Graduation Post 2: Graduation Day

 Finally - it was graduation day from high school. Cousin Katy flew in from Columbus Ohio, my brother, Uncle Frank also flew in from Ohio, Great Aunt Martha had come in from Chicago, Grandma Debbie and Poppy from Pennsylvania, Cousin Kimn from Providence RI, and of course Aunt Beth, Mommy and Mama were all present to witness Ally's high school graduation and celebrate with her. 

  

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Ally wore her cap and gown, braid from National Honor Society and a stole from Guatemala I ordered for her.  Becky created the photo collage of Ally and all of our pets and fosters, throughout Ally's entire life. It was very special and Ally took a print of it to college. 

Martha, Becky, Ally, Julie & Katy

Becky was exactly one week post knee replacement so she rode in a golf cart from the parking lot to the venue.

Poppy represented in his Syracuse ball cap!

Uncle Frank & Great Aunt Martha

Ally with some classmates

Marching in, and sitting with her class during the ceremony.

Receiving her diploma from the Head of School.

It was over! Time for lots of pictures and then a celebration lunch at a nearby restaurant.

Ally's favorite teacher - Science Ally had him for 4 classes.

And her incredibly supportive and helpful senior advisor.

Beth. So much love and support and help from her over all of the 18 years that got us to this point. We are all so incredibly lucky to have her in our lives and living nearby. 

Gifts and cake at lunch. Beth made the cake!

Picture of the whole gang. We are all so loved. 

Graduation Post 1: Baccalaureate

 Graduation! Finally done with high school. So many family and friends came to celebrate Ally. 

Aunt Martha was first to arrive. She went with Beth and Ally and I to the school Baccalaureate service on Friday afternoon. 

When we got home Grandma Debbie and Poppy had arrived and we were able to celebrate Poppy with an ice cream cake. 

Ally really is happiest with a cat in her arms. 

The End of High School

 The end of high school could not come soon enough for Ally. But she perservered. Took her AP English and AP Environmental Science tests, attended NHS Induction, completed her final project for the school science fair and went on a trip to New Orleans.

We decided to clean out our storage unit and Ally came across her Emperor Penguin paper mache project from 1st grade.

And as it turns out her final project for 12th grade Environmental Science was also on penguins.

Syracuse sent a welcome package.

Last week of school fashion.

National Honor Society - Ally gave a speech to present this student as a new member.

Becky was getting her knee replaced - on the last day of school! so we had a little celebration before surgery.

All packed up for her school trip to New Orleans.

Driving herself to her last day of high school. 

New Family Member!

 The whole time we fostered Ally and I wanted an orange kitten. We loved our cat Carl so much and orange cats are just so cute and silly. 

I decided a cat of my own would be a good emotional support for me when Ally leaves for Syracuse. So I reached out to our cat rescue and they happened to have an orange male kitten available. Becky and I went to meet him, and then picked Ally up from school and brought her over to meet him too. 

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Me and my Otto - I had decided to name him after the Syracuse mascot. 

we love him so much!