More monster band pics. Love the shirts!

Su Fu Du. Enough said.

The Monster band from St. James, Madelia and Butterfield! Sounded good and looked great!!

The St. James Middle School band director, Dave Stordalen in the baseball cap, and the Madelia band director led this group and did an awesome job. If you look just beyond his baseball cap you will see Daniel. Beat that drum loudly buddy!

You can see his face just above the girl with the pony tail's head. Poor grandma missed him altogether. He was on the opposite side as we were and he was standing next to another really tall boy in percussion. Sigh. That's the way it goes!

My cousin Michelle and her son's cub scout troop.
My cousin Michelle's husband, Martin, driving the cub scout troop.

A new (to me) percussion group calle Bleep. They were fun!

Not sure where they are from but I hope to see them again.

Pow Wow Days Parade

The last Monday in June has always meant the Pow Wow Parade in Mt. Lake. When I was younger, we would do chores like crazy at home the week before to earn money for Pow Wow and stay with my twin aunts overnight so we could enjoy the fun without mom and dad having to come back late at night to get us. Years later I think about those times fondly. Now I bring my kids over to Mt. Lake for Pow Wow and watch them march with the St. James bands in the parade. We always sit close to the end because my aunt and uncle live close by. We meet them and sit together and have a nice visit while waiting for the parade to get to us. Sometimes my cousin throws candy for the business he works for and if he's on top of things we get a lap full. Some years he gets carried away and doesn't have any left by the end. The picture above is my mom and her sister, Faye. Love them both!

It was a difficult weekend

for many reasons. Happy and sad, marking anniversaries and goodbyes, "my" kids embarking on adventures that will take them away from us at home. Friday morning Asha was commissioned in to the Air Force. This has been her goal for several years - at least three, I think - and with passing her nursing boards a week ago it was finally official. The Air Force personnel were invited to the Wyatt farm for a wonderful brunch and ceremony where Asha took the oath, gave the salutes and signed the final papers. Her church family as well as friends were there to witness this great event in her life and also pray over her as she begins this journey. Tears were shed by her moms as we face days, months and at least four years without her close by. We are very proud of her.

Andrew, Britta, Emily and Asha

Friday also marked the one year anniversary of our return trip home from an incredible trip to New York. Unfortunately we lost a fellow traveler and very beloved English teacher the day after we got back. It was hard to remember the one year mark of returning home and remembering where we were and how we found out she had suddenly passed away without warning. Thinking of conversations and moments shared on the trip and wondering why this happened to someone who should still be here to raise her daughter and enjoy many more years with her husband and family. Saturday would have been my father-in-law's 81st birthday. Still miss him - still need him around - still hear his pick up drive up the driveway at 7:15 every morning.

Saturday was the graduation party/going away party for Macy's good friend, James. He will be on his way to basic training in Missouri on Monday and I will miss my surrogate son as much as she misses her "Rat". It will be a very hard summer without him. Saturday was the wedding day for Emily's friend and one of my surrogate daughters, Brooke. So happy for Brooke and Joe to have ended the engagement phase of their relationship and to begin life as husband and wife. I remember being that in love and so very happy to move into the next phase of our lives together. I wish them the best and enjoyed their wedding and reception. The dance was awesome and did a great job of taking my mind off of sad things. So this weekend was spent celebrating with these wonderful and special people in my life and looking forward to the next chapters that they are going to write in their lives. It was also spent looking back with fond memories of wonderful and special people that live in my heart and shedding tears of joy and sadness. It was a wild rollercoaster ride of emotions.

Macy's Last........band concert

Percussion means you always stand in the back of the rest of the band. It also means your mom gets to take good pictures of you and your percussion friends becuase you are standing and it's easy to see you above the rest of the band members who are sitting in chairs. I'm going to miss seeing you, Logan and Matt in the back. Doing what you do best or sometimes goofing around.

Playing a tuba part on the keyboard for the jazz band.

Macy's Last.......choir concert

Macy and James (Rat) Gonna miss this boy when he leaves for basic training. It's going to be a very long summer without you!
Macy's boys - or dumb boys - as she calls them. Because they are. Dumb. They do and say dumb things and that's why we love them so much and will miss them when they all go in different directions. We will be lost without you. And I will actually have left-overs in my fridge.

Cory, Macy, James, Lance, Becca - the choir kids.

Last songs are hard to sing and hard for parents to listen too. Occasionally the choir director even crys.

The theater majors + Emily :-)
Emily and Justin. Love this young man.

And he loves my Emily, too!

My three babies.

Emily, John and I. The kind of picture that makes you start Weight Watchers and order P90X the next day. ha ha

Emily's College Graduation

May 21, 2011 we headed to Sioux City early in the morning, got to Briar Cliff, loaded her, her boyfriend, Justin and their caps and gowns into our van and off to the Orpheum Theater for commencement, college style! The Orpheum is a beautiful building and Briar Cliff staff did a wonderful job with the ceremony.
Emily and Erin - sisters by chance. I'm still so grateful for Briar Cliff for matching these two up their freshman year. They roomed together for all four and each one became part of the other's life and heart. Better yet, they know how lucky they were to get along so well. I know they will be forever friends.

Emily getting her diploma from President Bev Wharton.

Emily's roommate, Erin, singing the National Anthem before the ceremony.