinds do.  Here are some pictures of the progress of the tree coming down.  I'll have to go through some old boxes of pictures after the holidays and see if I can find any from 35 years ago when it was planted.

The BEST Granola Bars

The Best Granola Bars

2 ½ c. rice crispies (also have used other crushed dry cereal, Krispix, etc.)

2 c. oats

½ c. dried cranberries

½ c. raisins

¼- ½ c. mini chocolate chips

½ c. brown sugar

¼ tsp. salt

½ c. honey

1 c. peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. cinnamon



Combine cereal, oats, craisins, raisins, chocolate chips in very large bowl.

Cook brown sugar, honey, and salt in pan until it boils. Add peanut butter, vanilla and cinnamon.

Pour over dry mixture and stir until combined.

Put into a 13” x 9” pan (or a cookie sheet for thinner granola bars) and press flat. Let cool and then cut into bars. Package individually and store in a large ziplock bag.

About Joshua...

Joshua's had a couple of busy days.  Yesterday was the Veteran's Day program at school.  He was chosen to sing a solo in one of the songs.  I videotaped it for Brian since he had rotation yesterday, but Grace was totally uncooperative so he may get seasick watching it, but you can hear the singing :)

Today was the school-wide spelling bee.  Joshua found out last week that he was going to get to be in it...there were 4 fourth graders and 4 fifth graders.  He came in third, 2 fifth grade girls got 1st & 2nd.  He got a trophy, but he doesn't have to study another big list of words (as he put it) for the county-wide competition in January. 

I'll do posts on Nathaniel and Grace later...

Veteran's Day Parade

This year we got pictures of Joshua and the Cub Scouts in the Veteran's Day parade...last year the battery in the camera died just as the parade began.  It was a cold morning...every once in awhile snowflakes would flutter down.  Later it rained with snow mixed in, but there was more rain than snow and it never stuck.  I stayed home from the parade with the younger two and Brian took Joshua.  He got to bring home the flag he carried, plus he got a double flag lapel pin that he was quite excited about.  This is the first of several exciting things for Joshua this week.  On Wednesday he is singing a solo during a song the 4th & 5th grade choir is singing in the Veteran's Day program at school (Nathaniel's class will be singing Yankee Doodle).  Then, Thursday afternoon he is one of the 4 spelling bee participants from the 4th grade and will be in the school Spelling Bee.  He's excited about that, too.

Happy Birthday, Joshua!!!

Six months late...I can't believe I didn't blog Joshua's birthday.  I realized this as I put up pictures about Grace's that I didn't think I had done Joshua's...and going back and looking, I hadn't.  Thank goodness he isn't checking out the family blog (he's not online really ever yet...a few more years before we have to worry about that, I hope).  Anyway, with the craziness of the month after his birthday (Brian's end of the semester, Brian in the hospital, end of school year stuff for the kids...) it just didn't happen.  So, without further ado, here is the
Ninth Birthday of Joshua Ammon Lee!!!  **I tried to do this yesterday, but Miss Grace got upset that I was at the computer (she was tired of playing Star Wars guys with her brothers) and turned off my computer...as the photos were loading)

The Transformer Birthday Cake...

The Birthday Boy

Fishing pole from Grandma and Grandpa (I believe this was in an earlier post when the boys & Brian went fishing at the pond across the street)

Do you think we have a Star Wars fan in the house?

The Gang

So hard to believe that he is NINE (and a half) now!!

With his cake...I think it's the same guy (Optimus Prime) as is on his T shirt

Blowing out those candles...

Group hug - they sure love their big brother!

The Hat

In May, watching for THE HAT on a awards show (I can't remember which one it was that time)

In August, my cousin Denisse and her new husband Dennis came out from Nashville to visit so we could all meet her new husband.
We were all excited to meet the newest addition to the family...and the boys wanted to see his HAT!!

Here is Joshua trying on THE HAT

Joshua, THE HAT and Dennis

Nathaniel and THE HAT (he wouldn't sit by Dennis for a picture...he decided to be shy that afternoon)

Now, you might wonder what is so exciting about a HAT.  Well, Dennis plays bass for a well-known country music group and he almost always wears a HAT.  Since the background is often shadowy, and we hadn't met him in person yet, just pictures, the kids (especially Nathaniel) learned to look for THE HAT.  And when we'd watch all the different music awards shows, or taped shows where they performed and the singers were interviewed, we'd always look for Dennis, and THE HAT helped us find him (Brian could tell by the guitar...to me, all guitars look like, well, guitars so that didn't help). The kids were happy to meet him in person and see one of THE HATS he wears in person, but also thought he was pretty cool because he played with them. Little Miss Shyness, even let him pick her up and hold her when they were outside playing!