Katharine & Scrap got married in March (ok, I know I said April...I lied), and it was great to see numerous friends at their wedding. The award for traveling the longest distance was Rachel Floyd. She flew in from Portland Oregon and brought her fiancee, Bradley. It was fun to visit with Rachel and meet her new beau! She & I got to play together at the wedding. She didn't fly her cello, but Drew Landis was kind enough to loan his. He said his cello had never sounded so good!
The weekend of April 16 was the 25th reunion for the Winshape College program at Berry. No, I'm not a Winshaper. The program didn't begin until after I had graduated. Alyssa is a Winshaper and we have known and loved many a Winshaper over the years. When Aly Slade told me she was planning it, I gladly volunteered to help when the event arrived. What a blessing to see old friends and catch up with them. It's always fun hanging out with my college friends, even after they have graduated.
Joe & Abby were the first to arrive. They were able to enjoy some time without the kids, thanks to grandparents in Atlanta. During college they were our adopted students, helped out with youth at church, loved on my kids and encouraged me in more ways than they could ever know. They also happened to fall in love on my couch in the fall of 2003! Here they are with Kate. She was 2 when they were freshmen!
The Winshape College program started in 1984Andy Craddock was a music student that I taught in the late 80's. He was a great tenor & a super guy. It was good to see him. He's endured a few personal trials over the past few years, but still remains strong in his faith.
Grace Cowan Powell was Randy's student teacher. He is always happy for a chance to visit with Grace. She was definitely one of the best student teacher's he has ever had. Currently Grace is a stay at home mom to Samuel...who is adorable! Thanks Ryan for sharing your precious family with us.
No reunion would be complete without babies. Michael Van Sant and baby Sadie, along with Matt Knowles and baby Addison. The girls are 5 days apart. They will have many Mountain Days of growing up together!Chick-fil-A doesn't just serve delicious food, but it's a fun company too. Here's Doodles, he's not as famous as the cow. Doodles used to be a regular at the Dwarf House in Rome, and Carrie was petrified of him. She was happy to see this picture of her "friend."
Every year Berry has Mountain Day, and there is a competition between the dorms in a type of field day. Each dorm has a t-shirt for the occasion. At the reunion the alumni shared some of the old shirts. This is one of my favorites. The front said "Friendship Rules."
You have know something about Winshape to appreciate these rules!This past weekend, Kate had a swim meet in Dalton. Here is a video of her swimming the 50 Freestyle. She is in lane 4. Listen and you will hear them announce her name as she wins her heat. She finished 6th overall in her age group. Her coach thinks she will eventually be a middle distance swimmer...think 4oo or 500 yard events! She does love the water. In June she will attend swim camp at Auburn.
At the same time that Kate was swimming in Dalton, Carrie was primping for the prom. She's only a sophomore, but snagged a date with a fellow trumpet player. The Nobles are budget conscious (thrifty, cheap...call it what you want!) so she borrowed dress, shoes and clutch. We weren't at home to see her off for a night at the ball, but Alyssa was the family photographer. It stormed on Saturday, so the usual pictures at Berry were out. They took pictures at a fancy bed & breakfast in town where they charged $20 for the photo op. Carrie's date, Mark, is a senior - but he doesn't drive, so they doubled with some other band friends. After the photos they drove to Kennesaw and ate at Steak-n-Shake!!
This upcoming weekend we are hosting a cookout for the Calvary college crowd on Saturday and I've invited my piano pedagogy class for dinner on Sunday evening. Kate is participating in a Kids tri-athalon on Sunday too. We love the opportunity to share with those that God brings into our lives.
This week I also set a new record. I love to cook, and have cooked for crowds at my house of up to 40....always college students! The past few years Michael Van Sant has asked me to help with Disciple Now. Michael is a great organizer and I have help from the church family in preparing the food on Friday night. This year our church hosted DNow for 7 churches. I prepared baked spaghetti for about 225 youth and leaders, definitely a new record for mamanobles! It was a new recipe, but it is sure to become a favorite at the Nobles household.