And Then The Big Graduation [School]

I’ve delayed this for too long. I have to face it. Covering Baccalaureate was not sufficient.

A week ago Friday night (on the heels of Emma’s elementary school graduation), Madysen officially graduated from high school. *breathes into paper bag*

But first, on Thursday morning, Holly went to the Senior Awards assembly where it was confirmed that Madysen was graduating magna cum laude, which is a skosh better than I did in high school and put her sufficiently high in her class. Definitely something for her to be proud of.

The magna cum laude-ers?

But Friday night was the big show–the graduation ceremony at Moody Coliseum at SMU. Nana and Pop even showed up with Aunt Kathleen and Uncles Colin and Ezra. Kathleen, Colin, and Ezra were not prepared for a 150-minute borefest, but that’s what they got.

Not that Emma was partying it up either.

You’d think that 50 minutes of waiting for Madysen’s name to be called would have been enough for me to have my camera ready. Maybe it was too much time because I had failed to switch my iPhone from photo to video, so all I got of her name being called was this still shot.

Nice. But I did recover in time to get her crossing the stage, getting her picture taken, and making her way back to her seat. Pretty exciting stuff.

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Once everyone had walked across the stage and they finished with a few more pleasantries, it was over and the graduates threw their mortarboards into the air.

By the time the ceremony was over, it was far too dark for real pictures. But here is the crew sans Holly and I.

And then one of the proud family with the graduate back at home.

Madysen had to be at some party by 11 p.m., but there was time for cookie cake and gifts.

So that chapter is behind her. Not really sure what she’ll do come to this fall, but she leaves for a 3-week trip to Barcelona and Israel with Papa this afternoon. She’ll definitely have a few stories to tell.