Yesterday was Mackenzie's last day of 6
th grade and during the awards assembly, in addition to straight As all year with all
Pre-AP classes (have to recognize that, she worked so hard!), she was the recipient of the Ardis Larson-Cole Bump In the Road Award.
Mr. Manes presented the award and I'd like to pull some of what he said to share with you:
"Ardis was a very special person who worked at
this school and others for one reason, her
students and her teachers. When talking with her about this award before her death, she told me that she wanted to honor students whose road down life took a journey similar to hers. Ardis always said she had bumps in her life that she had to handle in her own way, and go on with her life to make the very best of it. She overcame those bumps with a positive
attitude and she always used those bumps to help others. Even when she faced the biggest bump of all at the end of her life, she never changed her positive view or her wonderful smile"
"Today, it is my
privilege to recognize a student that Ardis would be very proud of. This year's recipient has had to travel the bumps of life since the day she was born...Even now her daily routine is one of early rise and extra medical attention so that she can have the same opportunities in life that many of us take for granted. But when you see this student you would never come close to guessing that she is dealing with such a life changing obstacle, or what Ardis would call a bump. In the classroom, she stands out as one of those students who is eager to learn, who works hard to maintain that high "A", who has a respectful sense of humor that can brighten any teacher's and students' day, and who can forget to mention that infectious smile that can turn
anyone's bad day into a good day. With her friends, she is the one who has
everyone's back, and she is also the one her friends love to be close to...This year's recipient does not let her bump in the road slow her down; she goes over her bump in the road each day and comes out shining as a true champion."
"This year we are proud to honor a student, who at first glance, appears to be like all other hard working students. We honor a student who spends two hours a day taking part in treatments to make her as healthy as she can be. We honor a student who each day takes different medications so that her body can undergo what most bodies do normally. We honor a student who visits Arkansas Children' Hospital four times per year to make sure she is overcoming the bumps in her road successfully. We honor a student who battles a bump in the road each and every day of her life, several times throughout the day. She battles this "bump in the road" trying to beat and overcome the fact that experts say her bump in the road has a shortened life expectancy. I have no doubt that she will continue to go over her bumps in the road with grace, and she will overcome any odds her big "bump in the road" give her"
Her name on the plaque at the school:
Mackenzie with her wonderful Team Champions teachers, Miss
Mertz, Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Coffee and Mr. Manes.
Oh yes, I cried like a baby - we are so proud of that girl! I can't believe she is off to Junior High next year and we celebrate each passing day, even if they pass too quickly! Spring Hill is an amazing school with wonderful, caring teachers and staff and we are going to miss it so much.
We had such a nice Father's Day weekend to celebrate a wonderful Daddy! Fish Fry, favorite desserts, his favorite waffles with homemade syrup, homemade cards, family time and lots of hugs and kisses. We even agreed to ride in the Jeep when we ran around today even though it was super hot!
Peyton got a little sad during the party thinking about not being with her friends next year but I reassured her that we will still keep in touch and they'll still be able to get together. 
Since Mackenzie is already out for summer she went to help out - here she is with Elise, Mason and Morgan at the slide.
And with Jenna, Mason and Alexis at the bounce house. She was cracking me up telling the first graders the rules...you could tell she had been giving the same rules all day. 
The Drive-In!! We try to go at least once a summer and this past weekend there were two family movies in a row (Up and Hannah Montana: The Movie). We always have so much fun!
The girls are playing the game of Life right now and they are making me laugh...Peyton was just jumping up and down yelling "I'm insured" over and over. Mackenzie is married to "Blue Guy" and Peyton is married to "Guy Blue". Two more days of school for Peyton then hopefully we'll have a relaxing summer!
Mackenzie and her friends performed a little dance. Video from dress rehearsal:
