5, 6, 7, 8.....shuffle tap, arabesque, skip leap, and smile

June 12th, Dance recital for Jewel Isobel Killpack. (mom's makeup job bombed)
Pictured here with a stage mom who redid her makeup! Doing a contraction in her modern dance piece..her favorite number.
Ballet dance, music is Serenade (my FAVORTITE Ballanchine dance.)
Tap dance piece. They look like Charlie Chaplin! Backstage after the show with her dance friends and flowers!

Grandma Mable, cousin Chiniqua, Mr.Jan, classmate Andrew, Patricia, Daniel and Dakota all attended Jewel's 1st dance recital. She took lessons last year, but as the recital was held on a Sunday...Jewel could not participate. (Sabbath day)

So much fun watching all those little kids moving and watching all the proud parents beaming. Jewel had a great time and this was a great experience for her.

gratitude thought: grateful for a teacher that moved the performance date to a Thursday so Jewel could participate.

grateful for Daniel who gets up early everyday, travels into the city and earns money so Jewel can have lessons.

grateful for a family and friends that support Jewel in her efforts.

grateful, that I have NOT become a stage mom and pushed too hard. I left backstage right away so she could have her time alone. (what she didn't know, was that I was standing outside peeking in, biting my nails and nervously)

My mom Mable used to talk about her nervousness when she watched me dance, now I know what she means!!1

East Brunswick Stake Seminary Graduation 2008

Dakota seated with the Kinghorn family. President Rankin, Stokes, Flores & Llera with Dakota
A great achievement, Seminary at 5:50 am Monday-Friday

gratitude thought: grateful for a Seminary teacher like Sister Kinghorn, parents and Daniel for getting up at 5:00 am everyday of the week for Seminary. Grateful for the friends and relationships made over the year for Dakota and that he had 100% attendance.

It has been 95 degrees for the past three days and I am so grateful for air conditioning. There is no feeling to describe feeling cooked from the inside out and walking into a cool house.

Going public!!

On Wednesday evening, May 21st, Patricia received a phone call from the financial aid office at Rutgers. Dakota was denied any financial aid as he was ineligible to get a scholarship for transfer students. Only four are issued and competition was quite high. After inquiring about minority scholarships and departmental aid, she was flat refused. In addition she was not given any other names or contacts to continue her search. When Patricia said that Rutgers was three times as expensive as Middlesex and that she would be able to only pay for one class per semester, financial aid coordinator Larry Jones replied "well pay for the one class and sign him up for high school football" Unbelievable!

Patricia noticed a Star Leger scholars award in the paper and called up the columnist who wrote the article. Although Dakota was ineligible as he did not attend high school, we were put in touch with Bob Braun. A well know and respected columnist at the Star Ledger newspaper in New Jersey.

http://tinyurl.com/3fsth8

Not only did he do an article, but Patricia was invited to discuss this issue on the Jack Ellery radio station WCTC 1450 in New Brunswick on Tuesday morning June 3rd. Very surprisingly, many people called in and the show ran AGAIN on June 4th. This radio show is a huge RU supporter and has a huge fan base at Rutgers also broadcasting Rutgers sports....

Both the columnist Bob Braun and radio host Jack Ellery find our situation hard to believe. A 14 year old basketball player was awarded a full ride for four years at Rutgers when he graduates and there is not money to pay a 14 year old for only 2 years at Rutgers who is also a minority! Patricia made her case about many guidelines and rules which block aid because of his age.

Patricia is to report back in a few weeks to both Bob Braun and Jack Ellery to see if anything has happened on the Rutgers end.

Tough decision to go public with this. In an ideal situation, Patricia would be able to pay for Dakota herself to attend college but having Dakota going to college a decade early leaves us a bit unprepared. Does Rutgers need any dance teachers??

Happy Birthday Daniel!!!

Birthday dinner at 'South of the Border'. Mexican choice by Daniel.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIEL! Thank you for all you do!

Although Daniel was unable to take the day off from work, he was able to work from home on his birthday. He received a very needed piece of luggage that can be stored overhead in airplanes. Airlines are now charging fees for baggage!!

He picked a Spanish/Mexican restaurant in Highland Park 'La Fonda' which we dicovered went out of business after we drove there. Dakota suggested a Mexican alternative 'South of the Border' which was a great choice. We ate early at 5:00 and Daniel drove Dakota, Jewel and Roen (12 year old friend) to church. Patricia stayed home and worked on her two lessons for ward conference this Sunday June 8th.

East Brunswick Ward Memorial Day Picnic

John Llera and Daniel Killpack on the grill George and Enid Yourstone with Mable Dingle
Jewel playing in the sand
Jewel, Uncle Kevin, girlfriend Therea, cousin Chaniqua & Daniel relaxing

Not pictured in our ward Memorial Day photos is Dakota. Daniel, Jewel and Dakota all participated in the ward Olympics while Patricia & Mable stayed home talking and talking.... Jewel came in first for her age group for girls, and took 2nd place with boys and girls combined. Go Jewel!!! Patricia credits her speed to her years of practice running away from her brother. Daniel, Jewel and Dakota took 2nd and 3rd in family races. Dakota came in first for the boys 12-15 age group in the 100 meter dash. Go Dakota!!! He also ran in the 200 meter dash, the 4 by 100 relay dash and finished the day off with a 5K.

This explains why he did not stay for the noon picnic. He won, but at quite a price. He didn't move for the rest of the day. Come to think of it, he didn't talk much either...

gratitude thought: For those who lost their lives so that we could enjoy the freedom we are so blessed with. I am grateful for the millions of families and individuals whose lives were impacted in one way or another by the losses, injuries and illnesses sustained by their loved ones.

Dakota Killpack, class of 2008 (May 22nd Middlesex CC)

Up there as far as a surreal experience for us all. 10:00 am began graduation excercises for the 1071 students at Middlesex Community College. Holding his diploma, an Associates degree in Math with uncle Kevin. Daniel and Jewel had a blast.
Dakota with his Physics professor Dr. Montana and the vice president of MCC
Grandma Mable flew in from South Carolina to attend. Patricia remembers pacing up and down this corridor chasing little Jewel a couple of years ago as we waited for class to end.
Dakota sporting a brand new haircut. We had it cut several days before graduation when he finally realized his cap wouldn't be able to fit over his afro! Of the 1071 graduates, only 12 had an AS degree in Mathematics. Pictured are Dakota with two other Math majors who were both in his Differential Equations class. They were just on the podium receiving their degrees.

Dakota Killpack coming from his room, getting ready to leave the house and getting ready to line up to march at 9:00 am.

GRATITUDE THOUGHTS....so many of them as I realize how fast the years go by.

Beginning classes at MCC (10 turning 11) he was 5'3", had a high voice, and loved to learn. Grateful that he grew so much, and so quickly that he blended in class with the other students. Grateful for really great professors in both Science and Math courses. Grateful for the kind support and encouragement that helped sustain me, when things got tough. Grateful for Daniel and Jewel's patience with the hundreds of car trips needed to get him to school and back.

grateful that gasoline was much cheaper.

Walk-A-thon at Jewel's School

Daniel, Dakota and Jewel attended the Greater Brunswick Charter School walk-a-thon on Saturday May 17th to raise money for the school.



gratitude thought: grateful for a charter school that held a lottery. I was in the Edison public library when I saw the date of the lottery. I went to the school to check it out and thought it would be a good fit for Jewel. So far, she really loves it.
It's wierd to pay taxes in a town when neither child goes to the local public schools. BUT I'm grateful they both have found a 'home' for their educations.