Celebration Time

On May 14th, I officially Graduated from Boise State University with my Doctorate in Education. Curriculum and Instruction, with an emphasis on School Improvement.  The weekend was such a fantastic celebration of that accomplishment, as well as great time spent with family and friends.  

Here are photos to share the eventful weekend.   I relied on Jennifer, Stuart, and my Dad to take pictures, since my camera is now living with whoever broke into my car.  :)

My trip to graduation began Thursday morning, with a smooth drive to Boise of 13 hours.  I picked wildflowers in Eastern Oregon's high desert.  When we went to the Botanical gardens on Sunday, I was able to ID almost all of the flowers in the Lewis and Clark Trail display.   Pretty cool!

  Friday morning, I met with Scott for breakfast (thank you!) at Big City Coffee. Everything at Big City is...well, Big!    After drinking in a great conversation with Scott, I met with a retired BSU prof about helping with research for his next book.   Then I was off to visit the charter school where I interned for a year, to say hello to everyone.     After that, I met Stuart at my hotel so he could hang out and take a shower.  Because he delivered my graduation CD's (thank you!), I raced back to the charter school to deliver one to my friends there.     Next up was graduation rehearsal at BSU, where Scott delivered my "regalia", and then to Moxie Java on Eagle to meet with Randy and Pam for one last grad student meeting (thank you!).   From there, I sped over to the ariport to pick up Jen, only to realize I was 30 minutes early.   After picking up Jen, we went to dinner.

 Friday night dinner at El Gallo Grio, a Mexican restaurant in Kuna, just south of where my horses, dogs, and I lived.  Jennifer, Vicki, Stuart, Dad, Connie, Kathy & Joe, and Kathy, TJ, & Dora joined me at the salsa bar... 

Jen and I each had a Molten Lava Chocolate Cake.  It was as good as it looks!

Kathy and Joe Hopkins.  Kathy was Ber and Gio's equine podiatrist.
I really miss the Hopkins and their menagerie.  

Jen Johnson and Vicki Johnson (no relations).  Vicki started out as my real estate agent, and became one of my favorite Idaho friends.

Stuar Gibson, Connie Gaffin, and Dad (Joe Gibson).

  Dora, TJ, and Kathy Wison.   My Idaho family.  I went to Washington D.C. with Dora in 2010.

On our way back to the hotel after dinner, Jen and I drove through a thunder and lightening storm, while talking to her kids on speaker phone. Effie had done a research project on lightening, so it was fun to talk to her about that.

Next Stop, Hiking with Jen to graduation Saturday morning.

The Boise River was at full flow.  The flood gates up river had been opened to release water from the storage dam.   Friday night, Stuart, Jen, and I walked the river trail to make sure Jen and I would be able to walk to graduation Saturday.  Kathy Hopkins had alerted us to the trail closures due to flooding.  Luckily, the stretch we needed to walk was open.

How appropriate to meet a horse on the BSU campus. BSU's mascot is the Bronco.  I was pointing to the direction of the stadium, though it looks like I am about to give the horse a big hug. 

Tree drenched in white blossoms on trail.

We found where I needed to go in, and leave Jen. 

After picking up my name cards and changing...

Dressed and ready to go, before Jen left to find the seats.

Commencement Photos.

Empty arena.  Imagine the seats full with over 4,000 guests, and the rows of graduates full of black-robes people with square hats...

The eight doctoral candidates led the processional in.  How scary is that, to be the first people everyone sees, after the faculty entered?

I caught site of Jen, Stuart, Dad, Connie, and the Wilson's. They had perfect seats, right above where I was located.

Penguins milling about, waiting for all the graduates to file in.   For some reason, we are not able to stand in front of our seats. However, our seats have our names on them, so no worries!

Faculty up on the risers above the stage, and three tiers of guests in the stadium seating.  Wow.

Boise Police Department's Scottish band, and acapella singers.    Given my Scottish ancestry, my mom's love of Scottish music, and that the band was two feet in front of where I was standing, I was enthralled.      Beautifully played, gentlemen!

Getting hooded.   I ordered prints of the official photo, which turned out great.  I'll post them when they arrive. Imagine standing on that stage, having about 6,000 people looking at you, and seeing your face expanded on the giant screens.
A bit overwhelming.

Have cover and hood.  Phew.

Ceremony is done, faculty is almost finished filing out, we're just waiting for the go ahead to leave.
See the giant screens by the stage?

Gallons and gallons of blue and silver mylar confetti raining down from the scoreboard in the center of the ceiling.  

After the hooding ceremony and the reading of over 2000 names for the undergraduate and master's recipients, we filed out into the brilliant sunshine to bake in our thick back robes!

With Connie, Dad, and Stuart.

In a pinch, a mortarboard works as sunscreen!

With Scott Wilison, my dissertation chair, professor, and research adviser.  One of my favorite Idaho people!

The Hood.  Light blue for Education, and Blue and Orange for BSU.

With Jen.

One more with Dad, Connie, and Stuart.

With Stuart.

On graduation day, after the ceremony and a bit of down time at the hotel, we went to Eagle Island park for a hike.  Here is my blog post from my first month in Boise, when I went to Eagle Island.  http://emboise.blogspot.com/2009/01/eagle-island.html

Walking out the road to the old prison farm. Notice the sky, and the patches of blue.

 

Prison farm building.

Dairy barn area.

Jen walking.   Check out the dark sky. We were in the path of the afternoon thunderstorm the whole hike.   Luckily everyone brought windbreakers. This is the old prison work farm Dairy.

Venturing off on the potentially flooded trail...

Jen and Em on a bridge that goes nowhere.  Sky becomes more ominous by the second.

Jen and Em on the trail, after we climbed the gate that said do not enter, flooding.  Dad said it was okay.   It wasn't until we climbed the second gate, leading OUT of the flooded area, that we actually met with flooding that detoured us to a fenceline and a bunch of cows. We eventually made it back to the main  trail and the parking lot, thanks to Stuart's GPS and general good sense of direction.

Lilacs from the old Prison Farm.

Saturday night, we ate dinner at Shangri-La, a delicious vegetarian restaurant. Stuart's favorite place to eat, and where Jenny Willison plays music often.  They have many flavors of tea, and you get the tea in glass pots that are on stands above warming candles.

My meal was so pretty, Stuart took a picture.

Stuart, me, Dad, Connie, and  Scott & Jenny Willison.  Jen took the picture.  In the background you can see the live music experience--a DJ with two turntables playing world music. Audio Medic was their name. Very interesting.

Sunday arrived. My dad took Connie to the airport very early.  That morning, we had breakfast at Big City Coffee.  Jen, Dad, Stuart, Dora, TJ, and Kathy.  Finding room for all of us was a challenge, but we finally did, perched on high stools at a high table.  After breakfast, all but TJ and Kathy went to Boise Botanical Gardens for a light hike.

Pool covered in floating cherry blossoms that moved with the wind.

Closeup of cherry blossoms.

Stuart on the Gulley trail.

Em and Dora in the Labyrinth.

Jen and Dora in the Labyrinth.

Another shot of Jen and Dora.

Weeping Desert Pea.

Em and Dora on the gulley trail.

Stuart on Swing.

Dora and Em on the swing.

Stuart taking a picture of Jen taking a picture of Dora and Em, while Dad looks at the fountain.

Jen, Dora, and Em.

Ingenious method of raised beds, using old hay bales. 

Examining the cherry blossom pool.

After the Botannical gardens, we visited Boise Bargain Basement, which I call the "Trader Joe's" of Grocery outlet stores.  Another of my favorite places.  :)  I found pure vanilla extract, a big bottle, for under $5.   From there, Stuart and Dad headed to the Steen Range, and Jen, Dora, and I headed to the airport so Jen could return to Seattle and her family.  Dora and I spent the afternoon visiting interesting stores in Boise, where we found giant marshmallows, among other things.  We couldn't do much outside, because it was hailing and raining and storming the whole afternoon. I spent Sunday night with Dora, Kathy, and TJ (my "Idaho family."). Dora introduced me to the show Ghost Whisperer on Netflix.  At 5:30 Monday morning I headed home.  I was anxious to get back to my animals, and the long drive was not something I was looking forward to, especially with the rain and snow.

13.5 hours later, I arrived home. Made excellent time, especially given I took a breakfast break at the Apple Peddler, as well as frequent rest stops.  Once I arrived back on the coast, my first stop was visiting Ber and Gio, who were looking sleek and healthy. Thank you to Katrin for watching them so lovingly.  Next stop, home to see Gloria. When I pulled into my parking spot, there was a briliantly painted sign, "Congratulations Dr. Gibson."  Thank you Murielle!  Gloria started barking as soon as she heard my car.  But when I opened the door, she was so happy and healthy and relaxed!  Thank you very, very much, Dena and Murielle and Gary and Kiah for taking excellent, excellent care of her.   I did not worry at all, because I knew you were treating her like your own dog.  :)  Within an hour of arriving back in Humboldt County, I was on the beach with Gloria. Talk about surreal! 

That's it.  The final chapter in this journey.  Visitng Idaho for graduation was so positive. To see everyone, to give and get a million hugs, and to stop in at my favorite places...it all helped bring "closure" to this venture.  Again, thank you to everyone who helped make this dream come true.