MSU Law School Graduation - May 11 2012

 I've been wanting to blog this since the day it happened, alas, that's when the crazy-busy part of graduation and moving kicked in, then I was very behind and so here we are. Anyhow, GRADUATION! 

 We decided to take some graduation pictures the day before the ceremony as the Spartan statue gets wildly crowded on graduation days. Also, we have kids and didn't want to stress about it, I highly recommend it. Here are the shots. We only got a few (crooked) pictures of all of us from a passerby but it's better than nothing. ( I straightened, zoomed, cropped, lightened etc...)

This is one of my favorite pictures, ever.

 

  I am so proud of Clayton!

 The Spartan statue, designed by MSU art professor Leonard D. Jungwirth, was originally made in 1943 out of terra cotta due to WW11 rationing. Due to the fragile material, they made a cast of the original and had a bronze statue cast in 2005 and moved the terra cotta statue inside. It's a tradition to take your graduation pictures with Sparty.

 You'd better believe I took this picture. Pinch pinch.

 That night I went out to dinner with a few friends. Nothing to do with graduation, but I had to include this shot of some of my favorite people! From Left to Right: Marissa Christensen, Laurie Johnson, Emily Becker, moi, Brittany Frampton, Delicia Coupe, Kim Bowles, Angela Johnson and Ashley Stevens. I miss them! (Ashley, if you are reading this- I suck. I need to come play with you soon!)

 The next day was graduation and Angela watched Winston for us so Eleanor and I could go and not worry about constant fussing. We dropped Clayton off and had about an hour to kill before it started, so we wandered around the campus a little. Here is the MSU Rock. Each graduating class of each college or school paints it the night before graduation. Sororities and other types of groups paint it for stuff throughout the year as well. Here is Eleanor modeling next to it. I'll admit, I had a dang good time taking pictures of E in her Easter dress I made her.

 The Red Cedar River runs right through campus. It is so so pretty.

 Geese! Man, she was so excited.

 Under the bridge right next to the Auditorium there is a lot of graffiti. Which makes sense as it is just a few feet from the painted rock. Lots of left over spray paint, ya know.

 Inside the auditorium we found some seats right above the area where the graduates file by when going to their seats. Eleanor put her face through the slats pictured behind her in this picture and hollered at all of the graduates, saying "Claaaaaayton, Claaaaaaaaytoooooon. Dad! Dad! Where are youuuu?" The nice thing about being 3 and cute is that people find otherwise bad behavior adorable. Of course Clayton was in the last 5 people in line, but it was fun when she finally saw him.

 That's Clayton down there in the black robe and hat. Ha ha, yeah, luckily they take some professional pictures so we got a decent one of him actually receiving his diploma.

 See! See! I know, you totally can't see. It was such a sweet experience, I am normally not a very sentimental person, but I was overwhelmed with pride during this part. When they started the Pomp & Circumstance? Forget it, I was a mess of crying. I was just so so proud of Clayton!

 His biggest fans.

 After the ceremony. They had a cookie and punch thing on the lawn where I got to meet a lot of his classmates. He was the only one graduating in law from our ward that year (normally there are 2 or 3) so I didn't know many of his friends from class. It was nice to put faces to names.

 Sadly, I only took one picture of some of his friends.

 

 I like him.