Tag Archives: Logan

Logan’s Graduation

Well the rapidly rushing river headed towards Niagra Falls of Logan’s senior year finally came to the end and I guess we all survived. Wow, a lot happened this year, and wow, it all accelerated and got very fast at the end and then the end came and I guess we were all right.

It was all very emotional for me as my little baby boy that we brought home from the hospital 18 years ago is now a big strapping young man.

He is still our baby boy though except he is going to register to vote next week.

We were fortunate to have my Sister Ellen (far right) her dashing husband Irv (far left), and my brother Bob (betwsen Logan and Ellen) travel a long distance to share the event with us.

The High School principal, Dr. Burrows, a very nice man came by and congratulated Logan. He told Heather a few weeks ago that they took a risk admitting Logan and he was very glad that he did. We are glad that he they gave Logan a chance also.

And here is me. No we didn’t plan on being so color coordinated.

And one of Logan’s classmates, Matt. Matt went out of his way to make Logan feel welcome when he first attended.

And this is Logan’s Kindergarten teacher from a long time ago. She had her hands full with an oversize class and Logan took a lot of attention but she hung with him. She was the first of a series of teachers from several schools who had a heart of kids and went the extra mile to give kids like Logan the attention he needed.

And this is the Kindergarten teacher’s daughter who went to school with Logan way back when and also graduated from the same school with Logan. She spent a lot of time helping Logan back then and they reconnected when Logan enrolled at the new school.

Another look at Irv and Ellen. They make a very handsome couple don’t they. They are very nice. Our dogs fell in love with them though and have been down in the dumps since Irv and Ellen left to go back to Colorado.

Afterwards Nana hosted a party for Logan at her house the next day. Many of Heather’s relatives attended the party as wells as Ellen and Irvin.

The party was a combined graduation and birthday party and had a drama theme since Logan’s first love is acting and performing. Notice the cake with the marquee.

And the little chalk board like they use for movies. Or used to use anyway.

Several of Logan’s friends showed up and all had a good time. This is where I admit that I am a bad son in law and did not get a picture of Logan and his grandmother together. Don’t you worry though because I will get a picture and add it to this post. One nice thing about blogging is that you can rewrite history any time you want!

And then we sang Happy Birthday!!

I did get a picture of the boy and his mom. They have a special bond that brings tears to eyes when I think about it.

So anyways, maybe I’ll be a better blog friend now. We have been busy lately!!

Skywatch Friday – Graduation Day

I cheated, I found this in my archives from 2011. I don’t feel a bit sorry about it.

Thursday is Skywatch Friday in the blog world.

Logan with his Mom and Nana (the world’s greatest MIL) at the Baccalaureate last Sunday.

It is also the day that our son Logan graduates from High School. A big day of celebration in our house I’ll tell you. Of course, the next phase starts.

We are really proud of him.

Skywatch Friday

It’s Getting Real!!

Graduation is getting real!! The baccalaureate is tomorrow. I’ve never been to one, I’m not sure what it is. I guess that I’m about to find out. The actual graduation is next Thursday. The kid is getting nervous. The whole family is for that matter.

He humored his old man and put on the cap and gown earlier this week before I school. I have to say that I have never seen that expression before.

He has been going to graduations of friends of his at different schools, going through finals, and finishing up class projects and it is all a whorl of activity.

Wish us luck and keep us and him especially in your prayers. Life is going by pretty fast right now.

Spring Choral Concert

The clock continues to tick on Logan’s time in High School until he graduates. Tick, tick, tick. It is getting louder and louder for both him and his parents.

Tuesday night a few more ticks went by. His school had their Spring Choir Concert. Choir is a class and this concert is their final. How is that for getting the kids to show up. It was all good though. The kids did great.

The Senior and Middle School both participated in this concert and it featured a varied selection of music from Hymns to Musical tunes to more modern music by Billy Joel and Elvis Presley or like the opera.

Logan didn’t have any solos or anything, he just sang and that is what he loves doing. Standing on the risers for such a long time was kind of hard on him. I don’t know how people do it actually.

The teacher put everybody through their paces and there was lots of singing for everybody.

The Middle School ladies did a great job with “You’re Going to Miss Me” otherwise known as “The Cup Song.”

At the end they had the parents of the seniors go up on the stage while the Benediction was sung. (This is a Christian School so of course there was a prayer before the performance began.) I appreciated the benediction but I hate being up on stage. With the lights it is so disconcerting. Logan loves the stage. He didn’t get that DNA from me. I am perfectly happy being in the audience, in the shadows.

It was a great seeing the kids performing and showing off their talent and not plugged into their so called “devices.”

So I continue to be an infrequent blogger and a lousy blogger friend. Sorry but we are counting down until Graduation and things are not going to change very much until then.

Logan sings “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin

Logan had another recital Saturday night at his music School. He sang “Friend Like Me” from the musical Aladdin.

Such a ham. He goes to his lessons but doesn’t practice much on his own but he still pulls out pretty decent performances. Heather took the video above. I took one of him practicing. It was nothing like he pulled off about an hour later.

That was fine even with a few stifled yawns. Oh well, I wish sometimes I wish I could figure out what is going on inside his head and other times I think I don’t want to know.

The recital room is packed with parents and students. They start with the youngest, some of them pre-school, and go up to the oldest. Some of them are scared to death, others are poised and ready.

Logan has never seen a microphone or stage that he was scared of taking.

It amazes me sometimes, like “Where did that kid come from.”

Here we are at the post recital dinner. I’m still wondering where that kid on the stage come from.

And here is the proud Grandmother and Mom.

Sorry, I just love bragging on my kid. He did great.

And guess what!! The 100% solar powered plane, the Solar Impulse which has flown about halfway around the world purely on solar power is in Tulsa and I am going to see her up close tomorrow morning and take a few photographs. I am so pumped!!

Prom 2016 in the Books

Logan’s school had their prom Saturday night. He wore his late grandfather’s tux complete with vest and tie. The trousers fit pretty good after the alterations, the jacket and vest were fine.

The kid is so danged tall that Heather almost needed a step ladder to get all the motherly primping done. He cleaned up pretty well.

I thought he stood out in the crowd. (Sorry I couldn’t resist). The school arranged for an outdoor event center for photographs. You know for some reason they don’t invite parents to the proms. We had a good time with the kids at the pre-event.

The kid with his nervous and proud mother.

And with a friend.

Did I tell you that I thought he was the handsomest guy there?

And a few more friends.

And another. All the young gentlemen looked and acted the part.

Here he is with a childhood friend. They went to early grade school together and then ran into each other again when Logan started this high school. Tulsa is the biggest small town I’ve ever seen.

And then a call for the young ladies. They were all beautiful in the elegant dresses.

And then the ladies and the guys.

And then the guys, and it kind of went downhill from there. Just kidding, they were a spirited but fun bunch.

And then on the way to the prom we stopped at his grandmother’s house for yet another photo op. These two have a special bond. He was proud to wear his grandfather’s tuxedo and she loved seeing Logan wear it.

And that is where the photos end. We dropped him off and then went back to give him his change of clothes for the after prom and then picked him up after that. I was proud to be chauffeur for the evening.

Logan in Footloose

Logan’s school put on another musical this year, Footloose about a small town in Oklahoma that bans dancing in the city limits and the kids fight city hall and win. It is based on actual events in Elmore City, Oklahoma in 1980. Read about it here.

Logan as a parishoner during a sermon. The beige and beige on beige look was what I had in the 80’s until I met Heather and she introduced me to color.

Logan had a small part but he worked hard at it. So did his mother from shopping at Goodwill for 1980’s era clothes (why didn’t she check my closet?) to being at almost all the rehearsals and all the performances.

He is a town council member here. He “forgot” to tuck his shirt in before going onstage. I thought Heather was going to have a coronary. She texted him to tuck his pants in before he came back out. Yeah for cell phones. Of course playing on it may have caused the problem in the first place.

The teacher that directs the kids is very demanding but has a big heart. The kids really respond. This production had kids down to sixth grade participating.

Logan had a small part and he made the most of it and gave it is all.

Those of us who are parents know what it is like when you see your kid doing something and enjoying it.

This is his air guitar technique. We hadn’t seen that before.

This is his last high school production so we’ll see what the future holds for Logan. Will he be in any more productions? If he wants to hard enough he will.

But I will worry about that later, right now I’m enjoying his joy on the stage.

It was fun!

Community Service Hours at the Animal Rescue Foundation

Son Logan’s school requires their kids to give back to their community via Community Service Hours. Logan has tried various things like the Food Bank and local libraries but he found something that he clicks with.

Tulsa’s Animal Rescue Foundation is a no kill shelter that puts dogs up for adoption. They bring a bunch of them to one of the Petsmart stores every Saturday from 9 to about 4. The need help of all kinds: setting up the tables and crates, helping people who want to look at the dogs and cats, and people to walk the dogs ever now and then to give them a break.

Logan is really liking this and is great watching him like it. He is a dog walking machine. They had about eighteen dogs last week and he walked every one of them, many of them twice during his shift. ARF has lots of teen volunteers and I am impressed with them. They pitch in and help where they can and they all love the dogs and cats.

The dogs vary from old and slow to young and exuberant and Logan gives them all a good walk. Plus many of the dogs appreciate just being held for a little while. Being on display stresses them out. By the end of the day the dogs are exhausted and are sleeping while waiting for their foster “parents” to come retrieve them. Almost all of the dogs are really good dogs who are victims of divorces or other life changes of their owners that are no fault of the pets. You can tell they are really confused about why they are not home.

Anyways, if you live in Tulsa and you are looking for a dog check out the Animal Rescue Foundation.

Weekend Roundup

Busy, busy, busy that was us this weekend. Friday was my 9/80 day. I work 80 hours over nine days and get every other Friday off. It makes for long hours when I’m working but I love having the extra days off. Friday, Heather and I dropped my car off to get tires and then we went to breakfast and then on to the movies. We decided to see The Revenant.

Heather went to see it as a favor to me and I don’t think she liked it as much as I did. The Revenant is a powerful movie and very raw and incredibly brutal at times. I was worn out by the time it was done and I can see why it was nominated for a bunch of Oscars. I can’t really say much about it because almost anything would be a spoiler. I’ve some research I need to do and then maybe a dedicated blog post.

Friday night Logan’s Improv group put on a new show. Logan loves Improv and I love watching him light up when he is onstage. It is great watching his fellow performers also, some of whom have been in the group for years and I love watching the kids grow up. Logan and several others are seniors this year so they will be aging out of the group. We’ll have to see how Logan can continue doing Improv.

The nature of Improv is that you have to have a quick wit and you have to move on. Some skits work and others don’t and you don’t look back, you just go on.

Saturday morning I went for a trail run on Turkey Mountain. It is a great place to get my head on straight.

I saw this note card stuck in a tree. It’s a nice gesture and all that but the first rain this will turn into mush or the wind will blow onto the ground. I’m such a cynic.

Saturday night Logan got all spiffed up for his school’s Winter Ball. Heather and I were the chauffeurs for the night. We drove him to a country club where the Senior Dinner was and then later picked him up and took him to the dance venue and then picked him up. We were glad to do it. It was great seeing the young men and women being all dressed up, excited, and glowing for the event.

Heather and I went first class. I took her to one of the finest convenience stores in the country and offered to get her anything she wanted. I was even prepared to get here the X Large Pizza. Nothing but the best for my wife. She opted for a bottle of water.

Christmas 2015 – In the Books

Christmas happened this year. Hear you go a rare shot of me in my snuggie.

The kid with his Nana. The kid is getting taller and taller. Is there something we can spray him with to slow him down a little bit.

Heather and Nana, quite a team.

I got a candid shot of Heather. She said she hated it but then she made it her profile pic on facebook. Should I hit her up about royalties?

I captured Nana also.

Before the Christmas meal. We decided to have it more informally this year in the kitchen. Lots less work that way.

My sister Ellen posted this on facebook today. She’s the cute one in the middle. I’m the good looking guy on the right and brother Bob is on the left. I’m guessing mid 1960’s in Price, Utah. We always had a great Christmas. Often we would load up afterward and head up to southern Idaho to see our relatives there. That was fun, or we would head down to Phoenix and see people down there. That was fun also. Bob and Ellen, with her husband Irvin, spent Christmas in Idaho with my dad this year.

She also posted this picture of her three girls. I’m guessing in the 1980’s. Dana is on the left. She and her husband Adam are in Australia visiting his family with their little girl who was born this year. Adam is an Australian citizen you see and their little girl has dual citizenship which I think is totally cool. Jillian in the middle is also visiting my dad, her Grandfather for Christmas in Idaho. Her husband Brian is in the Army serving his country overseas this season. Mary on the right spent Christmas in Colorado Springs with her son this year.

This isn’t a Christmas picture but it is Ellen and her Husband Irvin with Logan back at the turn of the century.

This is also not a Christmas pic but it shows my dad in between Logan and brother Bob.

And this is brother Bob and me with our mother a long time ago in Coyote, New Mexico. She is never far from our thoughts.

Hey you know, when we celebrate Christmas we celebrate it with the critters also. This is abby our sweet but not very smart mutt.

And Rascal, he is sweet and smart. You can see that he has been reading the paper.

And our sweet but perpetually cold mutt Ginger. My niece Dana pictured above lives in the Phoenix area and I think Ginger would like us to move there also.

And Nana’s dog Fiona. She always enjoys visiting us, but is ready to go home when that times comes also.

That was our Christmas this year or at least part of it. I’m big into Christmas not running into a huge stop on Christmas Day so I’m going to go ahead and everybody a Merry Christmas.

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