are we there yet?...YES!

Prepare yourselves for picture overload & the rundown of a day we've been looking forward to for a very long time...

Richard's parents and brother came up from St. George Thursday night. I'd planned to shower that night so that we all didn't have to fight over the bathroom Friday morning, but my plans fell through when our water heater was BUSTED. Liz (mother-in-law) and I got ready at my gym bright and early Friday morning, while the boys woke up to a nice ice-cold shower...call me high maintenance, but that's just not how I roll. Despite that little surprise, and the rain that we were "blessed with," the day got off to a great start. Hmmmm, maybe we were just really excited that this graduation thing was finally here! Here is Rich, getting ready on his way into the Dee for the Commencement Ceremony.

Ready to go in his cap, gown, and honors cords & medallion. My little scholar.

Here he is with his good buddy Adam Rollo...from homework to P90-X, these guys really bonded.


Our seats were perfect - we sat right where he walked into the arena!


President Thomas S. Monson (I like to call him Tommy) received an honorary Doctorate and was the keynote speaker. He reminded us that the ABC's really stand for Attitude, Belief, and Courage. He's the best story-teller there is, and he definitely didn't disappoint. It was exciting to see Presidents Eyering and Uchtdorf there cheering him on, too!

Here he is with his proud family, Liz, Tyson, & Dale.

I know this picture is really not a good one, and definitely doesn't flatter either of us, but it was the only picture taken the entire day of just the two of us. I know, I can't believe it, either, but there you have it, folks.

Quinn & Kristy Bate are friends from our ward (actually, Kristy and I go all the way back to 7th grade!). It was fun sharing this day with so many people we knew!

Here he is getting ready to walk across the stage and receive an empty diploma-holding folder (the moment we'd all been waiting for)...this is also the moment when Shirl (the hippest grandmother in the history of grandmothers) leaned over to me and asked why Richard was the only one wearing jeans and white sneakers. Neither of us had even thought about him dressing up - it was the norm at my graduation, but then I didn't graduate from the business college!

My sisters...we were clearly very well-behaved the entire ceremony.

Graduate from college? Done & done!

Again, with the proud family.

Richard & a friend from class.

The umbrella really completes this picture, don't you think? It looks like my dad is about to lift off & fly to London to be some kids' nanny.

Bug.

Dayna, Shirl & Grandpa Tony. We love you guys!!!

Richard with our friend, fellow graduate, & fellow Utah Jazz & Lost fan, Rory Sayama.

I seriously have the luckiest timing ever...Richard's graduation present was waiting on our doorstep for him when we got home from his graduation. What could it be?

A new Clear Play DVD player, baby!!! He got me one for my graduation last year, but it was a dud, so I invested in the new model. It works like a charm, so we've been watching all the rated R's we can get our hands on!

We all headed out to my parent's house for a BBQ after the ceremony. You better believe we decked my Mom & Dad's house out with all the purple graduation decorations I could get my hands on (thanks to Sarah, Chels, Dakota, Mom & Dad for the help!). Richard proudly bleeds purple! Once a wildcat, always a wildcat. High School Musical, anyone?

Saturday we took a little trip over to FroGurt & LOVED IT!

And later we stuffed our gourds at Texas Roadhouse. Mmmmmm cinnamon butter...

Thanks to all of our family and friends who helped us celebrate Richard's big day. And thanks to Rich for letting me make such a big deal out of this whole thing. I know you'd be just fine spending it like any normal day, but the girl you married is (like I said before) a little more high maintenance than that. I'm so proud of you, and thrilled to have time to spend with you again - I just had to kick off this new phase of our life with a bang.