Pomp and (Unusual) Circumstance

Sunday, May 27th
Graduation Day

Our graduation day truly was a graduation day--my ceremony started at 9 am and Jeffrey's began at 2 pm, so including all the getting ready, pre and post-ceremony photos, and speeches, someone was graduating at all times, all day.

I guess all the excitement got to my head (or maybe I was just an overheated pregnant lady in a velvet floor length graduation robe in a warm college gym) because during my graduation ceremony I thought I was going to faint!  I spent much of the event sitting with my head down as low as I could bend with my belly, and as far as the mortarboard on my head would allow before it fell off, and with my neighbor graduates fanning me with their programs.  It was miserable, but in a way it was perfect--dental school was not an individual effort.  I had needed support from family and friends all along, so why would the ceremonial completion of school be any different?  All the fanning worked and I walked the stage to become Dr. Lauren Edwards, DDS.

My dental school group, GPG 7.  I love these people and will never forget the good times (and not so good, sometimes) we had together.  We spent every day of 3rd and 4th year together and still managed to like each other at the end.  I'll miss these faces!

Carly Klassen, also from GPG 7

Dr. Brent Magness, the fearless leader of GPG 7

My biggest fan.

Conspicuously absent?  My sister!  She woke up at 4 am the morning of graduation suffering greatly from a kidney stone.  My grandmother stayed at the hotel with the poor girl, and someone took a video on their phone of the moment I walked across the stage so that she could feel like she was there!

Later in the day, Jeffrey graduated.  His ceremony was a bit longer since his class was much bigger, and this also meant that he could only invite 10 people to his graduation.  (I made the cut!).  His ceremony was VERY crowded so we had a hard time even finding seats.  He looked very handsome in his green and black robes, and required no fanning to get through his event.  Welcome to the professional world, Dr. Jeffrey Edwards, MD!

Can you find Waldo?

Jeffrey's biggest fan.

Ryan and Sylvia Mack--future Temple residents themselves!