So close!

Guys. Guys. Guys.

I'm graduating in 18 days.

This is my last week of classes - EVER. After the four more days of classes, I have two exams and I am home free.

Suffice it to say, it's a bit busy here in the Hoffman household.

So, I'm sorry that I haven't been around lately, but next week...oh, there will be blog posts.

Also, I'm looking forward to giving some reviews of SLU - no information withheld - that may give you readers a taste of why I'm SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED to be finished with it. Seriously. I'm not going to be one of those people that donates money back to them - any money I have to donate will be going to Rosati-Kain (my high school) or St. Margaret of Scotland (my grade school).

Anyway - sorry I haven't been around, but soon.

Here are some pictures of my graduation from high school (I loved high school...)


[oh hey, gums in my mouth. kind of a scary picture but as you can tell, I was pretty excited]


[some of my closest friends from high school]


[we can thank the ex-boyfriend for this shot...i like it]


[getting ready at my parents' house before heading over to the Cathedral...dad telling me something, me clearly zoning out, grandma maybe listening...]


[pandemonium outside of the Cathedral when it's over!!]


[at my graduation party, the Sunday before the big day (Rosati's graduations are on Monday nights). we didn't plan it, but the four of us are kind of wearing the same color scheme - this is my family, by the way...]

Rosati is across the street from the Saint Louis Cathedral Basilica. It's sad, because in my four years of high school we only used the church approximately nine times - twice a year for confession, and once my freshman year for the first mass of the school year. I was so excited that every mass would be there, because it's GORGEOUS, but we never had it there again.

But then there's graduation. So I guess that's ten times.

No one took good pictures of the actual church interior when I graduated, but I got some good ones when my sister graduated two years ago...here's what happens:


[beautiful church filled with beautiful people]


[first, two teachers freak out for a half hour while 100 girls are lined up outside, on a very busy street in St. Louis, and they try to figure out just WHEN to let the girls with the banners begin to walk]


[the girls that carry in the banners are always younger sisters of graduating seniors. cute :)]


[the graduates follow, single file, down the aisle. wearing white. i wonder if they planned that...?]


[it takes awhile]


[the Cathedral is huuuuge! the domed ceiling helps. oh, and the interior walls are made ENTIRELY of mosiacs. i'll write another post on it someday with some detail shots]


[this is the parent prayer - the moms and dads stand up, raise their right hands, give their blessing...love mom's old lady glasses]


[after, we went to a fondue place downtown. clearly, emme was tired]

Okay. Enough reminiscing. I'll be making some new graduation memories pretty soon. But for now, I need to work on this paper. So I can actually graduate on time.

I'll be back next week!