Hannah graduated!

Hi Friends,

We have exciting family news.  Hannah graduated! She worked hard for this in spite of not feeling well most days, she persevered through it to the end, and Eric and I are so proud of her.  

She decided that a simple celebration at home was what she wanted.  She and I had fun planning and shopping for the day.  She wanted a theme of pastel colors and sparkles.  
She adores the Latin phrase "Carpe Diem" so that had to be part of the day too, of course.

We printed various pictures of her and with her siblings and special friends.

The menu was simple too.  Chips and salsa, crackers with cheese and salami, mini lemon cupcakes with vanilla frosting, fruit loops, water, and coffee.  Nothing nutritious, but all fun.

silly snap-chatters.

It meant a lot that Roger re-arranged his work schedule and Caleb drove up from Portland so they could be there.  Sarah was able to be there too, but sadly, I didn't get pictures of her.

Grammy and Uncle Bill came too.  We were so happy they could come to celebrate.

Hannah made these cute tissue paper flowers (thank you, Pinterest.)

We found these artsy bistro lights at Target.

Eric said a few special words and presented Hannah with her diploma.  I am not an eloquent speaker, in fact, it rather terrifies me. I also knew that I would likely cry, so I kept mine short and sweet and told her how much I loved her, how proud I am of her, and how much I admire her for the beautiful, young woman she has become.
Hannah decided that for her "speech" she would give her testimony.  Unbeknownst to many, including Eric and me until recently, she came from a very dark place of depression and despair, but our Heavenly Father, who so tenderly loves her, intervened.  If you would like to read her testimony, she posted about the graduation day on her blog and included her testimony.  You can visit her blog here.

Best friends

Long time family friends

Once everyone left, and just family remained, Hannah opened gifts and read all the cards with the sweetest of sentiments.  

It was such a lovely day.  Not only was it sunny and mild (always a plus) so that the guests could meander outside, if they wanted, but the show of so many people meant a lot to Hannah.  We live far away from most of our friends and family so the effort they all made in order to honor Hannah was very touching.  To say "it meant a lot" doesn't really express how special it made her feel.

And now... some more adventures await.  She and Matthew will be traveling to the East Coast. They'll visit family in various places and end their trip with a visit with a special friend in Boston.

She hopes to attend community college in the fall.  She isn't sure which avenue to pursue, but hopes by taking some classes she'll find a specific interest.

High School graduation is such a mile-stone in a young person's life.  It's a time when they are on the verge of leaving childhood and advancing into adulthood.  Not that parents aren't there to help any longer, but it's a different season to be sure.  We are just here to support and give advice when asked.
I am thankful I've been able to homeschool our children, not because I am a great teacher, but because of the time I have been privileged to spend with them daily.  Adult children have schedules of their own - jobs with lots of hours, and school study with even more hours.  I rejoice in the grand accomplishment of high school graduation, but at the same time, I grieve just a little knowing that I probably won't have the luxury of extended time with them very often.
I am so blessed to be their mom...and friend.

- Carol