Friday Favorites - lots of celebrations!

 

It looks like this is becoming a once-a-month thing for me :/. Honestly, Fridays have just been sneaking up on me, or I'm out of town and don't prepare before I go.  May was a really full, yet laid-back. month for us since we had NO graduates in our immediate family and "the last day of school" isn't nearly as exciting or eventful as when you are actually a teacher or the parent of a K-12 student.  I miss/don't miss those days ;)

As always, I'm linking up with Andrea and Erika for some favorites from the week.  Please feel free to link up or just comment on the post if you don't blog.  

Three kids and two friends. . .#4 was enjoying a week with my sister (Favorites 2 & 3)

Beware if you join us (the orange one in this picture will warn you and warn you and you won't listen or, like her, just take your chances each time you say "yes") because tubing with this crew is intense.

Yes, a tubing mishap -- big brother jumped on the tube she was riding and kicked her.  Did she go right back out?  Yes.  Did she get back out on the water with him?  Yes.  Is she o.k.?  YES. . .but, as my kiddos say, you have to be TOUGH to be a Bell.

I was trying to get a picture at the beginning of the day and {someone} sped up the boat and sent me flying so I put the phone away for the day.  I was dependent on others to take pictures and drop them in my shared album after that. . .here are a few more:

I covet each and every one of these days out on the lake with my people.

Our youngest drove down to SC to spend some time with my sister and attend my niece's graduation from Elon University.  This was the night they arrived -- teasing me with that sunset!

Representing his school there at the Ocean Course :)

Golfing. . .it's something she can do with him that I can't!

And teasing me with some more incredible views from Kiawah Island!!

Just a lucky, lucky person to have these two in my life and love that they are building a separate  relationship together as adults.

This niece of mine graduated with two degrees!!  She is ready to go start living life -- she has her first job in a new-to-her city that she just can't wait to start exploring.

Let's see if my guy, on the right, can repeat this accomplishment in a few years :). He's not the same over-achiever that she is when it comes to school -- he's well-suited for the one degree he's aiming for.

And just when you, the reader, thought there can't possibly be MORE graduation goodness. . .along comes the last Foster grandchild to graduate High School.

All the Foster grandchildren lined up on Grandma's wall

So proud of this beautiful girl and where she is going.  I was lucky enough to go to a ceremony last Friday night where all the graduates got to introduce themselves and what was next for them.

They had a party at her house the day after that ceremony and the day before graduation - I think I mentioned this gift in another post.  Her birthday happens to be next week so we gave her that stuff too -- a keyring for Liberty University, a clear bag for games/concerts, some room decor. . .

I'm so sad that this is the only other picture I got of the graduate that day with my family.  It was a packed house and lots going on.  I grabbed this one because it was Erin's birthday which leads to Favorite #5. . .

Annual chair picture :)

You can tell from the expression. . .just indulging me.

I received this chair as a shower gift for #1 in 1998. . .every kid has had a chair picture every month of their first year and then every year afterwards.  They are only allowed to stop when their own kids take their place ;). (Just kidding.  Maybe.)

Great party, great food, brothers, parents, grandparents, and great friends.  A beautiful day to celebrate 20.

This one left on a mission trip halfway around the world two weeks ago.  This was the 5:45 a.m. airport drop-off. . .she'll be home late next week.  We have missed her so much but know that her life will never be the same after this experience.  She has been out of the country on a trip like this before -- but never something this far away or for this long.  I don't know if I'll ever be able to say much more than this about it but that's o.k.  She is going where the Lord is leading and we are so proud of her for doing that!

I got ONE project done. . .my sister needed her urns redone on her lower patio -- I love a project!!

I started with this. . .

And changed it to my sister's preferred color

And ended up with this (the dirt got swept up. . .this was Tom's escape for some of the party -- putting the urns back and planing the ferns - ha!)

Thanks for joining me today -- we are off to the lake again tomorrow and then TOP GUN MAVERICK on Sunday!!!  Yay!!!  I doubt I'll do a Friday Favorites next week because my 4.0 18+ tennis team made it to the State tournament so that is where I will be Friday and Saturday. . .I come home Sunday to take my missions girl to Ohio for the rest of the summer.  

I'm not ready for this next season of having everyone gone. . . . . . . . .