baccalaureate

Of all the graduation festivities, Baccalaureate was my very favorite.

It was a more spiritual part of graduation, an interdenominational service.

Dave and I were so very impressed with how beautifully it was done.

The biggest reason was the music.  Ok, and the fact that my son was graduating.

But from the moment these bagpipe players led all the graduates down the isles into the auditorium tears were welling in my eyes the whole time.

The orchestra was fabulous and the choir equally good.

I loved the speakers too.  The principal talked about “Don’t Stop Believing” and shared some really great motivational stories and the students voted on the other speaker who was a science teacher who gave us three main challenges:

1) Be a contribution in whatever you choose to do in life.

2) Be a GIVER and RECEIVER of kindness.  When life gets tough, focus on helping someone else.

3) Love something bigger than yourself.

She also said “never let your curiosity dwindle and your creativity die down.

Wise wisdom.

The choir sang “The Lord Bless You and Keep You,” which of course caused a little bit of weeping, and then they started into “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” my all-time favorite ever, and I’m surprised I could hold my camera steady enough to get this footage.

It was just so beautiful…see if you can listen to this without bawling.

We took a whole slew of pictures afterwards.  First of all with this great core group of Max’s friends.

How grateful I am for them and how they have helped us “raise” Max the last couple years.

Back when those two started kindergarten:

And this is from back when those same three up there were little:

Oh boy lots of memories.

These four have had some pretty great double dates this last semester:

And this cute girl has been fun for us all to get to know.

These kids go to church with us.

These two went to preschool together when both our families lived back in Virginia.

Here they are back then:

Sweetie pies.

And these two have known each other since second grade (I wish I had an old picture!).

Oh boy I love all these kids, and I love how they loved and looked out for each other over the years.

(That picture makes me tear up all over again…they are all heading out their separate ways and it may be killing me even more than them!)

I especially love this one.