FulOfLyfe

grad nite. and: the longest short road trip ever

we are missing some of our dearest friends in this shot, but we had not yet met up with them in downtown disney at the first night of grad nite...

my girl used my camera all day so i have none of disneyland by day, but i did whip out the iPad for a few quickies of the Grad Nite attendees with whom we roomed for the night. 4 of the boys:

the girls and me :)

fantasmic...one of the gems of disney's magic. tissues are a must for this show. be careful, peter!

walt is everywhere, memorialized by mickey, even in the night sky. love.

summer night in disneyland, near main street.

trusty companions, who even offer an arm when needed. i must admit, so does his brother, which he also did on this trip.

grad nite attendees...a quick shot before entry.

carsland...optimal at night.

one of several dance parties...

the roller coaster, left, speeds off. view from the pier.

world of color special grad nite show finale...

17 hours of walking and group coordinating. fun, and tiring. we left one night early, ready to rest and regroup, only to be met with my girl's flat tire at the bottom of the grapevine. (beware of potholes!) what do you do when you learn your daughter is sitting on the edge of the highway, and can't find her aaa card, and you're not driving with her? you don't panic. you just get there.

friends arrived, thanks to cell phones, and took matters into their own hands, since aaa would not be able to arrive before 9:45 pm.

the compact spare was changed by brother #2, and the drive home became a "caravan of epicness" according to brother #1. a 6 hour drive turned in to 10. we caravanned at a constant speed and stopped every hour to check the tire and let it cool. i drove. daughter and girlfriend took my car. my copilots brother #2 and beloved son did their parts equally fielding cell calls and keeping me alert for the long drive home thanks to les mis and coldplay music. honestly, so glad to have friends willing and at-the - ready to help. arriving home at 2 a.m. is not fun. these friends made the trip positive and as close to fun as is humanly possible. so, so thankful!

i will leave this post with brother #1's sketches and journal entries from the night, where we are each memorialized :) a fitting way to memorialize heroic efforts, don't you think?

graduation

lovely ceremony. kindergarteners, 5th graders, 8th graders, seniors. seniors each displayed a personalized video. speakers ranged from historical perspectives on tve to personal message to a broad sweep of where our young adults go, and how each is honored, whichever path they choose. over 200 in attendance. parents granted diplomas. homeschool orchestra. homespun, family oriented. just right. what a sweet memory. thanks to my friend john buyer, for providing photography for our event.
photo credits: john buyer
waiting...

kindergarteners waiting for the queue from mrs greenhouse

i asked. she agreed. entrance: en pointe!

event coordinator and taking the podium. i lived through it.

only the second time in 13 years i've seen lauri lose it with tears. the other time: les mis.

our girl :)

my personal favorite shot of the night. look at mark and tiffany in the background. love.

turning the tassel...

2013 participating graduates

justin and isaiah, now high schoolers

celebrate!

the graduation after-party

one word: happiness. after so many months of planning and orchestrating the actual graduation, the party nearly slipped my mind. we made it a collective party - two grads who have literally grown up together were recognized in one celebration. 3, actually, including our 8th grade graduate, mr. j. love them. so odd for me to have no part in the ceremony photos. i outsourced that part and will look forward to those soon.