Ryan's Graduation

My baby brother Ryan graduated high school last week. I was nine was he was born and remember going to the OB appointment with my mom the day we found out he was a boy. It's amazing how time flies when the youngest - who happens to be the tallest - leaves the nest to take off for college. We are so proud of Ryan and the young man he has become and his heart for the Lord. He has lots to look forward to in Tuscaloosa for the next four years, and I know he'll be a great uncle to Trey. I remember when David graduated high school four years ago and I leaned over to Robert and said, "We'll probably have a baby by the time Ryan graduates."And low and behold we almost do!

Ryan's graduation, coupled with the fact of being (and feeling) every bit of 35 weeks pregnant, and that this week UA torn down the dorm I lived in my sophomore year of college, has me feeling a bit old these days.

Nothing like a graduation celebration dinner with the family at Stix to cheer you up. Turns out you get extra food for being pregnant if your Japanese chef is nice, so clearly we should have been hitting that place up for the past eight months.

Here's Ryan getting his diploma from his principal.

We always gave Ryan a hard time because Kyle and I both won the principal's award (or whatever they called it) at Clay-Chalkville our senior years (me mostly for being a nerd; Kyle mostly for being cool, nice, and useful and always helping the administrators with their technology problems). David was just always big man on campus who everyone loved, and so we always told Ryan he had a lot to live up to to uphold the family tradition of being tight with the administration. Turns out he and Mr. Laney are pretty tight. We may have won the award but Ryan somehow gets his principal to pick up his tab at Waffle House as a random act of kindness kinda thing. Go figure. Actually, I probably take a free meal at Waffle House over a dusty award mom has in the attic anyday, so maybe Ryan's on to something.

Here's "Sunshine" (as his friends have been calling him due to the long hair - a reference to that quarterback from California in the movie Remember the Titans) with mom and dad. He says he's keeping it long until his mission trip to Costa Rica this summer so he can get authentic dreds, then he's shaving it off.

And with David, Emily, and Big Mama (I swear Kyle was there - not sure where he was when we took the pic.)

Congrats, Midge! We're proud of you!