we did it!

hello. we’re now alumni of Brigham Young University!

and we rocked the whole pomp & circumstance

 

thursday night we had the opportunity to go to commencement where Elder Richard G. Scott was the speaker. we were debating for a while if we wanted to go and just do convocation instead but I’m really glad we decided to attend. however, we chose not to walk in with the graduating class and sit with our family instead. a part of me kind of wished we walked especially when the crowd would cheer for all the graduates but i’m also really glad i got to spend that moment with my family especially with my mom who surprised me and flew all the way from the Marshall Islands to be there with me.

love you Mommy!

(that is a Marshallese crown my mom brought for me that is made out of coconut leaves. apparently the queens wear them in the Marshall Islands. Adam says it looks like a crown of thorns… but whatever. i think it’s beautiful! also, this is after i gave her my stole of gratitude for all that she did to help me get my degree. thanks mom!)

i surprised myself and got really emotional during commencement. it just kind of hit me what a huge accomplishment it was to graduate from college with a baby no less. before it always seemed like this ambiguous, far away thing that everyone does in life and isn’t that special. but it really is special and i’m really proud of myself. i still can’t believe it really happened!

quick story: i put on my cap and gown real fast after commencement so i could meet my old roommates to take pictures and this old lady comes up to me after i put it on and grabs my arm and says, “congratulations! we are all so proud of you!” she then looked over at Adam holding Eli and asked, “are these yours?” i said yes and she said, “oh congratulations, that’s just wonderful!” made me happy :)

also, i realized how cool it was to have Elder Scott speak at graduation. when i was little, he came to speak at stake conference and he asked all the children to come up afterwards and shake his hand. he was the first apostle i had ever met {twice!} so for me it was kind of this cool full-circle moment where i was just this little girl with big dreams and here i am a woman, wife and mother accomplishing my goals.

in his speech, he gave us 10 things that we should remember as we go out into the world.

1. establish principles to live by
2. don’t make exceptions
3. be loyal-especially to the Lord
4. serve where the Lord wants you to
5. serve others
6. smile & have a good sense of humor
7. don’t complain, life isn’t always fair**
8. always have a church assignment
9. go to the temple & carry a current recommend
10. use the Savior as an example

seriously, so glad i went. especially for number 7. i really needed to hear that one…

anyways, enough of those darn emotions.

moving on.

we got to take some pictures with my old roommates who were all graduating too. it makes graduation even sweeter when we have so many people to share the excitement with!

(me, Holli, Amy, Whitney & Courtney. all with cap-hair)

after commencement we had a big family dinner {shout out to Holli for organizing that!} to celebrate us graduates.

oh, you don’t think that’s really my family? they look like old friends?

let me explain everyone.

Jonathan (far left) is Adam’s cousin. he married my best friend from Illinois, Alyson (second from left) . Holli (middle) is my best friend since 7th grade from Arizona and she is now engaged to my brother-in-law!!

i know. you are all jealous. you wish your two best friends were your cousins/sisters too. it basically rocks.

 

we then had convocation friday morning. we chose (or Adam would say I chose) to walk with the School of Family Life & I’m really glad we did. my good friend from some of my classes, Tiffany Larson, was valedictorian and gave an awesome speech. along with one of my all time favorite professors Dr. Dean Busby was the keynote speaker. and to top it off, my brother-in-law was in charge of taking pictures of the graduates so that was fun to look out see him.

we also were the only couple {and baby} to walk across together. there were other husband and wife pairs but they walked separately. so it was cool to all go across together as a family since it was a big family effort that got us there.

 

 

p.s. don’t you love little E’s cap and gown?! i found it online here for $15 {plus shipping and handling}. then my mom took in the sides and hemmed it to fit him and sewed an elastic band on his cap to stay on his head. isn’t it so cute!! it was basically the best $15 i ever spent. he is the most adorable little graduate :)