Busy busy week!

Yesterday was a crazy day.  Ben had his 5th grade all elementary school track meet at the Bismarck Community Bowl, which is where the high schools play football.  Rich and I went out for a little bit and saw him do the long jump.  Or foot jump in his case :) .  Oh well, he had fun!  He also ran the 400 relay and did the shotput.

After that, Ben had his final Guitar Club, and they did a little show for the parents.  I took a couple of videos with my camera, but so far I haven't figured out how to upload them.  You don't want to miss Ode To Joy :)!

Then in the evening, Matt had a choir concert.  It was a really long day!  Today Grace came out of school carrying a spruce tree.  Her Fire Prevention poster won for 2nd grade, and the tree was her prize!  Now to figure out where to plant it.

Rich and I got the accent wall painted this week.  I think it turned out really well!  Although Matt, Tyler, and Rich all mentioned how they thought it looked like Iowa State colors :P,

And while watering my flower boxes, I noticed this huge dragonfly clinging on for dear life.  It's body is so big...I've never seen one this big.  It almost looks like a small bird :).

I'm positive that next week will be much calmer, what with getting ready for graduation and all.....HAHAHA!

Tyler's Art Show

Tyler has some of his art in 2 art shows in town.  The first in the Juried Art Show at the Bismarck Art Center, which is where different pieces of art are hand selected from local high schools and are judged by an art professor from Minnesota State University in Moorhead.  There were about 100 different drawings, paintings, & sculpture on display at the Art Center.  Tyler's didn't win there, but it was a huge honor to even have something selected for the show.  His drawing is charcoal, and is titled "Emptiness".

The second show was at his high school.  It's the Bismarck Public Schools Spring Art Exhibit, and featured pieces from the public middle schools and high schools (there are 2 of them).  Tyler entered 3 of his things.  Art 1 and the middle school pieces were judged separately from the Art 2 & 3 pieces.  There were 3 big glass cases of Art 2 & 3 pieces, with probably 20 or so things in each case.  So out of 60-70 pieces of art maybe 8 won an Artistic Merit Award, and one of Tyler's won!!!!  He was so excited!  Here is his winning drawing...it's a charcoal drawing on pieced newspaper.  This one is called "Lies of Republicans"   :) .

These are the other two he had entered.  The first is a coffee painting...they used different strengths of coffee to paint with.  It's Gandhi.

And this one is of a mountain goat:

He also got a Presidential Education Award:

We're very proud!  And Kudos to Matthew Joseph for holding down the fort and making his brother and sister dinner....French Toast Sticks and Ramen, the dinner of champions!  :)

Matt's confirmation & the Blizzard Prom

We had a blizzard yesterday, Saturday April 30th.  It was so awful.  And Tyler's girlfriend Rachel and her Dad drove up from Iowa in it!  Bismarck's prom was yesterday.  The poor girls in their nice dresses and pretty hair!  It had stopped snowing by the time they left, but the wind was terrible.  Rachel didn't feel very well, but I think they still had a good time!

We told them to make a cold face LOL.  You can see the snow in the background!

Let's see your breath!  :)

And Matt got confirmed this morning in church.  He has a great mentor named Don who has been to every Wednesday evening Confirmation class to be with Matt.  He keeps a journal and writes about Matt often.  He's a really nice guy, and Matt was lucky to have him as a mentor this year.  This pic is from the Confirmation Banquet on Tuesday.

Rich and his goofy face :)

This morning before church

Don and Matt standing in front of the congregation being introduced

All of the kids

and the whole gang :)

Had to get a pic in the yard with the snow on May 1st :)