What? You're not one of the 13 people out there who actually know what it is? Well GEEZ, I guess I'll have to explain. It's traditional to "robe" or "hood" someone who is receiving their doctorate (medical, philosophy, etc), and it's also traditional for the hooding to be performed by another doctor, usually a mentor, teacher, or, in very special cases, a relative. And it was only fitting that, since Jenni officially became the second Dr. Brace in our family, that my dad was there to hood her. In case it wasn't obvious, the robes were also ... you guessed it ... traditional. But man, is it time for an update. Just look at that cap. Yikes.
Here's Dr. and Randy Brace (ha!) goofing around after the ceremony. For more pics, click HERE.
After Jenni's ceremony, Nick and I headed out toward South Bend for the weekend. One of my close high school friends, Kathleen, got married in an absolutely beautiful ceremony at Notre Dame. It's pretty amazing that the eight of us have stayed so close despite being spread all over the country; nearly a decade and a half after we all met, we're still some of the closest friends we have. It's great to have people in your life who have known you for so long and accept you for who you were and are, and who you never have to try to impress ... 'cause they know you so well, they'd call you on it in a heartbeat. We see each other maybe 2 times a year, but every time it feels like our weekly get-togethers. I mean, really -- who meets lifelong friends in high school music class?
Here's Kathleen and her groom Emmett cutting the cake:
And here's the group of us (L-R): Reineke, Pawloditz, Philie, Conifer, the bride and groom, me, Kelly, and Abby (why they don't have nicknames is beyond me and seems a bit inequitable).
Just as in high school, Abby's parents provided the party house ... they just finished building an amazing lake house on Lake Diamond in Michigan, which was convieniently close to South Bend. Of course, we invited ourselves to stay there, and it simply wasn't enough for them to provide us shelter - they fed and entertained us as well. I'm afraid they were TOO good as hosts: we've already claimed the house over the holidays.
After two nights of laughing (and, let's face it, drinking) ourselves silly, Nick and I headed back to Chicago for another party: this time, it was to celebrate my cousin Ashley's graduation from high school! It was awesome to see my cousins, both Ashley's brothers and my cousins from Michigan, as well as all of our neighbors and family friends who came by. The swarming cicadas even calmed down enough to allow us to enjoy the beautiful evening outside.
Here's my cousin Tezra's baby daughter, Kara, playing with Dusty (Randy and Jenni's canine child) under the table:
And what's a party without testing the weight and height limits of the hammock? Ahhhh, takes me back to my childhood ... except these two didn't end up in a pile under an overturned hammock with an older brother snickering over them. Hmmmm.
Since we made it an extended weekend, we were able to spend time with Nick's parents, too! Monday we took the train up to the city and spent the afternoon at the Art Institute, Millenium Park, and Miller's Pub. It was the first time I saw Millenium Park in the summer, when kids filled the fountain areas and it had a real sense of life and fun. It capped off a very relaxing (if action-packed) quick trip back home. For more pictures, click HERE and then choose from the folders of Kathleen's wedding and Jenni's/Ashley's graduation pictures (you will need to register with winkflash, but then you can download high resolution pictures for free or order inexpensive prints).
