What's Going on in Liz's World?

Today was the kids' last day of school, so I wanted to do a quick update on what their lives look like these days.

SAVANNAH's last day of her first year of college was actually a couple of weeks ago.  She is at our local junior college on a full ride academic scholarship.  She has done very well this year.  She ended the year with a 4.0 GPA.  She thought she had her eye set on the school she would transfer to a year from now when she's done with junior college but her sights have changed a bit.  She would still love to go to that school (in Ohio) but she's opened her options up a little bit.  She is looking into some other schools that offer similar programs but are perhaps a little closer to home or cheaper.  Right now, she's got about 5 or 6 schools all over the country with strong animation programs that she's considering.  Unfortunately, none of them are in Texas and this mama is already struggling with that separation.  Sigh.

A few days before school got out, she found out that her incredible, flexible, well-paying, wonderful part time doctor's office job is ending on June 5th.  She was devastated.  {I should note:  She was not fired.  They just need to hire someone full-time to do her job, so they're laying her off.}  Since that time, she's been looking for another part-time job.  She can work full-time this summer and would really love doing so, but needs a place that understands she will have to drop back on hours in the fall when school starts back up.  But she needs this place to also understand that she will still need enough hours to pay her bills (car, insurance, cell phone.)  At this point, she's a week away from unemployment and has not found a new job.  She is actually considering living off her savings (she has plenty, really) for the summer and just doing a lot of babysitting to fill in the gaps.  Then in the fall, she plans to go back to the work-study office on campus and will try to get a campus job.  The joys of adulthood & responsibility!

SAMUEL finished 9th grade today.  This year he was in Pre-AP (honors) English.  I think he took the class to prove to himself that he could do it.  And while it was hard sometimes, he made it through the year with passing grades!  Of course, he decided by this spring that while it was nice, he didn't think he wanted to do that again next year.  ha ha!  He also did a bit of clawing his way to the finish line with Algebra, but again, finished the year with passing grades, so we'll take it!

Sam has had a fun year.  He played football in the fall, ran track in the spring and then did spring football after track season was over.  Last summer, he went to a training camp with the athletics department 4 days a week all summer & he plans to do the same this summer as well.  When he was in between sports at school, he stayed after school 2-3 days/week to work out in the weight room.  He has LOVED the year.  Larry & I, however, can't figure out where this fitness-crazed kid came from.  Heaven knows neither of us are gym rats.  (But maybe we could take some lessons from him!)

SARAH finished 8th grade today.  Yikes.  This fall I'll have my BABY going to high school.  Her 8th grade year has been good.  She's stretched her wings and made a lot of new friends this year that she is really close to.  I'll give her about two weeks of summer relaxing before she starts telling me how bored she is & how much she misses her friends.  ha ha!  She is definitely my most social kid of the three.  She is always asking me about going to a movie or the mall or spending the night with a friend.

As far as school things go, Sarah was in band the past 3 years so this fall she will begin high school band.  I am SO proud of our district's band program.  Between the 6th grade beginner band, the (7th & 8th) junior high band and the (9th-12th) HS bands, there are about 700 kids involved in band.  And they all LOVE it.  I can't wait to see another Reeves kid on the field, marching & playing.  Very exciting!  And this year, we'll have a JV football game one night (where we'll watch Sam play) and then a Varsity football game on Fri night (where we'll watch Sarah march.)  While fall is constant & steady & busy, busy, busy for us, it's a fun season of life & I'm already excited about it!