Graduation Poster

One of my favorite traditions that we discovered in Hawaii, is having a poster with a picture of the graduate on it and having all your friends sign it.

Because we've moved all over the place through the years, Emily has friends spread out all over the country.  I wanted to get as many of them as I could to sign her poster so I had to start early in the school year.  

I have a friend in Hawaii who started the poster for me.  She got all of Emily's friends in Hawaii to sign it.  Some friends of our who had moved to Florida visited Hawaii while the poster was still there and they were able to sign it while they were on vacation.

Then the poster was mailed to Idaho where another of Emily's best friends from Hawaii now lives.  Then it was mailed to me.  I took it with us on a trip to Kansas and had friends who now live there sign it while we were at Comic Con.

And voila!  The poster was signed by most of her high school friends!

I set it out on her graduation table so that friends in Illinois could sign it as well.

But the best moment was when Emily walked up and started reading what people had written on it.  At first, she thought it was signed only by people she knows here.  Then she started recognizing the names and realized there were notes from all her closest friends through the years.  

I wish I had been videoing her!  I didn't expect her to burst into tears and be fully wracked with sobs.  (I'll have to see if I can get her to reenact it for me)

It was a great moment and she was so grateful to us for getting this for her!

I love you Emily!!