Kameron's Graduation!!

The Class of 2019

Before we knew it Kameron's big day was upon us. How does senior year go by so fast? It seems like all of high school passes by in a blur but senior year goes by at warp speed... especially the last semester. It's exciting and melancholy all at once. 

The first big gut punch is always seeing your kid for the first time in their cap and gown. Kameron picked his up and tried it on for us. Things got real.

The second was Senior Day at the elementary school. On the Friday before graduation all of the graduating seniors from our high school got to go on field trips to their former elementary schools to be cheered, celebrated, hugged, and high-fived by their former teachers, administrators, staff, parents, and kids. It is one of my very favorite traditions and one that had me crying my eyes out. Kameron went to our elementary school his entire elementary career. All of our kids have gone there. Bryn goes there now and she was so excited to cheer for her brother...she even passed up a student council field trip...to be there as he walked the halls in his cap and gown.

Jonathan and Kameron

This was such a special experience. I loved watching the school kids cheer for the seniors while the Kool and the Gang song "Celebration" blasted over the speakers. I loved watching Kam hug his former teachers and say hi to kids he knows from our ward and stake. Tyler and I watched him with such love, pride, and disbelief. It seems like he just started Kindergarten and now he is done with school. How?! I ran ahead to Bryn's class to wait with her for Kameron to come by. She was so excited! He gave her a big hug and I melted. I love seeing how much our kids love each other. It was fun to gather with the other parents and celebrate this milestone together.

Then all the graduation parties started and things got even more real. The weekend before graduation was a double party for these boys...Tyler and Nick.

These three have been good friends since they were in the nursery together at church.

That same night Kam's good friend Caleb had his graduation party and so did several other friends of his. Kameron was all over the place that night stopping in at as many as he could. Kam had two parties of his own coming up. One a family lunch at the lake before graduation and another big combo Grad party with two of his friends the weekend after graduation.

My friend Shauna approached me about doing a big combo graduation party for Kyra and Kameron. I was all for it. Our friend Norma joined us with her son Josh who is also a good friend of both Kyra and Kameron. It turned into quite the shindig . We had a big planning meeting and a very active texting thread going as we put together this party for our kids. 

The invite that the kids made.

The one BIG downside of this party was that the only time that we could schedule it was while I was in TEXAS with Ailey. :( That was a real heartbreaker for me but Kameron really wanted this party to happen... so it did. Planning graduation parties around all of the other graduation parties is no joke! This combo party was a stroke of genius on Shauna's part. Three kids...one big party! So I planned and planned and got everything ready for this big party before I left! Reilly stepped in to help Tyler with set-up and hostessing duties. 

The seniors had their last day of school and then Ailey had to go to school by herself for a week and boy did she miss her brother. I love that they had this year in high school together. Ailey loved knowing that her big brother was there if she needed him. Kameron continued to drive her to and from school each day...unasked...when he was done with school. Very sweet.

The big day arrived much too soon. 

(Please admire the eyesore of the BLUE painters tape that Tyler used to adhere that banner to the garage. Good grief. Oh well. It stayed up all weekend!)

Abbey joined us the day of graduation and we all headed out to the lake for the family party and lunch. Kameron had requested a taco bar, chips, salsa, guacamole, cream sodas, and ice cream sundaes. 

He really enjoyed posing for this photo with his balloons! LOL.

My Uncle Steve and my mom.

It was nice to celebrate our son and this milestone in his life. Tyler and I gave a toast which ended up being very teary on our part. Oh well. We love that kid and are super proud of him. We had everyone go around and give Kameron advice or tell him something that they wish they had known when they graduated from high school. That was fun and some of the advice was *interesting*.  I need to write it all down while I still remember it. Kameron appreciated all of their input and support.

Then it was time to head downtown for the big event. Reilly and Hunter took Kam and Abbey a little early. Kam had to be there an hour before and so did Abbey. She isn't a senior but she was playing in the band for commencement. We hurried and cleaned up and headed downtown too.

And then...there he was... a high school graduate! All the feels about this milestone.

The girls all wanted their own pictures with their brother. They are so proud of him and he is such a great brother to them. He is the calm in the whirlwind of these girls. Each of them go to him for advice and love him dearly.

We have two high school graduates now! So crazy.

I loved that these two had this special year together!

Grandma Vic and Kam

Grandma Judie and Grandpa Joel weren't able to come because the week before Grandpa Joel was in the hospital very sick with pneumonia. We are so glad that he is doing better now.

Kam with a couple of the Sykes and with the McKinnons.

Kam and the Hills

Kameron and Abbey

Kameron and Jonathan

Kam and Caleb

Kameron, Camron, and Tyler

Then Kam quickly left us to celebrate with all of his friends and to attend the all-nighter and we headed out to dinner with the Hills. Kam had such a GREAT time at the Senior All-Nighter!! He really celebrated with his friends and enjoyed his big day. He won a Samsung watch and was THRILLED! He came home the next morning exhausted and happy. Such a great way to end your high school career!

Next up was his big Grad Party! I was so sad not to be there but I had planned so much with Shauna and Norma that I felt like I was *almost* there!! Tyler sent me pictures and videos and my friends posted pictures and videos on social media and... guess what... it turned out just fine without me being there! LOL. The party was HUGE success!! So many people came to celebrate and support these kids. Kameron had so many people from all different parts of his life show up. School friends, co-workers, teachers, church friends, leaders, family friends etc. He really enjoyed every minute of this party and that made me SO HAPPY!! (Another graduate was added to the party at the last minute. Unfortunately Jacob missed being on the invitations.)

There was such good food: pulled pork sliders, potato salad, other salads, chips and dip, 7-layer dip, meat and cheese platters, fruit platters, veggie platters...my friend Norma is from the Philippines and she was frying tons of homemade Lumpia (spring rolls) that were to die for!! They had cake, cupcakes, brownies, a lemonade fountain, and a very popular Italian soda bar. They had a DJ, games, photo booth, and even a Hawaiian dancer for entertainment. It really turned out amazing! So many people came and stayed late. I have been hearing about it for weeks.

We were all so touched by the turnout, sweet cards, and generosity that these kids were shown. Wow. They have so many people in their lives who love and support them and they TRULY felt it!

Pro-tip: Graduation parties are so hard to plan because all of their friends are having them on basically the same two weekends...the one before and the one after. If you can combine with some of their friends and do one big party it makes it so much easier on you and on all of the people who would like to attend. Especially if the kids have a lot of the same friends etc.

And now summer is here and Kam is working and starting the process for his mission. He has met with the bishop, is filling out all of the online forms, and has scheduled his interview with the stake president. His plan is to work through the summer and put his availability for the fall. That will be here before we know it...

I am so glad that Kameron had such a great high school experience and a great graduation too!!