Graduation/Mother's Day

Wow! What a whirlwind weekend! It is official...Sean is officially a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This weekend was graduation weekend and it has been busy, exciting, and exhausting all at the same time. Sean has graduated with a Master's Degree in Nursing - a family nurse practitioner degree. He will now be able to see his own patients and write prescriptions upon passing his boards later this summer. He has not accepted a job position yet but we will let you know when he does. Now for a rundown of the weekend....

I had decided a long time ago that Sean really deserved a wonderful celebration for his hard work. Truly, I have an amazing husband. I cannot express to you the grace that I have seen in my husband throughout the past three years. Looking at his weekly schedule would make anyone exhausted. Besides working full time he has also been doing clinical hours, attending class, doing homework/papers, volunteering in church ministry and absolutely being an amazing husband, son, friend, and brother through it all. I really have to just brag on him. He has worked so hard to get to this point. So...

Thursday night, Sean's mom arrived and Friday mid-morning she and I hit the ground running! We began organizing for Sean's graduation dinner party that we threw on Friday night at the church fellowship hall. The party store took longer than expected which pretty much put us behind for the rest of the day. Factoring in time to feed, diaper, and hold a crying baby didn't help much either. Amazingly, we got it all done and we had a wonderful time celebrating with our friends here in Winston-Salem. I could have definitely not done it without her! Meanwhile, Sean went to the airport to meet his Auntie who was flying in for the occasion. We were blessed to have his mom, dad, brother, Auntie, Rachel, and my mom and dad in for the weekend as well. The party was so much fun and well deserved for Sean. Thanks to everyone who made time to attend and extend their well wishes. Our friends here in Winston are really more like an extended family and many of them have prayed us through this process. It was nice to be surrounded by them at the end of this journey.

Sean with his cake at the Graduation Party

Saturday began with brunch at a local restaurant with Sean's family. We then dressed and headed to Chapel Hill for some photo opportunites before the ceremony at 5:00 pm. After the ceremony we attended the nursing school reception, took a driving tour of campus led by Sean (more stopping and photo opportunites), then finished the night with dinner at Outback. Arriving home around 12:30 am, we realized that we had been gone for 11 hours. Cooper is absolutely a wonderful traveler - he was a jewel the entire time. I do realize that this is probably the prime age for an 11 hour day when he can nap and eat pretty much anywhere and that it won't last forever but he really did do wonderfully.

Family Photo

Aaron, Rachel, Sean, Christal

Auntie E and Sean

Sean and his parents

Sunday was Mother's Day and I was determined that Cooper was going to attend church for the first time on Mother's Day. There was just something sentimental about that - and trust me, I've been very sentimental lately. So, I drug Sean, Cooper, my mom, and dad up to be at the 9:00 church service because Sean led the middle school boys small group at 11:00 and I wanted him to be with Cooper during his first church service so we couldn't attend the 11:00 service. Let me just say that was an experience. First of all, we were 20 minutes late. I am blaming the entire church fiasco on Huggies Diapers. We were (reasonably) on time...until the diaper leaked and Cooper's precious (Thanks Keisha) outfit was soaked as I picked him up to go in the car seat. So we had to change a diaper and were into outfit number 2 (number 3 if you count the pajamas that he started out in this morning). We finally get to church just as Cooper decides that he's hungry. I head back to the nursery to feed him and get partially finished when I feel a wet spot on my black (thankfully) skirt. I stand up and realize that he has successfully pooped all over both himself and me - thanks Huggies for leaking yet again. I look like I have mustard smeared across the front of my lap. I clean us both up (outfit number 3 or 4 depending on how you're counting) and proceed to finish letting him eat. By this time it is 10:00, we have missed an hour of church and the service is ending shortly. I just decided to wait out the last 15-20 minutes or so in the lobby chatting with those coming in and out instead of entering and being a distraction at the conclusion of the sermon by crawling over people to my seat. So, Cooper's first experience with church was spent in the nursery. It was a nice try! I did end up having a wonderful Mother's day though. Cooper gave me earrings which are his birthstone. The attached picture shows us in comfy clothes rather than our church clothes because of the whole Huggies mess.

Furthermore, we would like to say a very special Happy Mother's Day to Nana, Grandma, Aunt Keisha, Great-Nana Giese, and Nanny Ruby. We love you all very much!

And by the way...Cooper is in bed now and on outfit number 7 for the day. The poor kid has had more wardrobe changes than a celebrity!