Back To Beantown: Commencement

Last week, we headed back up to our old stomping grounds for Christie's commencement.  It was 2003 when Christie started Harvard.  We had just got engaged, and so there was a big sense of how far our lives have progressed since then.  A big thank you to our friends who picked us up from the airport, let us stay in their house for two nights, picked up Christie's cap and gown and returned it for her, and of course the friend who rescheduled her family's whole morning to drive us back to the airport a little earlier than previously thought! :) Though I am super proud of all the hard work Christie put in to get her to this moment, I am more in awe of how she did all of it and never made her kids or me feel second place.  She truly could not have done this any better than she did.  She worked super hard, she put in long hours, but no matter what it would cost her, how behind she would feel, she would always be there FULLY with the kids when she got home.  When it would be more advantageous to stay later or to go to functions to make her stock rise with the people who would be grading her, she instead came home as quickly as she could to get every minute she could with them.  THAT is what made me the most proud of her as I watched her go up on the podium, our kids in her arms with their little teddy bears, accepting her degree.  Knowing she got where she did and never compromised our family in the slightest makes me so very grateful for her and proud of her.  I love you babe! Congratulations!!!

Me and my hot doctor wife! It's still really weird to think that! The doctor part I mean....

showing off the kids to the faculty

Elijah is definitely his Momma's boy!

Inside the big tent where it all went down.

Laine and Pop and the kids

 

Christie and her proud parents

No matter how old you are, Mom is there to help!

Doesn't this remind you of a Sister Christian video? Or St. Elmo's Fire or something like that??

Proud Caeley with her mom

The future doctors of america?

I believe this is what they call getting "hooded".

My favorite thing about this graduation is that they celebrated the families not just the individual. It was a great moment when Christie was called a doctor for the first time, and she walked proudly up there with the two kids she had during the time she worked so hard. It really gave the complete picture.

Video courtesy of my great mother in law.  Found out an hour before this giant moment in our life that the video camera that I thought was charged was completely dead!!  Elaine captured the moment with her regular camera!  Go Elaine!!!  

5 years and it's over just like that!

 

playing with Mommy after a VERY long commencement ceremony

A great doctor in the making, a perfect mother already.

Look mom!! I got a stuffed animal!!!

WE MADE IT!!!!!

with Christie's folks..

 

2003 White Coat Ceremony

A family shot on the steps where we took a picture in 2003 when it all started. Things have changed a bit since then, but not how proud I am of my beautiful wife.

These kids are the best travelers around!!!