Where should we go today?

Well, yesterday, really!

It was one of those gorgeous late-Spring days here in Virginia ... beautiful sunny skies, low humidity and a full day of relaxation (the benefit of going to 8:30 a.m. Mass!) spread before us. Since it was the Feast of Corpus Christi, we really wanted to do it right.

We decided to stop by Wegmans (our very FAVORITE grocery/cafe place in all of NoVA) to pick up lunch and then head out to Fountainhead Regional Park to revel in God's creation and the beauty of the day. We played multiple rounds of putt-putt golf (with all three littles and Kotch scoring at least one hole in one!) and then walked about down by the Marina and dreamed of the day when we'll have a boat on a lovely lake, too!

After a few hours at Fountainhead we headed toward Dulles to hook up with Kotch's grandma, aunt and cousin ... the four of them are heading to Ireland (as a graduation present from said grandma) today and we all went out to dinner to celebrate the reunion, graduations and birthdays (Kotch will actually turn 18 while touring the Emerald Isle). A great time was had by all (especially the waiter who got a kick out of the littles -- hmmm, imagine that!) and we headed home after wishing the travelers a safe and joy-filled trip.

What a day it was! We even had NO TRAFFIC coming home on toll road 267 and interstates 495 and 95 -- a minor miracle in itself.

How was your weekend?

Milestones: High School Graduation!

Well, she did it ....

Yep, she did it ... Kotch walked down the aisle on a warm early-Summer evening, walking down the aisle as a mere kid in high school. A couple of hours later, she walked out to be greeted by her youngest brother in the gathering darkness; she walked out a young woman ready to face the world with all the gifts and blessings she's been given, all the tools necessary to go off to college!

What a wonderful night it was ... with great speeches from a few of the seniors (the best being the last by Kotch's good friend), a great experiential speech from R-Nebraska Congressman Fortenberry, and a wonderful Mass celebrated by favorite-parish priest, Fr. Searby!

The evening was long but well-worth-it for the younger three to see their sister graduate -- so, one down and three to go!

We are EXTREMELY proud of our daughter and her hard work ... and for those who haven't heard, she'll be heading down to Ave Maria University this Fall to begin her science studies with an eye to becoming a doctor someday .. or whatever else God might have in mind for her!

God bless you, Kotch -- we love you!

WooHoo: Kotch places

Kotch and a small team of students from her high school went down to Newport News for the weekend to compete in the Virginia Marine Sciences Bowl. 16 high school teams ... public, private and home-school ... compete to be able to go on to the National Ocean Science Bowl. This was Seton's second year in competition but Kotch's first.

They placed FOURTH! and brought home a trophy ... besides learning and enjoying all things marine-ish.

CONGRATS to all the team and to their wonderful teacher who got them up and ready to compete in just a couple of months!

College: choices and challenges

On Thursday we dropped Kotch off at the airport to fly to her "sometimes first choice, sometimes second choice" college for a college visit/scholarship competition. At the same time, I started the socks for this trip.

She came home today and definitely has placed this one as her "definite" first choice ... at least until she hears how much aid she'll be getting from this one and the other "first choice". I finished the socks tonight as she described her visit to the mid-west and this wonderful college.

Once she decides, she'll get the socks for the college -- so, either the above or these (for her other "first choice"):It's completely up to her and either college would be a wonderful experience for her; my first choice would be the one she just returned from (and this is only SLIGHTLY affected by the fact that the girls in the freshman dorm all learned to knit this year!).

While we were waiting for Kotch's flight to arrive, we took the opportunity and spent the day in D.C. Dh took StringBean to the Art Museum while I took the boys to the Air and Space. On our way to meet up with Dad and StringBean, we stopped in the Hirschhorn Sculpture Garden for a photo op on this gorgeous 70-something day in the Nation's Capitol:

College: Her Cup Runneth Over

We're very proud of Kotch. In October she figured out the three colleges she really wants to attend. She completed the application packets -- including hounding her college counselor to ensure timely submission of transcripts and recommendation letters -- and promptly forgot about them as she figured she'd here after Christmas.

Tuesday before Thanksgiving, she received an acceptance from her first choice.

Saturday after Thanksgiving, she received an acceptance from her close-second choice (including an amazing scholarship and today an invitation to apply for a total, free-ride scholarship)


Monday evening after Thanksgiving, she received a call from her third choice's admissions counselor who asked if she'd received her acceptance packet yet as they wanted to know what she needs to accept their offer.



Three applications ... three acceptances ... a scholarship in hand and the offer of more ...

Her cup runneth over!

Modesty: easy solution

So, what do you do when your 16yod wants to wear a strappy dress to her homecoming dance?

Whip up a knitted shrug in less than 2 days, of course! Not only did I finish it on time, it was judged "cool"!