Courtney's 8th Grade Graduation

I have a high school girl now! Courtney graduated from 8th grade at Pinckneyville Junior High School on Friday night, May 15, 2009. Our day started at 10:30 a.m. with an Awards Ceremony at the school and Courtney received a medal and certificate for athletic achievement in basketball and a Scholarship Award for high honors along with a yellow cord to wear for graduation. I believe there were 66 students graduating and only 14 with high honors and Courtney was among those 14. So proud of her!!

About 6:15 p.m. we arrived at the junior high gym which was filling up fast. The whole family gathered to see our girl graduate. In attendance were Charles, myself, Dad, Mom, Dale, Melanie, Gentry, Jared, Nicole, Ryan and Christine. At promptly 7:00 p.m. "Pomp & Circumstance" started playing and the graduates filed in. After some preliminary awards, the junior high chorus (of which Courtney is a member) sang "Wind Beneath My Wings." They did a great job! I love to hear a school chorus sing. So precise and beautiful! Next came the diplomas. Courtney Layne Cole made that walk with pride! A slideshow was then presented with pics of all the kids from their school pictures, sports activities and then they showed candid shots. As the principal presented the graduates, they moved their tassels, shot off silly string and blew air horns. It was quite a jubilant celebration!

After graduation, a party followed at the Cox country lakeside home. We had a party for all the family complete with ham and turkey sandwiches on dollar rolls, BBQ meatballs, tortilla roll-ups with a cream cheese & salsa mixture inside, Mexican dip with chips, potato chips with ranch dip, veggie pizza, cheese cubes, chocolate eclair cake and graduation cake and cupcakes, pink lemonade, Coke and Mountain Dew.

For graduation gifts Courtney received some golf clubs, golf balls and golf gloves; a purse, sunglasses, flip flops and a few of her favorite things for her purse; she received a gift of guitar lessons starting Monday and of course, what every graduate loves... money!!

This was the first party we had since we moved into our new home and it was such a wonderful time! Plenty of room for everyone and lots of laughter and fun! We even had some of nature's light show. A big thunderstorm came through about 9:30 p.m. or so. Some of the family went out on the front porch to watch it. Oh and let me not forget the bullfrogs' background music. True sounds of the country! I love it!

Thanks to all who helped make Courtney's big night a memorable celebration! We love you all!