LOVE LOVE LOVE the Fall! ... Are you ready for some Football?

Ended the summer on a good note...went to the Compassionate Friends Picnic and Balloon Release. There were probably 20 families there. All with ONE thing in common. To send our children messages...with balloons. We KNOW they get to heaven...I guess it's our very own "post office". I took the boys (Nick had to work late, Mere was out of town, and Donny was coaching) and Sue. Couldn't have don't it without Sue. She took one, I took the other. They loved the park AND the balloons of course. I was writing a message to Melissa on a balloon and it slipped out of my hands...Drew was VERY upset. But when we got in the circle and each family released their balloon after saying their child's name - and it was OUR turn - he was ok. There were so many balloons going up, I think he knew it was going to Aunt Fort. Another bittersweet moment. I miss her EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.


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Off to heaven...


















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FIREBIRDS vs. ALTER
Take a look at Melissa's profile...she LOVED LOVED LOVED the fall. The weather, rugby, football and the beautiful colors. It is bittersweet that one of her best friends is now the head coach of the Fairmont High School football team, and she isn't here to relish in it...I hate that. She would be so proud of both of them.
The first game was Friday night - HUGE rivalry between the two Kettering teams...Fairmont and Alter. For some reason, we never get over the rivalry - and were pretty confident it was going to be a GREAT game. Unfortunately, Alter was on a 15 game winning streak (including to State Championships in a row)...hard to beat that. Fairmont not only has a new head coach, but a few underclassmen moving up to Varsity.
I have total faith in Andy and his coaching staff...might take a while to build it up - but it WILL get there. GO BIRDS!
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Coach Rock and Coach Fortener...Fort would have LOVED this. One of her best friends in high school - head coach of their Alma Matre - and her dad. After John, the two of her favorite men....



Coach Fortener



Coach Rock (center) warmups before game...



Coach Fortener (center) with running backs...

All decked out...Fort would have LOVED this...she would have been all decked out in her FIREBIRD gear too (maybe not the wig - although in the last few months she started liking the wig thing...) but definitely the painted face, a toga and somebodys # on it!



fans in the stands...Pam & Ang...



and of course...it's time for SCHOOL too...
I am now officially the librarian at Greenmont Elementary. Been in the library unpacking all my boxes and putting things away, putting up bulletin boards (which I'm not too fond of - Fort would have LOVED to do them for me!) and getting barcodes printed for all l9 classes. I think I'm ready. Looking forward to meeting the students this week - all 350
of them! Have met a few of the teachers, some have stopped by the library for books, but I'm not the social butterfly I used to be (I'm working on it), so I'll meet them when they bring their kids to the library. Always look forward to the stories the kids tell too - I'll share the good ones...

Have a good week....