AJ Graduated!

Sorry for the not so great photo quality, but that's usually what happens at graduations. Dodging other people's arms and cameras to get your shot in before the graduate leaves the from, hence the photo on the bottom right. But the photos are only a very small part of the big day that was had yesterday. On May 22, 2014 AJ graduated from NCC with a degree as a Physical Therapy Assistant after many years of extremely hard work! It was such an exciting day because he worked so hard to get here. I can't stress that enough and it seemed like the celebration and acknowledgment of that was long over due.

First, there was his pinning ceremony with the other students in his program. The families were able to attend and we sat in the PT room at their lab tables and had a little lunch before the professors spoke and then AJ even delivered his own speech that had many in tears! Everyone came up to him after to tell him how great it was and I was, of course, very proud.

After they were all pinned and many photos were taken, AJ's parents, siblings, and I headed outside to the tent where the entire school's graduation was held. It was long and crowded but I would have sat there for days just to see AJ's happy face when he walked across the stage and his full name was read correctly! I stood up and shouted as he got his diploma and he saw me and waved.

Just as everyone was leaving the tent, it started to thunder and downpour so we hurried to his family's house, changed into sweats. His mom started making us soup to warm up and AJ poured us glass of Hoegaarden beer (it was my graduation gift to him—he got me a beautiful bouquet of flowers that included my favorites, ranunculus!). His mom and I split one, and he and his dad each had their own.

Tonight is his real graduation party and it is only fitting that this celebration last more than just one day! I am so proud of his hard work and I am extremely proud to be his fiancee!