Will got his first tooth in late May. Because of the tears and grumpiness leading up to it, Mama and Dada were in great anticipation of the pain easing off the little guy. :-)
With the end of school and visits from family and friends, June has kept us very busy.
Tabitha took her English 10 kiddies to the
Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond on June 4. Erin Ford coordinated the trip after our classes' reading of the memoir
Night by Elie Wiesel. The kids were very good, and it was a wonderful, moving experience. Below is the entire group with Jay Ipson, Holocaust survivor and Executive Director of the museum. It was the day before his
75th birthday, and many of the kids treated him as a celebrity! They all wanted their picture with him. We decided on a group picture, and Mr. Ipson suggested this location, outside the train car along Cary Street.
(Mr. Ipson is down front in the center, wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a tie.)
"Uncle" Phil came to see us for a long weekend. He had just returned to the States from Afghanistan and had some leave before heading back to Fort Drum, New York. Being the people watcher he is, Will was mesmerized by watching Phil. They became great buddies.
While Phil was visiting, Mark was wrapping up his evening obligations at school. He had been very busy fulfilling his counselor duties with Awards Night, Scholarships Night, etc. since May. The Senior of the Month Banquet was held on June 7. Tabitha was honored to be invited by Vincent, one of her AP students. The evening was a great one, with the entire crowd being warmed by stellar seniors recognizing their favorite teachers. While we were gone, Gram and Pawpaw had some time with Will, and "Uncles" Phil and Matt hung out and "babysat" Maggie. And just so you know, Phil... Matt told us what happened with Maggie's treat bucket that night. We would have loved to see you all cleaning up that mess! :-)
My
Aunt Gale (my Mom's sister) passed away from a sudden illness on June 11. This was definitely a shock to the family, and we miss her dearly. Mom and Dad went with Ron in to West Virginia to be with their siblings. Continue praying for all those who loved Gale as they deal with her absence.
Mamaw Strickler flew in to help take care of Will in the last week of school while Gram and Pawpaw were away. Papaw Strickler arrived from the church's Annual Conference on Wednesday, the same day that the Lundys were returning to town, and Will finally had his family all together! :-) Will and Mamaw really enjoyed their time together. Will's "surprise face" got a LOT of practice while she was here.
Pat Smith treated the AP English kiddies to an afternoon "Tea Party" at her home, inspired (of course) by Katherine Mansfield's "The Garden Party," a short story the kids read at the beginning of the year. As always, Pat was a gracious hostess. The kids and I had a lot of fun. We played Balderdash and Crack the Case. A few lucky winners got such wonderful prizes from Mrs. Smith such as a pig book (with matching ears and tail), a butterfly net, Abby Cadabby dinnerware set, and Colonial-themed glitter pencils! :-) A BIG thank you goes out to Pat for her hospitality and yummy treats!
Graduation was June 18 - hot but dry (which is a big plus for the outdoor graduation tradition that CHHS has). Tabitha participated with the faculty in gown and hood, and Mark manned the diploma table, which was
swamped immediately after the ceremony. We enjoyed seeing our "kids" reach their goals and stayed behind to say farewell.
Click "play" on the slideshow above to view pictures from the end of the AP English year, including the last day of class, the Tea Party at Mrs. Smith's home, and Graduation.
We enjoyed celebrating Father's Day while the Stricklers were visiting. We had a cookout (cook-in, really since it was so hot!) on Saturday with the Lundys, Stricklers, and Matt. Ross and Brenda had picked up Angelica, our niece, that day. She had grown SO much since we had seen her last!!
Angelica, Papaw Strickler, and Will
Pawpaw Lundy helping Will with his water
Angelica helping Papaw win some contests!
Matt stumping the crowd in "Crack the Case"
Angelica and Will
Father's Day morning, June 20
Ross with his Father's Day fans - Mark, Will, and Angelica
The Strickler crew at BHUMC's Praise and Worship Service
Father's Day, June 20
We took a few Father's Day pictures from the Lundy side of the family, but those pictures haven't been uploaded yet. Update coming soon!
"Uh--ohhhh" is becoming a common phrase around our house. Will likes to "clean out" his pack and play every now and then, producing lots of "Uh--ohhhh"s. :-)
Much to Mama and Dada's dismay, Will has found that he has a right nostril. He also found that it can be easily accessed by his right pointer finger. :-) Fortunately, so far, he must think he just has one nostril, though. The left one hasn't been discovered. :-) Right now his ears and mouth are just as interesting as the nose.
