A Blast From Our Past...With Our Present (Lots of Pictures Included!)

It's hard to believe that I have only been back to IUP one time in the past nine years. It's also hard to believe that I was there this weekend for my little brother's graduation. I guess it's not because it's hard to believe that he's all grown up and heading out on his own. It's more like, it's hard to believe that my time at IUP is over and I'm out on my own.

Earl and I were happy to take the kids back to the place where we met. A place that holds our memories of dating and being a couple. At one point, as we walked through the Oak Grove, it was like the memories flashed through my mind at a pace too quick for my brain to process. It was both sweet and overwhelming. The funny part was when Earl would point to a certain spot or a certain building and say, "Do you remember that?" Funny because we remembered the same silly things about those spots.

I love this picture of Earl and the kids walking through the Oak Grove holding hands. Earl and I used to like to take walks together through the Oak Grove (although most of the time we walked through there just to get to the library.) He used to sing goofy songs and tell me about his dreams for the future. It went something like, " All I really want is a good job (check), a wife (check), a couple of kids (double check), a dog (check), a decent house (check) and a little money left over at the end of the week (check)." So, there walking right before my eyes it was like the circle was complete. It was awesome to know that in our time since leaving IUP we had met so many goals and been so completely blessed. It was also a little bittersweet to me. Looking around, some things had changed, building mainly. But everything seemed so much smaller. The big hill to the cafeteria looked so much shorter and the Oak Grove so much smaller. Almost like when you're a little kid things seemed so much bigger. But I wasn't a little kid when I went to IUP. Or was I? Maybe things seemed less impressive because of all the living that's been done between my time as a student and now. Maybe it's just the distance between that part of my life and the present. I really can't put my finger on it. What I can put my finger on is the fact that life has completely blown by the past nine years. It's like blinking. What I wouldn't do to do it all over again...even those horrible, awful parts that I couldn't wait put behind me. I would do it over again in a heartbeat and never change a single thing.
Earl was excited to take the kids for ice cream at one of our favorite spots in Indiana, The Meadows. No where else do they serve banana splits like this:

We all had a great time at graduation. After being sick and isolated for the entire week a weekend with my family was just what I needed. The kids had a great time. This was the first trip that Tighe, McKenna and Cooper were on together. I think they did pretty well. We all had a great dinner together Saturday night and enjoyed some time together on Sunday before graduation. I'm really proud of Shane for what he's accomplished and I'm excited to see where his future leads him. Although he threatens to move away I really hope that isn't the case...unless it's somewhere warm and sunny and then I might reconsider!

Enjoy some pictures from our weekend!

Shane and one of his best friends from high school.

Is it too much to ask for everyone to look at the camera?

Tighe was so proud of his Daddy!

McKenna and her "favorite" Uncle Shane

Tighe and McKenna getting their silly's out before the ceremony!

"Mom, someone's hiding bananas in the ice cream. What's up with that?"

Shane's "catering company"....otherwise known as Gram and Pap!

And where would anyone be without their Mom? Glad their FB friends again!

Just when you thought no one could be more proud! (Or maybe he's just glad to finally be done paying for college!)