UWS Graduation

After 4 years of chiropractic school, Brodie graduated from University of Western States!! It is surreal and almost strange to not live the "school" life anymore. Our entire married lives, Brodie has been a student. First finishing up undergraduate school at BYU Provo, and then 4 years at UWS in Portland. His schooling included about 2 years of science/medical courses and 2 years of clinical practice. We are now ready to take on the real world! I have decided to work part-time (same grade, same school) and Brodie is on the hunt for a full-time job as a chiropractor.

The morning of his graduation turned out to be a crazy morning! Brodie left early in order to dress in his gown and rehearse. I left the house 30 minutes earlier than I needed to . . . just in case! It was a good thing I did, because I drove to the wrong venue! Rather than driving to the Portland Convention Center, I drove to the Portland Expo Center - two TOTALLY different places that are 20 minutes apart. And yet they are both near a Martin Luther King blvd. See how that can be confusing?? 

I pulled up to the Expo center and all I saw was a bunch of trucks. The woman at the parking booth gave me a very strange look when I asked for graduation parking. She asked me if I was there for the trucking convention (!!!) Realizing I was in the wrong place, I hurriedly called my parents because I told them to head to the Expo center. They were just 5 minutes behind me, and just as confused as I was. Long story short, we made it just in time. But it did require me running up several flights of stairs in heels and carrying a baby. I slipped in to the back just as the graduates were walking to take their seats. Phew!!

receiving his diploma - cum laude AND honors!

 

proud family of 3!

with my parents

 

 Brodie's parents

 

the Fish men

Heppler/Fish fam

We are so proud of you, Brodie!

June

June was a busy, fun-filled month! Highlights included hiking, 5th grade end-of-school events, frisbee, berry picking, a trip to the zoo, Brodie's graduation, and . . . a surprise puppy! We definitely know how to finish out the school year with a bang! 

weekend hike in Gresham 

I came back to work just in time for all of the "fun stuff". Lots of events and celebrations for fifth graders! Which is a lot of fun (and a lot of work) for the teachers, too!

Annual State Fair 

Colonial Day with these crazies! Which included a covered wagon . . . 

biscuit making . . .

homemade ice cream . . .

picking herbs from the school garden . . . and lots more!

On Saturday mornings, Brodie likes to play frisbee and I bring Bringgen and Luna to support :)

berry picking in Grandma's yard

Briggen's first trip to the zoo! Which included an impressive lion feeding demonstration

 

 Brodie graduated!! Wahoo! Read more here. 

 

As a graduation gift, a family in our ward generously gifted Brodie an adorable puppy!! I only knew a day in advance, and Brodie found out when we went to pick him up. It was totally unexpected (as you can tell by Brodie's reaction) and people called us crazy for taking on a second dog with a 3 month old baby. It was a little crazy, but Cosmo is now part of the fam and we love him! He's a pure bred German Short-Haired Pointer, which is a breed commonly used for bird hunting. We chose the name Cosmo to fit with Luna's "space-themed" name (although she was actually named after Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter). It's also perfect because Brodie and I are both BYU graduates, which is home to Cosmo the cougar. Go cougs!

 

taking Cosmo home!

 

It was definitely a hectic month, and now I am ready for summer vacation and summer naps!

Briggen: 4 months

weight: 14 lbs 4oz (24th %ile)

height: 26" (84th %ile)

head: 41.5 cm (45th %ile)

enjoys: meeting new people, tickles, kisses, blowing bubbles

dislikes: swaddles, cold bottles

personality: observant, content, & friendly

on the move: rolling onto his side, sitting with support

firsts: trip to the zoo, public meltdown

 

still unsure what color his eyes are

side by side comparison with Brodie's baby photo