The Party's Over

After about 11 incredible days spent away from home with family, friends, lesson plans and books, the party is over! (Smile.) Well, Shayla continues on by overnighting at Grandma and Paw Paws and enjoying Shelby's company there, (Shay is 9 1/2 today!) but I'm now preparing for my oral exam and writing lesson plans and doing course development in a BIG BIG way. Quite frankly, I am now scared. I just received an email from one of my Professors on my doc committee and she said, "I've received your packet and I look forward to reading it." Yikes! (Although I had to laugh....if any one really looked forward to reading the 191 pages I wrote this summer, they must be bored out of their mind!! Hopefully, she'll fall asleep reading it and won't be able to think of any questions to try to nail me with! Wishful thinking! Prayers appreciated!) Here are some pictures summing up the fun we had:

Despite the fact I'm in Columbus so often, I just do not have enough time to catch up with good friends. Again this summer I was blessed to meet with a sweet, sweet, sweet "Christi Fan" for lunch and a trip to Columbus's amazing "The Book Loft". Thanks, dear Heather!!!
It was wonderful to get back to COSI to see Elizabeth (Jenn) and Harriett (Traci). In this play, Traci is "Miss Quito" and Shayla was selected to be in the play - imagine that! Traci and Matt did a great job! And I was totally caught off guard when a beautiful mother came up and asked if I was Christi's Mom. She used to volunteer at Children's and has followed Christi's site. I was shocked AND.....her adorable TWO DAUGHTERS are TWENTY months apart - sound familiar? I looked at those little ones and remembered those challenging days with two in diapers and often picking up both so one wouldn't cry. I feel it was a blessing that she came up to me and introduced herself!! And when she told me they now celebrate "1/2" birthdays because of Christi I told myself, "Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry!" and I made it!
We spent most all of last week at my sister's home. William came up to me the day I arrived and started setting up my computer and my books and he said, "I won't bug you while you work if you don't bug me by taking my picture, deal?" But notice, I didn't agree to that "deal".
Ashley asked me for this picture so that she could make it her screen saver at college. I also learned that they did this pose for me. Christi had just been on the "Italian Job" and thought it was too mild so Ashley took her on this. When I got back to meet up with them they told me they rode this big roller coaster and I said something like, "Wasn't that scary?" so they posed and told me yes it was horrific and could they ride it again. Hee hee! I also learned that day at Kings Island (July 2006) was the last day Ashley spent with Christi. Shelby had one more day, later in the summer, with her, but the K. I. day we had together was really Ashley's last.
Because of the above picture, Ashley and Shelby posed for this one for me. I really enjoyed my evening at Kings Island with my beautiful nieces last week. Other than the two girls being stuck on "The Crypt" for about 45 minutes while I sat outside reading my book oblivious to what was going on inside, I think they did too. (That was scary, indeed!)
PIC: Summer 2006. This ended up being Christi's final boat ride with her Grandma. I just had to include this one because Shayne took out his mother's (at least 20 year old pontoon) boat for the three of us to take a very short sail sail to lunch over the weekend. As I was standing up putting sun screen on Shayne's back, we were blasted with a very loud whistle. When we looked to our left, the dock was lined with law enforcement and I knew I was in trouble for standing up on a boat. Well, not being "boat people" we soon were greeted with "Are you U.S. citizens? Any weapons on board?" We soon learned they were doing safety checks and were pulling over everyone. Shayla was Little Miss Chatter Box talking with a sherrif's deputy about Yorkies (darling little dogs on the boat behind us), I was so nervous wondering if we were going to get in trouble for not really knowing what we were doing and Shayne was answering all of the questions. "Do you have a fire extinguisher?" "yes!" "Where is it?" "Hmmmmm." (repeated with nearly each item requested). In the end we think we were their perfect catch of the day, all wearing life jackets, with all of the needed equipement on board (after we found it) and with no alcohol, but my heart was racing the whole time! When one of the officers pulled out the flare gun to make certain it was in good standing, Shayla shouted out in surprise, "We have a gun???" That was hiliarious!
A short while ago, Shayla found her class list for the year. While she did get the teacher she wanted (a former babysitter, Christi's 4th grade teacher, Shayne's 4th grade teacher and one of my dearest "teacher friends") she was split up from most of the other girls she's been in the same class with since kindergarten as there is no longer just one class at that grade level. She was very sad, but we've been talking about how nice it is to be in one school now instead of three and that she will soon make new friends.
(PIC: Shayla and Christi's last day on the condo beach together, late July 2006)Regardless, we arranged for her to have a special day at the condo with one of her best friends. I studied, they played - a perfect day, reminding me of the many she spent playing at the lake with Christi. I thank God for all of that!
Shayla and Nicole at African Wildlife Safari Park - enjoying the free camel rides
Christi, just turned "two", enjoying the African Wildlife Safari park with mama, while Grandma Nee Nee stayed back at the condo and watched baby Shayla for me. (1999) (You really have to click on this picture to enlarge it and to see how precious Christi's face was. What a cutie! I think she was amazed and a bit frightened perhaps! She rode their camels many times over the years.)