Graduation!!

Yesterday Zack graduated from Clark University for his Doctorate degree!!  I know he technically finished in December and we already announced it then that he was done with school, but it was sort of anti-climatic back then with all the other stuff going on at the time.  But yesterday he got to walk and wear the robes and all that jazz and it was pretty great.  It was a beautiful sunny day and the graduation was outside so I took the kids and we sat way in the back where they could run around on the grass and have fun, while I sat in the shade with little August.  As they called out his name and he walked across the stage in his puffy hat (yes the doc. grads get puffy grad hats, special eh??) and green and black robe with puffy sleeves (again with the puffy) I felt so much pride swell up inside me.  He has worked really hard for the past 5 years for this moment and I was so proud of him.  Sadly I clapped as the lone clapper way in the back section as I tried to tell the kids that there was daddy walking across the stage.  (They didn't seem to care or get it.)  But luckily some of his fellow graduates clapped up front for him to hear.

After it was all over he found us in the back and I tried to take a few pictures and was hoping to take at least one with him and me together, but the kids were cranky and tired by that point and they were freaking out about the robes and hat and wouldn't even go near him until he took them off.  Sigh.  Kids.  It was kind of frustrating.  But I was proud of him and was happy to see him!  While we were waiting for him to find us, I couldn't help but feel a little sad watching all the families and friends of different grads taking pictures and laughing and having fun while waiting and greeting their grads, I was wishing our family and friends could have been there to cheer him on and congratulate him on his great achievements. (And to have someone at least be able to take a picture of us.)  Instead he got me, chasing after 2 cranky kids and one strapped to me fast asleep.  Oh well, such is life right?
They had a reception after for the graduates in each dept. with "cheese and wine" and fruit and treats.  So we decided that heck this was a once in a life time event, so we kicked back a few glasses of champagne and got crazy!  HA HA HA

(He already has his robes off by the time we catch up with the other Psych grads so that the kids would go near him!)

Okay, so we just watched the girl pop open the champagne which was kind of fun and watched other people drink it while I had water and luckily for Zack's sake they had Coke!  But the kids likes all the treats and fruit of course.  So different than graduations at BYU n'est pas?!
And we topped it all off with a 4 yr. old birthday party at our next door neighbors.  I'm pretty sure the other grads didn't have nearly as cool of plans!  ha, ha.  We came home thinking how different our lives are having a family and being Mormon and having kids.
But even if it wasn't the ideal situation and the celebration was only between Zack and me, I still think he is pretty special and I'm really proud of my grad!
Congratulations Zack!!!  We love you!!