Yesterday was Greg's special day.
The morning began with an awards ceremony, which are always more fun if you are receiving an award. So for Greg it was double fun. He was honored with an award from the Society of American Military Engineers for "superior scholarship, outstanding leadership, character and initiative." The big surprise of the morning occurred when Greg was named a "DG." DG means Distinguished Graduate, and it's a prestigious title bestowed upon a select handful of students.
Greg can thank Mary for the element of surprise: Greg truly believed he was not competitive for DG because of one little A-minus, which he owes to Mary, who chose to be born the week of an important assignment in a difficult class. Kudos to Greg for blowing off his homework the week Mary was born. (This is where the "distinguished dad" bit comes in.) And kudos to the universe for landing him with the DG award anyway. He deserved it.
In the afternoon Greg's parents arrived, and they immediately treated us all to a yummy lunch/dinner at The Cheesecake Factory in celebration. Their arrival also means good times for my kids.
Graduation was in the evening. It was pretty much like any other graduation. Except that the graduates wore uniforms instead of caps and gowns. (I can't write this post without commenting on how much I don't like the Air Force's service uniform. Secretary Gates, I'm still waiting for that phone call. You're really missing out on all my good ideas.) Also, the ceremony took place in the Air Force museum, which is cool. How many people get to receive their diplomas with a Boeing fighter jet prototype pointed at their heads?
Also, what may set this graduation apart from all others is the fact that the graduates actually received their diplomas! They don't have to wait three months for them to arrive in the mail. Check out this picture. That's the man's real diploma:
I owe General Gabreski a sincere public apology for posting this picture of her on the Internet:
These two ghosts are Greg and his father, Steve. They are posed in front of a B-2. Long ago, in a career far, far away, Greg's dad was a B-2 maintenance officer.
And don't say I never post pictures of myself on my blog.
Congratulations, Greg! I love you.
