I'm not sure where to begin... Maybe I should just share my traveling schedule since I returned from Micah's soccer tournament in Great Falls starting with the following Wednesday:

Wednesday 6/15/11: work at 6am, leave for Jackson, Wyoming to take Micah to ski camp at 1:30, arrive in Jackson at 5:15, hang out go to meeting, leave Jackson at 8pm and drive back to Big Sky.

Monday, 6/20: work at 6am, drive with Jackie through Yellowstone to pick up Micah in Jackson, leaving around 1:30, arrive for dinner around 5 pm, hang out turn around and drive back to Big Sky.

Tuesday, 6/21: work at 6am till about 3 pm, then off to Bozeman to see Howie play baseball, plus work chores, back to Big Sky late, ended up back at store, don't ask. Summer Solstice. It was a long day...

Thursday, 6/23: up at 5:30 am to take Andrew to freshman orientation at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Arrive at 12:30, for an afternoon of orientation.

Friday, 6/24: up at 7:30 for a full day of orientation. Drive back to Big Sky leaving around 5 pm, home by 11:00 pm. Back in my own bed for my first good nights sleep in forever.

Well that covers most of the driving, I'm pretty sure there were a couple of other round trips to Bozeman in there, but I do remember that last weekend which was father's day was a very mellow weekend at home where I practically did nothing, but hang out with Grandpa Stan and watch sports on t.v. especially the U.S. Open Golf Tournament.

Well, to say the least I'm tired. Lots of store openings in there as well. and phone calls. and texts, and dog walks, and feeding kids, and lots of hours working at the store and and and and to be honest I can't remember or don't want to remember...

Here's a poem I wrote at the beginning of Andrew's orientation:

"The Rehearsal"

6/23/11

University of Utah Parent Orientation, Room 2AB

(Andrew is downstairs for Student Orientation, Room 1AB)

and as we parted (student orientation vs. parent orientation)

he gently smirked and said "this is goodbye"

I smiled back and chuckled - "see you later"

and as I walked away

tears welled up in my eyes

Pictures from Micah's ski camp in the Tetons:

they were skiing up there somewhere...

Father's Day 2011

Notice the change in baseball jackets!

Pictures from a weekend of sports

The weekend began Friday evening with Howie on the mound in Bozeman...

and the pitch...
Howie pitched 2 innings giving up a quick 2 runs in the first, and none in the second...

The mighty Howie up at bat...

yesterday he hit a triple to left and then stole home on the next pitch. His new nickname is Jose Reyes... or maybe it should be Jackie Robinson, oh yeah he is Jackie Robin's son...

and then the venue moved to Great Falls. Friday night while Howie was playing baseball Micah's team, the Belgrade Rage tied the Butte team in their first game of the Montana State Cup tournament...

It was a very exciting soccer weekend. On Saturday the Rage lost its first game to Flathead

2 - 1, Micah scoring our only goal, a huge disappointment. Then needing to win against Red Lodge and Butte to beat Flathead, the Rage beat Red Lodge 3 - 1, and Butte beat Flathead putting the Rage against Butte in the championship game on Sunday morning....

Howie and Lucy watching the championship game... with seconds left in the first half we scored making it 1 - 0. With only minutes left in the game the referee called a penalty kick against the Rage. Micah was in the goal. The Flathead player shot and it went off Micah's hand and into the net. 1 - 1. The Rage were on fire, earlier they had a goal taken away because of what appeared to be a bad off sides call. They felt they should have won 2 - 0 already, but the reality was a 1 - 1 tie after regulation.

After two 10 minute overtimes it was still tied 1 -1. Now it was time for a shoot out. Cooper was in the goal for the Rage for the shootout. Butte took a 3 -2 lead. Then Cooper put one in against the opposing goalie and then stopped the opposing goalie's shot on him. It was all tied up with 2 more shooters to go. The Rage scored. Flathead scored. The Rage scored and then the same player who scored on the penalty kick during the game shot the ball right at Cooper... and he stops it! Belgrade Rage Wins, RAGE WINS!!!! RAGE WINS!!!! The entire team put Cooper up on their shoulders and paraded on the field. Parents were running on the field jumping and screaming. I was shaking, holding back tears, and trying to remember how to breathe, so I didn't get any pictures until the coach handed out their first place medals...

THE BIG SKY BOYS, COOPER, HARRY (the birthday boy) and MICAH!!!! State Champs!

Sunday night, back at home in Big Sky....

and then full moon rising over Ramshorn this evening...

Micah's turn...

Micah's 8th graduation day. 26 kids, the largest Ophir graduating class by far in the history of Ophir School which will more than double the size of Lone Peak High in the fall graduated today. The praises of this class were sung loud and clear by all the teachers as one of the kindest, supportive, and loving classes. A class of kids that all cared about each other and pulled for each other, and helped each other and loved each other.

Mr. Harder, their 4th grade teacher and assistant basketball coach was called in to make the commencement address which included many many gems...highlighted by:

Mr Harder's Top Ten List To Get You Through Today (given of course in backwards order, plus he said he only had time for 8):

#8 SMELL GOOD!

#7 LAUGH!

#6 TAKE TIME TO TASTE THE LEFTOVERS. - appreciate the people who do everyday things for you

#5 IF YOU HAVE TO FACEBOOK, don't Twitter - communicate one on one, face to face, it’s the only thing we have left, besides art, that really expresses how we feel. So tonight sit down with someone, use eye contact and observe their facial expressions as you tell them your dreams.

#4 CELEBRATE!

#3 HUGS!

#2 GO TO BED HAPPY - never go to bed angry at the people you love most.

#1 JUMP SHIP - Leaving negative, harmful, illogical situations is better than getting yourself wrapped up in them.

Jeremy also mentioned that this was the class that taught him 3 very important life skills: to be caring, compassionate and communicative...

And in Jeremy's closing... he mentions the greatness of this class,

As you have heard this morning, I remember you and the things you taught me, it was and still is the

greatness that empties out of you. This class permeates greatness; please remember this, if nothing

else today…GREATNESS.

Again thank you for this honor, may your moccasins take you down untraveled roads to magical places,

may you always walk in them down hill both ways, in the warm sunlight. May your soul shine, and may

your days be filled with greatness!

After Mr. Harder, Trevor House spoke as the 8th grade representative, speaking again of the closeness of this class, and how most of them have known each other since before kindergarden.

Ms. Breuner also thanked the class for taking her in as one of them and letting her be a part of their special family. She talked about all of their positive qualities and read these cards the kids made about each other, by wearing these cards on their backs and having each kid in the class write a word about each of their classmates...

Micah's card said "crazy!, crazy in a good way, great smile, funny, the best, really funny, skilled, big mountain skier, Grand!" Nettie's word for Micah was "insightful"

After Graduation we all headed over to the Half Moon where grandpa came to celebrate. I was too busy talking to people and kind of gave up taking pictures. We were a proud bunch of parents and teachers, just having a good time...

Maybe #9 was.... ALWAYS HAVE DESSERT!!!

Graduation Day...

Andrew's Graduation Day... was another beautiful day, arriving to the fieldhouse at the same time as our good friends the Greenes, and finding seats together and just joining families. This text exchange with Andrew tells a lot of the excitement and fun that we were all having watching the graduates and listening to the speeches:

Me: So you know... We are up above the band sitting with the Greene Family. We will be sure to embarrass you when they call your name!

Me: Did you make it to graduation? Where are you?

Andrew: in on the far left right by some steps

Andrew: I mean far right, my bad

Me: Can you wave at mom?

Andrew: I think I just did

Me: Ok. Look up at us and smile so mom can take a picture with her zoom. And we thought Grandma Peggy was at Molly's graduation! Oh I guess I'm a slow texter, they already got your picture.

Andrew: Wait, Grandma's here?!

Me: Only in the form of your mother...

Andrew: Oh I got it ha

And so Andrew Robin is now a college graduate! After graduation Andrew went on his own to a bunch of parties. Jackie went and checked on Tracy at the hospital who was meeting her new son Brody when she arrived. Then we all went onto the Greene's and joined there family celebration. It was another beautiful sunny day, we just hung out in there back yard visiting, eating, drinking and generally relaxing.

On Monday we had a big graduation dinner with grandpa Stan and Patty, Kelly and Curly and Cooper, Lance, Harry and Lucy, and all of us at La Luna. It was really fun. Andrew has become a very composed, chill, sensible young man. I am truly very proud of him...

On Tuesday we had dinner with our french couchsurfers. Did I ever mention them? They arrived on Saturday and just left this morning. Super interesting people on a tour of the world spreading ecological sanity and conservation. They visited Yellowstone National Park all day Sunday and Monday leaving the house by 4 am to see the sunrise and getting home late in the evening. Tuesday it rained all day and they took a day of rest and hung around the house. We made a big dinner and hung out and got to know each other. Check out their website: http://www.ecologames.org

Manut and Andrew
The entire gang at dinner, Andrew, Man, Howie, Clemence, Manut, Jackie and Jules

At the computer, sharing websites, checking out facebook

Manut with her souvenir water bottle signed by her new friend Rick (me), addressed to her new nickname of Rita. For some reason she thought my name was Rick, and we decided because she washed so many dishes, that we nicknamed her after our nonexistent housekeeper named Rita...

So our lives have been a bit busy of late... This morning after a very busy evening of speaking french and getting to know our new friends Jackie, on 2 hours sleep left the house for the airport. She is now in Michigan for her 30th high school renunion. Tonight Lance had an 8th grade graduation party at his house, and tomorrow morning is Micah and all his classmates' 8th grade graduation ceremony with a party to follow... The fun never stops.

Morning of Andrew's Graduation Day.

10 am Sunday morning...

Ziggy on the back patio hunting swallows... I'm at the kitchen table with the computer, opera on NPR, Howie and Micah still asleep, Andrew in Bozeman after a day and night of graduation parties. I'm prepping breakfast, drinking coffee, and blogging...

Text at 6:30 am this morning. Tracy heading to the hospital. Time to give birth to Brody. Jackie on her way...

I stayed in bed till about 8:30am, cleaned up another mess of Murray's, then walked the dogs, took Buddy for a long walk around the neighborhood. Murray always hangs out somewhere and waits for us to get back, poor girl, has intermittent incontinence plus very bad back hips, has trouble getting up, but once she's up she gets around pretty well...

Yesterday was Andrew's Graduation party. We shared the party with his 3 best friends, Henry, Sawyer and Fletcher and their families. Party was in Bozeman at Sawyer's house. The weather was unbelievably beautiful, the sun shined on us once again. We all feel so blessed, it's hard for me to describe how blessed I feel except by the tears in my eyes...

I guess it's hitting me this morning as I sit here alone. Andrew is 18, graduating from high school and moving on to college. He's not the little boy who used to sleep on my chest, he's a grown man. Yesterday he was in rare form, very funny, confident, mature, when asked by my friend Alex, "what was the most asked question of the day?" He immediately answered, "what's your phone number?"

When I took a picture of Alexandra and Andrew, they are practically cousins, knowing each other since the day Alexandra moved here when she was I think 3 years old, they talked about a day at the beach when they decided to dig to China. I asked them, "Did you make it to China?" They laughed and said, "no we stopped after a couple of minutes." "Really?" I asked. "Well, Andrew gave up, oh not really..." Alexandra laughed.

And right now as I am writing these memories from yesterday. Little Brody Jacobsen is crying and squirming in the nursery, playing with his father Scott, only minutes old... Tracy is in recovery with her mom and Jackie is taking it all in... Andrew's graduation ceremony is at 2 pm so I need to get moving, need to check on Grandpa and get the kids up and fed, and get to town and load a few more photos... will load more later...