Two Family Graduations the Same Day

We left home early last Friday morning headed for Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois [57 miles south of Chicago] to attend our granddaughter Brooke's college graduation.  I hadn't been on the campus since our son Jeremy's freshman semester in the fall of 1997.  Many changes and upgrades have been made in 26 years, and it's a beautiful campus.   

The first event was a 'Sending/Commissioning Service' at 1:00 o'clock from the School of Education.  Brooke's Bachelor of Science degree is in Child Development.  We're very proud of her as she completed her degree in three years, summa cum laude.

After the service Brooke took us on a tour of the campus.  The first stop was Weber Hall where she had many classes.  

[Sharon, Brooke and Steve]

[Me, Brooke and Jerry]

Then we moved on to the athletic building where Brooke posed by the tiger, Olivet's mascot, in front of the building.  We couldn't convince her to climb on its back!  ;-)

Brooke and her dad led the way while the rest of us followed close behind.

I think this photo was taken inside the Benner Library & Resource Center.

After the tour we went back to our hotel where Steve ordered Chicago Giordano's Deep Dish Pizza for dinner.  Then it was time to get ready for the 7:30 p.m. Baccalaureate Service in the beautiful Centennial Chapel.

After the service, Dr. Gregg Chenoweth, President of Olivet, and his wife, Tammy, hosted a reception in Ludwig Center for the graduates and their family members.  We knew Gregg and Tammy long before he became University President as he was a staff member at the church we attended and where I was secretary for 22 years.

[Gregg, Tammy and Brooke]

The Commencement Service was Saturday morning, May 6, at 9:30 a.m. in Centennial Chapel.

[Brooke]

It was a beautiful service and the speakers were far from dry and boring.  The proud and exciting moment arrived when Brooke walked across the stage to receive her diploma from Dr. Chenoweth.

Then there were more photos of the happy graduate.

Below are the steps of Burke Administration Building - one of the oldest buildings on campus, built in 1906.

[Brooke and her maternal grandmother, Sheena]

After photos, we went out to eat and then rushed back to Weber Hall on campus to watch granddaughter, Brianna [Brooke's older sister], receive her Master's Degree at 2:00 p.m. from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN.  It was live streamed and we watched it on Steve's laptop in one of the classrooms.  Gotta love technology when you can't be two places at once.

Afterwards we went to Brooke's apartment to load her belongings into Steve's, Sharon's and our car, then on to our hotel to relax for the evening and watch YouTube coverage of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla.

It was an action packed two days and we were so glad we were able to be a part of it.  We headed for home on Sunday morning and got home around 3:00 p.m.  

Not much tea in this post, but I did manage to make myself a cup of Twinings Earl Grey tea each morning at the hotel.  Things are returning to a normal routine at home now and I'm enjoying my usual Harney & Sons Green Citron tea.

While we were at Olivet, a young man from our church sent Steve a screen shot photo of Tony Muzzi, my boss and General Manager at The Whitney, when he appeared on Fox 2 News Saturday morning sharing highlights of the restaurant's Mansion Tea in coordination with their coverage of the British Coronation.  I found a link to the segment and watched it on my iPhone while traveling home Sunday.  I cringed when he and the news anchors referred to Afternoon Tea as high tea because in England, high tea is traditionally a hearty evening meal accompanied with tea for the working man and his family, which we know as supper.  There is nothing elegant or dainty about high tea, but it's a common misnomer with Americans.