A Decade in the Making...

Graduation. In some ways law school has been easy and hard. Easy, as in, I never went through it. I never had to sit in class three nights a week, read and reread and study groups two days a week. Hell, I still really don't know what a "tort" is. I have heard Lyell and my brothers talking about them in this weird second language when they get together. I had the easy part. Sit back and just say "good luck...I'll be asleep when you get home!"

But in some ways law school has been the toughest thing I have been through. In the four years of law school (ten years total) Lyell has been in school, we have gone through fertility treatments, had two kids, hospital visits, surgeries and numerous health issues. The stress of getting through a day and most of the time not even seeing Lyell was always tough on me. He is my center and when I only saw him to kick him out of bed in the morning so we wouldn't be late for work had me off kilter. Days where Lyell would step out of class to FaceTime Ellie good night. Days where the first thing Ellie would say when we got home at night "daddy have to go to school?".

These days are now over.

Forever.

Craziness. I am not saying our life is now a piece of cake. Its probably going to be tougher. But onward and upward.

I'm so proud of Lyell. I can remember sitting at a restaurant one night and Lyell was talking about some case that happened that day in my dads courtroom (obviously not a good one because I cant even think of what happen)...but he said he could have done better than the attorney that was representing the family. My response...then do it. Become an attorney. The rest is history. Six years later he now a doctor. WHOA!

Lyell,
  Can you believe it? It seems like yesterday we were teenagers daydreaming of your imaginary band opening for NIN and I was going to follow you around and be the bands photographer. Now we are adults with real vision, real jobs, and real accomplishments. You have amazed me with your tenacity, commitment and shear joy of a job that makes you happy. I hope you know how proud I am of you. Seeing you in your element makes me feel like a proud mamma bear. You did it! Knowledge is something no person can take away from you. No matter where our roller coaster road takes us, I am glad you went for it. I love you boo.

So I am off to watch Lyell and his friends walk across the stage. Its going to be a grand day indeed.