Fort Worth: Day 1

Sunday evening we took everyone to the airport and said our goodbyes! Sarah, Lyla and I headed back to Aunt Pauline and Uncle Kent's house. We got a special treat....we were able to go with Emily, Nana and Aunt Pauline to Emily's dress fitting. She looked AMAZING. Her dress is gorgeous. She is going to take everyone's breath away walking down the aisle. It is true southern bride. I love her dress!

After the dress fitting, we said goodbye to the Colleyville crew and headed back to Fort Worth with Sarah. We ate at a little taco place near Sarah's house before. It was yummy! Then we ran to the grocery store to get food for the week before heading home.

For the most part, Sarah had to work during the day while we were here. She would go early in the morning and then be done by the time Lyla was getting up from her afternoon nap. So it worked out that Lyla and I had the mornings to ourselves and we went exploring each day.

Monday, we were pretty low key. We slept in and were slow moving. We got up and organized our things so that we could somewhat find things as we needed them. 

Then, we packed a lunch and headed to Trinity Park, right down the street from Sarah's house. The weather was pretty amazing, not too hot. This park is beautiful. It is across the street from the Botanic Gardens. It is a HUGE park. It has running trails. It has huge overgrown trees. It is quiet. It is right by the river. Gorgeous. They have an amazing playground that Lyla loved playing on, especially the swings. We ate lunch under the shade of all the huge trees in the park. We just had fun being together. We also noticed that there were train tracks and a little train station in the park. We found out that there is a train that runs from the zoo area, across the river and through the park. Definitely something we were going to have to check out!!

I did not bring my camera with me this day. So I only have a couple of pictures on my phone. But we made up with the picture taking the rest of the trip!

Easy going first day being in Fort Worth. Nice is visit a different park and play on a different playground. Lots more to see in the city of Fort Worth!

Sea of Purple

We got up early Saturday morning for a yummy breakfast at the bed and breakfast before heading to watch Sarah graduate.

I cannot believe my baby sister is all done with school!! The last of us girls to graduate from college. I just cannot believe it is here already. Like the rest of us, she finished early. Smart must run in the family or something...I like to think I started the trend, but the truth is, Sarah is smarter than all of us. I am just so proud of what she has accomplished and where she is going from here. Even though is sounds so cliche, it is really not the end for her, it is just the beginning, and for that I am so excited for her.

For my parents however, it is the end. End of financially being tied to ANY of their children. And for that, it is a celebration for them in itself :) My dad likes to say, "time to get off the payroll". Honestly, without them and their support none of us would be where we are. We all graduated from amazing schools, have awesome degrees and even more AMAZING jobs. In this day and time, I feel like that is becoming so rare. Parents seem to support their children financially so much longer than college and I am so thankful that my parents gave us such a strong work ethic and independence. 

Instead of making Lyla sit still through the Horn Frog Graduation, I made arrangements for an old friend of mine to hang out with her for the day. What a blessing. When I say old friend, I mean that I have know Ali since we were like 2 or 3 years old. She and her husband had been living up in North Carolina and a few weeks before we left for Texas, I noticed (through Facebook of course) that they were headed back to Texas...Fort Worth no less....full time. The Raff's and our family knew each other back when we lived in Corpus Christi and then we moved to Atlanta when I was 6. Then, when I was debating about going to TCU, I stayed with Ali while I visited. She graduated from there as well. So I emailed her and it worked out perfectly that she was free the day of graduation to watch Lyla!! She even had a friend who has a little girl, so they played at the Botanic Gardens and at her friend's house while we enjoyed watching Sarah take her last walk across the stage. Ali was SO sweet and came and got Lyla from the B&B and brought her back when we were done. Lyla had such a wonderful time with her new friends. We spent some more time with Ali later on in our trip and we were able to really catch up with her...more on that in another post.

They split the graduating class in half, and Sarah graduated with the morning half. In was inside, thank goodness and there were less people in the morning half than afternoon. Less names had to be called and listened to. And it meant we did not have to worry about the horrible traffic and coming and finding a parking spot during the "shift" change. We were in and out and back at the bed and breakfast to eat lunch.

Sarah's class was the last to come in. She graduated from the AddRan College of Liberal Arts as a Fashion Merchandising Major, with a minor in Business. She is the fourth from the end in these pictures above.

TCU is such an amazing school with an amazing campus. Some days I wish I had gone there, especially when I visit there. My mom graduated from there as well. But I know if I had gone there, I probably would not have met Adam and have the wonderful life I have now. So I am thankful I made the decisions that I did. I would have for such been a Texas girl for life and never left had I gone there. 

TCU's mascot is a Horned Frog. And their colors are purple and white. Most people don't know to be scared of a Horned Frog. But I think they are known to shoot blood out of their eyes. I think the story goes that they found horned frogs digging holes in what is now the football field and that is how they become the mascot. Who knows.

Proudly walking to her seat.

The beautiful graduate. I am so glad she is good at what she does. Hopefully that means that I will never become the out-of-style-you-embarrass-me-mom. At least I don't think she will let me get to that point.

It was neat, the older people sitting in the rows behind Sarah where back celebrating their 50th Class Reunion. So neat to see those graduates and the pride they have in their school. My mom has a few more years before she gets to celebrate that one!

It took Sarah a minute to find us with all the noise and cheering, but she finally did. We had great seats, thanks to my grandmother and her "handicap" accessibility, she cannot do stairs very well.

Still waving. Still smiling.

Truly a sea of purple. I loved looking at how the students decorated their caps differently.

I think she is standing here for some of the honors she was awarded?

Ready to take her last steps as a student. And first steps in to the REAL world

Getting her name checked off, to make sure she is the real Sarah Schlichting. The funny thing is, I believe the lady checking the names was one of the instructors that my mom had as well.

It's official!!

You are in the REAL world now, baby!!

Turning of the tassel.

Singing the TCU anthem while making the Horned Frog sign.

"I did it!!"

The beautiful, air-conditioned coliseum!

Pictures of Sarah and her sweet friends that came to see her graduate. These girls have really been so good to her throughout her years in Fort Worth. Sarah was so blessed to have so many good girl friends when she came to TCU. Something that she did not have in high school and something that she needed to grow and be so blessed by. I am so thankful to have met these sweet girls and thank them for what they have meant in Sarah's life. Since Sarah graduated a year early, all of these girls have a year left. So they will be here celebrating this time next year!

Sarah lives with two of the girls pictured above, the "oder-da" as Lyla says, Sarah (second from the left) and Hannah (to the right of Sarah).

The family picture with the graduate.

The proud parents.

The proud grandmother.

The proud sisters.

The proud brother-in-laws.

The "kids"

Without the gown.

After graduation, the rest of us went back to the bed and breakfast to get ready for lunch and meet Ali to get Lyla. My parents went with Sarah to the Presidential luncheon they had before heading back.

TCU campus is gorgeous. It just is. It is in a cute little part of Fort Worth. And for the price tag these families pay for their students to go here, the campus should look amazing!

The TCU Graduates.

We did a family lunch at the b&b and relaxed that afternoon. We even got in a little bit of shopping before heading over the Sarah's apartment. Dan's sister Kiley lives in Dallas, so she came over for the day as well and spent some time with Dan and the evening with us! It is always so great to see her! Sarah invited her close friends over for a dinner celebration. My parents ordered Olive Garden to cater and it was good.

Lyla loves her aunts!

Such sweet friends, Kitty and Laura with Sarah.

Thanking them for being such good friends and for "putting up" with her.

So the day of getting off the payroll has finally come for our last sister. Well, not technically until August when she gets her first paycheck....but close enough!! Next up, this crazy girl!!

And boy is she crazy. Not a lot of sleep will do that to a two year old...late nights, no naps...at least it was a happy crazy and not a fussy one. And yes, she is wearing Mardi Gras beads and several garters on her head. Haha. All of these found in the Sarahs' room. Sarah and Sarah Huff share a room. Lyla loved having two Sarah's to talk about. Every time we would come to the apartment, Lyla would yell out "oder Da? Here oder Da?" At this point Lyla was still calling Sarah "Da".

Tuckered out for sure!

So fun to celebrate Sarah!! We all loved being there and being TOGETHER. The next day we went to Aunt Pauline and Uncle Kent's house to eat lunch with them and see the other graduate, Emily, who graduated the same day as Sarah from OCU.

I just have to say, that even though college graduation is just a day, and it is just start of the rest of your life, Sarah, this day for you brings tears to my eyes. You are a JOY, a DELIGHT, and a BLESSING to this family, to the people around you, and to me especially. God knew that He had great things planned for you and that He is SO much bigger than you and your plans. I am so glad. It is such a BIG deal that you are here, that you are SO FULL of LIFE and that you are YOU!! I cannot imagine my life without you. I cannot imagine Lyla's life without you. You are so essential to who I am. I am so glad the Lord has been able to work through you and that His Glory has been poured out through you. I cannot wait to see how He decides to use your through this new chapter in your life!! I am excited that we get this special time over the next few weeks together. I know that it will be a time to treasure and never forget! I love you more than words can say and am so incredibly proud of you!