Family Matters

Bailey and Canyon's Preschool Graduation

On May 18, Bailey and Canyon graduated from preschool at Mound City Elementary.

 
Colt and Candace there to watch Canyon graduate.  That is Josh (in the white cap) behind Colt, sitting next to Sy and Taylor.

 
Sy, Taylor and Candace.

 
Cooper and Karsten watching the festivities.

 
Cooper, Karsten, Kristie, Colt, Candace, Josh and Taylor.

 
Cooper (2nd from left) and Bailey (3rd from left) getting ready to hand out carnations to their moms.

 
Canyon with Candace.

 
Leji with Bailey.

 
Love this little imps smile!

 
Bailey with her step-sister and her half-sister, Lainey, Clint and April.

 
Bailey with Grandpa Gary and Grandma Sheilah. 

 
The happy graduates - Canyon and Bailey.

Congratulations Kiddos... I hope you are having fun in first grade this year.

Aunt Sheilah retires after a 28 year teaching career!

On Monday, May 18, we celebrated the retirement of Aunt Sheilah (as well as Linda Wunderley) at Everybody's in Mound City.  The party was hosted by the Mound City elementary school administration. 

The joint was packed with friends, family and co-workers of Sheilah and Linda.  There was a slide show of each of the ladies and their families.  Showing them over the years in both their personal and professional lives.  I know Aunt Sheilah will be deeply missed.  One of the teachers at the party was telling me she'd tried to convince Sheilah to stay for just a couple more years so one of her young sons could be in Sheilah's class.

If you are ever out with Sheilah, you are bound to notice that she has many former students who come up and visit and fill her in on their lives since they last saw Mrs. Umphenour.  She is truly loved by her students.

 
Here is Aunt Sheilah behind the reception table.

 
Makenzi and Madison - Lee and Denise's daughters - posing for the camera.  Aren't they a couple of beauties?!!

 
Quentin goofing around with Bailey, Clint's daughter.

 
Here's a shot of the crowd, there to share in Sheilah and Linda's retirement celebration.

Aunt Sheilah said she is planning on taking it easy for awhile and do all those projects she hasn't really had time to pursue and just relax and enjoy herself for awhile.

Congratulations Aunt Sheilah!

Alex and Kolbee's Graduation Party

Here are some photos from the party for Alex and Kolbee held at Grandpa's farm after the graduation ceremony.

The first group of shots are a few posed photos with the graduates and their folks.

 
Paul and Kristie kissing their graduate, Kolbee.

 
Paul, Kolbe and Kristie

 
Debi, Kevin, Alex, Kolbee, Paul and Kristie

 
Not sure what Alex is laughing at, but I love this photo ofher.

 
Debi, Alex and Kevin.

This next group of shots are just some casual photos of folks standing around a visiting, the kids opening their gifts, and the general milling around of friends and family.  I hope you love these get togethers as much as I do.  Where else would you see Sheila Wimmer, Shane Kastler, and Heath Umphenour at the same place? ;-D 

 
Sheila Wimmer with Audrey.  Sheila taught Michele and she also had Alex.  That is quite a teaching career and I'm sure she had quite a few stories to share with Alex about her mom.

  
Paul, trying to hide from the camera as usual.

 
Pastor Shane and Kevin

 
Ann Jackson visiting with Grandma Virginia

 
Kolbee checking out his T-shirt blanket.  The squares are made from some of Kolbee's T-shirts.  Kristie told Kolbee that she made the blanket. The look on his face is him saying "Really? You did this?" LOL... right Kolbee, she whipped that out between your sporting events, her work and taking care of her dad. 

 
Alex is showing off her new purse.

 
Kolbee checking out his new laptop.

 
Gary, David, DeWayne, and Kevin visiting.

 
David, Missy, Trenton, and Edward Lee.  Looks like Missy is telling quite a story - the men are all quiet.

 
Kolbee and Alex sitting on the ottman (made by Jada for Alex) opening and reading their cards.

 
Trenton and Edward Lee... not sure which is the bigger story teller.  Probably Edward Lee, he's been at it longer.  ;-D

 
Jess, Sheilah, Julie and Jae

 
Great GREAT Aunt Deanna holding Molli Blou.  (Check out Jae in the background, that little lady is always trying to get some part of her body in a photo.  Here it's her head, but she doesn't care if it's a foot or arm. LOL...)

 
The kids playing on the big slide.

 
The kids playing in the yard.  Isn't it good to see Grandpa's yard full of kids?

 
Mollie is cracking me up.  She is decked out in her little cowgirl finery and she's wearing her scooter/skateboarding helmet.  Jace was showing her a few tricks.

 
Aunt Patty holding little Olive.

 
Tommy visiting with Kolbee... Good to see you again, Tommy!

 
Now this is a normal site.  One of the big guys picking on one of the little guys.  (Okay, don't think you can call Dalton little!)  I'm sure Adam is just finally glad he's one of the "big guys!" HEHEHE

 
Oh my, it looks like Malachi is about to get a facefull of football.  I think Kaden got a hand on it and deflected it.  In the red shirt is Chase, then Adam and Dalton.  Isn't it funny to see our vehicles parked on the highway!?

 
This is Jace trying to jump up and touch the rim.  Check out the little shaver... he's a ways away from the rim, but he can jump a lot higher than I imagined.

 
Here is Judah on the move.  Someone better look out.  He's got a determined look on his face and a squirt gun full of water!

 
Here is a photo of Julie feeding Breck.  (This photo was taken at the graduation ceremony.)

This last group of photos are group shots.  A couple were taken at the gym because I wasn't sure they would be at the party.

  
Another photo taken at the graduation ceremony.  This is Clint's family.  The pretting little girl in pink is his daughter Bailey and his wife, April, is holding their little girl, Lainey.

 
I also got a photo of Adam Hamilton and his girlfriend Ashley Casey with their son, Talan, after the graduation ceremony.

  
Ty and his pops, Trenton

 
Grandpa sitting for a photo with Heath and his kids, Christian (little guy in blue), Chase (red) and Courtney.

 
Grandpa with Deanna, DeWayne, Cassidy, Jada, Dalton, and David

 
This photo cracks me up.  These two guys are going to be Freshman next year.  Can you believe they are the SAME AGE!  Well almost, Brenton is 8 months older, but a FOOT taller.  How adorable!?

 
Brenton, Danea and Breanna

 
Five Generations: Edward, Edward Lee, Julie, Jess and Molli Blou
(In the photo, Edward is seated.  Standing L to R: Jess, Julie and Edward Lee holding Molli Blou) 
Papa Jason is making faces at Molli, that's why her legs are sticking out straight and she is starting to smile.  She has a full body reaction to Papa Jason.

 
Grandpa Edward with the Cooneys: Jace, Jess, Jason, Julie holding Molli Blou and Jae.

Wow, that was a lot of photos.  I hope you enjoyed them!

Alex and Kolbee's graduation ceremony from Pleasanton High School

It's hard to believe but these two youngin's have graduated from high school.  If you ask them, I'm sure they'd both add... "FINALLY!"

It was a great weekend, with family and friends gathering to celebrate this special occasion.  I'm not sure why or exactly when it started, but it seems we have all made an extra effort to make it to high school graduations.

Traveling quite a distance to attend the festivities included the entire Cooney family who traveled to the graduation from Fort Mill, South Carolina.  The Randall's traveled from Jacksonville, North Carolina.  (I think they get the award for traveling the farthest, but they flew in so does that count?  I should mention they flew in by way of Miami where they went to attend Jeremia's [Josh's brother] graduation - doctoral program in sports medicine, very cool.)  Adam and Morgan drove up from Dallas, Texas.  Debi's sister, Patty, drove in from Western Kansas and Heath and his kids drove down from Atchison. 

We also enjoyed the company of all the "local" family and friends that can be counted on to celebrate and cheer us on our major milestones.

Although I was hoping to arrive a little early, with the Cooney's visiting it just wasn't to be.  LOL... we were lucky to get to the high school before "Pomp and Circumstance" started to play.  Needless to say, we sat in the nose-bleed section.  Luckily, Bret and Jed's family were up there waiting for us. HEHEHE!

So enjoy a few photos of the graduation from a new perspective, just in case you've never sat quite so high at one of these events. 

 
A shot of the school board and administration.  Paul is a school board member and is the fourth person from the right.

 
Alex entered the gym first since she (and Griffin Bortzfield) were valedictorians.

 
Kodee's girlfriend, Hannah, also graduated.  This is Hannah walking in with Landon Baker.

 
Kolbee walking in with Kyle Walker.

  
This is Alex giving her valedictorian speech.

 
Alex hugging Paul after she receives her diploma.

 
Hannah shaking Paul's hand.

 
Paul handed Kolbee his diploma and here you see him giving Kolbee a hug.

  
Woohoo!  We're outta here.

 
Alex and Kolbee, both looking pretty darn happy.

 
LOL... two cool kids.

 
Proof... I'm not the only one that takes photos! (Audrey on the left and Kristie on the right.)

 
Kolbee with Paul and Kristie.  Do you think Kolbee's smile could be any bigger?  LOL...

I'll get more group photos and photos from the party posted in a separate posting.  It's time to go to bed so I can get to Sunday School in the morning.

Update from Aunt Sheilah

I traded emails with Aunt Sheilah a week or so ago and received the following information from her:

• Clint and April did get married on January 16.
• Lainey's birthday was February 21 (previous posts corrected)  Sheilah said she is adorable with dark hair and blue eyes.
• Sheilah is planning to retire at the end of this school year.  She has been teaching for 28 years!  The school is planning a party for Sheilah and Mrs. Wunderly (also retiring) on May 18.
  Congratulations, Aunt Sheilah!

Missed Lainey's birthday / Clint married (?) in January

I think I did this when Lainey was born last year; I keep trying to make her a February baby (probably because I didn't hear about her birth until way after the fact).

However, Lainey is actually a January baby and so I have updated the January birthday listing.

I've also heard that Clint and April were married in January, but I haven't confirmed that with Aunt Sheilah yet so until I can get the official word... consider it an eRumor!

(Update 3/1: Good heavens, I'm totally confused.  I received an email from Aunt Sheilah and Laney was born in February.  I really don't know what's going on.  I think I may need to see the birth certificate when I get back to Kansas.)

Chelsea, Cate and Caylee playing in the snow

I received this photo of Cammie's girls in her Christmas card.

I cannot get over how much they are growing.

Left to right: Chelsea, Cate, and Caylee; looks like they are holding a couple of the farm cats.

Wow, that looks cold! Jae would be in heaven if we ever got that much snow here.