Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Lea's Day-Lea's, Week 21 (2024)

 Day 141, Monday, May 20th

Harper had her braces taken off today. 
March 2022/May 2024
26 months of braces


The Nelson kids are all braces free. 
Thank you Dr. Merrill!

Day 142, Tuesday, May 21st

Harper playing Fortnite tonight. 

Day 143, Wednesday, May 22nd

Logan went in to surgery with Dave today. 
He asked to job shadow the neurosurgeon. 

Day 144, Thursday, May 23rd

I have spent the last 8 years shaving corn off the cob for at least one kid during the Nelson braces era. 
Tonight, everyone ate it right off the cob. 

Day 145, Friday, May 24th

Probably watching Tik Tok's tonight

Day 146, Saturday, May 25th

Presley and Ry went golfing today in Cashmere. 

Day 147, Sunday, May 26th

Presley let me play with her hair today. 


Friday, May 24, 2024

Lea's Day-Lea's, Week 20 (2024)

 Day 134, Monday, May 13th

Beach volleyball practice in Lake Chelan today. 

Day 135, Tuesday, May 14th

Presley's home for the summer!

Day 136, Wednesday, May 15th

Rylan was selected to be a member of the National Honor Society. 
Tonight was the swearing-in ceremony. 
(The boy next to Rylan does jiujitsu with Logan)

Day 137, Thursday, May 16th

First dip in the pool!

Day 138, Friday, May 17th

Playing in a tournament in Anaheim this week-end. 
Rylan's team didn't win a game this week-end, and his best games were Friday and Sunday. 
We did have a nice time together with him. 

Day 139, Saturday, May 18th

Presley and Logan stayed home with Harper and Chewy. 
Presley sent me regular text updates with pictures. 

Day 140, Sunday, May 19th

Leaving Rylan's game today to head to the airport and Dave pointed out Disneyland's Matterhorn. 
I knew we were close but not that close!


We made it work (with a lot of help)!

It took a lot of little moving pieces to make this graduation week work, but it really couldn't have gone better. 

Dave and I both flew out of Spokane on Wednesday, May 8th. 

We were on different flights and drove separately.  Dave flew out at 11 AM and I flew out at 2:30 PM (supposed to have).  We had 2 cars parked in Spokane. 

This was because we weren't sure if Harper and Ry were going to come with us.  I was going to fly with them on Friday while Dave would be helping Logan clean out his room and get to that test on Friday.  But then we got Ry's basketball schedule and he was going to miss two Fridays this spring for tournaments so we didn't want him to miss any more school.  And Logan's test was in Charleston, which meant I would have had to rent another car to drive from Pittsburgh to Buckhannon. 

Dave left Wenatchee at 7 AM and I left about 10:30.  I put roast and potatoes in the crock pot so dinner would be ready for everyone. 

Grandma and Papa Kreider drove with Archie and Tilly and got to Wenatchee about 2'ish. 

Harper hasn't rode the bus home once this year, but she did today and Thursday, 

Papa drove Harper to school on Thursday morning. 


Dad took all the dogs to the dog park on Thursday afternoon. 
He also fixed my front door with a new latch. 
(Harper modeling a correctly working door) 
Mom did my laundry and did the dishes. 

Presley had one final on Thursday to complete and then she loaded up her car with some items to bring home and drove to Wenatchee to stay the night. 
She was just driving up as Grandma and Papa were leaving. 
Presley stayed with them on Thursday night, made lunches, and breakfasts on Friday morning. 
Our regular dog resort was not opened this week-end (she was out of town visiting her own mom for Mother's Day) so Presley dropped off Chewy with Grandma and Papa Nelson. 
Ry and Harper got off school and home by 4 and all 3 of them left for Spokane. 
Presley had to be back in Spokane on Saturday because residents were leaving and she had to be part of the check out process. 
They stayed up late on Friday to try and see the Northern Lights. 

How cool is that????

I think this picture is one Grandma Kreider texted from her deck. 
The Northern Lights were not visible in West Viriginia :)

Presley was up early on Saturday for her work. 
Rylan and Harper slept in, walked to Starbucks, walked around the campus, and went shopping at the Zag Shop. 
Logan was graduated by the time they started their day. 

We made it back to Pittsburgh, returned our rental car, checked Logan's heavy trunk, and were at our gate in plenty of time for our 4:30 flight.  
Dave did upgrade us to first class because we had a tight connection in Denver, Colorado. 
We arrived in Spokane at 9:30. 
Presley met us at the hotel to drop off Harper and Ry.  They stayed with us and she went back to her apartment.  
We met her at her apartment at 8:15 Sunday morning. 

After Presley's graduation, we loaded up Logan's jeep (Dave had drove that to Spokane on Wednesday) with more of Presley's things, and Ry and Logan drove home together.   They unloaded Presley's things and went to pick up Chewy from Grandma and Papa Nelson. 

Dave, Harper and I drove home in my car and we got home about 8:00.

Between Grandma and Papa Kreider coming for a night, Grandma and Papa Nelson caring for Chewy for 2 nights, Presley driving home one day and back to Spokane with Ry and Harper the next day,  Natalia for helping Presley out on Friday and allowing Harper and Ry to stay in their apartment, to Delta, United and Alaska airlines running *almost* perfectly on time,  all your family who streamed a 7 AM Saturday graduation and a 9:30 AM Sunday morning graduation,  and numerous texts making sure it was going to all work out and if not, there would be people at Gonzaga's graduation, somehow, we made it work!
YOU ARE LOVED

And we were up and at 'em on Monday for work and school. 












Presley's Cap and Gown Pictures

 




















Presley and her roommate/fellow resident advisor, Natalia.



























Presley's Graduation (5-12-24)

 We flew out of Pittsburgh at 4:30,  arrived in Denver at 7:30, and arrived in Spokane at 9:30 at night. 

Presley met us at the hotel to drop off Rylan and Harper, we stayed the night, and Gonzaga's graduation started at 9:30 at the Spokane Arena on Sunday, May 12th, Mother's Day. 

We arrived at Presley's apartment at 8:15--she wanted to take a few cap and gown pictures before her ceremony. 
In true Presley fashion, she had a Mother's Day bouquet to bring to me. 
May 2022                                                  May 2024
 

Presley was in the 5th row.
She found us and we waved.

Waving to us as she takes the stage.
She was nervous about those steps!

Picture and words with President Thane
With Natalia

Samee and Amy hosted a Mother's Day brunch and watching party.
 Cristy and Joe and Lanae and Grandma and Papa Nelson watched too. 


We went back to Presley's apartment to help her load up a few things. 
She had to stay for a couple more days to complete her RA duties. 
Her roommate Natalia had hung up the Congrats balloons. 
We visited Presley on her birthday just a week after she had moved in last August and Natalia had hung a balloon sign for her then too.  
She's been a really awesome and sweet friend to Presley!

Presley had a dress change (she got a little spot on her graduation dress)
and we stopped by the McCarthy Stadium for a pic with the Bulldog. 
April 2022:  Presley and I toured the school after her acceptance.
May 12, 2024:  Graduation Day

Dropping them off after a patio lunch at The Osprey and we headed home.