Saturday, December 18, 2010

So proud!


Our family's 10th Penn State degree!

Penn State has one (at least!) more proud alum as of today!  Ryan is the first of my five children who will earn their Penn State degree.  He earned his degree in English.  As icing on his blue and white cake, he has a job!  In his field!  Ryan is an amazing writer who has been, and will continue, to share his satiric sense of verse with his readers.  Watching my first son walk across the stage today in the same ceremony that his grandfathers and grandmother, his uncles and I had participated over the past 50 some years, was one of the proudest moments of my life.  Over the years, I've marveled at the fact that my parents had attended classes in the same buildings as I have, had walked past Old Main, past the Obelisk, ate at the College Diner and the Corner Room.  There is something really basic  to hear my dad talk about how he remembers freezing in Sparks Building during the winter knowing exactly what he meant because I had classes there too - freezing in the winter, melting in the summer.  And so has my son.  My mom, who was a physical education major, would tell me stories about the rifle club in White Building and how the sound would ricochet and knowing what she means because I took a pistol class in the same room.  The entire family - over the course of 50 years - has been lost in Willard Building. 
The memories are awesome and I am so lucky because I get to experience Penn State everyday.  But today waiting at Gate B for my baby, I shed more than a few tears.  Tears because the time has flown by, tears because of his accomplishments, and the proud tears of knowing that Penn State is yet another way we are connected as a family.

Busy summer

So much for keeping up with this blog! Seems like there is always something to do and for that, I am very grateful! We finally have rain - i...