Graduation!

I am seriously so excited to be writing this post. I am SO PROUD of Darl for graduating last week from Johns Hopkins University with his MBA. I figure it makes me smart by association. Be warned that there are many, many in this post.

The Grad School journey started just a couple months after we got married. Darl started studying for the GMAT and was very studious. That summer he took the GMAT, applied to Johns Hopkins, got accepted and started a couple of weeks later in August 2010. He's been going to school year round ever since. While he's been in school we've had Abigail, I quit my job, we moved and had Ethan!
His last class was May 13th and graduation was May 21 and 23rd. Darl's parents flew into town for it and we had a great time! Here are some pictures from the Johns Hopkins Carrey Business School Convocation on Tuesday May 21. A friend of mine watched both our kids so we could go and not be distracted.

Convocation took place downtown Baltimore at Symphony Hall. Here we are before the ceremony:

It was so great Darl's parents could join us!

It was a very pretty hall! The graduates got to sit up front, which is why there are all the empty seats.

Here they are coming in!

Pretty awesome to see Darl walk in with all the MBA graduates. 

Here he is walking over to get in line to walk across the stage:

There he is! Handing the speaker his name, and he even pronounced Darl's name correctly!

One of Darl's classmates was a whole lot closer than I and got this great picture:

My view of him getting his diploma from the Dean:

Darl and the Dean. It was cool to see all of the faculty in their different graduation robes from their specific schools.

Here is a video of Darl walking across as they say his name. (I know, seriously so many pictures and now a video? I can't imagine the pictures we are going to have of our kids graduations and other great events...)

Here is the graduate walking out! Behind him you can see the band walking around playing.

A picture Darl took of the graduates outside the hall. You can see in this picture how people are wearing their hoods differently. There was a lady correcting everyone's hoods before they went on stage to make sure they were wearing them correctly. Luckily Darl's Dad has been to many, MANY graduations so Darl's hood was on correctly.

The dessert Darl requested I make for the celebration that night. Frozen peanut butter cheesecake. Seriously not healthy but seriously SO GOOD!

Thursday May 23rd was the all school commencement at the Homewood Campus Lacrosse/Football field. My friend Liz was kind enough to let us drop Abigail off early that morning while the rest of her family slept, and off we went to Commencement. Gratefully we were able to sit on the field in folding chairs with seat backs versus the bleachers for 4 hours! It was a little rainy at times but I'd have that over 90degree hot sunny weather for something like this. Ethan was a pretty good sport about it all too. 

Here is the view from where we were at. You can see the seating for all the graduates:

Darl's parents waiting for it to start:

Pretty sure he was the cutest spectator at commencement.

It was actually quite nice and impressive looking:

Darl's mom held Ethan while I went and took pictures as the graduates came out. It was pretty cool to seem them come from both sides and converge onto the field.

Darl was in the group right after the Doctoral Candidates. This is when having a very tall, red headed husband is very helpful:) 

There he is on the jumbo-tron.

Darl took this at his seat. Pretty cool to see all the graduates!

 Watching the graduates come in. Cute Ethan.

It was really nice to not be on benches!

It rained a little while Ethan was on the ground, so we just stuck an umbrella over him. Johns Hopkins handed out ponchos to everyone as we walked in. Apparently they also handed out sunscreen to all the graduates as well.

A nice view of the graduates and the stage. Darl and the other Masters graduates didn't walk at the commencement, just the Doctoral Candidates and the undergrads. He did get to stand with all the Masters students as they mentioned them and conferred their degrees.

Getting out of the ceremony was pretty crazy full of people. Here we are. Look at how happy Ethan is for his Dad:)

Congrats Master Darl!

Johns Hopkins is a pretty campus.

Did I mention my awesome friend Liz who watched Abigail all day while we went to commencement and lunch? So nice!! She even brought Abigail and her toddler to school for a picnic with her older daughter. Apparently the two year olds coordinated to have their tongues out in the picture.

CONGRATULATIONS DARL!!!