Senior Moments :: Party Postmortem

Now that Carter turned in his graduation gown today and officially received his diploma, I can tell you about his party. He's got the evidence to show he deserved it.

The venue at Nepco Lake and my Carter Shrine (aka picture boards and scrapbooks, which I must say were a hit with his classmates!)...

The way it was pouring rain Sunday morning while we were hauling stuff into the shelter, we figured on a wet and messy day. How muddy was the floor going to get? But the weather gods smiled on us and it turned out to be a glorious day!

Thank goodness I had my sister Rayna on photo patrol. She got pictures of most of the guests! I pretty much only managed to take a picture of Carter with the cake and one of our first guests, my friend Sally and husband Bill from Menominee, Mich.

I worked with Sally my first newspaper gig and we've kept in touch ever since, including camping trips when Carter and her 3 boys were young. So cool to see them!

As it turned out, there were quite a few travelers, besides family from Minnesota and the northwoods of Wisconsin. Saw friends from all corners of the state – Madison and Milwaukee and Green Bay – and they've all known Carter in at least one stage of his life. More than 200 guests in all! Just a neat, heart-warming show of support for the graduate (and his parents).

Don't feel neglected if your picture isn't featured here. Just want you to see a cross-section of the lives he's touched and those who have influenced him.

He had his babysitter Audrey (and Jon), who welcomed him to their family in first grade.

He had our dear friend Toni, who used to watch him crawl into her fridge for root beer and Popsicles and now sees him as grown-up "brown-eyed bandit."

His cousins on my side of the family.

His one and only cousin on Jim's side of the family.

His godparents, Aunt Raylene and Uncle Steve.

His godmother, Aunt Renell.

He had his best buddies and tons of friends show up.

His girlfriend Courtney stopped by for awhile, too.

His cousin and fellow 2016 graduate Anthony, whose party we'll attend in Minnesota in a few weeks.

Yup, a whole lotta great people in attendance and sending their best wishes in the mail, too.

I have to give a special shout-out to my family – out-laws and in-laws – who helped so much with setup and cleanup and food duties, and my friends who assisted with Nescos and coolers and food. It does take a village to host a graduation party, that's for sure.

Thank goodness my sisters saved me a corner piece from each side: the chocolate and the almond. (Hats off to Party Time Cakes. Yum, yum, yummy!)

Exhausted and blessed. Thanks for being a part of our lives!