Joey's Grad

My "baby brother" - the youngest in our family - graduated from high school this past Saturday! It was a great day, although the weather was humid and a little rainy. Joey looked so nice and I was so proud of him! Here are a few pics for your perusal. :)

entering the Auditorium in procession

newly-graduated

processing out

making his way down the gauntlet... er... uh... the receiving line! ;)

These are most (I think four were missing) of the graduates who had been in kindergarten here thirteen years earlier, with the kindergarten teacher (who is going on 26 years of teaching kindergarten here!!).

Moms and Sons

Dads and Grads

Brother and Sisters

Graduates...

...Having a good time :D

Joey, with Mom and Dad

most of the family... (We were thinking of you, Joegi and Linds!!)

Ascension Thursday

So a few days ago it was the feast of the Ascension. After going to Mass, we had brunch at home and then packed up the vehicles and headed to Echo Cliff Park for an all-day type of picnic. :) It was gorgeous weather and a great day!! We lounged and skipped rocks and read and got our feet wet and caught tadpoles. Rose and Joey threw baseball and frisbee. And we finished the evening with a bratwurst roast over an open fire. :D It doesn't get much better than that!!

I'd like to share a few pictures with you. :)

I'm Home!!

Hello, hello!

Long time, no write!
I reached American soil this past Friday after four weeks of traveling in Spain and Poland (and a little time in France) - that, of course, after having spent about seven months in France. To be honest with you, I have mixed feelings about being home... it's great to be home again and to see my friends and family again, but I'm feeling really homesick for Europe! :(
This past month has been amazing. Especially Poland. I can't tell you how incredible my visit to Poland was!! I was a little apprehensive going into it, since it's a really different country and a really different language from anything I had previously experienced, but by the end of my time there, I did not want to leave. I hope, someday, to go back and to stay longer than a week.

I'll share a few pictures from this past month here, but after this I'm not sure when I'll be writing again next. I have so much to organize and reorganize in my life right now, that I might not be blogging too often. (Now don't say I didn't warn you. :)) I hope that you are all doing marvelously and I would love to hear from you! :)

Take care and à la prochaine!

On the way up the inside of the tower at the Giralda in Seville... very cool!

Enjoying a little Sangria in Seville... sunny Spain! (April 16)

Rose and I standing on some Roman ruins, on the road to Guadalupe, April 19

the "original" statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, said to have been carved by St. Luke and blackened by the smoke of burning votives

spending my name-day in the City of the Immaculata, St. Maximilian's Niepokalanow!

Rosary and Benediction for the month of Our Lady

pausing for a picture, halfway to the top of the tower on the basilica in Czestochowa, May 5

Fr. Stehlin gives the sermon during the Mass for the Fourth Sunday after Easter

with a friend of mine in front of a monument in Warsaw... and the Polish colors :) (May 7)

the day I left Poland/saying goodbye (May 10)