Graduation Day!

The day started with a Baccalaureate service. The kids were amazingly good and it was great to have so many people come up and congratulate me and comment on how good the kids were! Many asked how did it work going to school with all these little ones?

It's called I have a loving and supportive crew! I will always be thankful to my family for their love, support, and patience as I made this dream a reality.

It was a hot day and thankfully the rain held off.

Funny, that a few weeks ago I ran into these two ladies at the college bookstore. I had Natalie and Ben in toe. They were admiring the kids and were amazed to hear that I had four children. I expressed my annoyance to them about a few things (graduation policies) as I picked up my cap and gown; never knowing who they were. When they left the bookstore manager looked at me and said, "Do you know who they were?" I said, "No just some nice, chatty older ladies. " He looked at me and laughed, "They are the president and vice president of the school!" Hmmm....Insert foot in mouth?

Poor Benji was so hot! Little did he know how each week of my pregnancy was spent trudging onto this campus and up several flights of stairs. Towards the end of my pregnancy and last years spring semester he would get so squirmy that I'd have to stand up in the back of my classes. Roseanne Walsh was one of my instructors during that semester. She was so caring and supportive. I was thrilled that when I went back to the gym to get the "real" diploma (they hand you a blank one on stage) she was the one that handed it to me.

Jake helping Mommom with her walker & purse as she rested in the shade for a moment. I love how he sees a need and just pitches in without being asked. He makes me so proud!

My handsome guy who as always had a hundred questions about how commencement works!

I think Mike is happier than I am!

I was so happy that my family could make it! My Uncle drove five hours down picked up my grandmother and then five hours back as he had his own sons graduation the following morning! Not sure if he will ever really know how much that meant to me!

I am a tad bit sad that my stay at Neumann has ended. It was great to see the campus change over to the University status. The school is built on the Franciscan Tradition. This principle is based around embracing the "other" as Jesus so clearly demonstrated for us.

As an adult student with four children, clearly, I am not the typical student. But my journey was made with caring supportive people by my side like, Jackie Martin, my advisor who helped me every step of the way. She patiently helped me choose courses and gently let me know when I was trying to do too much.

I am still unsure what the future holds for me. I want to start on my masters right away but for today I need to be thankful for the completion of that "unfinished thing in my life." Not completing my degree has haunted me for over a decade. But not anymore!!!!!!!!! Leaving Gordon College was a painful experience 13 years ago, but I have felt God's grace through every mistake I have made. To quote my uncle's graduation card...Gordon who? That diploma now reads University!

To steal another quotable from that day...my next door neighbor (who is also a shrink) asked me how does it feel to be finished? I said, "It's funny I feel as though I have just started. He looked at me and said, "Now that is why they call it commencement!"