Winners!

Several months ago -- about 12 minutes before the deadline -- Hannah and Lizzie decided to enter the PTA's annual Reflections contest. They both opted to create photographs based on the "Together We Can..." theme. Here's Lizzie's picture. Her theme was "Together we can save the planet" and she wrote an essay about how she and her dad had planted this tree together. I loaded the photos into my computer and let them use the sliders to do some photo editing. They both loved these neon-not-really-found-in-nature colors.

Hannah's picture was "Together we can clean up the Earth" and shows Lizzie picking up trash in our backyard. We tried to find some real trash on the side of the road, but with only 12 minutes, it was a little hard, so we improvised in the name of art.

Here they are at today's assembly. Hannah told me she was very nervous wondering if she'd won anything, while Lizzie said she was just excited. As it turned out Lizzie won second place and Hannah won third place. I actually found out on Friday that they'd won something so I got to go to the assembly today to take this photo from my place way way way way way back in the gym.

Here they are with their trophies at home. Lizzie's is a little bigger than Hannah's (which she keeps reminding her!) and they both have their names engraved on a plaque on the bottom of the trophy. They are very very very excited about this -- and let me tell you we were very very very happy to have some good news around here.And while I'm writing about winners... Uncle Ray was given the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award at the Lions Christmas party earlier this week. This is the highest award a Lion can get to honor his humanitarian work, and Ray's got his name engraved on it and everything, too. Here he is with Aunt Terry Wednesday night. Congrats Ray!!