ring weekend

Ring Weekend/Parents Weekend at last!

This weekend is big for Knobs and for Seniors. 

Knobs receive their company letter and the Seniors receive their class rings!

The Knobs and Cadets line the streets and clap and cheer when the Seniors walk down the street into the gymnasium.

This picture was taken in 2011 when Evan was a Knob.

(Evan as a Knob)

As I took this picture I thought to myself, "Just hang in there buddy! Your day is coming!"

And three years later...here he is!!

Todd ran out to the streets to capture Evan's walk 

while the rest of us waited inside for his arrival!

He heard his proud Daddy calling him!

Here he is walking in with the other Bravo Seniors.

(the lighting was horrible during the first part)

Taking his seat near the flag...third row third from the end.

 In line to receive his ring from his ex-senior mentor 

whom graduated last year.

 

Now waiting patiently while all the other seniors from all of the companies receive their rings.

 

Gloves are off and it's only a matter of time before the ring is on the finger!

Finally! After all of the speeches they can open the ring box!

It's on!

Fist pump position ready!!

I love seeing all of the young men and woman trying it on for the first time!

There's that grin!

 It was a beautiful ceremony!

After they leave the gym they run to the Church and then to their Battalions.

This is not Bravo Company, unfortunately.

Picture of the girls while we wait on Evan.

This is what Evan was doing!
This is the class he matriculated with three years ago.
He had mixed feelings graduating with the class of '14.
But, when one is paying out of state tuition
graduating a year early isn't a question!
It is truly like getting a 60,000 scholarship!!

While "Frick and Frack" mainly "Frack" (Chad) go away...again!

(they are both in training for an iron man and half iron man and are ALWAYS hungry)

They both did an open water swim that morning in the ocean and Alan got stung by a jelly fish :/

UPDATE: CHAD PLACED THIRD IN HIS HALF IRON MAN!!!

There he is!!

Look at that grin!

Well deserved E!!

We asked Evan on the way down to SC who he was going to hug first...

(knowing it was going to be his sweet girl Ashley)

...he hugged me first but only because he saw Ashley before the ring ceremony 

started and took this snapshot. :)

He had plenty of hugs to go around.

Proud Grandma and Grandpa!

Our friends and neighbors

Tom and Karen

And of course his cousins!

Kiely

Becky

And then Ashley!

In the next set of pictures look at Becky and Kiely.

I love how Kiely recognizes that Todd is snapping pictures 

and Becky is all caught up in the moment!

I'm sure she was reliving all of those times she reunited with

Chad while he was away at basic training, deployed or at Officers training school.

Awww...

Kiely now notices...

(isn't she precious!)

...NOW she notices!

Checkin' out the ring!

This was Evan's Senior Mentor when he was a Knob.

Brett graduated last year and passed out the rings to the Bravo seniors this year.

We had an hour and a half to get ready for dinner after the afternoon ring ceremony.

Ashley is wearing the dress that Evan got her for her birthday.

We ate at Halls Chop House in Charleston.

This was one of me and Ashley's favorite parts of the whole trip.

The food was great, the people were so friendly and the whole celebratory atmosphere 

was a memory I'll not soon forget!

Evan's friends Brett, Lehe and Victoria joined us :)

So glad that they could join us!

Next, we were off to the formal picture ceremony.

This is what I'm calling it since there wasn't a dance after walking through the ring for pictures this year.

 All of the shopping and alteration trips were so worth it 

when I saw Evan come out of the battalion saying, "OH WOW!" when he saw Ashley :)

Once again, the lighting wasn't great but I love the pictures Todd got.

The next morning came really early after the previous days events!

This is one of the days that the parents are allowed into the cadets rooms.

This is also parade day and the day when knobs are given their company pins.

In these next few pictures I'm not sure what's really happening...

 I love how they have so much fun together!

The Knobs always make a banner for the seniors for parents weekend.

They also do bulletin boards for the graduating class.

And a board for Dean's List and Gold Star cadets.

Evan's name under gold stars and...

...on the side of the board because of being 

1st Bat Academic Officer.

Evan's door to his room.

His sword

His toothbrush holder...he asked me to take a pix of it!

His roommate, Lawrence.

Lawrence showing video of his dog.

Such a nice young man!

Evan and his "Mente Knob".

The "beginning and the end".

This senior almost didn't get his ring.

He was telling how Evan recognized that he didn't have enough credits to receive his ring.

They got it all worked out and as you can see...he got the ring!

That's one happy cadet!

They are looking down at the knobs.

Next, we went to the parade.

I don't know how in the world those cadets didn't faint!

It. Was. So. Hot!

Saying goodbye's :(

One more picture and we were off to Fripp for a few days!

 Beautiful Fripp Island.

We all needed a break and there's no place like home :)

 It was a beautiful weekend filled with lots of memories.

This pier holds the memory of Evan asking Ashley to be his girlfriend this summer. 

So, they wanted me to take some pictures of them on it :)

Evan wasn't the only one to get a ring this weekend...
he got Ashley one too!

Young love...there's nothing like it!