From Magan's Facebook Post...It was a long hard road to decision day for this guy. We found out really fast that AU doesn’t offer a lot of scholarships, which led to MSU where he had lots of small scholarships that paid half of his tuition, then about 2 weeks ago we received a letter from AL giving him the Prestige Scholarship which was the best of all! So I guess he’s going to be rolling with the Tide this fall. He’ll be studying Electrical Engineering.
We celebrated with friends and family this weekend for Sam’s graduation b/c only 10 people can go to graduation. But this was so much better! We felt surrounded by support and love and got to visit for a few hours with our closest friends and family.
Thanks to all who came and we missed those who couldn’t make it! Most of all to those who helped set up, maintain, and clean up for his party. Only 3 more weeks until graduation!!!
Ruby’s gift to Sam is the card pictures below. She used her little camera to take the pictures too. He told me this was his favorite gift of all his gifts. He said “I’m gonna miss that girl.” Change is hard y’all!
So what do I remember? I remember the look on his face when I told him we are going to have to consider this piece of paper when the scholarship offer came in. Granted this paper came in about 15 minutes before he had to leave for Prom Night, he was a little less understanding at the time.
Sam was blown away by the Dr. Seuss book that Magan had made sure every teacher that had ever taught sam in school had signed. And I have heard all of the back stage drama that goes on every year to get that book back, especially when he moved into Jr/Sr high with multiple teachers each year. There were some moments when we thought it was gone, but it made it through 13 years of teachers, and Sam was impressed and amazed. I tell the kids all the time that the level of enjoyment and surprise and celebration in life would go significantly down if she was not around. So now it is not so much a surprise for the others, but she has a similar book that makes its rounds every year for the others as well.
We (why do I even include myself in these gifts) also picked out a compass for Sam that says something about going in the right direction. I am pretty sure the words are more profound, my job was to just print my name. And then I couldn't figure out how I really wrote "Dad", and as I struggled for about 15 minutes with task, Magan left the room, as I am pretty sure she wanted to strangle me. But I finally figured out how to write my name, and she got it engraved on the compass. I probably should have read the message, but I was nervous with the whole writing my name thing.
Magan's big Sam head at the graduation party was my favorite of the pictures below. She had way too much fun making that, and I just kept hearing her giggling as she made it. It started as a head, then she laughed and made him a cap, then another giggle and he had a body.
One of his teachers in the blue shirt below was his third grade teacher (Mrs. Meeks - Do teachers ever have first names?), and was also Davis' third grade teacher. She was actually Sam's teacher during the Snowmageddon that came thru Birmingham. Sam and Davis were stuck at school one night, and it was Mrs. Meeks husband that brought them thru the ice and delivered them to our home the next evening.
Dewann Francis brought us a coffee cake, sausage and eggs on this morning, which was amazing, and worth mentioning because it was amazing. Benet Moore made his cake for his gift and told me about watching him so much as he was younger. She told me about one scary moment when she found him jumping back and forth over baby Belle. She had to explain that was not a game to play with a baby.
I know Sam loved having so many of his friends there for the party. He had a group from church and a group from school, and they all stayed a long time to visit with him. It was a special day, and while Bama was not his first choice, he has grown more excited, and the excitement from all our friends and family over this decision has helped infect him even more. I keep teasing him about all these "Celebrate Sam" moments, but glad we have these times to enjoy being with him before he heads off to college. I know he was happy to see so many people there.
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