He's Graduated!!

Yep, he's a high school graduate. I am so proud of him! Friday rehearsal was pretty rough. I kept wanting to tear up. But then rehearsal was over and we went to lunch with some friends, came home and started working on Saturday "stuff". When Morgan and I finished his board, I lost it. Completely. He put his arm around me and said, "It's ok Mom!" To which I responded, "No, it went too fast. Way too fast!" And I still believe that! We finished everything sometime after midnight. I believe we got to bed about 2a.m., but I'm not really sure when we got to bed.

Saturday before graduation I kept tearing up--ALL the time! It didn't take much! But something pretty amazing happened. I sat down for the processional and prayed God wouldn't let me completely lose it during graduation. Praise the Lord for answered prayer! I teared up a little bit when the class hymn, "When Christ Alone", was sung. It was beautiful!

All in the all, the ceremony was wonderful! Presenting him with his diploma was about my proudest moment. Dad actually handed it to him, but standing on the platform, realizing just how much he has accomplished this year, academically yes, but more importantly the struggles he has gone through and risen up to. That makes this Momma proud!

The reception after the ceremony was crazy! There were about a thousand different people there (or so it seemed when we were trying to get into the reception area!) , and it was very difficult to move. Once we got back to Morgan's table we stayed put. (Morgan didn't, of course. :) )

The party was a blast! There were a total of 89 people who attended, and I am thankful for every single one of them. It was a crazy day, and we felt like we had 5,000 thirty-second conversations. Morgan felt very loved Saturday, thank YOU for making his day special!

There are pictures on facebook for all to see of rehearsal, the ceremony, and the party. Go over, take a look!

Now we get the summer to spend some time together, go on vacation, and then August 17 will be here before we know it, and he will be moving into Cobbs Hall, Room 113, at Lindenwood University.

Congratulations Morgan! We're proud of you, and we love you!!

Four Days

In four very short, very packed days our eldest son will walk across the platform and receive his high school diploma. Wow. It's all come down to this. I'm excited! It's been an amazing journey God has taken us on the last 18 1/2 years! Morgan has been an easy child. I tell him all the time he was born older, he's always been mature for his age. (I wonder if his size when he was little had anything to do with that? People expected him to be older because he was so tall! I'm sure his birth order had a lot to do with it!)

I can remember when he was graduating 8th grade, so many people asked if we would continue home schooling through high school. I didn't have any other plans for his education, why not? I knew people who had home schooled through high school and their children seemed to be just fine. Then it started: he won't be able to get into college, (he did!); he won't receive any good scholarships (can you say Presidential Scholarship, AT&T Foundation Scholarship, Brightflight, and Missouri Access? I thought you could!); don't even try honors college, colleges won't even look at students who don't attend accredited schools for their honors colleges (you guessed it! He is enrolled as an Honors College student this fall!).

Am I little proud of him? You bet I am! This is a kid who will not brag on himself, but there is so much to brag on! He is exceptionally smart, he always has been. Yet, he thinks he's not smart enough. I think that pushes him, he always wants to do better. I love to hear him sing, and love even more to watch him sing. He is so animated! Morgan loves his family, and isn't afraid to show it in public. (What Mom doesn't love an 18 year old who still kisses your cheek when you leave in public, and isn't afraid to say I love you?)

You want to know what I am even more proud of? His personal stands he makes. He heard a girl call someone a retard because they flipped a sign over at Learning Center. I was the proudest Momma when he told the girl the boy wasn't a retard, and to call him that not only brings the boy down, but it also brings down people who were born with a mental condition. Of course the girl blew him off as being ignorant to her, but you could see the kids standing around him appreciated what he said. I got a glimpse into why Morgan is planning to go into social work, and it was pretty amazing. (It was also one of those tear moments for me, so I turned my back so he wouldn't see. I've wondered since then if he thought I wasn't supporting him?) He is one amazing young man!

He is the only one of my kids who attended public school. (He will still tell you he didn't get to go to the beach party at the end of the year!) His education has been the jumpiest, I think. In all he attended one year of public school, four of Christian school (I can honestly say there isn't much difference between the two) and the remaining seven were homeschooling. (At least we are at a majority homeschooling with him.) All in all, he is a well-rounded young man with a heart for God and others.

I am so proud of you, Morgan! I can't wait to post your graduation pictures!! I love you!!