The Graduate

It. is. DONE.

We are done.

HE IS DONE!

We've got the diploma, mortarboard and tassel to prove it.

It was a great day. A little muggy, cloudy and warm, but it was great. The ceremony was short (thank you Willamette University for understanding that the last place we want to be on Mother's Day is in an auditorium listening to speakers drone on and on. Which, they didn't, for the record. All the speeches given were 10 minutes or less.)

I cried when they had the families of the graduates stand up to be acknowledged.

I cried because I remembered the countless evenings where I got the kids ready for bed myself, which at the time, didn't seem that hard, but looking back, it was a bit of a sacrifice. I cried because I remembered all the times he came home stressed out and frustrated due to some assignment, paper or presentation he was working on. I cried because I felt like I was getting a little prize for my {puny} contribution to this great achievement.

I cried when they put his hood on and handed him his diploma.

I cried because I remembered how scared we both were when we started this and how we thought it was never going to end. And suddenly, it's ended. We are at the end of one journey, but we are just beginning a new and exciting and scary adventure.

This guy right here? I'm beyond proud of him. He is amazing. Uh-MAZ-ing I tell you. He worked his tush right off. And through all his amazingness at school, he somehow became even more amazing at home. He helped me with the kids, he did the dishes (have I ever mentioned how much I despise the dishes?) he took Claire on little daddy daughter dates to the store or for a little $.99 cone or just to the park down the street so that I could get things done in the apartment. I'm telling you, I hit the jackpot in the husband lottery. I don't feel like I deserve him most of the time, but I sure am grateful he still thinks I'm alright, despite my many imperfections.

Thanks for being a rockstar hon. We're over the moon about you.