For 18 years I was only child, and my cousin Mary Catherine and I were the only 2 grandchildren on my mother's side. I always longed for a sister. Mary Catherine was the closest thing to having one, and we joke that we're soul sisters. It seems like not that long ago that my Aunt Melissa called us late at night on January 14th, 1992 to tell us that Mary Cat was on her way. I'm not sure what I was more excited about - her being born or getting to skip school to be there for it! Kidding, MC. I was over the moon about having a baby to play with. I just knew that we'd be best friends even though there are 12 years between us. I wanted to take her shopping, dress her up, teach her the ins and outs of being a girl. And here we are, 18 years later. She could run circles around me in the fashion arena. But more importantly, 18 years later and she's a high school graduate from Trinity Presbyterian School in Montgomery and is getting ready to make her mark at Auburn!
The girls and I went south for her graduation last Thursday night where we met my grandmother, Aunt Jane, and Uncle Charlie to serve as her official fan club.
(Excuse the picture of me - it was raining and hot and I wish I could give you more reasons why I look the way I do, but that's all I've got!)
Mary Catherine and Cate...
Cate's named after MC and MC was named after our great-grandmother.
Cate, Mary C, Towns and Aunt Melissa...
I absolutely love how the girls have handmade dresses for graduation that are too gorgeous for words...
This one is the only one I have of MC's full dress, but trust me when I tell you that it was amazing. My little ones were in heaven - not only did they have Mary Catherine, but all of Mary Catherine's friends doting on them as well!
Towns and Cate with MC's friend Tyler...
They did manage to tear themselves away from the teenagers long enough for this indoor playground...
Where the floor looked just like real water!
Towns had to try to dip her toe in...
And then act like she was jumping off the boardwalk...
Cate wanted to give it a try until the graduate in the background walked by and said "hey there, cutie"...
Wish I could have gotten the exact moment on camera, but she wheeled around as fast as she could and when they locked eyes she turned into a puddle of mush. I'm all for an older man, but that's a bit much Buggy!
So she sat and pondered what could have been...
In front of the Titanic, no less. How appropriate.
Until she heard that there was food in the next room over...
She ate her weight in strawberries and watermelon, while Towns ate her weight in toffee nut cookies!
The peanut gallery...
Aunt Jane, Granny, Towns and Cate
Charlie's in the right-hand corner of that one making friends with the woman who thought we stole her son's chair. He's a charmer! He had her giggling and batting her eyelashes, and in no time she'd forgotten about the blasted chair. As if there weren't 36 other ones all around her!
We weren't letting her rain on our parade, though...
Uncle Charlie came back over, scooped Towns up, and they danced the night away!
By that time it was 9:45 and more than 2 hours past the girls' bedtime. But who has time for sleep when Aunt Melissa had a belated birthday party for Charlie and Towns waiting at home?! She's the queen of thoughtful...never mind the fact that her only daughter had just graduated from high school! Ha! We all ate ice cream and Liger's cake (the best cake on the planet), drank dozens of Diet Cokes, watched the girls put on the show of all shows, laughed until we almost cried, and reminisced about the last 18 years.
It wasn't until after midnight that this finally happened...
I just knew they'd sleep late after partying hard, but at 5:30 Cate was whispering in my ear. It's what she says every morning..."I waked up Mommy, did you waked up?" and wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear that early!
But the girls had one thing on their minds...
Swimming!
Actually, Towns wanted to show everyone how she could swim on her own and Cate wanted to take full advantage of having an audience...
She never got in the pool...just sang and danced her heart out until I ruined the fun and told them it was time to take the show on the road.
It was a whirlwind trip, but we wouldn't have missed it.
Congrats, Mary Cat!
A big hug and a kiss and a high five to you for such a huge accomplishment...
We cannot wait to visit you at Auburn!
We are so excited for all the fun you'll have and the memories you'll make!
And will you put me in your pocket and take me to rush with you?
If rush was an attainable degree, I'd have my doctorate.
All I have to say is rush, smile, hooty-hoot!
WE LOVE YOU!!
(Excuse the picture of me - it was raining and hot and I wish I could give you more reasons why I look the way I do, but that's all I've got!)
Mary Catherine and Cate...
Cate's named after MC and MC was named after our great-grandmother.
Cate, Mary C, Towns and Aunt Melissa...
I absolutely love how the girls have handmade dresses for graduation that are too gorgeous for words...
This one is the only one I have of MC's full dress, but trust me when I tell you that it was amazing. My little ones were in heaven - not only did they have Mary Catherine, but all of Mary Catherine's friends doting on them as well!
Towns and Cate with MC's friend Tyler...
They did manage to tear themselves away from the teenagers long enough for this indoor playground...
Where the floor looked just like real water!
Towns had to try to dip her toe in...
And then act like she was jumping off the boardwalk...
Cate wanted to give it a try until the graduate in the background walked by and said "hey there, cutie"...
Wish I could have gotten the exact moment on camera, but she wheeled around as fast as she could and when they locked eyes she turned into a puddle of mush. I'm all for an older man, but that's a bit much Buggy!
So she sat and pondered what could have been...
In front of the Titanic, no less. How appropriate.
Until she heard that there was food in the next room over...
She ate her weight in strawberries and watermelon, while Towns ate her weight in toffee nut cookies!
The peanut gallery...
Aunt Jane, Granny, Towns and Cate
Charlie's in the right-hand corner of that one making friends with the woman who thought we stole her son's chair. He's a charmer! He had her giggling and batting her eyelashes, and in no time she'd forgotten about the blasted chair. As if there weren't 36 other ones all around her!
We weren't letting her rain on our parade, though...
Uncle Charlie came back over, scooped Towns up, and they danced the night away!
By that time it was 9:45 and more than 2 hours past the girls' bedtime. But who has time for sleep when Aunt Melissa had a belated birthday party for Charlie and Towns waiting at home?! She's the queen of thoughtful...never mind the fact that her only daughter had just graduated from high school! Ha! We all ate ice cream and Liger's cake (the best cake on the planet), drank dozens of Diet Cokes, watched the girls put on the show of all shows, laughed until we almost cried, and reminisced about the last 18 years.
It wasn't until after midnight that this finally happened...
I just knew they'd sleep late after partying hard, but at 5:30 Cate was whispering in my ear. It's what she says every morning..."I waked up Mommy, did you waked up?" and wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear that early!
But the girls had one thing on their minds...
Swimming!
Actually, Towns wanted to show everyone how she could swim on her own and Cate wanted to take full advantage of having an audience...
She never got in the pool...just sang and danced her heart out until I ruined the fun and told them it was time to take the show on the road.
It was a whirlwind trip, but we wouldn't have missed it.
Congrats, Mary Cat!
A big hug and a kiss and a high five to you for such a huge accomplishment...
We cannot wait to visit you at Auburn!
We are so excited for all the fun you'll have and the memories you'll make!
And will you put me in your pocket and take me to rush with you?
If rush was an attainable degree, I'd have my doctorate.
All I have to say is rush, smile, hooty-hoot!
WE LOVE YOU!!
5 comments:
MC looks beautiful as always. I know you enjoyed spending time with everyone. Now about that picture you sent me as you were digging into a little taste of heaven here on earth a/k/a Liger's, B and I both agree that was cruel and unusual punishment. You know what they say about payback. Ha ha!!
RUSH. SMILE. HOOTY-HOOT. I would've had my doctorate in RUSH, too, tt!! Congrats, Mary Catherine! Your graduation gown was gorgeous and I'm SO excited that you're going to AUBURN! You've got the best 4 years of your life ahead of you!
There is NO way Mary Catherine is old enough to go to college! I feel like she is still 10, oh wait, that was how old she was when we graduated, ha!! She is gorgeous and I cannot wait to hear about rush. BTW, why ISN'T rush a degree?!
Love MC's dress, what a wonderful idea..wonder how I can start that trend in Opelika?!?! I would love to see Kenzie wearing a handmade batiste lace dress on her graduation like she wore all of her younger years...and about the headboard...i likey and wantey! ; )
Congratulations Mary Catherine! Oh, how jealous ALL of us are that you are just beginning your days at AU...you will absolutely love it! Hooty-Hoot is right!!
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