Graduation!

The day finally came! Graduation! We left for Rexburg Friday morning. Mom was going to drive up with us but wasn't feeling very good that morning, so she decided she would wait and come with Dad later that day.....(he was driving up from California). We got to Rexburg and walked the campus grounds with the boys. We walked by where we first met, where Thomas first thought he was going to marry me, where we flirted a lot, all the grounds we mowed, sod we laid, sidewalks we blowed, trees we planted etc. It was so fun to reminisce the good ol days.

We met up with one of my childhood friends, Andrew Bigler aka Biggs, and his wife Kim. We LOVE those two, and it was so good to see them. They took the pictures for us!  So everytime we go to get family pictures anytime in the last 2-3 years the most stubborn side of Kasen comes out. He would not have it and ran away the whole time and screamed and cried..... So if he's not in many pictures that's why. Luckily, I at least got him on this rock and was trying to play with him to make him smile. Wasn't working and so I scrunched his face and told he HAD TO SMILE! It made him laugh/scream in madness at me, but at least we kind of got this semi-candid-funish looking picture.

This has been quite the journey for me, and Thomas has stood by me every step of the way, encouraging me and supporting me. What a guy! Wouldn't have been able to do this without him and i'm grateful for all those times he did the dishes so I could finish up an assignment, or took care of the boys etc. He always does so much for me.

I LOVE BYU-IDAHO!

I'm serious. This school is amazing.

Trying to take pictures with an active 4 year old.... at least I got some with my Layto-Potato!

 

The whole evening before I went to the walking ceremony (convocation), I didn't know if my parents were going to make it. My Dad called around 4:00 I think and was in the Draper area with traffic barely moving and car accidents ahead. I thought there was no way in heck that they would make it, and told them it's ok and to not stress about coming......Well around 5:30 Dad made it to our exit and I arranged for a friend of mine to take Mom to the freeway to save time. They hopped in the truck and sped to Rexburg. We kept texting back and forth the whole way and I didn't think they would make it. We got to the auditoriam early and then the ceremony started. I hadn't heard anything from Mom and Dad. I kept looking back to see if I could see them but nothing..... The walking up to get the diploma started. I purposely sat so I could be one of the last ones to walk. I started to walk up the stairs and was a little sad that I was sure they didn't make it, but then I looked out and there was my Dad with his camera ready to take a picture! It was awesome! I was so glad that they got to be there to see me walk for graduation!

While we were taking pictures in the hallway after the ceremony, Henry J Eyring (Apostle Henry B Eyering's son and vice president of BYUI) and the dean of my department (not sure of his name),  came down the hallway. Thomas asked if I could get a picture of them!

Me and the hubby!

Thanks so much for coming Mom and Dad. It meant a lot to me for you guys to be there! You are the best parents in the whole wide world!