Graduation Photos

Thursday Party @ Rudy's BBQ

Some of our good buddies: Thomas, Brock, Stefanie & Mandy

The Griffin's brought Hillary & Jeremy back from overseas for the night!!!

Matt gave great introductions to let all 38 people know who was who. 

We had some silly questions/prizes at the end of the evening.

Visiting, opening gifts & eating brunch at our apartment Friday.

He/we did it!!!

Matt & his advisor, Dr. Cleaver

Ceremony crew: The Keatons, Brock, Stefanie, Dr. Cleaver, us, my Mom, the Wilsons, Peg & Greg

At the doctoral dinner that night.

A joyous sigh of relief...

Graduation Recap

Thanks for waiting with bated breath.  Here’s a graduation weekend recap:

 

My Mom got into town the weekend prior, but I had been at work almost every day so Thursday was our “Saturday” together before the big celebration began.  We went to the farmers market for peaches, Matt joined us for breakfast downtown at Café Cappuccino (our table temporarily hosted pecan pancakes, gingerbread pancakes & Belgium waffles!) and then we drove out to Homestead Heritage to walk around in the fantastic weather and pick up homemade cream cheese apricot scones for brunch the next day.  

 

While we were out our good friend Thomas got into town from Houston (new wife Kayla stayed behind to recover from her PA school exams & a cold.)  He & Matt got some good visiting in before we met the Keaton’s & Wilson’s from SC at their hotel.  The 8 of us congregated back at our apartment just as Brock & Stefanie from Dallas got there.  The 10 of us exchanged introductions/hugs/etc and visited before the party Matt & I planned for later in the evening.  Soon it was time to pick up the cake, flowers & balloons so Stef, Mom & I headed out to set-up at Rudy’s BBQ!  (This is one of Matt’s favorite Waco restaurants.  He has benefited from using their wireless internet and enjoyed many breakfast burrito and smoked turkey meals with friends there).  Peg & Greg made perfect timing and arrived from the DFW airport just as we began greeting lots of great Waco friends & mentors.  Thank you everyone who made the effort to come out that evening; it was heart warming to look around the room and see so many faces that have helped us enjoy our time in Waco & supported us through Matt’s 5 years at Baylor.  We had a blast celebrating with you all.  Thank you!

 

Friday morning the apartment was prepped for brunch and soon we were smiling and laughing and eating with family & good friends all over again!  (Big thanks to Mom for helping with the banana bread & breakfast casserole).  Matt opened cards and before we knew it… it was time for another meal!  A giant sandwich from Subway fit the need before we packed up and headed to the Ferrell Center for GRADUATION!  The ceremony unfolded as expected with no hitches or particularly unique moments, however, I’ve never felt such a flush of pride as when the 18 doctoral graduates walked in and there was my husband.  I stood up so fast letting the things in my lap fall to the floor without a care as I pointed and announced to everyone “I see him!!!” 

 

After taking cap & gown & hood pictures we attended a doctoral dinner on campus at which all the graduates said a short sweet something.  It was nice to celebrate in a fancy way.  Afterward on our way to the cars we stopped at the bear pit and said sic’em to the furry mascots one last time.  Back at our apartment we gazed at a framed diploma and marveled over the long awaited fat lady's concert.  I’m pretty sure she sang the Hallelujah chorus. 

Paging Dr. Robinson

(Well, not that kind of doctor.) This past weekend was the BEST EVER.  I'll elaborate later, but before heading off to bed I wanted to let it be known that there is a framed diploma in our living room!

Wedding Fun

With our friends Ricky, Dalia,  Jason and Sarah at a wedding last weekend.  We met them at church and attended both their weddings a couple years ago.  Having fun friends around makes any party all the better; thanks for a fun reception guys!  (And congratulations Sherry & Jared!)

Surprise Trip to MO

A while back we decided to forgo a semi-planned anniversary trip to San Antonio and instead visited our families over a 4-day late April weekend.  We traveled separately, but it was a great decision.  Matt met his parents in Atlanta where they stayed with his Grandpa and visited extended family while I met my family in Missouri for a surprise visit!  Thanks to Aunt Jean & Grandma, I was able to give Mom & Grandad a huge surprise as I rounded the corner at my cousin's track meet waving to them.  It was perfect!  Spring was everywhere and we picked fresh lilac blooms every day, Grandma made breakfast and we ate on the screened porch at the lake every morning, I got to meet Wyatt and visit with my cousin Kerry whom I had not seen in a couple years, went wild mushroom hunting in the woods, went antique shopping downtown with Grandma & Mom, and enjoyed a familiar dose of vintage car time with Grandad.  There were lots of other great moments packed into the visit and other than Matt not enjoying it with us, it was a perfect spring weekend.

Grandad's backyard was full of blooms!

Visiting after mushroom hunting at Mack & Carol's.

Screened porch time at the lake.

At the lake after a great lasagna a-la Betty dinner.

Aunt Jean & Wyatt

I love this picture :)

Kerry is Wyatt's mom (& the other blonde in the family)

Grandad & his buddies working on his Model-T.  

And below, photos of one one of their 1950's Pontiac... so cool:

Playing, shopping, and smelling the lilacs downtown with Mom.

Lilac & dandelion blooms were everywhere!

It was windy

Haley!

Haley came to visit us from Atlanta a few weekends ago!  We didn't do anything particularly adventuresome or Texan, just had a good couple days of face-to-face hangout time.  We went out to eat on the river, cooked at the apartment, did a little shopping and and went on a nice, long & chatty neighborhood walk.  

It was particularly nice to visit with someone whom I have good "roots" with.  I've realized the past few months that even though we've been connected to Waco for nearly 5 years, we don't have many roots here.  (The people we did plant roots with have now ventured to their next destinations.)  It's fun to move around and have friends that do the same, but it can also be a little emotionally hard.  Especially when your roots are growing new roots in places you know you won't be a part of in the same way again.  Thank you for making your second trip out here, Haley.  We love you & appreciate your friendship!

In front of the Dr Pepper Museum

Snails Not Welcome Here

Dealing with snails in a garden is horribly annoying!  The past two years I duked it out with the slimy buggers as they sneakily chomped on the amaryllis blooms by our front porch.  This third year was a charm though; with the help  of a little, uh... poison... our blooms were unharmed and more beautiful than ever!  I even separated  some bulbs and put them in pots for us to take to our next home.  

Spring Was Good While It Lasted

May is here and so is the 90 degree weather.  Spring was good while it lasted!  March and April gave us good opportunities to get outside and "play" (1) because the weather was fantastic and (2) because Matt had more free time (yay!).  A few weekend things we did was visit the Fort Worth Zoo with Brock & Stefanie, then they came down here and we ate at/walked around Homestead Heritage.   We also took lots of neighborhood walks and "hikes" in the arboretum and big city park.  Here are some pictures from a few of our excursions and a funny one of Rowdy in the kitchen: