My How Time Flies

My, how time flies. I remember holding Olivia (my cousin) when she was a chubby little baby. And I remember how she used to sing "Kinkle, kinkle, wittle stow, how I wonder what you owe"

Now she is all grown up and just graduated from Sartell High School on Saturday, June 6th.

I am starting to feel kinda old looking at how grown up she looks.

And I know I am not just speaking for myself when I say what a wonderful, beautiful young woman she has blossomed into.

This little girl on the other hand...she gonna be a handful! She's got sweetness stinker written all over her face :)

We all congregated at my Aunt Kala and Uncle Russ' house before commencement. Grant had fun battling Legos with Russ' youngest sister Julie.

This isn't a great picture but that is Julie on the left and Chloe (Olivia's little sister and also my cousin) on the right. Let me tell you, out comes the weirdness when those two get together.

Wanna talk about some more strangeness? Look at the picture of Chloe below? Notice anything strange?

In case you didn't notice, she has a bright yellow plastic dinosaur taped to her shoulder. I, for one, did not quite "get" the humor, so of course I had to ask and this is something how the conversation went.

me: So, what's with the yellow dinosaur on your shoulder?

Chloe: I donnow, I'll do whatever it takes to embarrass Olivia at Graduation.

me: Oh, I get it...as opposed to embarrassing yourself?

Chloe: I do stuff like this all the time. I even wear boxers to school and wear my pants around my ankles to look "all gangsta".

me: Point made.

Their son, Evan, fell asleep shortly before they had to leave for commencement so the kids and I stayed at the house so they didn't have to wake him. Grant was chillin' watching Spongebob and petting their dog, Steve.

Steve almost fell asleep while Grant was petting him. Then came a few puppy kisses.

All was good until this little hoodlum came along.

I was busy taking pictures of Grant and Steve and she was quietly "reading" a book...or so I thought. (oh, and don't mind her crazy hair sticking up...we took out her bow and pony and that is what we got!)

More like she was ripping a book!!! She shredded the entire last page of one of Evan's favorite books, 'The Gruffalo'. Nothing like ruining a perfectly good ending!

A little lot of tape, and it was just like new! Well kinda...but it works!

Then Tootie decided to join in the puppy fun. Can you tell Grant was getting annoyed with me by now????

Everyone returned home shortly after so we had to make sure to get some family pictures before Olivia took off the cap and gown.

I think these turned out pretty nice. Don't you? The first two are with a flash the third is without. A little different color is picked up from the lamps in the background but I like them both.

These are the Grandparents. Grandpa Norlan and his wife Helen are on the left (our left not Olivia's) and Grandma Gerry is on the right.

Hang with me. A couple more pics. Since I took them, I might as well share...again, first two are with flash, last is without.


Crazy Chloe just can't get enough of holding her little Tootie.

And neither can Auntie Kala.

I'll leave you with a couple more pictures of the glowing graduate...

Congratulations and best wishes for a bright and shining future Olivia.