2011 Graduation

This year we have been privileged to have Austins' friend Eric Colson live with us.  He moved in with us last January and has been a lot of fun to have around.  He was a senior this year, so I have been able to get involved with his graduation a little bit, which is nice because I kind of have an idea of what to do for Austin next year.  We were able to go and see Eric graduate from Seminary last Sunday, and on Tuesday we watched him receive his high school diploma and cheer him on.  Eric moved here from Connecticut four years ago with his Mom and brothers and sister.  He plans to go to Southern Utah University in Cedar City in the fall so we get to have him with us through the summer.  We are very proud of him and his accomplishments in high school and really appreciate having him in our home. 

Here we are with our "other brother from another mother", Eric Colson.
We were also able to get a picture with Austins good friend McCarty Amy,
who also spent a lot of time at our house this year.  She and Austin were on the
FFA officer team together.  She was the president, he was the Sentinel.   

Eric walking. . .. . . he's a blur!

High school graduation for all of our schools in the Washington
County school district are held at the Burns arena at Dixie College in St. George.  This
is the procession in at the beginning. 

After the graduation ceremony Eric was able to go with his family and celebrate.  His dad flew in from Connecticut and his mom and her husband live down the street from us.  He also has both sets of grandparents living in St. George.  McCarty invited us to a barbeque at her home in Anderson Junction (which is north of Toquerville) and we had a great time.  She and her family are patients of Dr. Howards where I work, so I have known them before, and it is always fun to get to know someone a little better like only a barbeque can do.  We laughed and laughed and talked and laughed.  Her family moved here from Idaho a few years ago to run the Diamond G ranch, which does stock contracting for rodeos around the west.  Cody loved talking with McCarty's dad Calvin about the rodeo stock, and her mom Dixie never leaves a dull moment with her chatter.  It felt like we have been friends for a long time, and we were sad to have to call it a night.  Even though we really didn't have our own child graduating, we enjoyed everyone elses.  Next year will be the real thing.