AJ graduated (with honors I'm proud to say) last Friday. We didn't get any decent graduation pics...we were just too far away from the kids during the ceremony, and they had to turn in their gowns before we could find AJ. We are hoping someone we know got a few good cap and gown pics.

However we did get a few pictures of AJ's other end-of-year activities...

Senior Night saw the seniors receive their yearbooks and honors. Here's AJ with his girlfriend...


...and later as we went to Darwell's for eats. I had the crawfish etouffee. AJ had a burger...but they do have really good burgers.



H.S. Band Banquet...AJ as Watchman anti-hero Rorschach and friend as Batman nemisisHarley Quinn



AJ gets a graduation gift from my aunt Ann, visiting from Delaware.




5:45 AM the day after graduation. We are watching a small balloon, checking the air currents.


Ann with Balloon pilot and old friend Gary Jones.


How to inflate a hot air balloon...
That's the rising sun illuminating the inside of the balloon...at this point we just had a special fan blowing air into the envelope.


Once the envelope has partially inflated its time to fire up the burners...


Ann inspects the rigging


Ready to float away...Rob is helping keep things grounded until the balloon is untethered.


Another balloon was also flying...



Up, up, and away...



Back on the ground, time to pack up the envelope


Property owner of our landing site looks on with pilot Gary.


Cheers to the ballooning rookies.


Part of the post flight ceremony for first timers.


Champaign cork with clip represents ballooning souvenir.

 

tof! Congrats to AJ.

 

Good idea, this thread. Nice photos. What does AJ plan on doing next?

Both my kids will be getting their BS degrees next month. I'll have photos to add, then.

 

Congratulations to AJ! Good work!

Mike, ha ha, this is a sometime graduate I caught on film over in Hawaii.

 

Sharing your excitment. I posted a couple of pics earlier of Stephanie's graduation over on the Odds and Ends Photo thread. She graduated from a Catholic Prep School, IWA, in Houston on Saturday, and did well. Couple more pics:





With friend Andrew, who graduated from HS last year. He is now a 2nd baseman at university.

 

Nice pics, Jim. Congratulations. Wish I had managed to get some cap and gown pics. What are Stephanie's plans?

AJ is attending Mississippi University for Women--actually its co-ed and has been for over a decade...but lots of rich alums are probably blocking a name change and a merger with Mississippi State University. A BS degree program in culinary arts / entrepreneurship initially got him interested but now he is undeclared. However he was so impressed with the "W" during a recent Scholarship Day, he has decided to attend anyway.

 

Chris has a graduation next week. I'll post pics if any of them come out ok.

 

My oldest son, Andrew, graduated from Rutgers last week. Majored in Economics and Political Science and a minor in Sociology. Pictures later, when I get home.

 

Good idea Mike. Thumbs up to the grads.

 

Lot of Andrews on this thread. (AJ = Andrew James)

Congrats, Ralper. Impressive academic resume. Maybe Andrew can help fix the mess we are in. (The economy one, not the oil one. )