Lucy and Nationals

Something really big that happened in our family a little over a month ago.  We got a dog!!  She's two years old...ten pounds...a mix of long-haired dachshund and chihuahua and we've named her Lucy.  She loves her belly rubbed and lots of attention.  She's doing really well with us and we all love her.  

Rachel's birthday was mid-May but was a little different this year as Michael was out of town.  We went out to eat the weekend before to celebrate.  Here she is finding out that she's going to get to do a sloth experience this summer!

And we went to Dairy Queen the night of her birthday after dinner with the three of us.  

And many of you know that Michael has been planning for Georgia to host the National High School Mock Trial Competition for four years now.  It finally came to fruition this month.  Michael had worked his tail off - working almost 24/7 for months.  He wanted this one to be the best one  yet and we can honestly say that it was!  Everything went really well.  All of the little details made everything look great.  It was in Athens, at and around UGA and that turned out really well.  Everyone - so many people - kept saying how great of a competition this was.  

Michael went out early this year and had them create this on the marquee sign.  He used it in a lot of his marketing pieces.

Michael was there from Monday - Sunday.  Barbara and Dawson went out on Tuesday and worked all week.  James, our friend, came out Friday and worked all weekend.  Nannette, the kids and I came up Friday afternoon to be there for the weekend.  

Michael made the trophies.  All of them.  The first through tenth place trophies for the teams, then 10 outstanding witness ones and 10 outstanding attorney ones.  And three court artist trophies.  He worked on them for literally a year.  He wanted them to be symbolic of the case and they turned out so good.  This is the first place trophy.  

He also made this ghost light b/c it had to do with the case.  (The case was about the Georgia Theater burning down.  And one of the events for the kids on Friday night was karaoke at the Georgia Theater!)  He had the ghost light and the national champion's trophy on display at the welcome desk all weekend so everyone could see what the prize was. 

He made the wrap for this column so that everyone knew which way to go.  

The kids and I walked around Athens one morning.

Holding up the Hush Y'all paddles that he had made. 

Our group.

After it was finally over!  Finally, he can breathe again.  

Receiving a gift afterwards from his committee.  It was a painting of the Georgia Theater.

Whew, what a week!  I still don't think Michael has recovered yet.  

School has now ended for the year and the kids are in the middle of swim team already.  Rachel goes to camp next week and Jackson goes the following week.  So much going on - always!