Patty had a marching band competition and she was almost late. There was actually a bomb threat underneath a bridge that stopped traffic completely on the freeway. The delay meant that she missed practice, but she did make it to the competition on time. She is playing the violin at Notre Dame College and she is learning to play another instrument for the marching band.
Eddy had a fantastic birthday cookout and plenty of gifts for his big 17. As usual the cookout included plenty to eat for all the people that showed up. The cookout ran a little late into the evening and so the cake and all the presents had to be brought inside. Eddy blowing out the candles was actually done twice – once outside and once inside. He got plenty of presents this year. He got money in some of the cards. He also got art supplies. There were some gifts from his Mom that were Dragon Ball Z themed, including a comic book. He also got two Zelda video games for his Nintendo 3DS. Only one more year till he is 18 and off to college. The pictures can be found on the pictures page.
Eddy has started his Varsity year of football.
Patty and her Mom on her first day of college.
Patty practicing maneurverability in the St. Paul’s parking lot. Second time ended up being the charm for the driver’s test and she now has her license.
Patty’s birthday cookout was a very busy day. There were quite a few people in attendance. Patty, Michelle, and Kristy all showed up together, because Patty is living in Cleveland with her mother now. She is working and going to be starting college there very soon. Eddy and Grandma, of course. Becky and her five children. The triplets are certainly getting bigger every time we see them. They are ten months old. Christi-Anne and her twins and Tim Smith showed up as well. There was plenty of food. It is always better to have too much food than not enough.
There were hotdogs for the little ones, because they are not exactly going to finish a whole burger. Plus they like hotdogs. There were burgers for those that wanted one. BBQ Chicken for people that did not eat red meat. Bean burgers, of some sort, for the person that has decided not to eat meat. Corn on the cob is always a hit as well. Family and friends all showed up over the course of about an hour. The grill was kept going and food was served as each person arrived.
It was a great time for everyone and now the middle child has turned 18. There is only one more 18th birthday left. It is nearing the end of a very long path that got started a very long time ago. Time really flew by. Two kids in college and my youngest is starting his senior year in high school. Next year it is possible I will have three kids in college. Here is to another good school year for everyone. As always all the pictures can be found on the pictures page.
4th of July in downtown Akron. The weather was nice this year. No rain to be found. Patty, Eddy, and I packed up a sleeping bag to sit on and rode our bikes to the University of Akron to meet Christi-Anne and her twins for the fireworks. We would have tried to find somewhere closer for her to park, but honestly we have been riding our bikes downtown for so many years that we just do not know where else to park. It is a bit of a walk, but that is part of the adventure.
We found a spot in Lock 3 to lay down the sleeping bag and to sit and wait for the show. We explored the Rib Festival that they have on the 4th of July every year in downtown Akron. We tried the ribs and lemonade and it was good. It was actually the first time I have ever tried the ribs at the Rib Festival. We usually try and ride our bikes down there so that we are just in time, but with all of us going we really needed to be there earlier to have a place to sit. You do not need good seats to enjoy fireworks, but it was nice. The pictures can be found on the pictures page.
Went on a tour of Notre Dame College with Patty.
Patty’s High School graduation was held at the Akron Civic Theater. Four years of rigorous education at Archbishop Hoban High School and the journey has come to an end. In attendance was her mother, sister, brother, her Aunt Becky and Uncle Andrew, their five children, her Grandmother, and a family friend. Patty has already been accepted to Notre Dame College and will be attending classes there starting in the fall. It was a monumental event in Patty’s life that we are all glad to have shared. The pictures can be found on the pictures page.
The 2015 Spring Festival at Archbishop Hoban High School is the last one that Patty will be participating in. I have watched her play violin for years now and this was the last time that she will be playing in front of an audience as a part of Archbishop Hoban. She is graduating this year and I really hope she continues to play the violin as it is a great hobby and a great outlet for her creativity. Eddy had a game that he helped create on display. I got a chance to watch students play the game. There is talk that he might have that class again next year. I might be seeing another video game from Eddy next year. The pictures can all be found on the pictures page.