Our family's most recent college graduate

Our family has one more college graduate to its credit. Our niece, Emily, graduated from LCSC in Lewiston, ID.

(Cool side note: She is the 3rd generation of our family to graduate from this same school. My paternal grandmother graduated from LCSC—when it was a normal school—in 1925. Emily's dad graduated from LCSC in 1980—I think that's the year.)

The drive over to Lewiston was a hoot. The car contained my brother, his wife, my sister, and me. We talked and laughed non-stop the entire drive there. I swear, this was the fastest a trip across the state has felt. We arrived in time to kick back in the hotel and catch up with everyone prior to donning our fancy clothes and heading out to the graduation ceremony.

The graduation ceremony began with bagpipers and a sizable processional of faculty and students. There were a few speeches (including a rather entertaining one by the student body president) and awards and then the students received their diplomas... actually, empty folders that will one day hold their diplomas.

Following the ceremony, our group had a late, but very fun dinner together at a local Italian restaurant. Everyone ate their fill and after realizing how blurry-eyed we were, headed back to the hotel and fell into bed. The next morning, we woke up, hit Starbucks (it wouldn't be a family gathering without that!!) and drove back home. The drive home was much quieter than the previous day's drive, but still fun and filled with laughter.

We saw lots of pretty yellow flowers, which I learned were canola ... as in the oil.

This is how I saw my brother to/from Lewiston ... I felt artistic taking this pic

Yes, my brother is a dork ... but I love him!

Emily opening her birthstone earrings present

Abby helping Emily get ready for graduation

I told Emily to show me her "I'm about to graduate" face

Our graduate

The ceremony opened with bagpipers ... how cool is that??

My brother-in-law and his parents, who have yet to miss a grandchild's graduation

Emily waving to us from across the arena (thank goodness I had my father-in-law's 300mm zoom lens)

I adore this photo of Emily and Randy

Randy, Abby, Emily, and Suzanne

Randy, Emily, and Suzanne

She's all gradumacated!

Emily and her sweetie Sam

I was one proud Auntie!

Emily and her paternal grandparents

Emily and her big sister Abby

My grandmother's memorial brick at LCSC

Emily and her little sister Anna

We got stuck behind this truck ... it pelted us with hay, to which we
kept saying, "HEY!" (Yes, we are THAT clever!)

On our way home, we made a last-minute (as in gravel flying up in the air last minute)
stop at a winery that we passed. The name was the main reason we stopped.

Staci trying her three glasses of red wine

Troy sniffing one of the reds