Time for a little Big Sky Country

Yessirreeeeee, it's time for my hubby and I to head for the hills. Er, mountains. The Swan Range, to be exact. We're leaving (on a jet plane) in the AM, for Missoula ... where one or more of the Huffman clan will pick us up for the drive up to Flathead Lake.

Mark wakeboarding on the Flathead,

2008 (photo by Sierra)

They've had 50 degree (high) days and even chillier nights lately, and thunderstorms were in the forcast for today - but DARN IT ALL, the forcast is calling for temps in the 80's come Monday.

Mark jumping off a cliff; summer 2008 in Montana (photo by Sierra)

Either way - cold or hot - it's going to be beautiful up there. I can't wait for some of those fresh off the tree CHERRIES ...

just a tiny bit of the 2008 cherry harvest at the Huffman Orchard - Flathead Lake, 2008 (photo by Sierra)

I will try to get to the Bigfork Public Library to log on and upload pics or musings while we're away. E-mail -- not so much.

Enjoy these next ten days, my fun and faithful followers. I intend to get all charged up and rejuvenated for BLOGGING my heart and soul out upon our return.

-- Davielle

Commencement at USC, Part Two

FIGHT ON !!!!

Sierra with her Diploma !!!

Sierra with her very proud dad {my partner-in-parenting} and step-mum {me!}

Sierra with her brother Luke and her mother, Jennifer

{my other partner-in-parenting}

Mark's parents, Marion & Gene ... with the first Huffman grandchild to graduate from college, Sierra Huffman !!!

As a postscript to my blogpost of Thursday, I want to offer up a couple of links that will take you to either a YouTube video of California Governor ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER's commencement address at USC on Friday, May 15, 2009 ... or to the LA TIMES blog page, where you can read his speech - they also include a link to listen to his address.

Mark and his mother, Marion, very much enjoyed hearing Arnold address the new graduates, especially our Sierra.

While Mark and Marion were attending Arnold's address, Mark's father Gene and I sat in the Annenberg School of Communication TENT, holding seats for our entire "Sierra Huffman Cheering Section". I have to admit - it was cool and quiet in there ...

So here you go:

http://tr.youtube.com/watch?v=i5ZeIVPe5dg
link to arnold’s COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS to USC

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/05/arnold-schwarzenegger-usc-graduation.html
the LA Times blog story includes a transcript of his speech, as well as a link to HEAR his commencement address

Let me close by saying, once again, how very proud our entire family is of Sierra and her accomplishments. She not only received her Bachelor's Degree in Communication, with a minor in Business -- she also earned a spot in the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society (the nation's oldest scholastic honor society, established in 1776 to honor scholarly excellence in Letters, Arts, and Sciences) AND a spot as a Lambda Pi Eta National Honor Society member (Lambda Pi Eta is the official communication studies honor society of the National Communication Association. Lambda Pi Eta represents what Aristotle described in his Rhetoric as the three ingredients of persuasion: Logos (Lambda), meaning logic; Pathos (Pi), relating to emotion; and Ethos (Eta), defined as character, credibility and ethics.)

Congratulations again, sweet Sierra.

Sierra with Chase ... at their alma mater's TOMMY TROJAN

With love,

Davielle {your step-mum}

Sierra Noel Huffman

"Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future."

-- Charles F. Kettering

Today we head up to Los Angeles, Mark and me, along with Mark's parents, Marion and Gene, to spend the evening celebrating Sierra's biggest accomplishment to date: her graduation, with highest honors, from USC (University of Southern California). We'll have dinner together tonight, and tomorrow, we'll all be there to see her receive her diploma.

From the time Sierra was in the 4th grade, her mind was made up: She was going to attend USC. She worked diligently at her grades all through elementary, junior, and senior high school, and she made it. She worked to make her dream come true.

Four years ago, we all sat together at my alma mater, Torrey Pines High School, to see her graduate. Tomorrow, we'll gather again to see her realize yet another one of her goals: To graduate from USC.

Sierra, we are all so very proud of you.

I hesitate to "speak" for everyone, but I do know that your mother Jennifer, your father Mark, your "co-parents", John and I, and Jack and Michelle, and your grandparents, Marion and Gene Huffman -- are ALL so happy to have supported your desire to attend USC. You have made us all so proud.

In addition, Sierra, your relatives from my side of the family send their heartiest "congratulations" with much love: Kristina and Cara, and your nephew Trevor, and your nieces, Kiara and Kaia; Poppi; Jay and Haruko; and Francie and Darryl.

WE LOVE YOU, SIERRA !!! Fight on ...

-- Davielle {aka, your wicked stepmother :-) !!}