Day 12: 12 Timeless Memories

** check out Day 3 for an update and PICTURES! **

A beautiful new mom attended the open house and gave me a little grief about my, er, lack of follow-through with the whole "12 Days of Graduation." I admit, it was a great idea that was much easier with "Hula Girl in a Pineapple Tree." It got a lot more difficult the higher the number...

But, I will finish with the 12 Timeless Memories of the Graduation Day.

1. The family - husband, daughter and I - woke up the graduate. We brought him his presents (college apparel), made fun mini-speeches with wisdom and memories, and prayed as a family. As the busy day took off, I am SO THANKFUL we got that time in to just be. I highly recommend this day-starter!

2. The church slide show. Watching my graduate grow up into the young man he is... tear! He has a great group of friends and has spent the past five years serving in the community and in church. So proud!

3. The graduate leading worship with the other seniors. When he came in eighth grade, he wandered around the house singing all the time. I told him he should join choir. He said absolutely not. So like the pushy mom that I am, I forced him to join choir, with the condition that if he hated it after a semester he could quit. I still remember choir friend coming up to me (we weren't friends yet) and telling me that he was going to be just fine. Singing has been a huge part of his high school experience, including being an all-state choir participant and this summer's Minnesota Ambassadors of Music program.

4. The graduate asking me to button the cuffs on his shirt as he prepared to leave the house for graduation ceremonies.

5. The graduate smiling at us in the stands from his seat during the ceremony.

6. Riding home from the ceremony with the graduate, hoping and praying the rain would hold off. Trying to convince ourselves that the sun was getting brighter the closer we got to our house.

7. Standing outside in the rain with the graduate. Oh well, it never rained that hard or that long - as my mom said, it was Just an Annoyance. I think husband said we're just throwing an authentic luau because it rains just like this in the tropics.

8. Watching the graduate play his host role like a pro. He greeted people, he gave them a lei, he directed them to food. He was great.

9. Racing on the bouncey horses with the family. I was ahead of the grad, he fell of his horse, and then pulled my horse back so I couldn't move! Husband won, by the way.

10. Having the sun come out at 7:30. And a small rainbow.

11. Too many friends and family to list. As far as numbers go, we are kind of at a loss. I bought 300 smoothie glasses and we have about 60 left. I had 300 buns and we had about 6 dozen left (you were right! we didn't need more buns!). I had 225 cupcakes and had about 2 dozen left, but we hid them in the garage by the grad shrine because of the rain and I don't think everyone got one. So we were right around that 200 mark...

12. Sitting up with the grad just before bed, me and him, commenting how great the day was.