Party!!

 What a treat it was to plan Micah's graduation party! I had a lot of fun thinking about his favorite things, looking through old pictures and papers, and gathering decorations. Scott worked out a creative plan for our main meal to be a combination of Chipotle and Troy Grille and supplementing some groceries to make it more affordable. Hannah used her creativity and artistry to make some amazing signs and balloon arches. And everyone chipped in with yard work, cleaning, and getting everything ready. 

In the week leading up to the party, we watched the forecast get worse and worse and tried to figure out how we were going to fit people in the house if needed. I sent out the proverbial "bat signal", and we ended up with seven canopy tents from our friends! It was miserably rainy and windy as we set up for the party. The boys engineered weights and zip ties to keep our makeshift shelter in place, and Hannah and I repeatedly chased balloons across the yard as our decorations fell apart. 

But, praise God, by the time the party got going, the rain had stopped and the sun even came out for a while! It was still windy and chilly, but we were able to enjoy our time outside.

The wind was not helping!

I immediately took a picture because I wasn't sure how long it would last! 

We had tables of Micah's favorite cookies and breads, including the best challah rolls from Aunt Julie's friend in Virginia!

sign done by Hannah

We were blessed to have so many of our friends stop by - from Cornerstone, Tallmadge, church, sports, and more. Aunt Helen and Uncle Dan came for the party from Pittsburgh. We also had Kollers from Virginia, Nana from Indiana, and Chamberlins from Boston! How amazing to have so many people that we love together at one time!

Favorite Aunt Helen and Uncle Dan

Aunt Helen, Nana, and Gramme trying to stay warm!

Many hands make light work - as the party wound down and we started to pick up, everyone else jumped in. Tents, tables, chairs, food, and decorations were all squared away in no time!

The next morning all of the family (except Uncle Jack who got an early start to go visit his mom) gathered for pancakes and a coffee bar - more of Micah's favorites. 

The Gurley side of the family travelled home on Sunday. The Chamberlins got to stay a little longer, so we explored CVNP (as the rain allowed), played games, and enjoyed pizza and leftover party food.

And now it is officially summer vacation!!

Graduation

Graduation was held at the University of Akron, and we had a miraculous break from the rain!

Micah and Henri walking in together

Micah, Henri, and Andreas getting ready

 Out of almost 200 students, even though they aren't next to each other alphabetically, somehow Micah and Ally got to walk in together. 😭

Video from Sarah

Video receiving diploma

Micah graduated Summa Cum Laude with an honors diploma and in the top 5% of his class. He also received recognition for National Honor Society, Advanced Placement, and College Credit. 

Micah will be attending Grove City College in the fall to study business and math with a concentration in actuarial science.

Andreas

Chase (from soccer days)

Lily

Henri

Ally and Ali

Hannah Freshman Year ☑

First day

last day

Hannah rocked her freshman year: great friends, straight A's, and two varsity sports. She has a fun summer planned and is already training for cross country in the fall!

Micah Track 🗹

Micah had a fantastic finish to his track and field career! As a team, the boys won the district meet for the first time in school history! 

Five of those team points came from Micah's 4x800 relay team. They performed well enough to qualify for the regional meet!

 [Side note: I have mentioned before that we live in one of the most competitive districts in Ohio. There are plenty of boys in our district that didn't advance, even though their times are some of the best in the state! All that to say, it's even more impressive that Micah's relay team qualified for regionals.]

Personally, Micah ran his best time ever, and the team as a whole had their best time of the season. It was not fast enough to qualify them for states, but it was an impressive finish to their season!

A few other pictures from the season: 

So many cold and/or rainy meets!

Video from senior night: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7uXxuLgo9N4WLZkF7