Graduation was at 2PM in the Salem Civic Center. A little less than 300 graduates crossed the stage. We were sitting with Bobbie and Bill, Carol's sister and brother-in-law, and our friends Jim and Natalie Wade. Their daughter Courtney who is Em's BFF graduated also. I think we were able to make enough noise to embarrass Emily and Courtney even though air horns were banned this year.
Bobbie and Bill
The party was at our house that evening.
Jim had helped me get the rental tables and chairs early that morning. We have a big beautiful tree in our yard and had planned to be outside. Accuweather said 50% chance of thunderstorms. Weather.com said 90%. We decided to move inside. Fortunately we had 2 hours between the end of the ceremony and the start of the party. Carol described it as "the table dance." We moved the furniture out of the living room but there still wasn't room for the tables so we went back to Aztec Rental and traded for smaller ones.
Gene and Froggie Yagow.
They were Emily's sponsors for Confirmation at Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church two years ago.
Jim Wade, who is Courtney's Dad with his Mom and Emily.
Here's the cool part. Luella and Patrick were students of Gene's at Community School during its first years. Luella and Patrick were 13. They had not seen Gene in over 40 years. A LOT of catching up was done.
Of course it never did rain. But with temperatures and humidity both in the 90's, moving inside was definitely the thing to do. Regular readers of my blog have heard this many times, but again I did exactly the right thing for totally wrong reasons.
It was a wonderful day of celebration and thanksgiving. I am so Blessed to have found this new family.
