Graduation

Graduation day finally arrived.

The ceremony was held at CenturyLink Arena in downtown Boise. We weren’t sure what parking would be like, so we left early and enjoyed an early dinner together before heading over. We had quite the cheering section. My sister and her family flew in from England, my mom drove up from Utah, and my brother Hunter came up from Twin Falls. Brennan and Emma joined us too, along with Greg and me. It meant so much to have everyone there to celebrate the twins.

I expected graduation to be emotional. I thought I’d be fighting back tears all day.

Instead, I felt… relief.

Senior year had been stressful. There were countless mornings spent trying to get the kids out of bed, conversations about grades, reminders about tardies, and plenty of frustration over motivation. Greg and I worried more than once about whether they would actually graduate. Jayse still had tardies to make up so he could earn credit in one of his classes, and Jaelee was waiting on her final paper to be graded, hoping it would raise her grade enough to pass. It wasn’t until just a few days before graduation that we finally knew they had both made it.

So when graduation day came, the overwhelming feeling wasn’t sadness—it was relief.

Relief that they had finished. Relief that they had pushed through. Relief that we had all made it to this milestone.

That doesn’t mean I wasn’t proud. I absolutely was. Watching them walk into the arena in their caps and gowns, then cross the stage to receive their diplomas, was a moment I’ll always remember.

The ceremony itself was wonderful. For such a large graduating class, it moved along surprisingly quickly. We had great seats in the center, and I happened to be right on the aisle where I could watch both Jaelee and Jayse walk to their seats before the ceremony began. After a few student speeches, the graduates crossed the stage one by one, and just like that, it was over.

Afterward, we skipped any big celebrations and simply went home to spend time together. The graduation party would come that weekend. After everything leading up to this day, a quiet evening with family felt just right.

Congratulations, Jaelee and Jayse. I’m proud of both of you. High school wasn’t always easy, but you finished, and that’s something no one can ever take away from you.

My sister and her family arrived the day before graduation (so did my mom). We hung out around the house and in the evening played one of our favorite games – Telestrations.

Before the ceremony started they had each kids picture up on a giant screen. I made it a game to find my kid and some of their friends and try and snap a picture.