Joey and Katie Graduate May 2014

This has been an eventful Spring, Summer and Now Fall. I haven't blogged since we moved away for the season, but I've wanted to! I've just been concentrating on having fun with our families, ...and there has been so much fun! Some heart ache to go along with it, and I"m not gonna go into that.... but everyone has to take the good with the bad and unwished for.

In May, Wayne and I took Jilly and Bryce to Lewiston to watch my son and his fiancé graduate from college. Both with two degrees to carry them on in life. It's about a 6-7 hour drive, and the kids and us chatted all the way there, with some education in the making. On the way home, Jilly could list off all of the rivers we saw, and name them to us. Much better than watching movies, we think. Bryce is obsessed with numbers, so head read every mile sign and post he could get his eyes on! And he's never wrong!

Here we are walking to the BBQ that was provided by the college to all graduates and families. Lewiston State College is a truly beautiful college.

This is the sidewalk practically in front of the house that they are now a young married couple living in.

\

We happened upon one of Joey's professors, and he had such words of high praise about my son. There isn't a Mom on Earth that doesn't like to hear those types of things!

Truly beautiful!

Here is part of Katie's family. We came to truly love them as our own. I couldn't be happier with the woman he's chosen for his wife. They are normal, and a hugely lovely family that supports one another. They already had my heart from when Jilly was in the hospital. Though timing wasn't convenient (being sick never is I guess) they made sure to get Joey and Katie to her bedside.

Grandpa getting Bryce ready to see the Graduates Graduate!

Looking pretty thrilled huh? Joey hates his photo to be taken. Katie is a beautiful person inside and out, so it's OK with her!

The ceremony was long....Long Long! * 3 hours or so of sitting right here. * At one point the lady behind us had to comment. * "I've never seen such well behaved children! To sit so long, and be content." Again, words I can listen to every day. Jilly read the entire program, and could tell when certain things were about to happen.

I'm getting pretty excited. My boy is about to be done with college!

And my new daughter!

Yes, she is always smiling

Waiting for them to exit and come shake our hands

I do not know who this young man was. But he stopped in the procession line to hug his grandma (I guess she's his grandma) and the hug lasted so long, that I decided to get my camera and capture it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE when a young person is not ashamed to stop and do this. It's unexpectedly wonderful. They both deserved the time he took to show his gratitude of her being there. These moments are memorable to me, whether I know them or not

Mary is Katie's youngest sister. She and Jilly hit it off and pretended to be graduates also!

This is how Joey was BBQing when we got there. Katie and I went to the local Walmart, and paid for his new one. Joey was not aware of this. Later I asked him to run to Walmart for me, and he found out that he was to have a new one!

This is how he now BBQs!

After the graduation, we had pizza, and Joey BBQ'd for us the day that we left. These are part of the goodbyes

There is a lot of beautiful scenery in Idaho. We talked with the kids all the way home too.

It was a trip that I'm happy to have been a part of. And I had some of my favorite people along.

Best of luck to both Joey and Katie in the lives ahead!

Mom