Celebrating Sam!

 Today we celebrated Sam's High School Graduation!

My first grandchild!

Amber, Mike and the kids picked me up and we made our way to the AT&T Stadium for the ceremony that started at noon. There had been one at 9:00 AM and another would be at 4:00 and 9:00 PM.

I'm so glad we got the noon slot!

Security was tight but we finally made it to our seats!

We knew we would be there for awhile so we enjoyed visiting with each other and catching up....and taking pictures!

We grandmas stick together!

And we are both Linda!

Amber and her big brother, Jesse!

We were all so happy!

This was the kids' first time to attend a graduation, so they were excited.

Every first event is so special.

A few months ago, Amber was telling them about the first wedding they were going to see - and Logan said, "This will be our first wedding but we've been to two funerals!"

Both their great- grandmother's funerals.

We switched places so we could all have one on one time with each other.

There's Mike back there watching the big screens and Leigh Ann and Jaelyn (Sam's girlfriend) are both  smiling and Levi is doing his serious pose.

THIS is what we were waiting for!

They called 'Samuel Reid Davis' and we all clapped and cheered.

Later Sam said he was glad there were enough of us there that he could hear us cheering.

We continued to sit and visit and Linda and I entertained ourselves by watching all the cool shoes that walked across the platform. We saw everything from flip flops to spike heels to boots to all kinds of footwear!

Once the last names were called and then the top 2% graduates were up, the ending speeches made and the new graduates file out, we left our seats and went in search of Sam.

It was a zoo getting out of the stadium and then finding our boy - threading our way through the crowds. Once we had our group together, we started taking pictures!

These are all really good because I didn't take them!

Jesse and Jaelyn and Leigh Ann were in charge of pictures.

Leigh Ann, Sam and Jesse.

Nana, Sam and MiMi.

I'm not sure if Linda was already a 'Nana' when Sam was born but I do know that he named me 'MiMi.'

Faith, Sam and Levi......

my three oldest grandchildren.

Faith and Mike are missing in this snap shot but I did have 7 of my 8 grandchildren with me today.

I love this pic so much!

What a wonderful heart this grandson of mine has.

All his younger cousins look up to him and to Faith and Levi, too.

Each one wrote him a special note of their own in the group card they made for him.

Faith and Linda

 After leaving the stadium, we met up at one of Jesse's favorite grills called 'No Frills Bar and Grill.'

Our crew was the first to arrive followed by Jaelyn and Sam. We pushed tables together and spent the next 2 hours talking, laughing, eating and having fun.

It was a happy day and I admit to tearing up a bit a time or two and twice I laughed so hard I was crying........but later when Leigh Ann sent me the pics from the day.......

and I saw these - I started bawling like a baby!!

And my eyes are wet now as I write.

There's something about a grandchild's hugs that melts a grandparent's heart....no matter if that child is young or grown. This was my very favorite memory of the day.

We came home in rush hour traffic and they had planned to just drop me off and head home....

until we saw the front door standing wide open and Louis Dean sitting outside.

We all knew what that meant! A cat had got out!

Sure enough! 

Tabitha had slipped out when Louis Dean had answered a knock at the door.

The kids sprang into action and we circled the wagon!

Amber managed to get her!

Listen to the plan Louis Dean had laid before we got there.......

He'd opened a can of our best tuna and dropped pieces of it as in a trail all across the front porch and inside on the rugs and carpet all the way to the can setting on the kitchen floor.

Of course, we had stepped on all this on our way in and out so Amber and I got down on our hands and knees to clean all that up. There's still some on the front porch but he says the neighborhood cats will take care of that.

Never a dull moment!

I changed clothes and went out to do some work in the front yard.

We have been concentrating on the back for so long that the front beds had grown shabby from neglect.

Louis Dean managed to tear down the dead bush and vines while I pulled weeds.

That when I heard it!

The very first locust of 2021!

8:20 on June 3rd!

I call them locust but they are really cicadas - the difference being that cicadas do not swarm as locusts do nor do they damage and eat plants like locusts do.

Normally, I am thinking of them and listening for that first one this time of year. However, I hadn't even thought about it once when I heard them. They are in the big cottonwood tree in the yard behind us.

My own special moment that is what I consider the beginning of summer.

Perfect ending to a perfect day.

That's when I took this picture.