justin graduated!

These last few days my family was in from Utah to celebrate Justin's graduation from college!
I went to pick Jamie up around 11am at the airport on Thursday (the rest of the family was driving, so they were getting in later that night) and then we headed home to say "hi" to everyone and pick up Katie before going to lunch with Betsy and Gary's parents. Later that evening uncle Jeff, aunt Julie and Jenna arrived along with Justin, who they picked up in Whittier. We had a quick dinner and then turned in early because his graduation was bright and early the next morning.
6:30am came and so did Jamie, knocking on my door, asking to take a shower. I permitted her to, rolled over and went back to sleep. we were out of the house by 7:30am and there early for his 9:00am graduation, which was outside in the blistering morning sun.
I have to say, as excited as I am for him to have completed this huge milestone, I'm sad as well. It's been so much fun having him out here for the last four years. And it's been great having a cousin that is also like best friend and a brother all in one. Not that, that will change, we just wont get to hang out as often. It's definitely not going to be the same coming home on weekends from school and not seeing Justin raiding our kitchen, or going out to a random movie at 11:00 or wanting to paint out of the blue. Man, I'm going to miss him. But, the upside is i'm going to be seeing quite a lot of him this summer and we will never loose touch...kind of impossible when you are family.
anyway, that's my tribute to Justin.
till i return from Hawaii then...