Picture This (#6) - Valedictorian

(Harmonics!!! That was the word I couldn't remember on the return trip from Middleton when we were discussing heights of buildings and which were safer than others (less than 4 is cool, more than 20 is cool - it's the middle group that might have some troubles because of HARMONICS) and why! Gah! I hate when I can't remember what I want to - I do, I do... But enough about me.)

Last Saturday - June 9th, 2007 - not three days ago Saturday, my youngest sister graduated from high school. This is freaky because I was 13 when she was born. She's not supposed to get older and date boys and wear makeup and graduate from high school and go to college, because I couldn't do ANY of that when I met her and if I couldn't do it then why should she? (Yes, I AM disregarding the 18 years between then and now, so what?) Not only did she graduate, she graduated top of her class. Yes, my 'little' sister (she's taller than me too - they're ALL taller than me) was the valedictorian of her high school!! (When did they get smarter AND taller than me?)

The ceremony went as most do - outside on a football field, in the sun, with us all sitting on metal bleachers...just kidding - well not really. It wasn't blistering though, except perhaps for the graduates who were all wearing black! It was really far away though, so thank goodness for my 12x OPTICAL zoom. (Love the digital camera Tarzan - thanks honey!!!)

Anyway, the dean-type chick (This is a conglomerate type school district. Two schools from south of The Desert, the Valley near The Desert, all the home schooled kids and the trade school. So the head of it all isn't really a principal per se...) welcomed us all there:

Then there were speeches, by each group's student body president:

Rather than the valedictorians, which was a slight downer, but D2's school had done their individual awards and whatevers the Thursday before where she got to speak. This girl was quite funny:

Not sure how they picked the guy from the Home Schooled set, but he was hilarious and not too dumb sounding:

Two kids sang "You Raise Me Up" and I didn't think of taking a picture. Then more speaking by the dean-type chick and then it was diploma time! Lining up:

We're walking:

We're shaking hands:

We're not falling down the stairs in our heels:

We're posing for pictures:

And we're walking some more:

Somewhere in there she got her diploma:

A girl sang accompanying herself on the keyboard to close the show. Not too shabby:

Then there were many post ceremony pictures - by herself:

With a teacher whose name I don't remember:

With Mom:

With Mom and Dad:

With the brothers:

With Jane. And Tarzan's eyelids:

Of the whole group who were able to go (A had finals, B's got an internship up north for another month):

This is me proud of my little sister:

Congratulations D2!!