Radiology Residency Graduation 2013

The long awaited day finally arrived!!!  It was an eventful day, to say the least!  June 14th was the last day of school for the kids, Kate's kindergarten graduation, the day oral board scores were released and David's residency graduation.  We attended Kate's graduation in the morning and then took her, Jacob and Emily to the mall for a few hours that afternoon.  Originally, oral board scores were suppose to be released at 3 pm, but there was a delay on the ABR (American Board of Radiology) website.  It said they would not be released until 6 pm.  David's graduation was at 5:30 pm, so as soon as Ben got off the bus at 4:20 we made a mad dash to Hopkins in hopes of capturing some pictures in front of the Hopkins dome (the original, historic hospital) before the ceremony started.  Unfortunately, the sun was too bright and these were the best shots we got.  We'll have to try again next year at fellowship graduation!   

On our way walking from the dome to the ceremony, David discovered that board results had been released, but he was not having any luck logging into the system on his phone.  We arrived and all of his classmates (but one) had already found out that they had passed their boards.   

 David helped the kids and I get seated and went to a work station to check his results.  Still no luck.  While he was gone, I realized that he would not be sitting with me and the kids during graduation.  The thought hadn't even crossed my mind!  I was not prepared.  Awesome.  I had the sole task of keeping 4 kids happy during a graduation ceremony.  This was not a Mormon sacrament meeting where everyone has kids.  This was a long anticipated graduation where everyone present already thought we were crazy for even having four kids, let alone during residency!  There were even jokes from the microphone during graduation about David and all his children.  I was doomed from the beginning.  I started pleading with the kids to be good.  "Of all the times I've ever wanted you to sit still and be quiet...this is it....please.... please.... please" I pleaded.  I even forgot that David still hadn't found out his board results.  I suddenly resented all the other parents with one child in their lap and 4 grandparents by their sides.  One resident even came to me for a diaper.  Why would I have diapers?  OK fine, she got her choice of a pull-up, a size 3 and a size 5.  At least I was prepared for something.  It seemed like an eternity before graduation even started.  The kids were already bored! 

       David came back in...still no results.  Graduation started.  Ben and Kate were suddenly starving (even though we had fed them pizza before we left home).  I promised them lots of yummy food at the reception following graduation.  Didn't work.  Jacob couldn't sit still and rocked his chair this way and that while giving any onlookers his mean face.  Little Emily was as happy as could be, but wanted everyone to know it.  She babbled and squawked.  Normally very cute, but not right now.  She sounded like a dolphin.  A loud dolphin.  My only break from complaints during the entire ceremony was during the 5 minute slide show (with music playing in the background) and the Harry Potter house competition announcements.  Halfway through the ceremony, I noticed David giving me a thumbs up from the front row.  For a second I thought he was cheering me on, until I realized he was trying to tell me that he had finally gotten through the system and he had found out that he had PASSED his boards.  YEAH!  Somehow, I had missed his text that had been sitting on my phone unopened for the last 10 minutes.  I was a little preoccupied!  This is how I will remember the graduation ceremony.

At least David enjoyed his seat.  

Thankfully, there was a photographer at the event to capture these pictures.  

  

I told David after the graduation that the ceremony was more stressful for me than all of his residency.  Not really...but for a few moments it felt like it!  A nice reception followed, but the kids were ready to go home (actually they were begging for McDonald's).  They were not pleased with the food I had promised to be yummy.  Truthfully, it wasn't.  We took a few pictures and then I took the kids into the hall in hopes that David could at least enjoy his day.  

Kate did like the never ending Sprite.  

Jacob would NOT look at the photographer!  

And when he finally did, Emily was asleep!  

I am so proud of David and all the hard work he has put in over the years (9 since finishing BYU and starting med school).  He is now an official Board Certified Radiologist!   

(And I really do love my kids!)