Graduation

It happened....the moment for which she has worked so hard.  High School graduation!

Besides being hard emotionally to watch your little girl grow up and leave, graduation was a breeze.  I have heard so many horror stories from parents who have gone through this before - stories about the stress of passing the national testing, stress about getting the Senior Project done, stress about getting in their public service hours, stress about passing all their courses blah, blah blah.  Not with Kennedy.  She has taken care of getting good grades her whole life...on her own.  She wrote up her senior proposal, did her hours and presented her Senior project...on her own.  She not only passed all the needed exams, but passed every single AP exam she took...on her own.  This is why it makes it easier to send Kennedy off to college...on her own.  She has proven herself over and over again to be responsible and trustworthy.  We are going to feel a huge loss here at home without her around.  But she is ready for the world and watch out world, because here comes Kennedy!

Clara flew out for her graduation - her first grandchild to graduate and our first child to graduate.  It was a big week for all us.  Sunday before graduation they had a Baccalaureate service.  This is separate from the actual graduation ceremony and has more of a spiritual focus.  The keynote speaker was a lady from our stake that trained with and worked closely with Steven Covey.  She did a fabulous job and represented the church very well.

Kennedy, Jacob, Chandler and Skyler all met at our house to drive to graduation together.  They of course we running late and barely let me take these few pictures of them before they left.  I am so glad I got these because there was hardly any time at the ceremony to see her and say good-bye before they bussed them off to their Senior Party in Salem.

It was an outdoor ceremony at the school's football stadium.  You couldn't have asked for a more picturesque backdrop.  They promenaded around the track to their seats and we found Kennedy early on because of her red cowboy boots!  A friend from our Ward, Joan Skelton, handed Kennedy her diploma, but not until after she did a heel-click jump!  We were so relieved she didn't bust it on the stage.

Each year, the senior parents club plans a senior party for the graduating kids.  This is such a great idea since all the kids want to party all night anyway.  This way, it is organized, chaperoned, and safe.  They took the kids to a recreation center in Salem.  They could swim, play basketball and all sorts of games, they even had a room full of bouncy houses and slides.  We only had a few minutes for a few photos and good-byes before they had to be on the bus.  I gave Kennedy her Rwanda journal book and she seemed excited to have it and take it with her to read at the party.

Kennedy received several additional honors for graduation.  Besides graduating in the top 10% of her class (Washington Scholar), she was awarded for having a 3.5 or higher GPA, the Prometheus Award (perfect score on her culminating project), AP Scholar Award, the Leadership Award from Dance Team and voted Best Dancer by her classmates.  Congratulations Kennedy, we love you and can't wait to see what you do next.  But don't forget, even though you are living on your own soon, you will never be truly...on your own!  We love you are always here to support you.