G is for Guess What I Did a Couple Saturdays Ago?

I was so eager to post these pictures right after the event... and then I fell asleep in my chair after uploading them, and then we had family coming over for mother's day, and then there were all sorts of things to be busy with, and that was the end of that lovely thought.

But I vowed that I would post them for you, my very bloggy friends, and so I am.

On a rainy Saturday morning, the ninth of May, my husband, younger kids, parents, and I sat in bleachers in a college gymnasium all dressed in our Sunday finery and watched eagerly for this:

Or more specifically, for this:

(Sorry the pictures aren't so great. High ISO, low shutter speed, and all that. Not sure why it didn't occur to me to bring the monopod for stability.)

And so we watched, and we sat, and we listened.

Because it all led to this:

And then they sat back down and the tassels were moved and then it was this:

And finally, this:

Are you catching the significant happening here?

He's. Wearing. A. Tie.

Before you go thinking that that isn't very significant, I should note that the last time I saw this kid --excuse me, I mean this young man-- in a tie was 2005. And I'm pretty sure the last time before that was 1998. (This is true; I am not making it up.)

So there you have it. T is for Tie.

Oh wait. The tie isn't what it was all about. Okay, I have it now:

G is for Graduate.

COLLEGE Graduate.

Yes, on May 9, I became the proud mother of a college graduate. WOW.

Oh, and the tie, we figure, was a requirement for his particular degree. Shouldn't tie ownership be a pre-requisite for everyone recieving a degree in Business Administration?

(And now you know how Biz got his blog name. It was the college major.)

I should add, however, that Biz decided at some point that he hates business administration. But rather than change his major, he went for two minors-- finance, which he likes, and English, which he loves. Like Cheez, he enjoys writing a great deal. (My kids, enjoying writing. Imagine that.) Also like Cheez, he really doesn't know what he wants to do. His required internship this past semester was actually not in the business administration field, as would normally be required, but in the publishing field. His advisor, believing in the importance of following what one really enjoys, made an exception for him. He loves it but isn't sure he wants to sit behind a desk all his life.

Tentative plans for the fall include heading to Eastern Europe to teach English through an ESL program. Paid adventure, he figures. I'm not sure he plans to pack the tie. And after that, well, who knows? He doesn't.

But whatever he ends up doing, he's given himself a good start in life. It hasn't always been a smooth road. I'm really proud of him for hanging in there and finishing out his degree.

Congratulations, Jared!!!

Cornerstone University, Class of 2009