A Weekend to Remember

What a fantastic weekend!! As you have all seen in the previous post, this weekend has been one of milestones and memories. Dakota, after 4 long and difficult years, received her Juris Doctorate degree from Lewis and Clark School of Law. Impressive by any standard but even more so if you take into account that she did it with two young children (and me) to balance as well as a full time job. In the 4 years, as we all do, our family faced tremendous difficulties, a few that threatened to topple us. We both lost a parent and were faced with levels of grief we'd never experienced. We lost three of our furry companions. Our children grew from three years to seven years and from six months to four years.

So much took place in those four years. So very much. We have come through it changed. For the better, but definitely changed.

And Saturday morning we really began the celebration! We were dressed up and on the road by 8:30. Dakota needed to be on campus for a 9:30 class photo. Since we would have had to follow within an hour, I packed "survival" bags for the kids and I and we all went together. We arrived and got a great parking spot. Dakota put on her regalia and we snapped a few photos of her and the kids. Then we walked her to the fence and said our goodbyes and good lucks. On the way back to the car the kids and I looked into the stadium and was amazed to see that there were lots of people already in the stands. Uh oh. This wasn't part of my carefully constructed plan! I had planned to hook them up with a DVD for about 90 minutes, get their tummies full and then change them into their good clothes. I figured sitting for 45 minutes in the stands before the 2 hour ceremony would be long enough. But....with places in the covered area fewer than the non-covered area, I know we had to shift gears.

The kids agreed that we should get ready and go find seats (we also needed to reserve seats for Dakota's mom and step-dad). I changed Kaylen into her fancy sundress first and then helped Kelton finish getting his good clothes on. I grabbed the picnic blankets I had in the car (Kelton was the only one smart enough to have grabbed a jacket on his way out of the house. Even though the sun was shinning, and it would get warm later, it was COLD!) and the two bags of snacks and activities and we walked over to the stadium.

We found seats and then we set about settling in for the almost two hour wait before the two hour ceremony. Yes, my friends, you read that right. I was expecting my children to sit still, and behave, on bleacher seats for FOUR hours.

And did you catch the part about the two blankets? And the cold? Let me just add that I had a sundress on as well. And the kids were not into sharing their blankets. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! I was certainly wishing that I had something that would keep me warm - heck, even vinyl corsets would have been welcome at that point. Vinyl traps body heat which would have been oh so nice.


The kids were so, so good. Kelton stayed busy with his DS and Kaylen and I just watched things/people and chatted. And we placed bets with each other on when Grandma and Grandpa would arrive.

The seats started to really fill up by 10 and finally at 10:30 I spotted Dakota's mom across the field. We made contact by phone and they headed over to where we were. The kids were so happy to see them - and I was happy for more adults to help entertain. :)


11:00 brought the sounds of music and way off in the distance, the sights of graduates walking could be seen. I don't have many photos of that because well....I couldn't see through the tears in my eyes. :)


The ceremony was really long. Kaylen, at many intervals (when she wasn't requesting snacks....I think she ate the entire time) would say "I'm sooooooooo booooooored!" Finally, at one point, I looked at her and said "Me, too!" Let's just say that the speakers were less than captivating. We were all beyond ready when at long last we were at the actual "graduating" part. The five of us all eagerly waited until Dakota's row stood and walked to the line and then, with tears in my eyes and the kids standing on the bleachers yelling we watched as Dakota's name was called and she climbed the stairs to receive her diploma. What a moment in time!

Kelton scrambled into my lap and said "We did it, Mom! We really did it!" It's a phrase I know he has heard us saying to each other the past couple weeks but it he couldn't have made a more true statement if he tried.

We did it.
We made it.
We graduated.

Our last name starts with a "D" so we had a ways to go before the actually walking was completed and the kids were bouncing off the walls. They knew that after the ceremony came THEIR ceremony. The children of the graduates attended a special ceremony, complete with diploma and gift, to thank them for their years of sacrifice. For all the times they had to hear "I can't today. I have class (or I have to study).". For all the nights they didn't have their law student parent there to help them brush their teeth or tuck them into bed. For all the hundreds of missed moments.

But it had to wait a while longer. After they finished handing out diplomas there was *more* people on the program. I wanted to poke my eyes out. It was already 1:30 (it should have ended at 1 and remember: my kids had been sitting there since 9:15). Finally it was time for the Dean to give his "charge" to the class. He walked to the podium and said " I crafted and re-crafted my talk but what I think is best is if I just skip it and let you get back to your families who are eager to see you. I imagine I will get the biggest applause for that." And he did.

We found Dakota and we all walked across campus to the Children's Ceremony. Oh the excitement! I don't have any photos since the entire family is called up, but it was really nice. Dakota took the podium and thanked the kids, me and her mom and step dad for all our support. Then the kids received their diplomas and gifts and then a family photo was taken of us (it will be sent later).

We watched the other families have their turn and then...just like that....it was over. Graduation, for everyone, was complete.

We took a few photos outside and then said our goodbyes to Dakota's mom and step-dad and we headed back down to the law school to return the cap, gown and hood. On our way back to the car we made a note: we'd been there for 7 hours. What a day!






Dakota did it!
We all did it!

Wow.