My Indiana Week in Review

What a busy week plus we have had while here in Michiana - Northern Indiana.

We first had our granddaughter's high school graduation.  I will share with you just a few of my favorite pics.

 Before graduation, Savannah (left) and her two best friends met to share picture taking together.

 They have shared a special friendship from middle school.  Now, they will go their separate ways, but the bond will always be there.

 Sammy (left) and her family will be moving in the next few weeks for Sarasota, Florida where she will attend college.  Lexi will be attending Purdue where she has an academic and soccer scholarship.  Savannah has an academic scholarship to Trine University where she will also play soccer.  They are as individual as they can be, and each exceptional in her own way.

 Graduation ceremony took place on the Notre Dame Campus in the Purcell Pavilion.  There were over 900 graduates with 19 Valedictorians and three Salutatorians.  There was over 8.4 million dollars awarded in scholarships, so this was no ordinary class.  Penn High School in Mishawaka, IN was selected by the Washington Post as one of America's most challenging high schools.

And our special graduate!

 Proud parents and grandmother.

 Sibling picture.  I love this!

 We were able to watch Savannah play in three soccer games which we always enjoy.

 She such a hustler

The next time we see her, she will be a college freshman.  Oh my, where have the years gone!

We also took a road trip over to Shipshawana, an Amish and Mennonite community.  We always try to incorporate a visit when up here.  This time of year the flowers were beautiful in this little village.

 The horse-drawn carriages are a very common sight.

 When was the last time you saw a family drying their clothes on a clothesline?

Dick said his faith in womanhood was restored when we saw this.

 We didn't actually walk the little streets among the shops this trip, but it was a gorgeous enough day to have done so.

We did drive around the neighborhood that borders the tourist shopping area and saw this sweet sight.

This beautiful mother mare nursing her baby.  Not a common sight in most of our towns either.

 Every street corner was decorated with these full baskets of petunias.

This was one of the most strangely shaped trees I've ever seen.  Not sure whether it is the Shipshawana Monster or just a very damaged conifer left over from winter.

And, this is my most favorite picture of the trip.  A little girl in an open horse-drawn carriage, heading home after doing some morning shopping with her mother.

I snapped it as we were driving past and had no idea whether it would be anything other than a blur.  I love this sweet little face and wouldn't take anything for having seen her and being able to keep her.