Principal of the Year and Dinner at Viro's!

  Wow.  I had just finished blogging about our A+ schools in the Vail School District.  And today, when I walked into the office to pick up Tonio and Autumn, ready with some off color, crazy comment to make Patti laugh, I noticed Calvin Baker, our superintendent and Debbie Hedgepath, the asst. super, in the office (luckily, I was able to refrain from making any offensive comments!)..they were there to present our principal, Deborah Bryson, with the "Principal of the Year" award!!! Never, in the 18 years I have lived in the Vail School District, have I seen a more deserving candidate!  And to be chosen to write a personal reference for Deborah, was an incredible honor.  And what a risk she took - as I had to seal the envelop and put my signature across the seal - I could have written virtually anything...!  But, she trusted me enough, to ask me to write a letter to the selection committee, as to why she was deserving of this incredible honor.  Kim would have been gushing...she absolutely loved Ms. Bryson - and what she has done for Cottonwood..
We are all so proud of Ms. Bryson and how she has shaped Cottonwood into an A+ school!

       This morning, I went to Mass at San Xavier again...for Kimmy.  It was a wonderful Mass.  The priest began the Mass, by telling the children from the San Xavier Mission school to look under their seats for a 'get out of school free' pass.  They were very excited and looking hard for their special pass, when, the priest said 'April Fools!'...  He delivered a great Mass from there - and, it was the first Mass I made it through without cyring...but, I could not help but see Kimmy, on our wedding day, turning towards me to deliver her vows...with those sparkling blue eyes...And when Kimmy was nervous and had to speak in front of people, her voice would be reduced to a hoarse whisper, nearly dissappearing...In my mind's eye, I could see her turning, turning and whispering 'I do', over and over and over...
        When Mass was ended, I took some time to speak to the father and he put some things into perspective for me....and then, I lit a candle for Kimmy, as I always do, in the main church and then over to the small chapel dedicated to Mary.  In this chapel, I dusted the photo of Kimmy that I had placed on the altar and lit her a new candle...afterwards, I hiked up the mountain, to Mary's altar and around the top...

Here is a mosaic, in the inner sanctuary, where Kimmy and I got our wedding pictures taken, of Mary of Guadalupe, a beautiful, tile piece.

      And a Saint Francis shrine...

          Brian and I got some work done on the nitcho this afternoon, pouring 5 bags of concrete into it...we're getting there!  We hit 96 degrees today, Mother Nature's April Fool's prank on us!  My sister, Laur, sent us photos of the Philadelphia area, hit today by snow, suggesting this was Mother Nature's prank...she has started a blog and will post her recipes, as well as, her experiences...let me remind you, it was me who taught Kimmy how to cook...and she used a lot of Laur's recipes!!  I have posted Laur's link with Ami, Casey and Jessica's links, down the right hand side of this blog, just above the music selection.  Check it out!
           After I picked up the bambini's from school, we headed down to Viro's to visit with Rosa and Vito and enjoy some Lenten dinner!  Amy, Tom and Alex joined us, along with Annette, Kirk and Alyssa Perrini and Lupe, Manny and Monsi Barrios.  We descended upon Viro's, and the folks there took us in, graciously, making us a long table to enjoy their food and company.

And we feasted...Amy, Tom,Manny (in deep contemplation...hmmm, I'm at an Italian restaurant...should I order the fish?), Lupe, Kirk, Annette and Antonio..

Erica, Breanna, Tatiana, Crystal, Nikki and Nick all helped make our night memorable at Viro's.  Tatiana made me a 3 espresso shot cappuccino that is keeping me up, even now, at 1 a.m.!! 

Afterwards, we headed back to my house, where the kids formed a rock band!  Janene dropped Bryson off, too, to play with the kids, while Brenden played baseball over at Purple Heart Park.  Janene just got back from Pennsylvanian, where her husband, Brad, is from, after a visit with her in-laws and brought Tonio an awesome Penn State shirt that reads; "Losing? Never heard of it!". 

It was a fun, productive day for all of us...and our friends helped make it happen...we are blessed and thankful for all of you!

When we went outside to say goodnight to Kimmy around midnight, we all noticed that the Big Dipper has shifted to the west in the sky....Antonio, proudly taught us, that with each changing season, the constellations will move!  He's pretty smart!!  And then, they all wished Kimmy a good night...

Love,

 Dave