MMHS Prom 2015

Senior Ball MMHS 2015

I could not be more proud of Summer for this event.

This was entirely the responsibility of the Senior Class Officers, which means it was about 90% the responsibility of Summer.  

She created pin boards and lists and samples and budgets and menus.

They decided on a 1920's theme.  

Notice the centerpieces.

The only thing we purchased were the feathers.  The flowers were all from my yard!

Summer enlisted my help to make place cards for each Senior.

We spent the whole week getting supplies ready,

and all day decorating.

Senior Class Officers and some Student Body Officer friends.

Summer enlisted the help of her 2 BFF's.

My important job for the night was to serve dessert.

It was chocolate cake from Magleby's.

Summer created an entire menu of speciality drinks which the students enjoyed while the dinner was cleaned up and the cafeteria was transitioned into a dance floor.

Sierra was so sweet to be the head drink mixer for the night.  We had so much fun.

Senior Class Officers,

Elliott Call, Summer, Fatima Redy, and Josh Jensen

I had such a fun night.

Class of 2015

Summer & Trevor

Summer & Juan

Summer & Coach Smith, the student government advisor.

He was very impressed with Summer's organizational skills.

There were over 200 students in attendance.  It was a huge hit.

I don't know why we don't dress up and have fancy dances like this a little more often.

It was so much fun.  I don't know if this tradition will continue, 

but MMHS class of 2015 had a fantastic senior ball!!

MMHS Homecoming 2014

This is what my kitchen looks like when I make corsages for dances.

Also, I raid my neighbors' yards for supplies.

Summer kept telling me to make hers bigger, so I did!!

Summer went with Trevor.  They had a friend take pictures of them in Provo.

They told her to make them look like engagement photos!! What??

Trevor & Summer are best friends. But, not kissing friends. 

We ordered her dress online and she found her shoes at a thrift store.

They had a lot if fun taking pictures.

Trevor was distracted during dinner.

Trevor is in the SASH band with Summer. He's the drummer.  They played a show earlier in the day.  It was the Food Expo in Provo.  Thousands of people were there to sample the tastes of Provo.  The SASH got free tickets for playing music.  Trevor said, "don't eat too much, we're going to dinner later"

Summer said, "No, eat a bunch, then dinner won't cost you so much tonight!!"

That girl is a thinker!!  And kinda cheap.  Way to look out for Trev!

First Day of School 2014

School started on August 19.  

Summer had to wear her student council t-shirt to school, so she was holding up her dress--her official first day of school outfit.

Last first day of school for this girl.  It makes me crazy to think about that.

8th grade for Sierra.  Last year of "grades not counting".

Here is a view of her cute new backpack.

And this guy.  I have been dreading this day for him. 

And, well, it just wasn't all that bad.  He had met his teacher the week before and he liked her a lot.

This year has not been anything like that past 2 years.  Everything has been smooth.

Prayers for us that the entire school year continues as well.

He even let me pose with him.

I usually walk him to school or drive him to school.

If I'm in the car, he'll still stop and kiss me goodbye.

He's a good kid and he's doing so well this year.

Picture with dad.  Isn't he getting tall?

And here is Shelby with us before her big day.  

She headed off to St. George to begin college at Dixie.

We're so proud of our honorary daughter.  She'll do great!!

Best Friends.

Dixie Leadership Conference

So, I was lucky enough to be a chaperone for the Maple Mountain Student Council to attend the Dixie Leadership Conference in St. George.  It was a jam-packed, fun-filled few days.  Here are some highlights...

Love the red rock scenery.  And the weather was very mild for July.

When we moved to Utah, I worried about where to enroll the kids in school.  We lived in Orem, but planned on living in Springville.  I tried to enroll them at Sage Creek, but the day before school started, we decided that they should go to school in Orem.  It would be for 1 year.  Summer had the most amazing teacher and made great friends at Foothill Elementary.  She reconnected with some of those same friends who are now on the student council at AF and Orem.  Small world.  

Serious.

Less Serious.

Less less serious

One of the activities was to attend the Little Mermaid at Tuachan.  It was so well executed.  I have heard people describe some of the effects but it exceeded all of my expectations.  And it was a bonus that it was about 90 degrees rather than the usual 110.  Oh, and we also shared a spot in the audience with Mitt and Anne Romney.  I think all 483 students tried to get up close and take a selfie of Mitt.  

Summer did a pretty good job and was mostly inconspicuous.  As were the other 482 selflies.  Not.

We did a service project at the Food Bank.

I listened in on most of the of speakers, activities, and discussions.  This one was the highlight event of the conference.  They listened to motivational speakers, did some hands on (literally) exercises, and the culminating event was breaking a board using martial art skills.

Summer gets herself psyched to break the board...

Last minute instruction…

And she breaks the board.  YES!!

Here are all of the MMHS students with their broken boards.  It was impressive and emotional.  

I thought that the conference was absolutely outstanding.  It would do a lot of high school students (and adults) well to attend a conference like this.  I can't believe how much I learned from sitting in on so many of the activities.  Super inspiring.

When the conference was complete, they joined in a circle of prayer to give thanks for their opportunity to attend the conference and to serve their fellow students.

*one story that I wanted to record…At the beginning of the conference, I walked in with Coach Smith. The man who was giving instructions to the group was a voice and name I recognized:  Gary Dunn.  He was on the faculty at my high school.  I asked Coach Smith about him.  Coach said that he knew Gary Dunn well and that Gary started this leadership conference years ago and it just keeps growing and getting better each year.  Gary Dunn is currently the student council advisor at Lone Peak High School.  They sent 60+ students to the conference from their school alone.

I was so impressed with the conference that I found Gary Dunn at the very end, after the evaluation session with all of the advisors.  I briefly told him what an amazing week he had put together and I also told him that I remembered him from OHS, and then I said "you know class of '88--we were State Champions in Football." He reached for my hand and asked if he could tell me a story.  Lots of other advisors and DSU people were standing around, but I said yes.  First, he asked me my name.  I said, "I am Kelli Robison.  I was a cheerleader."  He said, "I clearly remember you.  You were short, with dark hair, and a darling smile--exactly like you have right now."  I told him the names of a few of my friends and that I married Rick Herlevi.  Rick was a library aid and worked in the library for one of his classes. Mr. Dunn was a library assistant.  I don't even think he taught anything or had much interaction with students, but he did remember Rick, too.  Gary said to me, as he continued to hold my hand in his, "that is the year that changed my life.  That football season changed my life.  I started recording that football games and compiling highlight clips.  I was just doing what I liked to do.  And the football team just kept winning.  And I just kept recording games and highlights.  At the end of the season, I put together a State Championship Highlight video and we showed it in the auditorium for an assembly.  One thing led to another and people started asking for a copy of the video.  With the limited technology that we had at the time, I started making copies of the video and selling them.  I realized that I was good at this, I liked to do it, and I had talent.  It was at that time that I decided to finish my training and become an instructor and eventually a student government advisor.  So, that is the year that changed my life.  Every time the football team has a reunion, they still invite me to come show the highlight video."

I told Gary, "You a a bit of a hero to them, too.  You provided a very valuable gift to those young men and to all of us in recording those memories for us."

And Gary said, "that is kind, but they changed my life forever and helped me become who I was meant to be."

And, of course, I am practically crying.  I told him that we still have a copy of the highlight video in our own personal archives.  It's such a small world!!  I love that he took the time to tell me that story in front of all those other people.  What a great week!!