Homecoming

 Once again the Band kids in Anna's class got together to go to Homecoming (and some band-adjacent kiddos).  Here is the photo-shoot.

JR Flutes

Fun photo

I am hoping to get a better copy of this one.

I love this one, even with the wind in her hair! (I like that part!)

Just the gals

On the Prowl! (homecoming tournament of kids)

 This is Homecoming week (Anna just left for the dance).  Earlier in the week they had games that groups of 14 kids participated in.  Each group has a teacher sponsor.  Anna's sponsor was Mrs. Hook (AKA leader of color guard and flutes)  So her group was Hook's Pirates.

     

My mom's family photo

 My cousin colorized this photo.  I just love it.  My mom is in the middle between her parents.  I can see where I got my face shape, oddly no one else in her family has the same shape as my mom and I do.  

Doesn't Anna look a lot like my mom?

                                                       

Carolyn's last "off to school" day

 

Ken took Carolyn to move into the dorms for her last semester.  She is pretty excited because she heard on Monday that she got the job as the marketing and social media coordinator for the department of Biomedical Engineering!  Her boss said, "Since this is your last semester, if there is anything special you want to get the experience of doing, just let me know."  Although it doesn't pay as well as her summer internship, it is probably a better experience to get the opportunity to do different aspects of marketing.

Joel has left the building!

8/16/23

We took Joel up  to campus to stay!  This summer he drove to Ames 5 x week, but he came home almost every night.  (He stayed a few times since he got the keys to his apartment.)  Today we left him without the car.  (I do have one more car load that I will take up tomorrow.  We could have fit it all if the girls and I hadn't made plans to visit Reiman Gardens.)  We took his roommates out to dinner after the trip to the garden (Joel had a bit of work to do in the lab before he could go out to dinner.)  Ken met us on his way back into town (he had been away on business, but was coming down I35 at just the right time.

 

Anna saving animals

Anna and her friend Aaliyah saved this kitten from almost certain death.  They saw it on the road, then a construction worker saved it from the street and put it in a ditch.  They asked him to retrieve it for them and brought it to Aaliyah's mom who often helps rescue kittens for the local animal shelter.  We baby-sat kitty one weekend. Carolyn's roommate, Rachel, came to see him and decided to keep him forever!  (Kitty went back to Aaliyah's house for a couple more weeks to get strong first, but he now lives in Iowa City.)   (Rachel and Carolyn won't live together this fall as Carolyn didn't want a 12 month lease, but might live together again if Rachel relocates to the Metro after graduation.)

Yesterday Anna called me on her way home from band camp.  She saw a dog in the road.  It was really close to our house, so Carolyn and I walked to where she was and we called the number on the collar.  It was a neighbor's dog, who had wandered off.  I had seen this dog before, but it was dark and he had just gotten a hair cut, so I didn't recognize it.  Very sweet pup!

 

other summer pics

Carolyn's garden produce!

Anna at marching band camp.  (Ken's shirt from college.  The kids always use this shirt for Hawaiian/beach days.)

Anna crocheted this.  amazing!

my niece Erin, her son, Ezra....they came to bring Rita (the dog) for us to watch they were on vacation!

This plant was made from 3 different Wandering Jew plants.  The purple was from Colleen (or my friend Sandy), not sure they both had amazing plants last year - Carolyn kept it over the winter and we started fresh with the ends this summer (it got a little scraggly).  The white and one that was solid green (you can't see) were from my friend Anita.  Carolyn is going to take to the dorm for her final semester!