SV's Graduation

This whole weekend has been a blast! Thursday I left Madison on a bus at 7 am and arrived in Ann Arbor on a train 12 hours later. My mom and grandpa picked me up and we had a super delicious dinner at the Prickly Pear (something like a salad with guac, cherries, salsa, feta, and cukes, oh man). The Cregos came over for dinner on Friday (spinach and pesta lasagna) and we were all going through old year books. My brother won the senior superlative for Biggest Flirt ("I can't help my masculine tendencies."). On my 5th grade cover, I wrote "Central Elementary SUCKS" hahahaa. The Cregos and I went to school together starting in junior high and my dad went to h.s. with Madonna and two of her siblings, so all those pictures are fun to look at.

On Saturday night, Dre, JK, the Cregos, and I went to Toledo Sportway, which is basically Mecca in my hometown. They've got a go kart track, putt putt, and batting cages. So much fun! Afterwards, we hit up Jed's, a bar with beach volley ball and baby fish bowls. After that, Andrea had the brilliant idea to open up the time capsule we had put together four years prior, when we graduated high school. We found a letter I wrote to myself in 2004, a garden gnome, a Motorola Razr, my name badge from volunteering at the polls for election day 2008, and tons more silliness. We previously packed the time capsule (an old, painted locking trunk I got from way back when) after 8th grade, and we opened in when we graduated high school. Now, I have to bring new stuff back with me so the next time we see each other, we can pack it back up with brand new stuff, four years later again.

I went to Sam's high school graduation on Sunday and had the most enjoyable time. My grandma and uncle drove in from Chicago around noon and we made Haya's perfect salad recipe and had Barry's Bagels and lox. At the ceremony, some girls sang For Good from Wicked and it was so beautiful. I am so proud of my brother- he's on the National Honors Society, graduated with a diploma with honors, made the Presidential Fitness Award, and was ranked in the top 25 in his class for GPA. WOW!! He'll be starting at the Ohio State University this Fall. So ready to see where his next adventure in education takes him!

The fam, at the Stranahan Theatre

hiiiiiiiii mom

The graduating class of 2013! I totally WOO HOOOOOOO!!!-ed at both Sam and his best friend. I figure, you gotta yell for anyone you've gone on vacation with ;]

Damn my family is attractive

Uncle Mark, Sam, and my grandma (mom's bro + mom)

Fathers and sons, some of Sam's best friends

Both Brandon and Dougie joined my family on our last Outer Banks vacation (along with Andrea), so this was a little reunion!

Couldn't be happier for this kid right here

popping cigars

Siblings <3

Ran into my friend from school, Justin! He's out in NY finishing his last year at Pratt. So many of my peers have younger siblings Sam's age. I heard many familiar last names today

Whatta group. I've known the kid in the blue and the guy right of Sam for 15 years :3

I had so much fun this weekend, and I'm going to try my hardest to make it back for Sam's grad party in three weeks.