2009 Graduation - Cheri is an alumni - now the fun starts!

We had a very busy weekend! Saturday we went to Lindsay's (Amanda's sister) grad party first. We then headed to my nieces' party (Mary and Rachel) up in Swartz Creek. I got to see my nephew, Terry, for the first time in many many years. Then we headed down to Breann's party and I saw her mom for the first time in like 10 years. Cheri and Breann went to pre-school together at 3 years old and her mom and I were best friends for years. She lives in Arizona now so it was a treat to see Lori. We ended the night by going to Looney's to watch the Red Wings win against the Penguins (Go Wings!!!).

Sunday was graduation day. We had a rough morning because Cheri was missing her Dad on this special day. I had to be at Savage Hall at 10:30 to check in the grads and practice for the ceremony (I read all the girls' names). The seniors got there around 11 and it was very busy for the next couple of hours. Graduation was beautiful. We had 460 seniors and Sarah and I got them all announced in an hour and a half. That includes speakers too. After many pictures we headed to Outback to celebrate Cheri's graduation. I did my fair share of crying this day. I cried when I announced Cheri's name during practice (I didn't during the real thing - thank God!), then when the graduates walked in, and again when they walked out and I hugged most of the ones I have been close to over the years. I love these kids.

Sunday night was the Senior Send Off at the UT rec center. It started at 10:30 with check in at the school and then 5 buses took the kids to UT. We had 208 seniors attend. The night was filled with basketball, volleyball, swimming, eating, picture taking, and a million other games going on. We had the fire alarms go off and needed to evacuate 208 kids and 20+ parents. I saw smoke and was worried. The staff threw me out because I was running around checking to make sure all the kids were out. Once we were out, the police and fire department went in and we found out it was the DJ's smoke machine that set off the alarm and caused the smoke. Oh well, the kids will have a story to tell about the evening. The buses came back at 5:30 in the morning to take the kids home. I was exhausted and they gave me the day off work Monday so I slept until noon and am still trying to catch up on my sleep. Oh yea, I cried when I put the kids on the buses and I went on each bus and told the kids I loved them and they better come back and visit me.

All in all it was a great weekend and will be a treasured memory for the rest of my life and hopefully the kids too. My seniors are now gone and Cheri is getting ready to move to Adrian college in August. Now we get to concentrate on Clint and Amanda's wedding. We will be having Cheri's grad party on July 12th, so if you can make it you are invited. The busy summer will make the sorrow of losing Charlie's little Jovie girl a bit easier to handle. She will be on my mind though and I am sure she will be on the rest of the family's too. She is now our little angel in heaven with her grandpa, my dad, and my grandparents.

I will be out of school tomorrow (Wednesday the 10th) and then the wedding shower is the 28th. Seattle on the 3rd of July, grad party on the 12th, wedding on the 7th of August, Cheri to college on the 16th. I am hanging on and ready to enjoy the ride. Hopefully, I will get some R&R somewhere in there this summer.

Grad pics below -