Graduating a Dentist and Moving Day

We were only home from Miami a few days when we had to turn around and head to New Orleans for Ryan's graduation from dental school.  I could hardly believe that four years had already passed and my baby boy was about to be a dentist.  It was going to be a very busy weekend, what with ceremonies, dinners and moving he and Allison back to north Louisiana.

We headed out of town in a terrible rainstorm that thankfully ended by the time we got to New Orleans.  In its place unseasonably cool weather had set in.  We arrived day one for Ryan's "Hooding Ceremony", which was held at LSU Dental School.

After dining out that night, we got ready for the next day; GRADUATION DAY!

             David and Beckett met us early the next morning for breakfast before the graduation.

 

 And Caitlin, who could not be here for the graduation, sent us a photo of Holli wearing her LSU colors in honor of Uncle Ryan's graduation.

It was difficult to believe that this was graduation day...and my baby son was about to be a dentist!  I could still remember all of those days in elementary school where I literally laid my head down on the counter I was so exhausted from helping my kids with their homework.  This was a great accomplishment for him and I was one proud mama!

The graduation was held at The University of New Orleans and included all of professional school graduates from LSU.

                    There's the dental class of 2014, standing, about to receive their diplomas! 

                                                                   Dr. and Mrs. (Yay!)

After graduation, it was on to the celebratory luncheon.  Ryan and Allison had many restaurants on their list to visit before they moved away from New Orleans but one they always wanted to dine at and never had was "Cochon".  And that's where we made our reservation that day...

                                  "Cochon's" specialty, as you might have guessed is pork.

                   While waiting for our table, we got to watch these guys unloading the hogs!

Our table of 12 ordered a wide variety of food; here is a small sampling of some of it...

                                                                      Black Drum

                                                              Rabbit and Dumplings

                                                                      Mac and Cheese

 Although the past two days had been full and fun-packed, we had another big day the next day...moving day.  Ryan and Allison would be moving back to north Louisiana!

Ryan picked up the U-Haul truck at 7 a.m. the next day and we quickly got started loading things up.

I'm not a huge fan of moving...but who is?!  I was, however, happy to see that my "organized" son and daughter-in-law had everything packed neatly in boxes and all the furniture broken down. 

By 9 O'clock, we were on the road!  Wow...maybe there really IS something to being organized; perhaps I should try that sometimes.  Once we arrived back in Alexandria, most of the truck 's content had to be unloaded into a storage building since the couple would be living in the Natchitoches lake house temporarily.  Now THAT (loading the storage building...) was not as easy as loading the moving truck.  I watched as things were strategically placed in there like an intricate puzzle.  Hmmm...I sure hoped they wouldn't need anything in there any time soon.  By the time Hubs and I got home I could hear my couch calling my name.  I collapsed there deciding that I would not get up again until I felt fully rested.  With the graduation and move under our belts, I was one happy mama. Happy that two of my four children had made it back close to where I live.  I like have all my little chickies close by...that's just the way we do it here in the south.  Well, at least here with my BIG, FAT, SOUTHERN FAMILY!