• The Destination Imagination Global Finals has been quite an experience. Even the pin trading bug has hit me. While I will get a late start, I will be venturing around tomorrow trying to get pins. It is interesting to note, listening to the students that they want something a little flashier to represent South Dakota. Many states have a series of pins and I heard several good ideas on the bus for what they would like to see in the future. South Dakota has one pin that has been very popular for several years.

• Yesterday when we were treking to the Instant Challenge site, the team went one way, up a very steep hill, while others went another direction, a hill that was not quite as steep. Just making the trek up the hill, a bus drives up beside us, opens the door and asks where we are going. We told him and he said to get in and he'll give us a ride there. Talk about an angel coming out of now where. Then he asked where we were from and we said South Dakota. "Oh, you have the DreamCatchers." We said yes. When we stopped, I have a DreamCatcher to Jeslyn who gave it to the bus driver for helping us out.
• We had stopped at the place where the team will be doing their open challenge to see what the room was like. Right next door was a technology store. Peggy DeHoet and I went inside to look around. Then it hit me. The were having problems with the speakers as there was a short in the wire. I said to Peggy that we should get them a new set. She was all for it. We found a set, which Peggy paid for and donated to the DI program. When we got back to the motel, Gail and Katleyn Kyar tried them out on the computer and said they worked great. God does work in mysterious ways, even in Tennessee!
• One thing that was really neat tonight (as I'm working this Friday night) was Julianna at bed time. She asked if she could go out for DI again next year. Of course, I had to make one thing clear--I said just because you go out for DI doesn't mean you're going to go to Globals every year. "I know. I really like it," she said. I told her that if she wanted to, she could go out for DI again next year. It seemed to put a smile on her face, she rolled over and went right to sleep.
• I will say that DI is a lot of work. There are a lot of practices, refinements and other challenges. I would like to say that Julie Milbrandt and Gail Kyar have done a terrific job with these girls. It has been super beneficial for both of our girls. I can see how much it has changed them during the past year. And yes, I will say it's not cheap going to Globals, but the memories is something they can never take away. I already told both of the girls that we're going to take their pins and frame them so we can hang them on the wall.