Back to School!

4 out of 5 of my nieces and nephews are in school! M, the youngest - he'll be 4 in November - will head off to preschool next week!

The older kids were the first to head back to school on Wednesday.

Here's C (5th grade), H (3rd grade), and J (8th grade) ready for their first day back to school!


And here they are getting on the bus!


B headed off to his first day of Kindergarten on Thursday!


Here he is having some breakfast.


His little brother M having some breakfast, too.


And here's B with his smile, backpack, and lunch!

Have a great year, kids!

Happenings

The first "happening" was my sister Corie's marriage to Scott on August 1st. She lost her first husband, Doug, in 2001 to a virus of the heart. Doug was 31, she was 32, and C was almost 4. Corie met Scott, a widowed pastor with two girls - J (14) and H (9) in January on Ya*hoo personals. They were engaged on April 14th and married on August 1st!

It was a beautiful ceremony. In place of a unity candle, they had a family candle and a Family Medallion Service. Corie and Scott promised to love them unconditionally and to raise them as a family; then they gave each of the kids a family mediallion necklace. I was glad I had tissues tucked in my flowers!

Here are some candid pictures from the wedding:


C, the best man, and Scott walking into the church! The groomsmen walked up the aisle to the theme from Star Wars! C's idea. Very cool!

Corie is escorted by Doug's Dad, Jim, and our Dad, Tom


The Family Medallion Service


J and H after the wedding. (I think J looks like Corie!)

Dad and Mom

The newly married couple!

We went to Scott's church on Saturday morning for a reception in their Fellowship Hall. His church folks had it decorated so lovely.


Kissing

One of the cakes at the Saturday reception. Beautiful!


Oh yeah. I had my first-ever pedicure for the wedding since I was wearing open-toed heels! I got a French pedicure....

And a French manicure. I was able to get my own fingernails French manicured since they were long enough!

I traveled for work the first week in August. I took some scenic pictures:




The last happening I'll share in this post is C's 11th birthday party!



Hard to believe he's 11! Corie, Scott, and the family now live 2 hours away. They were back in our neck of the woods for a wedding this past weekend, so we were able to celebrate C's birthday, which was fun! He had a party at the bowling alley!

My next post in a day or two will be pictures of the kids as they head back to school!