liam roundup

 It's been a busy few weeks here at CFHQ, and they've mostly revolved around Liam. Short version: He graduated, had a big party with (almost) all his loved ones, and then turned 18 three weeks later. He's registered to vote, and I suppose we ought to register him for selective services (ugh). 

Graduation was held at night, outdoors, at the football stadium. Bethany and Klaudia and Emeri and Amari joined us in person, and both sets of grandparents had a link to stream it online. Technology is so cool! The ceremony itself went about how you would think (mostly boring, but we got to cheer for him as he walked across the stage). Afterward, Liam and his BFFs all got together for group pictures, and they were all in a rare moment of unified willingness, so we made them do all sorts of silly things that we then documented for posterity. 

Graduation was Friday night, then Sunday afternoon was his grad party. We were so lucky to be joined by so many friends and family members! We ordered Chipotle at Liam's request, and we are still flush with frozen tortillas and containers of salsa to this day. My parents provided the cakes (more on that in a bit), and my sisters did an AMAZING job with the decorations. We borrowed tables and chairs and roasting pans and cornhole sets from my extended family -- it truly was a group effort. Everything turned out wonderfully, and even the weather got the memo -- we were gifted with clear skies, low humidity, and just enough sunshine that it was warm but not blazing hot. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves playing games, eating, visiting, and even taking walks out on the pasture trails. There was much merriment, and even the cleanup afterward wasn't too bad. I took zero pictures during the party, but happily, other people sent me some.

Amari is waiting for the party people

Boilermaker cousins!

once everyone else left, Miles
helped himself to some cake

And then three weeks later, our Liam hit his final milestone of the summer: becoming an adult. We had about a cake and a half left after graduation, and the boys demolished the half during the week, while I froze the whole cake. The night before Liam's birthday, I got it out, then promptly realized that I had no other supplies with with to complete my devious plan (it's been hella busy around here). Henry came to my rescue by whipping up a batch of thick frosting, which I then loaded up into a ziploc baggie for a makeshift piping bag, and I made the necessary adjustments to the grad cake:

You should have seen Liam's face when he came downstairs and saw it! It was the perfect mixture of amusement and exasperation to kick off his 18th birthday.

not the actual face he made, but close

Friends, listen, I don't know if I can even encapsulate my feelings on this boy being an adult. I'm so far beyond proud of the young man he has become. He's smart, driven, confident, and dedicated, and he's kind (if not always nice) to everyone. And those qualities will only get more sharply defined with time. I can see so clearly the man he will be, and that man is someone I am not just proud to have created, but genuinely happy to know. I can't even guess where life will lead him, but I can see that wherever that is, he will have all the tools he needs to make a good, happy, full life for himself. Honestly, there's nothing more I could ask for.