Graduation

Graduation was simply amazing!

It was everything I would have wanted it to be & soooo much more.

It was a day full of accomplishments & surprises & it was spent with many of the ones I love the most.

It wasn't supposed to happen that way though & let me explain why.

My siblings are my permanent best friends.

We are so unbelievably close & know each other better than we know ourselves sometimes.

So of course I wanted to share this day with all three of them or else it just wouldn't seem real or important.

My little (big) brother moved to California and I hadn't seen him for a really long time. I was begging & bugging all of my family about him coming out for my special day. But no one seemed to be able to get him out here because he had to work. 

I was devastated.

Every time I would think about it I would cry.

My husband had to deal with it so much that he decided to try to talk his brother into coming out as well.. but still couldn't.

I woke up graduation morning to a text that went like this 

"Hi sister, I am getting ready for work & just wanted to let you know that I am thinking about you today & wish I wash there to celebrate with you. I love you and I am so proud of you."

I read it & at that moment knew that he was for sure not coming.

I finished getting ready and headed out the door to go to our early morning commencement.

As I sat there in my seat I found my family in the audience.

I found myself counting them to see if maybe, just maybe he was there.

But nope, he wasn't and I really needed to start getting over it.

After the morning commencement I ran to find my family.

We hugged, laughed & even cried a little. 

Here are my two beautiful sisters!

I was so happy that my mom & sisters were there to celebrate in the morning with me...

but the best surprise of all was this...

yep, that's right, my little brother was there! 

My family had been keeping him a secret the whole time.

Wow, they are good!

It was amazing & I am so thankful that he came!

I sure do love that family of mine.

I honestly had the best cohort in the world.

We had so much fun together in class every single night for the last year or so.

They are all so amazing & will be amazing teachers!

& I am even more grateful that I got to spend my graduation day with them!

 

It was a great day!

Thank you to everyone who celebrated with me!

I love you all.

XO