GRADUATION - THE FINALE...

Finally, the FINALE!  All of the last events we've had - senior night at church, the last concert, the Performing Arts banquet,  senior picnic...all leading up to GRADUATION!  It finally happened.  We thoroughly enjoyed it all, and now it is time to sit back and rest blog about it...

Here's how we celebrated!

 Saturday we had a family graduation lunch and served an Italian meal. This was the dessert table.

Pinterest inspired centerpiece - no ribbons or bows - didn't want it to look girly.

Since he didn't want a fancy cake, I had to make something graduation-like and these were delicious!  Another Pinterest inspiration, how can you go wrong with brownie bites topped with  Ghiradelli chocolates?  They were really easy, too.

Banana pudding was his choice!

 We had a nice family group with us to celebrate!

Lots of cousins!

Obligatory family pic!

 It's starting!  Graduation was held at the convention center in OKC. Something new this year:  the black cowls you see some of them wearing including my son represents a second generation EMHS graduate!  (There were about 70 students with these) The maroon/grey cords indicate that the student has attended Edmond schools for 12 years.

All 519 of them! (I may be off a few)

On the Jumbo-tron

 Our daughter face timed us from Colorado and watched some of it!

I love our graduation program!  It's been the same with all of our kids.  No long-winded speakers but 3 short valedictorian speeches and 3 songs  - 2 of them included my boy!  Here are the ACT II seniors singing "Go The Distance" a cappella.  The mixed choir got to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" one more time, too.  It was beautiful!

  

Afterwards:  childhood friends celebrating!

Senior lunch kids with me!  Love these guys!

Sunday afternoon we hosted a reception for four boys in our congregation that were special to us!  They are also long-time friends.  The weather was beautiful and we all enjoyed cookies and lemonade and visiting with lot of family members and friends.  

 Everyone keeps asking me if I'm sad since this is my last one...well, it hasn't hit me yet!  Still very excited for him and the future and looking forward to resting a little.  :)  Actually, I'm telling everyone it's time to clean.  That really is my intention!  If you'll excuse my paraphrase, "There is a time to laugh and a time to cry, a time to parent with all your energy, a time to volunteer at school, and now it is time to clean up all the mess I've neglected the last few years..."