Woo Hoo!

Can I brag a little?



Congratulations Mark! Your hard work paid off.

Dinner at The Fort

A few months ago Janelle said that she would like to celebrate Mark's graduation by having dinner at The Fort, which is just about their favorite restaurant. She wanted it to be a surprise! I thought it was a great idea. It was just family and Mike and Maria and their children, one of Mark and Janelle's best couple friends.



The kids seemed to have a good time together and they were so good!





This was the "younger" table.



Paul and I hadn't been to The Fort in almost 40 years. I had forgotten just how unique it is.

What a fun night it was.

Mark's Graduation from STCC

Today was Mark's graduation from the Nursing Program at STCC.

Stacia, Bill, and "Auntie Amy" joined us for a cookout in the afternoon and the graduation which was at 6:30 at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield. The parking was a little tedious; imagine cars from the whole student body and also their families converging on a parking garage at the same time!

I snapped a picture of Mason and Marley on our way out the door. Cute, aren't they?



Here are a few pictures of the graduation.





These are the nursing students coming in.



We went back to Mark and Janelle's for cake and ice cream afterwards.





Yes, congratulations Mark!
************************************************************
P.S. Happy 11th birthday Marley!

Mark's Pinning at STCC

Today was the Nursing Pinning Ceremony at STCC. This is a "symbolic welcoming of newly graduated nurses into the nursing profession. The new nurses are presented with nursing pins by the faculty of the nursing school. Often the nurses recite the Nightengale Pledge" (Wikipedia Pinning Ceremony).

I loved this ceremony. It was so nice to see the interaction of the nursing students with the faculty and professors, so nice to put names to faces that I had been hearing about, and so nice to see them all so happy that it was over!!

Paul and I are so very proud of Mark. It has been a long two years (even longer, actually, taking pre-requisite courses to get into the nursing school). And, can I brag a little? He graduated with honors!

Here are some pictures of the evening...





(Kris and Toby were in the overflow area and watched it on a big screen).



(Mark is in the back row on far right).









So... congratulations Mark and to all of the 85 graduating nursing students at STCC!