Kindergarten Graduation

(wrote this in May 2010 and couldn't get the photos to download...where did this year go?)
I wonder who thought of the idea of a kindergarten graduation. Kind of cheesy, but those kids are so cute in their little hats. We feel really blessed this year that Tolkien has been able to attend kindergarten for part of this school year. He finally feels like belongs somewhere. He's officially enrolled in the first grade for next school year and he's pretty excited!

Odessa has grown so much from this school year. It's an amazing thing what a good teacher can do for a child's confidence, satisfaction, and love of life and learning. We will miss Mrs. Hone...she is a phenomenal person.

Birthday Girl Odessa

Here's our gorgeous daughter on her 9th birthday (May 14). We had a big luau birthday party with 20 kids at our house that day.

Mediterranean Cruise

Here are some photos from our trip a couple weeks ago. We went to Rome, Vatican City, and Naples in Italy, Athens and Rhodes in Greece, Ephesus and Kusadasi in Turkey, Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt, and stopped in Sicily. Most memorable experiences: Turkish bath, karaoke, riding a camel, hanging out with Aimee (John's sis) and Travis, and having my chair tucked in by my waiter, Deron, each evening in the dining room before he brought me as many entrees as I wanted.

Here's John telling lies to the Mouth of Truth in Rome

On top of the Acropylus overlooking Athens, Greece
The sunset leaving Athens
John, Shauntelle, Travis, and Aimee on the castle grounds in Rhodes, Greece

One of my new favorite places: Rhodes, Greece
hanging out in the city where Paul, the apostle, taught the Ephesians (Ephesus, Turkey)

The best authentic meal we had: included Turkish pizza, awesome pita (peda) bread, and real lamb kabobs (kebaps)
John and his apple tea after our interesting rub down in the oldest turkish bath in Kusadasi
obviously in Cairo, Egypt at the pyramids of Giza
Riding camels on the Sahara Desert
This is what my camel did when I tried to pet it, yikes!