13 years ago last week,
on June 4th, 2004,
I graduated high school.
It was the first step into adulthood for me.
It was new and exciting,
and I woke up the next day and nothing felt different.
Well....
HE DID IT!
Ryan graduated from High School.
Graduations happen all the time and usually aren't such a big deal,
but they should always be a big deal because it's a HUGE accomplishment,
but when the last of 5 kids graduates high school,
it's a very BIG deal.
Especially when it's Ryan.
Ryan,
who was offered acceptance into every University in Idaho in a single letter,
a full ride to BYU Provo,
and a 4 year paid scholarship into the honors program and into their business program as a freshman at the University of Utah.
It was a difficult choice for him to decide where to go to school.
Both my parents and me and my sister, and my husband, and my brother in law all graduated with our undergrads from BYU-Idaho.
And Jake is currently attending BYU-Idaho.
Out of those who graduated from BYU-Idaho,
4 of us have master's degree's,
but all from different schools.
My brother in law got his master's from U of U,
and we may have conspired together and campaigned to get Ryan to choose U of U....
My parents definitely campaigned for BYU,
but we,
my husband,
brother in law,
me,
really wanted to him to break out of the Mormon bubble a little and the U is an amazing school!
He wouldn't have gone wrong with either choice,
and I have no doubt that he would have excelled anywhere,
but I think he made a great choice!
Ryan will be attending the U of U this fall and I cannot wait to have him 20 minutes away from me!
We already bought tickets to attend the Imagine Dragons concert this fall and we are counting down the days!
Aniston is pretty excited about Ryan's decision...
But back to his high school career...
Ryan was heavily active in Drama and Speech and Debate.
In fact,
he medaled in 3 different categories of Speech and Debate at state in 1 year and that hasn't happened before at his high school in a long time.
He will also be attending Speech and Debate nationals,
for the second time,
in a this next week.
This kid can speak!!!
He spent his senior year serving as Vice President of the student body and was very socially active.
I have loved being able to watch him perform in his plays,
and attend debate competitions to watch him.
He was also apart of Debate Council.
He was a really busy kid in High School.
He amazes me every day.
He is so incredibly smart.
He took 4 AP tests in 1 week this past year,
and scored a 35 on his ACT test,
twice.
He is the sibling,
13 years younger,
who we would call when Spencer had math questions for his college level homework.
And he knew the answers every single time immediately.
Ryan and I were probably the most similar in our family when it came to high school.
Minus the whole being smart thing.
It's not that I wasn't smart,
I was an honors student,
but only because I had higher than a 3.5 G.P.A.
Ryan had like over a 4.5 G.P.A.
Whatever that means...
School is confusing nowadays.
But I was very social and actively involved in a lot during high school.
There was cheerleading,
choir,
friends,
BOYS,
and church activities that I was always participating in.
Then my parents had a break with the next 3,
who were still active in school and other activities,
just not like Ry and I were.
I was so glad that we only lived a few hours away from Rexburg so that we were able to drive up to attend graduation.
It was especially awesome because Ryan spoke.
And it was AMAZING!
I may or may not have watched it every day since he graduated...
I am amazed that he came up with this idea of the pennies and that it apply's to everyone and not just graduates.
It was so good!
WATCH IT!
You will LOVE it!
Ryan and I have always had a special bond.
I was in the hospital room when he was born,
and our connection has just always been very special.
I remember being in high school and he wasn't even in school yet.
We would spend the summer's playing Super Mario Brother's 2.
Every time we would get to the end of a level I would tell him I needed a root beer to pass it and he would run our the garage and get me one from our soda machine.
Then he would come back in and when the music would start he would yell,
"We Gotta Do Something!"
I remember that the day I graduated from high school,
Ryan graduated from preschool.
You know what's awesome about that?
Aniston graduated from preschool the same year Ryan graduated from high school.
I love funny coincidences like that!
I have put the pressure on him that in 13 years he needs to have a 4 year old who is graduating from preschool so that we can continue to carry on this tradition.
I remember leaving for college and he was about to start kindergarten.
He was very sad that I was leaving and wanted to get me a gift.
His favorite movie at the time was the Lizzie McGuire movie,
and the day I left,
he tearfully handed me the DVD and asked me to remember him.
I still have that movie.
I remember when he was in elementary school and I was visiting home for the weekend and his latest obsession was High School Musical.
He had show and tell on the upcoming Monday,
and asked if we could do something together.
We spent all weekend working out a dance routine to High School Musical,
and I skipped work that Monday to go to his class and perform it with him.
Ryan and I have had a lot of amazing memories.
We have never really fought as siblings.
Come to think of it,
I don't think I have ever fought with Jake either...
Kim and Jason all the time,
but I have never really fought with the younger two.
It's kind of great.
I am just so proud of Ryan for taking advantage of high school and not letting it just pass him by.
I can't wait to see where he goes in life and how much more amazing he will become!
But enough about the graduate,
let's talk about my parents.
Finally after 26 years in the public school system,
they are done!!!
They have done so well as parents.
I don't think they ever missed a game that I cheered at,
or one of Ryan's plays.
They have always been extremely supportive and willing to go the extra mile by volunteering to bring food,
or accompany a cheer team to an overnight state trip.
It was never a question for them,
they just did it,
and I love it!
I am excited for them to be empty nesters and to be able to only have to worry about themselves instead of their children.
But does a parent ever really stop worrying about their kids?
I am inspired by both of my youngest brothers,
Jake and Ryan.
They are such hard workers,
so smart,
and seriously...
they are the BEST uncles ever!
Congrats Ryan on graduating!!!
I can't wait to see where life takes you next!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment