Gordon's Graduation Day!

Months ago, I asked Gordon about his graduation ceremony to which he told me that he wasn't planning on going.  Thankfully, he listened to Glo and me and decided to attend.

The morning dawned super beautiful.  Greenie's brakes were on their way out, so we dropped off Greenie and picked up....Gordon's car (Glo is gonna have to come up with a name for the big white Acura ;-))  We convinced him to let us drop him off at the line-up, and Glo hopped out with him to make sure he got where he needed to be, leaving me to find parking.  Thankfully, I was still stuck in traffic when she hopped back in with me and helped me navigate the labyrinth that is BYU.

We walked up to the Marriott Center where I noticed ushers were scanning something at the doors.  I turned to Glo and asked her if we needed tickets.  "Not that I know of," she responded.  Turns out, we did, but thankfully there was a line for losers who came without tickets.

I read an article yesterday about Utah's "saving seats" culture and how frustrating it is for many people when they show up for an event and find 12 or 14 seats "saved" with nobody in them.  I should probably write an article about Utah's "cutting in line" culture as well.  We watched person after person come up to the line in front of us and cut in line because they ran into family or friends.  In true form, I made a VERY LOUD comment about which Glo shushed me for, but just wait....

The line starts moving, and all is looking good until I can see the usher who is handing out the tickets to people in line.  The stack was getting small as we approached, and as the single girl in front of us got to the front of the line, the usher said, "I'm out of tickets.  Sorry."

I was ready to go full Mama Bear/John McClane ballistic on that usher.  I mean, I could still SEE the cutters walking up to the Marriott Center's doors, and I was gonna rip those tickets out of their thieving hands.  But Heavenly Father didn't want a brawl at Graduation, 2023, and in the nick of time, another usher walked up with more tickets.

I wish we could've been closer, so we could've seen Gordon, but it was all good.  Micah Wimmer gave the opening prayer (and was introduced from State College which was a LIE!), President Wirthen gave his final commencement talk (about the use of exclamation points!) which I enjoyed, some ding-dong student gave a speech in which he admitted to failing some Statistics class (which to my delight, Gordon told us afterwards is the easiest class), and Reverend Dr. Andrew Teal from Pembroke College received an honorary degree and gave one of the most beautiful talks I've ever heard.  At one point, the graduates who were finishing up summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude were referenced along with the GPA requirements, and Glo texted Gordon: is this you? Hard to believe, but he didn't even know and had to look it up.  

MAGNA CUM LAUDE!

What a boss.  I mean, seriously.  And what humility.  He didn't even know.

But my favorite moment was when the graduates were asked to stand, and we were asked to applaud for them.  Glo turned to me with tears in her eyes, and said, "I don't know why I'm crying."  I do, Glo, and get ready for more tear-filled moments as you get married and start a family.  Pride in those we love is seriously overwhelming.

We headed out afterwards, and true to form, I felt a connection to my Apgar family as we listened to the carillon bells playing.  We met Gordon underneath those bells with Glo running up and throwing her arms around him and then hustled over to the Math building for a luncheon.  It was there that we met Gordon's parents, Richard and Shannon.

I could hardly believe that the luncheon was being held in probably one of THE most meaningful places for Gordon on BYU campus: the Math lab.  Since dating Gordon, Glo has spoken with many people about him, and it's crazy to hear how many kids have gone through the math lab and gotten help from Gordon.  They all know who he is!  We took some pictures and headed outside to eat where Gordon's parents had a LOT of questions for me and about me, but I just wanted to celebrate our super-smart, graduated a year early, already has a job GRADUATE!  When I asked Gordon where we should take pictures on campus, he pointed across the courtyard and said, "Well, that's where I first asked Glo out on a date."  Turns out, that's where he CALLED her ;-)  Sadly, we didn't take a picture there though.

I LOVE this picture.  We had to move a bunch of chairs that had been stored in front of the board, but we made it happen.  He looks so at home and so happy.  Yeah, math is definitely his thing.

Then it was off to his convocation ceremony where I met Grandpa Gordon and Grandma Jean.  I was so star-struck, sitting next to a former NFL tight end.  After continuing to circle the conversation back to football, he finally asked me if I was really interested in football.  Um yes, Grandpa Gordon, I am.  It was only then that he kept talking to me about it, and I soaked it all up.

To say that the speakers and program were lackluster would be an understatement.  I guess I'm used to the humanities majors who really know how to pull at the heart strings, because those STEM majors were missing a bit of heart.  But none of it really mattered, because once Gordon's name was read and he walked across the stage, Glo and I couldn't have been prouder.  In fact, my reluctant girl was happy to run up to the front to take his picture--she actually took 20, one picture per step he took across the stage ;-)--and to give him a kiss on his way down.  And when she sat back down, we all asked ourselves if could now leave ;-)

Afterwards, we were off to the Museum of Art building to see some paintings that were donated by an in-law of Gordon's family.  And then, many of the Bridges left to help Sam move out of his apartment, but Glo was adamant that we would NOT be doing that.  In her words, it was Gordon's day, and we weren't gonna be moving no furniture for his brother.  Stand by your man, Glo.  Stand by your man.

We decided to go and take some pictures by the BYU sign.  We waited in line, and finally got our thirty seconds there.

Can I love another picture as well? Glo was posing for the photo, giving him a kiss, and he just couldn't help himself.  He had to hug her, and the kiss on his cheek turned into a smile from her.  These two are so good together.

We then headed to Brick Oven for pizza and to celebrate Sam's birthday.  Glo, she's so thoughtful.  She came armed with a gift.  I was so happy to be sitting across from Grandpa Gordon who has the biggest heart...and widest wing span like any self-respecting tight end would have ;-)  He pulled me aside after dinner to tell me what I've already heard from Glo--he sees Glo as an answer to prayers for Gordon, and he sees her as an answer to prayers for the family too.  They are so happy with her and already love her.

On the flip side though, I have never seen Glo happier or seen her care for someone as much as she does Gordon.  It's not the usual trite phrase when I say they are a match made in heaven.  I can only imagine that when Glo's patriarchal blessing talks about her being there when the plans for the world were made and how she had a keen interest in it all, that Gordon was there too, those smarties!  She was probably looking at the colors and nuances of the beauty, and Gordon was processing the physics ;-) Yep, a match made in heaven.

And how thankful we are that Gordon has spent his lifetime preparing for college, to get a job, be gainfully employed and be able to support a family through math.  Last night at young women's, the girls asked me about Glo's fiancé.  They just assumed that she is marrying someone smart and rich, and I loved that.  They know Glo is some high quality H2O, and she isn't going to settle.  And thankfully, Gordon isn't playing catch-up, trying to figure out how to grow up last minute so he can have the girl.  No, he's been working and studying his whole life so that he was ready for her when he met her and fell in love.

Yeah, it was a great graduation day.