Megan's Graduation Weekend

We are so proud of dear Megan!  She graduated from high school last weekend, earning Valedictorian status to boot.  We were honored to spend most of the weekend with her and her family celebrating her graduation.  Saturday we gathered for a BBQ at her home with lots of friends and family.  Sadly, Jonathan was feeling sick and so he and Marvin had to miss the festivities.  :(  But Jackson and I enjoyed yummy BBQ and homemade ice cream enough for the whole family.   :)

Sunday we met for lunch at 1000 Hills Lake restaurant before heading to the high school for her graduation ceremony.  

The graduate!!

Megan and Tristan giving a speech.  :)

I love the tradition at their school of handing out roses and hugs to family members during the ceremony.  

Megan and her Mama.

Megan and her Daddy.  

This cracks me up.  Brenda taking one more photo as Megan recesses, while Megan aims her silly string at Brenda.  :D

Following the ceremony we headed back out to their house for cake and leftovers.  :)  

Mike had just graduated that same weekend with his Doctorate.  Since he and Megan share the same initials (on the cake) we thought it fitting to celebrate both.  :)

Megan opening her gifts.  This was a photo book of her senior pictures.

Brenda got her own copy.   :)

Ready for Truman in the fall!

This is hysterical!  If you watch closely, you can see where Jackson went THROUGH the webbing around the trampoline at the end.  (in the next photo AFTER it looks like he is pushing Melina...)
Hmmmm....  wonder how that could have happened??

Melina, Anna, Matthew, Brenda, Megan and Matt

Brenda, Megan and Matt

So funny... this is where Megan said to Brenda, "Mom, your breath smells like beef."

To which Matt responded... "Nope, that would be me!"   :D  ha!

You can see an entire album of photos from the celebratory weekend at this link.

Engagement Photos

We are gearing up for Anna and Matthew's wedding this summer.  They will be married here at Willis Creek Ranch and we are all so excited!  Back in April, Jackson took a few engagement photos for them.  I thought they turned out very nicely.  What a cute couple!  (For a look back you can see the 'proposal' blog post here.)

:D

Matthew, Anna and Declan   :)

Snippets from May

I realize we aren't yet at the end of May, but I have a lot of random photos that are gathering dust on my hard drive.   :)  So, here are several photos from the month of May that haven't been covered in previous posts.  :)

I just thought the sky this particular evening was stunning.  

I love looking out this way...

The radio tower brought in a crane to set their new building (after the fire...)

It's always fun to watch a crane.   :)

Taken on my walk one evening - another beautiful sky.

My boy, Jonathan, doing a great job on the mower.

He is good at getting up close to the tree without getting too close.  

Love watching him work so diligently. 

Shonda sent me these lovely lilacs that she picked.  They smelled so good!!

Mother's Day with my sweet Mama!

Poor Brianna... Jackson brought her this blown glass piano from Branson.

She just loved it and was so happy to receive it.

Sadly, just a little bit after this photo was taken, it broke.  Makes me glad I am so 'snap happy', though.
At least we have the photos!!

Pretty view at the barn.

At Julie's driveway.

Mama and Daddy putting in the garden.  (makes me feel so lazy to post this photo!!)

Now we just need some rain!

Ask and you shall receive... after I drafted this post on Saturday, we got the big storm on Sunday night.  Jackson had gone to meet Brianna at work and they ended up having to hunker down and ride out the storm there.  They said shopping carts were being tossed around the parking lot and boy, was the lightning intense.  I sure was relieved when they each got home safely.

Sadly, the very next day saw the massive tornado hit Moore, OK.  We are so grateful that Kerry and family are all safe and sound, but heartsick about the devastation left in the wake of that terrible storm.

I then spent much of Tuesday marveling at how truly lovely the weather was here.  The sky was beautiful and peaceful looking all day.  Big white clouds with calm blue sky.  I thought about how it used to be 200 years ago when we wouldn't have even known here that such calamity had come to Oklahoma the day before.  And who would have ever guessed by looking at the sky?  And yet, by sunset Tuesday night I could sense a power in the sky - in those clouds.  It was stunning and mesmerizing, but there was something else there, too.   I was drawn outside to take it in.

"On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate."  

Psalm 145:5.