The REC graduates had a Garden Party on Tuesday on the lawn of the school.  This event is held annually to give families and friends an opportunity to photograph grads in their formal attire.  It’s a good thing it didn’t rain.  Otherwise, it would have been held in the school gymnasium.  And it would just be too cramped in there.

It was a good day, but the grass was wet.  Not only were there were many people, but there were also unwelcome guests, them pesky mosquitoes.  It wasn’t too hot either but the temperature was just comfortable for the girls who wore their sleeveless gowns.  Oh how lovely they looked in their pretty dresses.  A few weeks before this day, I asked my son, Reggie, if he wanted to rent a tux or buy at least a new shirt or tie.  He said, no.  He’d just wear his suit.  The one he asked me to buy at Moore’s last November.  The same one he’s been wearing to his band concerts.  Boys are a lot easier, aren’t they?  I’m sure the parents of the girls spent a lot on their dresses.  But I think it would have been nice to buy something pretty like a fancy gown for your child.  I don’t have any girls, so I’ve never experienced shopping for pretty dresses for my children.

Well, anyway, an arc was set up at the entrance of the school.  The grads were called one by one, alphabetically, while live music played in the background.  It was already 40 minutes into the celebration when Reggie’s name was called.  He gave a piece of paper to the announcer and he added the title, Dr. Awesomeness after his name.  I know.  He calls himself awesome.  He stood up under the arc and was joined by her friend, Rachel, and they then walked on the red carpet.  Before his name was called, I squeezed my way into the front of the crowd so that I could get good shots of him.

 

This event was two hours long and I mostly just followed him around and took pictures of him and his friends.  He didn’t want to be photographed under the arc, nor on the nice garden furniture, nor on the bridge, nor on the motorcycle.  We just took pictures of his friends as we came across them on the lawn.

 

 

 

Before they had to leave for their dinner party, I asked if I could get a few more pictures of him and Rachel.  I took this shot. 

 

I wanted another one.  And then Ron Paley came by.  Reggie asked me to take his picture with him and she had to step aside.  Oh I think she felt left out.  But she didn’t mind.  Ron Paley, by the way, is the pianist for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.  The school hired him to play with the band at this event.

 

At around 5:00 p.m., the grads started leaving for the Dinner and Dance Party at the Winnipeg Convention Centre.  In accordance with the Safe Grad program, the students were asked not to bring liquor or cigarettes to the Dinner Party.  The Convention Centre is a no smoking facility and it is illegal for students under 18 to consume alcohol anyway. A designated driver was also asked to sign the Safe Grad Designated Driver Contract before this event.  The students were expected to depart at 2:00 a.m. with their designated driver.  The goal is to have the students have an enjoyable experience and arrive home safely.

 

My husband drove Reggie and Rachel to the Convention Centre and he came back at 2:00 a.m. and drove them back home.

Reggie brought home this luggage and cooler.  He won them at a silent auction.  Lucky guy.  I never win anything at raffle draws and silent auctions like this.  He said they were given fake money and there was a casino-like thing.  He used all his fake winnings to buy tickets for the auction.  He distributed his tickets to only two items and he won both of them.  Smart guy, eh? 

Graduation’s tomorrow.  We have a big day ahead of us.