*UOP Graduation*

Dental school is over. That was the longest and shortest three years of our lives. So many life-changing things happened while we were there in San Francisco, good and bad. Cruise born (good), McLayne born (good), which led to finding out what real happiness is (great), learning what it's like to have actual work and responsibilities (bad), moving to the stage of self-sacrifice and all-my-time-goes-to-my-kids (good and bad), mom Pace passing away (very bad), 2 grandparents passing away (bad), experiencing a new way of life in San Fran' (good), working like the devil to get into oral surgery (crazy hard), making and enjoying so many fantastic friends (fab), and much more.

Thank you to the family who came up and shared our dental school culminating events. Congratulations to Eric, dental student, oral surgery applicant and husband and father extraordinaire. Can you believe he managed the rank he did, got into oral surgery, and still kept me and the kids happy? He doesn't like me to talk about all the amazing stuff he does but let me just say he's a baller, pure and simple. And I'm not talking about basketball. (Although, you're good at that too, babe.) I admire you, honey. Thanks for making me and the kiddos priority number one. We love you!

Diploma in hand. Extra special because dad Baker (as a dental graduate himself) was able to "hood" Eric.

(Second from last in the row.)

Cruise and Gunner watching their daddies.

Applauding his father.

More from the Graduation Banquet at the Ritz-Carlton:

Grad banquet awards ceremony.

Dental wives.


Below: Thanks-a-bunch brunch at the Fairmont Hotel, probably my favorite venue of the week. The architecture and decor was heavenly. I want just one room in my house to look like that banquet room someday. I was awarded with my very own PhD... make that PhT--Put him Through.

Below: Omicron Kappa Upsilon honor society induction at this fantastic Men's Health Club. The design inside was a mix between what I'd call Good-Old-Boys'-Club and Greek, if you can imagine that. There were Greek statues all over the place with muscle-bound men throwing a discus or other ridiculousness. Eric wants some miniatures for his office someday. Layne got to come along (as well as to the brunch earlier). She was actually the life of the party. And our excuse to leave early!

This honor club induction was pretty neat because Eric's father is also an OKU member and there is a pretty small number of father-son duos that have been inducted.