Graduation

Well, I figure it's probably time I actually update about our lives and what has been going on.  When we moved we didn't set up our computer for a while.  Most of our pictures were on this computer so I kept thinking, "oh, I'll do it when we set up the computer."  Well, that didn't happen for quite some time.  Then, because I have so much I feel like I need to write about I never wanted to blog.  It felt like such a big task.  So here I go.  Just bare with me for the next little while as I get caught up.

Oh, and these pictures are pretty out of order also...

I still can't believe we are graduated from college! It's such a weird feeling! The morning of graduation we woke up bright and early to go to the temple with our parents.  I wanted to go one last time in the Rexburg Temple before we left.  It is definitely one of my favorite temples and will always hold a special place in my heart.  I was able to be there as it was being built, the open house, and dedication.  (It was supposed to be dedicated a week earlier than it was, but President Hinckley passed away and the funeral was the same day...So it was the next weekend and President Monson's first temple dedication.)  Sorry, random side-note.

Back to the story.....we woke up early to go to the temple.  However, somehow Juston and I woke up about 10 minutes before we were supposed to leave.  So we ended up just throwing our clothes on and I hurried and ate something so I wouldn't get sick in the temple.  Needless to say, we got there later than planned.  The temple was super busy so we had to wait until the next session.

After the temple we picked up all of the kids and went to breakfast.  I had tried searching for everything that had anything huckleberry for my dad before they came.  There was a pancake place called the Flap Jack Shack that sold huckleberry pancakes.  So of course, that's where we went! Juston and I had never been before either and it was pretty tasty.

Afterwards we went back to our apartment to change our brakes and run some errands.  My dad went to get the U-Haul - which was a huge fiasco. And finally it was time to get ready for graduation!

Graduation was SO LONG.  We walked up there and met up with friends while we waited.  It was fun to see everyone that was graduating with us.  When we walked in they had us walk past all of the professors before we walked into the auditorium.  I loved being able to see so many of the teachers I've had and grown close to over the last few years.  When we walked in we were told we'd be walking in right by where my parents were sitting.  Um, not.  We were on the complete opposite side! Oh well.

This part of graduation we had a speaker from a member of the Seventy and the University President (Kim B. Clarke).  They read a few statistics about our graduating class - which were really interesting.  I wish I knew where the paper was that my mom wrote them down on.  One that I remember was that we were one of 51 couples graduating with our spouse (or something like that).  I'm pretty sure Juston and my dad got about the same thing out of it - a nap.

After commencement there was a break where everyone divided into their individual colleges for convocation.  Juston joined my convocation so we could walk together.  At convocation we had more speakers (2 students, President Clarke, and the member of the 70).  It was just like one really long Sacrament meeting.  It was also super hot in the room and the sun kept getting in our eyes.  So basically, we just wanted it to end! But finally, it was time to walk across the stage! It was exciting, but surreal.  It never really felt like it was really our graduation.  I am so glad we decided to walk with my convocation though.  I loved having Brother Kern hand me my diploma cover and Brother Stanger shake my hand.  I worked a lot with Brother Kern during my last semester.  He's such a great man and one of the many people on campus I miss.

After all the ceremonies were over we took a few pictures outside with all of our family.  We were all super hungry so we just wanted to get out of there.  When we were done Juston and I went with his parents to take pictures in front of the BYU-Idaho sign.  And finally, we went to dinner!

It was so exciting to graduate.  Even though, like I said, it felt so surreal.  Sometimes it still does.  It's weird to think that I am done going to school full time for probably the rest of my life.  This is a first since I was 5.  We aren't done with the college life by any means - Juston still has graduate school to look forward to in a  year or two.  But for me, full time school is over.