And the 2014 Fort Scholarship Recipients are...

Fairmont senior Bradley Steel

 Brad was active in athletics (Football), a member of the National Honor Society and Class Council on the Leadership Team.  He was active in organizing events for the Spirit Chain (a fundraising competition between Fairmont High School and Centerville High School)  Fairmont raised over $80,000 this year going to several charities. (When Melissa was a Senior, she was Commissioner of Communications on the United Student Body and very active in the fundraising for the Spirit Chain.  The charity they chose her senior year was Holt Street House, a homeless shelter. The woman who ran it, Willa Fletcher, used to stop in the Donut Man when Melissa worked there to get day old donuts for the shelter.  They chose Holt Street House based on Melissa's recommendation!)  Brad was one of Donny's players when he coached seventh grade football. 

Brad will be attending Case Western University. 

and Fairmont Senior Taylor Donovan

Taylor was also involved in athletics (in fact, she was late for the ceremony because she had a softball game!  Melissa would love that!)  She was on Student Council, on the Yearbook Staff and is a Scholar Athlete.  And she wrote an amazing essay….good writer like Melissa!  (Taylor came in right after we walked out of the auditorium to take pictures.  She was SO excited.  Then I ran into her mom, who is a teacher in Kettering and I think she was more excited than Taylor…a little emotional too.)

Taylor will be attending Ohio State University pursuing a degree in Sports Management and Psychology.

Angie presented the scholarships again this year and as always, did a great job (re)telling Melissa's story.  It's a very emotional night for me and Donny.  It makes us so happy to know that Melissa's legacy lives on - and that we can help a few Fairmont students in the process.

Congratulations Brad & Taylor!!!!

***

Unfortunately, our softball team (my team, the one Donny has coached for the last several years) didn't get into a league this year.  No spot for us. we were looking for a non-competitive league.  Couldn't get into the Over 35 because we have too many UNDER 35.  And we all agreed (well, most of us) that we didn't want to be in the competitive league - those teams play seven days a week - tournaments every weekend.  We would be ball chasers/practice for them.  That's no fun.  So we're out this year.  First time I haven't played in 32 years.  I'm a little disappointed, but works out in a way, because now we have T-Ball games to watch.

Andrew & Max are on their first t-ball team, coached by their dad (and four other guys).  They need lots of coaches - on in the outfield, one in the infield, one watching the bench, one at home plate to guide the batter.  We are having a lot of fun watching them learn baseball.  Donny said instead of keeping score - counting the runs - which there are A LOT of - they should keep score by how many outs are actually made…not many.  Each inning, everyone bats.  When the last person bats, the inning is over.  Everybody is happy.  The game lasts one hour.  So they each get to bat maybe twice.

And they are having fun.

First game - Opening Day - they had lots of activities, including a bounce house. Someone bounced right into Andrew and knocked his tooth out…his FIRST tooth.  He was pretty happy about it. 

I guess when it came out, it was bleeding…he came out of the bounce house and handed it the guy who was working it…like "I don't know what to do with this!"

I love Andrew's shirt and hat.  He's the new FORT. Melissa would love it.

Nick (daddy) coaching third base - that's Max on the base (the batting helmet is too big for Max.  Keeps falling over his eyes when he runs - he ran into a post at home plate - didn't get hurt…pretty funny.

Andrew - our left handed batter.

Max - the best part of the game is when it's over and mom buys them Blue Slusshies…love the blue tongue!

Two games down - two months to go!

***

I was the "Mystery Reader" in Andrew's Kindergarten class this week for Right to Read Week.

I read  Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman…not my all time favorite book, but good for Mother's Day and Spring…and when you are limited to ten minutes!  It was also HAT DAY.  Andrew is right in front of me with the black hat, Max is next to him in the green coat.  Fun morning.

Next week, I'm walking with him and his class to an ice cream store.  I love end of the year fun stuff.  Always my favorite when I was working too.

***

And of course I need to promote the upcoming 

FORT 5K Run/Walk

This is the Second - hopefully - annual 5K.  We decided to ask the Fairmont Athletic Boosters to sponsor the event and donate the proceeds to the Boosters.  When Melissa was in the hospital, she hated wearing the hospital gowns.  She asked her dad to call our friend Jonnie, Secretary in the Athletic Office, to see if she could get a couple Fairmont t-shirts.  Jonnie put an email out to all of the coaches…and EVERY coach sent a t-shirt to the office for Melissa.  Hank Bias, the boys Basketball coach at the time sent the new hoodie that the team hadn't even received yet!  It really meant a lot to Melissa. And US.  I'm not sure if she wore all of them, but she wore most of them.  It made her so happy.  After she passed away and we decided to have the fundraiser, her mother-in-law, Diana, told us if we sent her the t-shirts, she would make a quilt that we could raffle off.  We made close to $1500 on that raffle for her scholarship.  And one of her best friends from Fairmont, Tracy, won it at the fundraiser.

So, the Boosters have been very good to us, and to Melissa.  So this is a thank you to them.  Hopefully it will be a success and the Boosters will continue to support it each year.

*** 

So many good things going on.  And selfishly I would give it all up to have Melissa back.  

Once again, it's been an emotional week…Mother's Day is hard (like every other holiday). Missing Melissa, and missing my mom-her birthday is Monday.  

But somehow, I'll get through-just like I have for over five years now.  I hate it, but I'll get through because of Donny.  And Nick.  And my grandsons. And Meredith.  And my dad. And the friends who have stuck with me.  And all the good things that are happening because of Melissa.

The Butterfly Effect.

How appropriate.

 Love you and miss you EVERY SINGLE DAY Melissa.  

Enjoy the HOT weather and hope to see you at the 5K-Saturday, June 21st!