Fun Friday

It was Fun Friday for our soon to be HS graduate. The morning started with all seniors in cap & gowns walking through the 4 schools on base for a “legacy walk” to be clapped out. Super special for these big kids to walk the hallways of the all the schools on base and feel the love.

No parents at the Legacy Walk (or Senior Sunset later in the evening)- but lucky me, I work at the elementary school so I was able to join in the fun. The kids were SO excited as they anxiously awaited the seniors to enter the building.

Kai-Lin had her class decorate posters to give to the seniors- and they made a personalized poster just for Tate!

Doors are open, here they come!

I was so happy to be lined up on the wall with the little kids waiting for my big kid to walk by!

Then that afternoon came the “reverse parade” which started during Covid and has become a fun tradition here at Camp Humphreys. Each graduate gets a pole along the main boulevard through base with their banner. Families decorate the pole and after school the graduate goes to their pole while hundreds of people drive along the parade route tossing candy at them & shouting congratulations! It was amazing.

Here’s Tate’s pole along the main boulevard through base.

Some people go ALL OUT with decorations, and some people do not-

I'd seen the poles last year and knew I wanted to go ALL OUT, but with the upcoming move, I just didn't have the energy or creativity to do it properly. I'd mentioned this to Diane, and she quickly said she wanted to take over this project for me. And she did an INCREDIBLE job!

Thank goodness Brian was able to help me with the decorating-

And it came out absolutely FABULOUS!

There’s just no way to thank Diane for creating the signs for Tate’s pole for me! She made personalized signs for each place that Tate has gone to school. They were all crafted with love in West Virginia and then sent over to SK to make sure his pole was AMAZING!

The parade was so very fun and exciting!

Some cars threw candy, some were over the top decorated. Because the kids names were on their banner, most cars shouted "congratulations, Tate!"

Sadly the jeep was in the shop, and we didn't decorate the car very much-

Some people just know how to make a parade fun- Molly and family threw tater tots to Tate instead of candy! She lost her voice the day after from shouting so much. She was so psyched up for this event that she considered buying a jeep the day before just to heighten their participation!

Lydia and crew set off fireworks in front of Tate!

While Brian & Macy drove in the parade, I sat behind Tate to take it all in- and I got some honks for my funny sign!

What a fabulous event that the community here really comes together for!

After the parade all the graduates go to the football field for games and dinner together for “Senior sunset.” Tate said he had so much fun that he forgot to eat- so that says a lot about how special the event was.

The kids ended the night at our house by having a fire pit and burning all of their school work, papers & notebooks!

What a day to remember!

At some point that day I walked into Tate's room and took a second to capture all his stuffed animals lined up on his bed-

He may be graduation and heading off into the world soon by himself to do adult things, but he will always be my sweet little boy.