The 1st Degree (not of glory) Part 1.

(Thank you grandpa for the title.)

Even though I have not taken a class at BYU for a year, I finally received the cover that I get to stick a piece of paper in. Wahoo!
On Thursday when I told my kiddos I was taking a half day, they were distraught. ("Why are you going to be gone?" "Is it your graduation?" "Are you going to teach us the rest of the year?") Needless to say, they got over it and when 11:22 hit, I was out of there. Before I was actually out of the school, I ran into my principal and had a conversation like this:
"Are you going somewhere?" I was lugging my bag and laptop towards the entrance of the school.
"Yeah. I'm taking a half day today."
"But you have your first day of CRT testing. I was heading down to make sure you knew how to do them." CRT testing is the testing they do at the end of the year. Unlike my generation, my lucky students get to take these on the computers.
"We took our first test last week. I moved it so that I could leave today."
"Ah. On the schedule, it still shows you doing it today."
"Yup. It's taken care of. Thanks for checking up on me though."
"....Oh yeah! You're going to graduation." I love my principal. He scared me for a second during that conversation.

Tangent.

I was wearing this rather adorable dress and girls of all grade levels kept stopping me in the hall to tell me how much they loved my dress. Well thank you, 11-year-old girls. One of my students even told me I looked like I was going to a wedding.

"Like I am going to a wedding or I am the one getting married?"
"You look like you're getting married." Hmm. It would make a cute, informal wedding dress.

End tangent.

My father picked me up and we reached campus way too early for the 3:00 arrival time for commencement. He was adorable. We meandered around campus while we thought up places to take pictures.
These places included in my father's bff's office.

Under a flag.

(Wouldn't my hair look super cute really short and straight? Kinda like how this picture looks?)

In front of other graduates taking pictures in front of Mr. Young himself.

Holding hands with a practically naked indian.

Do not fear, husby. He's my grandpa. Promise.

In front of the ASB

And...both of us in front of the ASB. Love that man.

After that, he dropped me off at my designated location, and we parted ways. I found friends. We laughed, traded teaching stories, and caught up with each other. After a very long time, the march of the graduates began.

The faculty began the march and us lower-level folk followed. I happened to walk right past my father on the way to the Marriott Center and he was standing, camera ready to take some shots.

After commencement, we ran into my favorite math professor. I was glad I was in heels that made me about 6'1". Yes. He's that tall. He is a marvelous professor and even came to my mother's funeral last year.

Thursday was tiring...Friday was much worse...