So proud!

Okay, so a homeschool graduation ceremony is a little bit different from your typical public school graduation ceremony.  Besides the obvious - there are a lot less students, it is also a lot more personalized.  Actually, it wasn't as personalized as I (OR the graduates) wanted, but that's because some people are just hypocrites and nasty and think that the entire world should cater to them!  But I digress...


By the time we got to the church that morning, everything was set up and ready to go.  The fellowship hall looked amazing and there were some great spots for taking pictures.  We took advantage of them and then it was a little chaotic as I ran around with last minute things.  Nothing ever goes smoothly and after the Color Guard arrived late, there were traffic jams and so we started just a little bit later than planned.  No big deal...


Nick was the first one out - and I just about cried at the sight of him.  It still doesn't seem possible to me that he is 18 and graduating.  He smiled so much and he looked so handsome.  It was just amazing.  In some ways it made the ceremony great because he was first in everything but once we were done...well, there was nothing to look forward to because, well...we were done!  He was the first to appear in the slide show and first for the diploma.


The main part of the ceremony involves the parents presenting their graduate with their diploma.  It was pretty cool.  Nick's name was called, we walked up to the stage and he walked and picked up a rose for me.  Up on the stage we gave a 2 minute speech which told (or SHOULD have told) how proud we are of our graduates.  Ninety-nine percent of the parents did that.  I liked our speech.  Actually, I am normally a pretty good and confident public speaker but Frank had to step up behind me and hold me because I was shaking so badly!!  But I got through it and my boy looked thrilled to get his diploma.


After all of the cake searching, we finally found a bakery that could do what we wanted to do.  Sponge Bob sat proudly on the front of the cake and really, it was just an amazing work of art and delicious, too!  I think I mentioned in my last post that they cut the cake almost as you would expect a couple to at a wedding.  While I understand that both of their names were on the cake, it was still a little off-putting that our kids were doing that.  My father in law was loving it and I think he kept egging them on to watch the look on my face!  Not funny, dad!  Totally not funny!


We had a great party and Nick just seemed to smile the entire time.  After almost a year of preparation and anticipation, I cannot believe that it is done and over with.  Thank God I have another 8 years before Michael graduates because I am still exhausted!