For the purpose of preserving memories, I will be recording (over several posts) the events of our trip to California and Disneyland. So be forewarned that these posts will include long, detailed accounts of our trip!
After spending the first full day traveling, we were excited to get up Thursday and have no specific agenda. We made our way to BIOLA to pick up Eddy's regalia and wander around campus. I snapped a few photos for Eddy of things that he wanted to commit to visual memory. From there we made our way to Chick-fil-a and enjoyed some of our favorite food before heading to LAX to pick up Eddy's parents. There were typical hugs and greetings upon meeting up, which were of course most animated by MawMaw and Janna. We headed back to the hotel so Eddy and I could get ready for a night of celebration (Thanks to Eddy's parents for babysitting so we could enjoy a night to ourselves!). After sprucing up, we headed to Knott's Berry Farm Resort to celebrate our 9th anniversary and attend the Bauccalaureate ceremony for Eddy. We started the evening off with a delicious meal: salad, rolls, enough chicken on my indiviual plate to feed three of us, veggies, mashed potatoes, and of course a piece of pie for dessert with the famous Knott's berries (I was told it was boysenberry). Following the feast, we heard the typical address to graduates and listened as each graduate was announced, hooded, and their 'thanks' read by professors. Something nice was the inclusion and participation of spouses. We were asked to walk alongside our spouse as they received their hoods and then given a Certificate of Appreciation for our contribution to their success (encouraging them, helping type notes/etc., giving up 5 years of precious family time for them to study and write!) It was a very nice evening.
Friday: The Big Day. Graduation!!! I believe Eddy and I had both been awaiting this day with GREAT anticipation. We began the celebrating with lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, where my parents and Melissa met up with us. We all enjoyed delicious food and, of course, cheesecake! Mmmm, so good. We also showered Eddy with a few gifts while there. Eddy had to be at BIOLA at 3:00 so we headed back to the hotel so he could get ready. We followed suit and arrived at the school around 4:30 for a reception for doctoral students and their families. Eddy's friend Jon Gable works at a camp a few hours away from the school and was able to make the drive over to join us for the festivities. This was pretty special for Eddy. The ceremony began at 6:00 and we all awaited Eddy's turn to walk across the stage, shake the president's hand, and officially become Dr. Edward Franklin Sanders IV!!! Afterwords, we were all a bit hungry so we went to Chipotle for a late dinner to finish off the night.
I'm really proud of Eddy for all his hard work and this accomplishment. Certainly not an easy feat, and to consider that this was all in the midst of his severe headaches, a challenging ministry in AL, the birth of two children, and a very full ministry in Quincy. Doctorate complete!
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