Closing Ceremony!

I truely wish we could have frozen time and repeated this school year over and over...our tiny, tiny community, Luke as a newborn, Kai home with me, Hailey's two amazing teachers and her tiny class (they finished the year with S-E-V-E-N!)  I'm certain Hailey's awesome memory won't let her forget her kindergarten year and as she grows she'll appreciate how unique this experience was! 

The PTA was able to deplete their funds and splurged on a big Closing Ceremony with T-shirts, food, bouncers, teacher gifts etc!  The closing numbers were around 120 students total for grades K-5!  The student body had been rehearsing for months on the Closing Ceremony songs and that, along with the speakers, was wonderful.  I teared up the entire time and couldn't wipe the tears rolling down my cheeks because I had Luke in one hand and the camera in the other!  This was my Facebook status last week...Have had to say way too many goodbyes this week (and a few more hard ones to come!) Just like a mom to be so worried about the emotions of the kids for this move until mine come FLOODING in!!! I cried 3/4 of the way to the new house this morning and spent the other 1/4 laughing at myself because I couldn't stop crying!!!  I seriously could not stop crying!  It was pretty comical!  Two of the goodbyes were to Hailey's teacher (there are going to be some lucky kids in Georgia!) and our pediatrian (again, some lucky kids in Texas!)  This is the first move where my friends have come from Hailey (teachers, parents of her classmates, etc) and not the other way around where she has made friends with the children of my friends.  I think this move has been easier on her (and Kai) because EVERYONE had to move.  Lots and lots of memories made in Mannheim and what an experience for our kids!

The link below is the article and news report that was aired over here in Europe.

http://afneurope.net/Home/ArticleDisplayDD/tabid/649/Default.aspx?aid=24900

On the left, they are lowering the American Flag for the last time (yes, I cried during that!) and on the right are Hailey's two besties, Talia and Alli

Face paint and bouncers!

The closing ceremony pieced together...it's somewhat long and I even had to go back and cut

out parts in order for it to download...

After the school ceremony the community hosted a final hurrah party although it seemed like it was thrown together last minute so the Garrison could say that they did something for us. It would have made MUCH more sense if they had it back in the school fields during the closing ceremony party. There were kid games (sack races, ring toss, etc) with goodie bag prices, bouncers, human foosball, free food and the big hit with my girls, a ride up in a fire truck ladder.

Quite terrifying for me....I had a death-grip on Kai the entire time! 

Dancing to the DJ with Kayla from our church