Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:20:30 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 9, Chapters 35 - 36 The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW Copyright 2010 by billwstories Chapter 35 -- Easter to Commencement. Now that I'd been able to speak with Sammy and Little Ricky about their college plans and had also worked out the final details of the commitment ceremony with the boys that were going to be involved in it, I was able to turn my attention to the upcoming religious holiday. The boys decided to take it easy Saturday night, while Jake and I were busy getting everything ready for Easter dinner. I also took some time to color Easter eggs with Jesse. He had asked if he could do it, so I offered to give him a hand. Once Andrew heard what we were going to do, he wanted to join us. Once we started, each boy announced he was going to make a special egg for Joshie, which I thought was cute. Sunday morning, Jesse and Andrew came down first. I allowed them to look for the Easter eggs and their Easter baskets, since they were the only two I still prepared a basket for. I had a collection of other goodies anyone could select from, which we kept in the dining room. This way, no one lost out, no matter how old they were. Andrew let Jesse find most of the eggs and Jesse seemed to enjoy doing it. I think watching his enthusiasm as he searched for these items, we began to assume this was either something he hadn't had a chance to do previously or it brought back memories of some of the better times he'd had when he was younger. Once all of the eggs had been located and accounted for, we placed them in a large bowl, so anyone could crack them open to eat. Once the other boys started to come downstairs, Jake and I fixed breakfast, in preparation to our attending the Easter service. As always, it was joyous and upbeat celebration and little Joshie was as good as gold throughout the entire service. Dion held him most of the time, but Trey took Joshie for a few minutes when Joshie started to get a little fussy. This gave Dion time to pull a bottle out of the diaper bag and get it ready to feed his son. Other than a rather loud burp after eating, Joshie hardly made a sound, so he didn't distract from what was going on. He was a very good baby and content to have his fathers hold him. After the service, we chatted briefly with a few of the members of the congregation and waited patiently for the majority of the parishioners to leave. Once that happened, I gave the pastor the final details he had asked me about earlier and he said it took care of his remaining concerns. I thanked him for his help and for everything he had done for us over the years. Once we left the church, we returned home and prepared for our big Easter meal. We were going to hold it earlier than our normal dinnertime, so the college men would finish early enough to return to their campuses, without having to rush. Since this was also the last time some of them would be going back to these particular campuses, we didn't want their final semester there to start off with bad memories. Therefore, I planned our meal early enough to allow them plenty of leeway to drive back and get situated, without having to drive fast or act in a reckless manner. The boys watched a movie, while Jake and I put the finishing touches on the meal, and then we waited for the others to arrive. Before long, our extended family began to show up, but this year we would be missing several members. My biological children, Frankie and Duck wouldn't be with us, for different reasons. Duck was spending this Easter with his girlfriend and her parents and I had told my children they didn't have to come, because the expense of the trip would far outweigh the amount of time they would be able to spend with us. Frankie, of course, was still in the army and his duties kept him from attending. There would also be another important difference this year, and that was the Novaks would also be with us. Shelly had ridden home with the boys and I had them invite her and her parents to join us, so they could spend time with Joshie too. The Novaks were appreciative of our offer and accepted immediately, which pleased me. I didn't want them to feel as if they were outsiders and hoped they would play a big part in Joshie's life as well, so I was thrilled they had agreed to have Easter dinner with us. Everyone was in a very good mood and I made certain to introduce everyone to each of the Novaks. Many of the extended family had met Shelly at our New Year's Eve party or had heard her sing at the Christmas concert, which they had attended in order to watch Dion perform. However, only a few of them knew her parents, but everyone greeted them warmly. Throughout the day, our various guests also chatted with the college students and asked how they were doing, their plans for the summer and what they intended to do after they finished their schooling. The boys responded by filling them in about everything we had discussed earlier. This included the fact that Danny, Brandon and Kevin would all be furthering their education and some of the others would be changing schools, so they could be with their partners. The extended family seemed to be very interested, as well as quite pleased about how things were working out for the boys. They also assured the boys they were looking forward to attending the commitment ceremony, which the boys had first announced on New Year's Eve. Jesse's mother also seemed very positive about everything that was discussed and thanked the college boys for setting such a fine example for the younger boys. I wasn't sure how to take her comment, because in my heart I believed she still had reservations concerning the commitment ceremony and was a little uncomfortable with the fact that some of the boys were gay. I think this might have been due in part because of what John had done to her son, although I tried my best to explain that what John did had nothing to do with being gay. I believe that even after hearing me out, she still harbored reservations concerning my explanation. I think this might have been born out in some of the comments she had made previously, even though she later confessed she was glad the boys were committing themselves to a single partner. I felt this showed some progress on her part, but I don't think we're totally out of the woods where she is concerned. We ended up having a very nice, relaxing meal and I truly enjoyed having all of these people with us. Once we were finished eating, I began to urge the college boys to get their things together, so they could head back to their campuses for the final month of classes. In a way, it was sad to see them go, but I knew they'd be returning again shortly, so it wasn't too bad. While they were running about and packing up their things, the Novaks spent a little more time with Joshie, before taking Shelly home so she get her belongings together too. The boys had told her they wanted her to be ready by the time they arrived to pick her up and she assured them she would. The Novaks all thanked us for the invitation and for allowing them to spend time with the baby. They said they'd enjoyed the meal and the company, so they looked forward to seeing us all again soon. We told them we looked forward to having them join us in the future, as well. Once we said good-bye to the college boys and they were on their way back to school, the rest of our guests began to leave too. Over the next hour, Jake and I said so long to the rest of our extended family and then cleaned up from dinner, with help from the boys that were still at home. I'm certainly glad they're still willing to lend a hand with the chores. After we were done cleaning up, I spent some time with Joshie and tried to get us both back into our normal routine. He had a tendency to slip out of our schedule when his daddy and poppy were home, because they do things a little differently. They wake up later and go to bed after we normally do, so now we had to reconnect and get back into our groove. Jake and I did talk a little more about the Shannon-Nick relationship, especially now that Shannon was planning to transfer schools. I told Jake he shouldn't have been surprised by his request, seeing how much Shannon and Nick seemed to miss each other when they were apart. I then explained that by allowing Shannon to make the move and by supporting it, it was serving as a means to strengthen their father-son ties. I also felt it was helping to unite all three of them as a family. I told him he should feel honored that both boys had talked us into allowing Nick to call him Dad, instead of using that name for me. It showed that Nick thought very highly of Jake too and I think it helped to assuage any fears Jake still might have had about agreeing to let Shannon transfer to Oklahoma State. I also reminded Jake that since the boys had agreed to be very careful when it came to sex, they had been keeping their promise. Not only that, but Nick assured me, many times, that he would never do anything again that might put Shannon at risk. I told Jake this alone should be enough of an indication about how strongly Nick feels about his son, if Nick's swearing off being with other guys hadn't done it already. I think Jake was finally starting to realize that Nick was being sincere and faithful, so it was time he started thinking of both of them as his sons, not merely Shannon. I also suggested to Jake that he contact the Lawrences, since they were his son's 'in-laws' of sorts and Shannon and he would be spending Thanksgiving with them next year. Nick had already cleared it with his family, so Jake needed to make some overtures now too. Even though they already knew each other, this time the situation would be slightly different and it was important for Jake to do this, so it wouldn't be awkward when he joined them for the holiday. This might be the first of many holidays they spent together and none of us knew how often this would happen. After I mentioned they'd be seeing a lot more of each other over the next couple of years, Jake agreed he'd get in touch with the Lawrences and set something up. Then, he thanked me for all I had done to help keep peace between his son and him, but I merely responded that we took care of family first. At the end of April, I heard from the school board president again. He contacted me to chat for a bit, so he could find out how I was enjoying retirement and how the baby was doing. After we discussed those topics thoroughly, he told me my replacement was doing a very good job, but I was still missed. I thanked him for his kind words and admitted I wasn't surprised that the new superintendent was doing well. He was bright, energetic and a very likeable guy, so I was happy it was working out for all of them. Afterward, the board president also mentioned they were still having occasional problems with my old friend, the former board member, but he had toned his rhetoric down a bit. The board president suggested this was possibly due to how many other groups had opened their arms and reached out to all members of the school community and the old board member's support had diminished dramatically after his run in with the law. I was also told the old board member had raised a few questions about some of the activities that had been slated, but this time around it was more to discover the underlying facts and learn more about what was planned, rather than spout his homophobic propaganda. The board president did say that possibly seeing three of the four officers of the club were straight this year, and the fact that Dion got Shelly pregnant, just might have convinced the guy he had not been seeing things clearly and had been wrong in some of his suppositions. The board president went on to say that he didn't know if that's what did it or if the guy might have mellowed. He said it might also be due to the fact that I wasn't there for him to challenge or that I had embarrassed him enough in the past that he didn't want to continue looking like an ass. I suggested it might be a combination of all of those factors and the board president said I was probably right. The board president then informed me there was another reason he had called, other than to just be sociable. He had also been directed by the Board of Education to invite me to this year's retirement dinner. He stated that some of this year's retirees had requested that I be included and it was also strongly recommended by the current superintendent. The board president then added another incentive, although it wasn't necessary, and stated the district was covering the bill, so I dared not refuse. I told him the expense had never even crossed my mind and I would love to attend, no matter who paid the bill. He thanked me and explained I'd be a fool if I didn't let the district pay for my meal. He then gave me the information I needed, before we hung up. It was nice to know that there were still people out there that thought of me from time to time. A couple of weeks later, I attended the retirement dinner and was thrilled to visit with many of my former colleagues again. Not only were the teachers who were retiring there, which included some people that had worked for me at the middle school and others I had taught with, but my old secretary was there as well. I had really missed seeing her on a daily basis and it was good to be able to chat with her again. She told me she liked her new boss, although she still missed me. I informed her I was glad she liked working for my replacement and thanked her for her kindness. The elementary, middle school and high school principals were also there, along with the new superintendent and the entire Board of Education. It was really a great gathering and I enjoyed speaking with each of them again. During these various conversations, I was not only asked how I was doing and if I was enjoying my retirement and free time, but they also wanted to know about the baby. My friends asked how I was handling being the 'stay at home grandfather,' so I told them I was thoroughly loving every moment and wouldn't have it any other way. I went on to explain how the baby and I had really bonded and how I was enjoying him on so many different levels, something I didn't have time to do when my own children were little. Sure, I had spent time with my children and enjoyed and relished every second I spent with them, but I was not around as much as I am with Joshie now. For this reason, I'm enjoying a much more intense and deeper relationship with him, such as often occurs between stay-at-home moms and their offspring. Everyone seemed truly happy things were working out so well for me and some even mentioned they had heard about the upcoming commitment ceremony the boys were having. They said it was quite a hot topic of conversation in some corners, but very little of the gossip and talk was negative. They informed me that most of the comments they had heard were that most people were pleased the boys were making such a commitment. These people also said they felt it was a shame the boys couldn't just get married. I thought that was great news and pleased to hear that many people were starting to come around to this point of view. Overall, the dinner was nice and I made sure to spend some of my time with each of the retirees too. I reminisced about old times with them and joked about some of the different experiences we had shared working together. Some of them even teased that when they first heard about what I was doing, when I first started taking in the boys, they thought I was having a mid-life crisis. A few said they had been worried that when I had resolved my issues, whatever they were at the time, I wouldn't want to deal with the boys any longer. Hearing this, I quipped back that I must still have those same issues to resolve, because I had quit work to raise my grandson. They merely laughed at the idea. None of what they said was done in a derogatory or demeaning manner. They were only saying that at first they didn't realize how serious I was about giving these boys a better shot at life, but now they were glad I did. They then told me they were certain this new venture, with my grandson, would turn out just as nicely, as they added their best wishes to my endeavor. As the dinner was drawing to a close, some of those attending asked me if I'd mind running home and getting Joshie, so they could meet my namesake. At first I thought they were joking, but when I realized they weren't, I was still hesitant. Then I looked at my watch and realized it was still early and far from Joshie's bedtime, so I quickly phoned Jake and asked if he'd mind getting Joshie ready so I could bring him here. I'd told Jake I'd be there shortly to pick them both up, since Joshie's car seat was in my vehicle, and Jake agreed. I then excused myself and went to get them. When we returned a few minutes later, I introduced everyone to Jake and Joshie. Most of them knew Jake already, so it was mostly for them to say hello to each other, before my little ray of sunshine took over the spotlight. Everyone got a kick out of him and many also commented on how much Joshie looked like Dion. They also told me how wonderful it was that Dion had decided to name the baby after me, so I admitted I was greatly honored that he had done it. I also let them hold Joshie, if they wanted. I don't know what it is about older people and babies, but suddenly this roomful of adults began talking baby talk and making silly faces. I was getting a bigger kick out of watching them making fools of themselves than I was in seeing Joshie's reactions to what they were doing. Joshie was very good about being passed around the room, but I guess it comes from being passed around our large family. He has come to accept different people holding him, although whenever he glanced up at Jake or me he would break into a huge grin. I guess this meant he obviously recognized who we were. After we'd spent some time doing this, we said our good-byes and took Joshie home. He fell asleep on the ride back, so I just changed him into his nightclothes and put him in his crib. He never even woke up. He is such a good baby. Over the next couple of weeks, I had a great deal I wanted to do, so I'd be ready when the college boys returned home for the summer. I had their graduation party to prepare for, as well as getting things together for the commitment ceremony. I cleaned the house from top to bottom, sent everyone's suits to be dry-cleaned, ordered the various things we would need for the two events and made certain the extended family and friends knew what would be happening and when. We were going to try to hold everything on the same weekend, so those traveling to join us could be part of both events in one trip. The college boys were graduating first and I suspected there might be some conflicts in when the ceremonies would be held, but it worked out that there weren't. Brandon's graduation ceremony was going to be held on Saturday, May 6th, while Danny wouldn't graduate until the following Saturday, May 13th. Kevin's college was holding their commencement on Thursday, May 18th and the high school boys' graduation ceremony was being held on Saturday, May 20th, so everything seemed to be falling into place. Since the high school graduation was the final event, we would hold the combined party during the afternoon and evening after the high school boys' ceremony. Even though the party probably wouldn't end until early morning, everyone would still have to get up and attend church the next day. That would be followed by brunch and then we'd go back to the church to hold the commitment ceremony. I quickly ran all of this by Jake, to make certain I hadn't missed or overlooked anything, and then we set up a schedule for home. It would be a very hectic couple of weeks, but I knew we'd get through it, and hopefully still in one piece. The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW Copyright 2010 by billwstories Chapter 36 -- Many Reasons to Celebrate. The graduation season was now upon us and Brandon's commencement came first. Unfortunately, this also meant his parents would have to fly to Pennsylvania twice -- first to see him graduate with his baccalaureate and then two weeks later for the graduation party and commitment ceremony. I called the O'Hara's to apologize for this, but they told me not to worry about it. They said I was doing what was best for the majority of people that would be attending the commitment ceremony and I didn't have any control over the date of Brandon's baccalaureate ceremony. I thanked them for their understanding and then helped them make their plans. Brandon's commencement was being held on Saturday, May 6, so his parents were flying in on Friday, so they could spend some time with him. Since Brandon was in charge of one of our SUV's, he was able to use it to pick his parents up at the airport and drive them around. The younger boys, Jake and I were planning to leave early and drive to Pittsburgh on Saturday, so we could also attend the ceremony. We arrived well before the ceremony, so we had plenty of time to spend with Brandon and his parents. They were quite taken with Joshie when they met him and Mrs. O'Hara's maternal instincts immediately kicked in. From her actions, I could tell she was hoping Danny and Brandon might adopt sometime in the future, because it was quite apparent she would love to have grandchildren to dote over. A short time later, we drove to the location where the baccalaureate ceremony was going to be held and Brandon took off to join the other graduates. After Brandon left, the rest of us went and located a row of seats. Unfortunately, a lot of other people had gotten there ahead of us, so our seats were located about a third of the way back. We did take seats on the aisle, so we'd be able to get out and take pictures when the time came. While we were waiting for the ceremony to begin, I glanced through the program and noticed that Brandon's name had a special notation beside it. I glanced down at the legend to see what the symbol meant and quickly discovered Brandon was graduating Summa Cum Laude, which is Latin for 'with highest honors/praise.' I knew he had been doing very well in his course work, in fact all three of this year's graduates had been extremely successful in their studies, but I guess I didn't realize exactly how well he had been doing. I was going to point this out to his parents, but I overheard them commenting to each other and realized they had noticed this fact as well. I don't think Brandon had mentioned it to them beforehand, but now they were beaming with pride over this honor, as they should be. I knew we'd have to make a big deal out of this later, so I also pointed this fact out to the other boys and explained what it meant. I was also hoping it might inspire them during their academic pursuits as well. The ceremony was a rather long and drawn out affair, and Mr. O'Hara and Jake went up and took several shots of Brandon as he was receiving his degree. Jake had offered to do this for me, since I was taking care of Joshie. Jake didn't mind holding Joshie for short periods of time, but he didn't care to be left alone to handle all of Joshie's needs, so this worked out well. When the ceremony concluded, we found Brandon and congratulated him. We then took many, many pictures of him with his parents, then a few of him with Jake and me, and finally a few more with him and the other boys. Brandon even held Joshie in these last shots. Once the picture taking session ended, Brandon explained that his final Grade Point Average (GPA) was 3.88 and he now had his B.S. (Bachelor of Science) in Biological Sciences. He has also been accepted into University of Pittsburgh's School of Dental Medicine, beginning in the fall, which will take him another three to four years to complete. We then went out to lunch with Brandon and his parents, so we could spend a little more time with them, before we took the family back home. Brandon was staying in Pittsburgh, so he could spend more time with his parents, but it was also because he had to drive some of the others back home. Those boys still had another week of school and Brandon was going to stay there, so he could bring them back with him. I told him several times how much I appreciated him doing this for me, but he assured me it was no problem. It was a nice, yet exhausting, day and we had a great time being with the O'Haras again. They were spending the rest of the weekend with Brandon, before they returned home, so we left shortly after our meal with them and their son. I think the other boys were all glad they came with us, but were now equally as happy it was over. The following weekend we had to drive to Penn State for Danny's commencement, which was being held on Saturday, May 13. This time, I didn't have to take Joshie with me and was able to leave him with Dion, who had returned home the night before. This drive was similar to the last one, except we were heading north, not west. We also didn't have to deal with big city traffic, although there certainly was a considerable amount of traffic, once we got near the campus. We met Danny at his dorm and he rode with us to where the ceremony was being held. He then took off to join the rest of his class and we went to find seats. While we were waiting I looked at the program and noted Danny was also graduating Summa Cum Laude. What is it with these boys not telling us about this honor or making a big deal of it before we got to the ceremony? It turned out to be another typical baccalaureate ceremony, although it didn't seem to last quite as long as Brandon's graduation had. I snapped several pictures of Danny as he received his degree and then we took even more pictures after the ceremony ended. We took several pictures of Danny in his cap and gown, some more with Jake and me and others with Danny and his brothers. When the photo op ended, I asked Danny about graduating with honors and why he hadn't told us. "It's not that big of a deal," he answered. "I actually had to do that well in order to get into medical school." "I'm sure they would have accepted a Magna Cum Laude too," I informed him. Magna Cum Laude means 'with great honors or praise' and is the level below Summa Cum Laude. "Possibly, but I didn't want to take that chance," Danny responded. "I am curious about something," I continued. "What was your final GPA?" "It was 3.92," Danny announced, in a matter-of-fact way. However, I did notice a slight grin spreading across his face. "Danny, that's outstanding," I responded. "I mean you can't do much better than that out of a 4.0 system." Danny just shrugged it off and mentioned it was time to be moving on. Danny now had his B.S. in Premedical Medicine, or what most people call Pre-Med. He will be attending the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the fall, now that he and Brandon had decided they wanted to be together during the conclusion of their studies. For some reason, the boys no longer felt the other would distract him from his studies. I guess with those GPA's, their study habits were pretty well ingrained. After the ceremony, we took Danny out to eat and chat a bit. I kept telling him how impressed I was with his accomplishment and he thanked me, but played it down. He only said that he knew if he was going to get into a top flight Medical School, he'd have to have as close to a 4.0 as possible and I understood exactly what he was telling me. However, I explained that knowing what you needed and actually doing it are two different things, so he should be very proud of what he'd achieved. Once we finished our meal, we dropped Danny off at his dorm. He had another of our SUV's and would be driving some of the other college men back, so we left him there and returned alone. Kevin's commencement came next, but it was being held on Thursday, May 18. I thought having it in the middle of the week was a bit odd, but it worked out so we could attend all three graduations. This time we headed east, to Philadelphia and Temple's ceremony. As we had with the others, we met Kevin beforehand, but he was living in an apartment off campus, not a dorm room. I had given Kevin and Vinnie permission to do this, and then Trey joined them when he went there too. So now, we collected the three boys, so we could head to the ceremony. Dion was happy to see Trey again, and Trey was thrilled to see both Dion and Joshie. It was very cute to watch them as they reunited. We took Kevin out to eat before the ceremony, since we didn't know for certain how late the graduation would run. We drove over to the dorms before we ate, so I could invite Jeff to go with us too, but he had already left with his mother. I was sorry we'd missed him, because Jeff had been Kevin's roommate when he first came to Temple. He was also the young man Kevin had switched scholarships with at the awards banquet, back when they were seniors in high school. After having a lovely meal, during which I had a chance to speak with Kevin, I discovered he was also graduating with honors. He was graduating Summa Cum Laude too, with a 3.87 GPA. Of course that earned him a little ribbing too, since his GPA was the lowest of the three who had graduated with honors this year. Brandon had beaten him by .01 of a point, while Danny slaughtered him by .05 of a point. We then took Kevin and dropped him off with the other graduates, before we went to locate seats. We took up a bit more space this time, since more boys were home and eager to come with us. In fact, we had used two vehicles to make this trip. Once we got our programs, I quickly scanned it to find Kevin's name. There it was with its designation of Summa Cum Laude. Damn! Did I do something right or was there something in the water while they were growing up. Anyways, here was another son receiving accolades and I was very proud of him as well, as I advised him earlier, when he let us know this was going to happen. I also noticed Jeff's name and discovered he was graduating Magna Cum Laude, which wasn't too shabby either. Both boys were receiving their B.S. in Biochemistry, a curriculum that is most likely as difficult as it sounds. They would both be coming back in the fall to attend Temple's School of Pharmacy, which would take them another three to four years to complete. It was a difficult road to hoe, but they were both determined to do this. After discovering that all three graduates had been near the top of their respective classes, and after hearing them joke about it over dinner, I think it had a great impact on the others. I believe some of the younger boys were now beginning to feel they would have to graduate with honors too, just to fit in. I hope it doesn't put too much pressure on them, but some incentives can be good. This ceremony seemed to go quicker than the other two, but maybe that had something to do with being held on a Thursday. I took some snapshots of Kevin's receiving his degree and we took a whole bunch more afterward. When we finished, Kevin followed us back in the 4Runner, with Vinnie riding with him. They had already loaded their things in the trailer attached behind it and were ready to return home as well. Trey, however, rode with us, so he could be with Dion and Joshie. We didn't have long to recuperate though, before the last of the graduation ceremonies was upon us. We spent Friday setting up the tents and filling them with the tables and chairs I was able to borrow. Before we finished this task, Brandon's parents arrived, and a short time later, Nick's parents also showed up. It was only late afternoon, so we spent part of the evening chatting with them and then we went out to eat. After we returned to the house, the rest of us excused ourselves and left Nick, Shannon, Jake, Danny and Brandon alone with Nick and Brandon's parents. It gave the O'Haras an opportunity to spend some time alone with Brandon and Danny and gave the Lawrences and Jake some time with Nick and Shannon. After all, this weekend they each would be gaining a son-in-law. Besides allowing them some time alone, I had my own family to contend with. My biological children and grandchildren began arriving during the early evening hours and I was thrilled to see them all again. The only ones that weren't going to be here were Elizabeth and Tim, and that was only because Elizabeth was due to give birth any day now. Seeing that was the situation, we happily excused them -- this time. I did stay up quite late playing with my grandchildren and then talking to my children. I can't believe how drastically their attitudes have changed over the past year, since most of them had made the journey from not accepting Jake and I as a couple, to openly welcoming their brothers' commitments to their partners. Let's just say, I was truly amazed, impressed and very pleased. They also commented how very proud they were of Danny, Brandon and Kevin, once they heard their GPA's and discovered each had graduated Summa Cum Laude. All of them had gone to college as well, but the best any of them had done was graduating Cum Laude, which is the lowest of the three honors classifications. Needless to say, they felt if this trio was bright enough to do that well in college, then they most likely knew what they were doing by going through with this commitment ceremony. The next day, Saturday, May 20, the high school boys, Sammy and Little Ricky, graduated. Playfully, both boys assured me they wouldn't be graduating with honors, but then quickly reminded me they had already been accepted into college. I felt that was good enough and didn't say anything more. It seemed strange to me that I was watching this graduation ceremony while sitting amongst the other families. Not only wasn't I the Superintendent any longer, but I wasn't even a school district employee, and that had never happened to me before. At least when my other children graduated, I was either a teacher or the middle school principal, but this year I was merely a parent. It felt really strange. Anyway, it was an afternoon ceremony and I was able to get some fairly decent shots as both boys accepted their diplomas. They each looked relieved that their long trek through the public school system was finally over, as their older brothers had when they graduated from the local school district. Now that these two had gradated, it only left Andrew and Jesse in the local school district, since Joshie still had a few years to go until he would be enrolled. Andrew would be in eleventh grade and a junior in the fall, while Jesse would be starting seventh grade. Dang! I just realized Jesse would be a junior in high school when Joshie was beginning his education experience and entering Kindergarten. Once the ceremony ended, we took a bunch of pictures of the graduates with Jake and me, and then more of them with different combinations of their brothers. Once we finished doing that, we left the Grand Am with them, so they could spend time saying their good-byes. The rest of us went home, so we could finish getting ready for the graduation party. Shortly after we arrived home, the caterer showed up and began setting up his things in the large tent we had put up the day before. While I was making certain everything was where I wanted it, Jake went inside and began bringing out the two cakes, while Danny and Brandon offered to run out and pick up the keg I had reserved. I thanked them for doing this and the rest of us finished setting up, as the guests began to arrive. The party got going very quickly and before long everyone was having a good time, or at least they seemed to be. Once things were going well, we called all the graduates over to cut the cakes. There were two, one for the high school boys that read, 'Congratulations Grads of '06,' and another for the college grads. Their cake read, 'Our hats are off to the Summa Cum Laude Trio,' and there were designs of a dozen mortarboards being thrown into the air. I think both sets of grads appreciated their cakes and the party continued until after 3:00 the next morning. That wouldn't have been so bad, but we had church and the commitment ceremony a few hours later. We took what had to be taken indoors and left the rest. We'd get it after we got home from church, when we came back to make sure everything was ready for after the ceremony at the church. When the alarm went off, it seemed as if I hadn't gotten much sleep at all, and actually none of us had. I was contemplating skipping church this one week, but how could we do that, when the ceremony was going to be held there later? It was quite a dilemma. Anyways, I got everyone up and ready to go, and somehow we all managed to drag our bodies there. Surprisingly, I didn't even catch anyone falling asleep during the service. When it ended, our pastor told us he'd see us again at 3:00 and confirmed that he was looking forward to presiding over the ceremony. I just hoped we all managed to stay awake long enough to go through with it. After stopping for a very harried brunch, we rushed home to clean up from the graduation party we held the day before. The boys were all very good about helping to do this and before long we had the place looking as it had prior to the start of that party. The caterer would be showing up again to set up, except this time the food served would be more like what you would find at a wedding reception. This included two cakes, which we would cut at the end of the festivities. There was one for each pair of couples and was meant to wish all of them a sweet start to their lives together. Once we had taken care of all of this, we went into the house to clean up again, since we had worked up a sweat cleaning up. The boys then put on their suits and we were ready to go. Half would be riding down with Jake and going into one room to wait, while the other half would be riding with me and going into another room until they were called. After Jake and I took the boys to their respective rooms, we located the boutonnieres that had been delivered for this occasion. Carefully, we pinned a red rose, backed with baby's breath, on the suit jacket lapel of each participant and then waited for the ceremony to begin.