CONGRATULATIONS JESS!

Jess is now a college graduate of Virginia Tech with a mechanical engineering degree. We are so proud of her.

She also has a boyfriend that was all smiles on Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m.! Gary and I flew out of XNA on Friday afternoon. After meeting Shane and Jess at the airport we had a very nice introduction and visit with Kathy and Charles, Jess's parents. After a very restless night...and my fault for that due to coffee drinking at a layover in Atlanta...we got up at 5:00 a.m. (4:00 a.m. northwest Arkansas time) to get dressed. I believe we were in our seats in the coliseum by 7:15 a.m. Jess's parents, brother, grandparents, Shane, and some close friends were there also to cheer Jess on. Even though rain was in the forecast all day it never did rain. Just in case, I carried my umbrella around with me all day.

Gary and I got to check out our future in-laws and they passed with flying colors! I'm sure they were checking us out as well so we tried to behave. Jess has a fantastic family. Jess tells me her grandmother is in her 80's. That's pretty hard to believe. I spent a lot of time visiting with her, maybe because she was so easy and interesting to talk to. Her brother, John, is just as pleasant as Jess. Gary got to spend some time visiting with Jess's grandfather on Saturday night at the restaurant. Gary really enjoyed that. I think, by then, we were through checking out the family. We knew they were the real deal early on.

After the commencement ceremony we walked to the Engineering Building for a reception. One by one I enjoyed nice discussions with Jess's family. The highlight of the reception was Jess taking us to a lab where she demonstrated her senior project. Her senior project was a small-scale wind energy portable turbine that will charge a cell phone, laptop or small tv. Impressive? Definitely. I would tell you more but I understood very little of what she said. It was way over my head but I was still beaming with pride as she demonstrated to the small crowd that came to watch. Her senior project team (a group of 6 senior engineering students) designed the blade, motor, generator, etc. It folds up and you can take it with you anywhere you go. The Army needs to check into this!

Then, we attended a very nice luncheon in Jess's honor. Some of her close friends also attended and I got to meet even more people. The afternoon was spent resting since everyone had been up for such a long time.

Jess opened some presents from us in our room. In this picture she is just realizing what Shane got her for graduation...a Wii. (There's a future story here...Shane insists he didn't "really" buy the Wii for him but for Jess. I think different!) Every college graduate probably needs a game of some sort for graduation! No more books for....at least a month! Then...the day was just about over. Everyone attended a wonderful dinner in Roanoke in honor of Jess. I can not tell you how proud her family is of her. I was seated next to her grandmother and she is so proud of her granddaughter! All of her family and friends are.

Shane and Jess Jess and her brother, John. He had to travel a long distance and I know Jess was so happy to have him here. He is just as polite and smart as Jess is. I wanted to write that this was my baby boy. That didn't seem quite appropriate. First, he's not a baby, and second, he has fought in a war. Jess's parents were very gracious. Not only did they provide most of our transportation, but Kathy had delicious Irish bread and strawberries on the way to commencement. This morning (Sunday) we got out our cameras and enjoyed some last-minute picture taking. I'm ready to spend more time with this couple. I miss them terribly. They will be in Mexico this summer but Gary and I do have plans to visit them in Kentucky when they return. Now, it's Sunday night at 8:34 p.m. I'm going to bed. I don't know why I'm so exhausted. I did sleep in until 7:50 a.m. this morning. On the way home from the airport Gary and I decided to stop and eat at Appleby's. Once inside, and after ordering, we looked at each other and at the very same second said "Why don't we just get it to go and go home." We were both so tired. The poor waitress. She brought us our drinks and we apologized profusely and told her we wanted it to go. I told her that we "were just too tired to sit up and eat." I have no idea what she thought about us. So, we are home. Good night and congratulations Jess. I've told you a million times...I admire you so much!

SLIDESHOW OF THE WEEKEND. Click on a picture to make it larger.


VIDEO OF JESS RECEIVING DIPLOMA