The Graduate!

After four long years, Tyson has earned his bachelor's degree! Not only did he complete his business degree in Management of Information Systems, while being a full time he graduated with honors, Magna Cum Laude. We are so proud!

The ceremony for the business college was held at the Tucson Convention Center. Tyson, Anne Marie, Tyler and I arrived together, and anxiously awaited the arrival of Gigima and Auntie Em. They arrived just in time, bearing balloons and gifts.

I failed to bring Tyler's LeapPad. Somehow, I thought it would be a relatively short ceremony, that he could live without it. I brought him coloring paper and crayons. He had no interest in those. I even thought he might sleep - his naptime at school is 12:30-2:30, and this ceremony started at 1pm. But no, there was no napping, at least not by Tyler. That was the longest ceremony of my life. Between playing with the balloons, climbing over people, multiple trips to the bathroom, eventual refusal to sit in the aisle, instead scooting up and down the steps, laying on the steps, then back to my lap and wacking the guy in front of us with a balloon, wow this ceremony was brutal. It reminded me of Lord of The Rings - except instead of lots of hiking through mountains, it was lots of 22 year olds giving speeches, followed by the obligatory four separate endings to ensure EVERY last thread was tied off. It was hard to relate to the speeches, and made me appreciate just how different Tyson really was from the vast majority of his classmates. There was no time for Tyson to participate in any clubs! His parents didn't pay his rent! Or do his laundry! One student walked across the stage with a toddler - I was sad we didn't know we could do that. Very different from a University of Phoenix graduation, in which students tend to be in their 30s, 40s and 50s, where the ceremony is tailored for graduates who juggled school with work and family obligations.

How was YOUR "Eller Experience"? I loved Tyson's "senior quote" - "Congratulations! The best part of your life is now over."


After the ceremony, we stopped for pictures in front of "A" Mountain. I realized Tyson took photos of me, just six years ago, with this same view. One advantage of hosting the ceremony at the TCC instead of the UofA...also, the traffic, though bad, was easier to navigate.

Somehow, those balloons survived the ceremony.So did the hat.

So proud!

We took a final family photo, then headed to Barrio for a celebratory meal.

Tyson's friend Jimmy and his sister came to Barrio as well, and joined us after their meal. We hung out for a couple of hours, then headed home for an uneventful evening.

Saturday we spent the day cleaning and preparing, and Saturday evening some friends came over - Dan, Sarah, and 4.5 of their kids, Emery and Chris and their two kids, and John and Brooke, with their two kids. When the party ended at 10, I was struck again by how different this graduation was from the typical graduation. A party ending at 10pm??? And we had beer left over??? WHAT???

And great news, Tyson got hired on at the place where he's been interning. University of Arizona Health Network - Health Plans. He is a Systems Analyst I.

Congratulations, Tyson!!! You did it! Done! We are so proud of you!

And now, onto the next chapter of our lives - Waiting for GodotDeuce.