Another Graduation Celebration

My parents came into town for the weekend to attend a graduation party as well as to catch some baseball. Yesterday, my parents, Camden and I all headed to The Backyard Grill to celebrate five graduates: Braden and Lakin graduating from Oklahoma State University with their Bachelors in Architecture, Grace graduating from East Texas A&M University with her Specialist degree in School Psychology, Ethan graduating  from Sam Houston with a business degree and Lauren graduating high school. It is always so exciting to celebrate graduates, all they have accomplished, and the exciting new chapter ahead! I am so proud of them. 

Dad, Camden, Braden and Lakin

Lakin, Braden, Lauren, Grace and Ethan

Shane and Casen were not able to attend the graduation party due to Casen's baseball team playing in a tournament. Fortunately, my parents were able to catch him play today.

End of School Year Festivities

Another school year is in the books! Because he exempted all of his finals, yesterday was Camden's last day of school, and of course a picture was in order. He has had a great year juggling school soccer and club soccer along with all of his advanced courses. He has stayed focused and made awesome grades. We are so very proud of him!

Comparing his first and last day of school pics, Camden did not change too awful much over the course of 10 months.

Last night was the 8th Grade Step-Up Ceremony for Casen and 598 of his fellow Willow Wood Junior High classmates. While Casen enjoyed his time in junior high, he is looking forward to heading to high school.

The high school gym was very full!

Finally his turn to get in line to 
receive his awards. 

Casen has had Coach Kinley as a
teacher, a coach, and as the sponsor
for the HOPE squad.

Casen receiving his awards.

After the awards ceremony, we had to snap a picture of Casen and his long time friend, Charlotte. Shane works with Charlotte's mom and we have pictures of them together on their first and last day of school for as many years as I can remember. 

While he was not thrilled, Camden did join us for the Step-Up ceremony, so of course, I made sure we took a pic.

Today was Casen's last day of school, and he too knew a picture was in order. Casen also had a great year, juggling school sports as well as club baseball, all while maintaining great grades. 

Casen has really changed over the past 10 months. Not only is he taller, he is thinning out and his voice is much lower. He keeps growing like he is, and he just may end up being the tallest in the house.

I am so very proud of my boys. They both have really pushed themselves, worked hard and grown in so many ways. They are ready for a well deserved summer.

Camden's Floral Designs

This year, Camden took Floral Design for his required his fine arts credit. He utilized his artistic abilities and made some beautiful arrangements. He enjoyed taking the class and I enjoyed the fruits of his labor. Fresh flowers are one of my favorites!

I hope you enjoy his arrangements as much as I have:

9.16.25

9.6.25

11.20.25

12.11.25

The next two appear wilted in the pictures because he had soccer right after school and they were not stored in water.

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5.7.26

The Newest YMSL Member

Today, Casen officially became a member of  the Young Men's Service League. Ben Haywood, one of our friends from church, presented Casen with his YMSL sign. (Keep an eye out for Ben. His future looks bright as he is #1 in the state for pole vault.)

I am looking forward to spending more time serving our community alongside he and Camden in the years ahead.

Final Choir Pop Show

Tonight marked the end of Casen's choir career. Because it is a requirement to be in a fine art, Casen chose choir, knowing he did not want to be in band or theatre. While choir has not ever been his favorite class, he did enjoy the camaraderie amongst the boys in the Tenor Bass choir.

 

Eighth grade parents were instructed to submit a baby picture as well as a present picture of their student. The following are the pictures I submitted of Casen James that were shown up on the screens.

One of my favorite pics ever of Casen

He has changed so much.

The whole choir.

Casen's final choir picture.

Celebrating the Graduates

This weekend I was able to go to Stillwater, Oklahoma to celebrate my nephew, Braden, graduating from Oklahoma State University with his Bachelor's degree in Architecture. Melissa and I worked half a day Thursday and then we headed to Dallas to stay with Mason and Grace for the night before heading onto Stillwater. 

On Friday, we arrived in Stillwater around lunch time. Shawn had work in El Paso, so he flew into Tulsa, where Braden picked him up. Melissa and I grabbed some lunch and then headed to the RV park where my parents were staying. I stayed there while Melissa headed to Braden's apartment. We all relaxed for a bit before getting ready to head to the pinning ceremony.

Braden receiving his pin.

Braden and Lakin

Lakin was on the Pinning Ceremony Committee and she and Braden created a slide show with information regarding each graduate. These are their slides:

 

Proud family!

After the ceremony, Braden and Lakin took us to the architecture building to show us around.

We visited the gallery where we were able to view their final project, Spatial Ecologies, a collaborative group project. This is the first project that Braden and Lakin were able to be on the same team. Their project, along with all of their classmates projects, are in the running for the prestigious Baumiller Prize which honors the legacy of Professor Baumiller, a highly respected professor who believed deeply in improving society through urban design, creativity, collaboration, and innovation. We then toured the studio where they have spent so much of their time working on projects over the past few years. 

Braden and Lakin explaining their project. 

We ended the evening celebrating at Stonecloud Brewery with Lakin's mom, best friend and her fiance as well as one of their classmates. Fun times!

On Saturday we got up, got ourselves ready then went and hung out at Braden's apartment before getting ready for the graduation ceremony that started at 7:00pm. While we were there, Braden and Lakin received an email informing them that their team was selected as the 2026 Baumiller Prize winners and they were awarded the $5,000 team prize for their outstanding work. Yay!!! What an incredible honor! 

The Baumiller Prize team winners!

Prior to the ceremony, we documented the momentous day with a few pictures. :)

Proud parents!

Dad, Braden and Mom

Proud Aunt!

The Key/McAnear families.

The architecture graduates.

Getting ready to graduate!

 

The bagpipes played at the beginning of the ceremony

Ready to walk across stage

Lakin

Go Pokes

Braden

After the ceremony.

Sunday morning, we headed to Edmond, OK for a graduation luncheon that Lakin's mom, Erin, and Melissa held to celebrate the graduates. 

Lakin and Braden will be moving to the Dallas
area where they both have secured a job with
architecture firms.

Braden and Lakin with their grandfathers.

 

Me and my momma.

After the luncheon, we headed back home. It was such a great weekend spent with family and friends, celebrating Braden and Lakin and all of their hard work and achievements. We are so proud of them and can't wait to see what the future holds for them.