A Weekend Full Of Graduation And Gratitude...Ready or Not

This past weekend was full of milestones for my family. My youngest, Kyle graduated from preschool and my niece Grace graduated from Oklahoma University. My sister and I are 10 planned years apart. My mom, aka Meemommie came in from West Texas busting with pride to see her grand children do their thing. Friday started off with Kyle's end of school program at his preschool. The children who will be starting public school next year perform and it is sort of like a graduation/recognition program.

The stage was all set, and so was my heart. I am so ready for him to go to kindergarten next year because I know he is so ready to be there. I was REAL happy when I wrote my last check for tuition earlier this month. OK, back to my heart... when Ms. McClinitic welcomed everyone, I felt my face get red and my eyes start to fill. Where was this coming from??? I am so ready, Kyle is so ready.......I thought I was ready. Get a grip!!! You are ready!!! I think I was just overcome with gratitude to these wonderful people who have helped form Kyle's little life so far. These are the people who have taken time on their Saturday's to come watch him play sports, who tell me he is so precious, who tell me he is a good friend to others, a quiet leader by example. UGH!!! Am I really ready to let go of this innocence just yet??

A sweet little preschool where you get to sing about God's Amazing Grace and how they have "Joy, Joy, Joy" down in their precious little hearts? Kyle has made some great little friends at preschool and I was just a little unexpectedly sad to see it come to a close. I won't even discuss the slide show at the end where they played no other than Amy Grant's "Friends are Friends Forever" and showed pictures of our babies. I get choked up just typing it.

Our Littlest Graduate

Buddies Ryan, Kyle, and Braden on their way to lunch with the moms

We went to Momma's pizza for lunch afterwards to celebrate.

Then the next morning my mom and I set off for Norman to see Grace, my niece graduate from OU. We missed the all University graduation on Friday night and opted to go to see her graduate from the College of Mass Communications. We should have gone to the Friday night event, we heard that it was amazing with fireworks and all.
When mom and I got to Norman we met up with my sister and her clan. Let me introduce them...My sister Cindy is in the pink,my mom, Gracie Girl our graduate, my brother in law Rich, (my boys call him E-Rich) me and my niece Hannah. Hannah lives in NYC. Crazy Texas girl living in the big city and all!!!

Our Girl all "Pomp and Circumstance"

Here she is pointing out to her friend her red-necked hillbilly relatives!!!

"Yep, them right there!!"

She did it!!! And the girl's got a job waiting for her in Dallas to boot!!!

Mission Accomplished!!

Grace, we are so proud of you!!!

After graduation we had a nice lunch feast at Legends in Norman of delicious steaks, blue cheese wedge salads, and scrumptious Coca Cola cake as well as my favorite, lemon cake.

Grace opened her presents, shed a few pent up for 22 years tears, and we shared alot of laughs. Poor Grace sort of had that same kind of moment that I had where she was all caught off my her emotions. She thought she was ready. ;-) Shhh....she really is.

Crazy Sisters

After lunch, it was time to head back home to North Texas. You can't get in the car without a drink and snacks with this bunch! Grace had us go to The Classic 50's. It is an old Sonic that I don't think has been updated since the 50's!! They sell delicious cokes (all flavors are called "coke" where I am from) and you can add peanuts, skittles, hot tamales, and really just about anything you can think of to your drink. I couldn't decide, so I settled on old faithful...Dr. Pepper. The place had good crushed ice too!! My brother in law was so sweet to drive my car so all us girls could ride together, visit and spend time together. Thank E-Rich!!

We had a little pit stop on the way home at the Cracker Barrel in Gainsville. My mom was just going to "wait in the car". OH NO!!! You HAVE to come in and SEE all the stuff in the General Store. They don't have Cracker Barrels where I grew up and so she had never been to one before. My mom is not a "road trip" kind of gal. She will fly and meet you where ever your destination is, but don't ask her to ride in the car for much more than 100 miles. Hence, the reason for not ever stepping foot inside before. We had alot of fun giggling and laughing at stuff. We left bladders empty; sack full of Yankee Candles, (Sea and Sand fragrance~smells like Coppertone suntan lotion), ZOTS candies, and some trinkets for my boys all courtesy of my sweet bro-in law. Thanks again E- Rich!!! I think he has traveled with the clan long enough!!

Hannah came over on Sunday to have lunch with us before she headed back to NYC. Because of all the graduation celebration she had not seen my boys. We had brunch of some southern favorites, pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans, and homemade blackberry cobbler. It was a beautiful day and we just hung out and had lunch outside. Hannah we miss you, wish you would come back to Texas!!