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Graduation celebrations of years past…
Classic family photo from my high-school Baccalaureate.
Scott (younger brother), Mom, Me, Dad
Scott’s graduation from UNC in 2001…
Go Tar Heels!
My older brother’s graduation from Butler University this past Saturday…
Scott, Mom, Mike, Me, Dad
Mike decided it was time to go back to school and complete his degree, and I am so proud of him. Although I hated to leave Summer for the weekend, it was really good to hang out with my family. As always, there was much laughter involved and plenty of good food…
After graduation, we went to lunch at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Whenever we eat there, I always make a meal out of the veggie sides. I ordered the broccoli and spaghetti squash topped with Mizithra cheese, and my sister-in-law provided the dessert…
Butler themed cupcakes
This morning we headed back to Nashville, stopping at McDonald’s along the way. I ordered a hot water…
and made oatmeal. Thank goodness for individual serving packets!
After an afternoon of catching up with CD and cuddling with Summer, it’s now time for me to go to sleep. Goodnight.
P.S. You can stop laughing at my high-school picture now. 
{ 68 comments… read them below or add one }
Heather what a difference in those photos! Wow!
Congrats to your brother Mike!
Heather,
You look very beautiful in that second picture of you.
But you always look nice.
I hope CD don’t mind another guy complementing you. =)
Chris
Congrats to Mike! Job well done. I could never go back to school as an adult (well, I did go back to grad school) but I guess with a child, I could never do it again. I commend anyone who goes back to school!
love the cupcakes!
And the family photos. Thanks for the glimpse into your family. Have seen pics of your mom and dad but it’s awesome to see new pics!
Welcome home
I had an extremely similar dress to that one in the first picture. Family shots are always so fun! Your dad looks like such an awesomely happy guy. Have fun reuniting with your babes! xo
Mizithra cheese at Old Spaghetti Factory! This brings back high school memories of me. I always used to get the mizithra at OSF. Soooo good.
look how much y’all have changed!! and you were beautiful even then. i personally am not as brave as you. i can’t look at myself when i was bigger.. and i’m still needing to lose weight now… yay for you!
Robyn,
Yeah, those old pics are sometimes painful, but this one just cracks me up and not because of me. It’s the look on my dad’s face. Too funny, and I can’t help but smile every time I see it.
You look prettier in every picture! And what a great idea for the McDonald’s stop! Yumm single serving packets…I see them sold *everywhere* now.
You are beautiful in EVERY one of those pictures!
PS I always have a ziploc of oats on me just in case hunger strikes! Coffee shops are life savers w/ their endless supply of hot water!
Have you tried McDonald’s oatmeal yet? I’ve tried Starbuck’s and it’s pretty good but still more $ than just bringing my own!
Congrats to your brother!
How did Summer handle your absence?
Teabag,
No, I haven’t had McD’s oatmeal or Starbucks, but yeah, I’d much rather just bring my own and order the water. Much cheaper that way. Summer did just fine – she had a great weekend with her daddy. It was definitely much harder on me than it was her.
In that first pic I love how you’re looking in the direction of your dad, and how he’s all =D!
Sweet memories. =)
Josie,
I know – that photo cracks me up every time I see it, not b/c of the way I used to look but b/c of my dad’s expression. Hilarious, and I wish I knew why he was laughing.
I agree, you look gorgeous in every picture! Have I ever mentioned, though, how much I love your hair? So beautiful!
Hannah,
Thank you. Thinking of getting it cut actually. Not too short as the length helps tame the curl, but I need something a little different. Not sure.
Heather, you are awesome.
That is all. <3
Okay, I did not even recognize you in the first one! And I had a giggle about the flowered dresses – it was the ’90s! I owned like 10 of those I think. Did yours have a tie back? And did you wear it with chunky heels too??
Charlotte,
No, no tie back, but I did have the chunky heeled sandals.
Laughing? Actually, it was more like building admiration: you’ve come such a long way and you really walk the walk! Instead of excuses, you made it happen: that’s so cool! Even if you’re not loving the little extra weight from pregnancy and breastfeeding, don’t you look at your pic and still feel like you’re awesome? Well, I think so, anyway.
Thanks so much S.
I don’t think I remembered you having another brother. For shame! But many congrats to Mike on his graduation…excellent work!
Love the throwback pics…proof you’ve always been beautiful with an infectious smile. Glad had you a nice time visiting fam.
Congratulations to your brother, that’s awesome!
And it’s absolutely amazing how you have changed since high-school (I knew that, but it’s still amazing to see)!
I’m happy you were well-provided for food-wise during the trip! I always suffer so much when I have to go somewhere where I don’t get food I feel good with. And I also use to do the veggie-sides orderning when I eat at the university mensa, that’s the only way for me to survive it.
Good you have Summer back now! I’m sure she has missed you, too!
Woohooo GO HEELS!!! You are so creative with the hot water and oatmeal thing, love it
You have a gorgeous family, Heather!!
Congrats to your big brother. That’s fantastic!
LOL @ ordering hot water. Classic!
your family has celebrated a lot together and been there for each other. Thats what I see!
Congrats!
LC
Lindsay,
So true. You are very observant.
Congrats to your brother! That is such an accomplishment! I am so with you on making veggie sides as my main dish. I do that almost everywhere. I also carry those single serve packets of oatmeal with me when I know I’ll need breakfast out. The water is so hot at all those fast food places, it makes the oats steep really well. I’m glad you had a great weekend and are back with your little family now! I hope you have an incredible week!
I love the look on your face! You look like you have a secret
Congratulations to your brother! I’m sure it was hard to leave Summer and CD, but it looks like you had a really nice time with your family.
Love your McD’s order
I would have done the same thing!
Nice idea with Oatmeal and McDonalds!
I was wondering how you handled being away from Summer for a few days. I have a 3 month old who I’ve only been away from for about 3-4 hours. I’m dreading returning to work and was just wondering how you managed the weekend. Summer is beautiful by the way.
Lisawl,
It was hard, really hard, but much harder on me than it was on Summer. She had a grand old time with her dad. It would have been much worse had I had to leave her with a babysitter or something. I knew she was in good hands with Chris, and I also knew some father/daughter time would be good for them. I just tried to stay busy all weekend, which wasn’t hard as there was a lot of celebrating and laughing happening. My family did a good job of keeping me upbeat, and although I missed Summer terribly, it was a fun trip.
I’ve never even thought about oatmeal for car-travel food. What a great idea!
**Isnt being part of a close-knit family awesome?**
Go Heels! My fiance is a huge Carolina fan and I have become one as well
But ever since he went to Duke for graduate school he has slowly learned to like Duke as well. Not sure if that is allowed haha
Pure2Raw,
Well, I can’t show too much Carolina pride around here as CD attended Wake Forest. Those North Carolina schools have some dedicated alumni.
You are awesome Heather, and beautiful in all the pics!!! You know how to take care of yourself and it shows, you are always glowing in your pics.
How was it to be away from Summer for a day? I think I always feel the distance much more than my son does, a couple days away feels like a week when I see him again
Ana
Ana,
It was so hard – I called CD several times, but he & Summer had a great time together. He came home from work at lunch today, and I could tell he was missing being with her all day. And yes, I know it was a lot harder on me than it was on Summer. I was expecting this huge reunion with her being overjoyed to seeing and planting kisses all over me. Um yeah, she looked at me and almost started crying. I’m guessing she was simply overwhelmed with emotion.
I didn’t know you had 2 brothers. Congrats to Mike!
The Spaghetti Factory serves spaghetti squash?!
Once again, we are “channeling” each other! Seriously, went to Costco last night, bought the same oats (first time ever), baked with Bella and made 3 different things with them, now having for breakfast myself. I am sending you another email on more Whole Paycheck adventures, lets just say, I am officially breaking up with them! I will have to send you my high school photo! My hair is about 3 ft tall! Bella even laughed! You look beautiful as always.
Mommy breaks (the few I have had) always end up making me refreshed and getting “back to work” is all that much more fun!
I love these blast from the past pictures! Congrats to your brother. And thanks for once again proving you can make healthy choices out of not-so-healthy options!
Eating healthy on the road takes a little prep, but it totally worth it. I would rather spend time doing a little packing of food than eat something I really do not want and feel less than great.
You are fabulous, and gorgeous may I add!
Your natural beauty is outstanding. Seriously, go be a model.
Heather – you are beautiful. So naturally pretty. You have every right to be very proud of your brother. Congrats to him.
I hope CD and Summer had some special bonding time.
waow// you are awesome.
+ your dad looks like such a jolly guy
what a good idea to order hot water and bring your own oats! I’m going to have to remember that on my next road trip.
Your mom is beautiful! (And you too of course.) Great proof that aging doesn’t have to be a bad thing
I always order hot water and make my own tea, but I will have to remember to bring oats on trips with me.
Years ago, I had several dresses just like the one that you are wearing in the first pic.
I love looking back at old photos and having a good laugh about my fashion choices. I used to wear a lot of overalls. Oh my!
I love the dress that you wore to your brother’s graduation. Where did you get it?
Maria,
I LOVED overalls. Had a denim and a corduroy pair. They were all the rage back in the day…can you imagine walking into the GAP and seeing them on the racks nowadays? Haha – no way!
I just bought the dress at Old Navy – 2 weeks ago, and I love it. So comfy!
OMG! It would be TERRIBLE if overalls came back in style. There is just something so wrong about that.
I will have to stop into Old Navy and check out their dresses. I have lost so much weight that I have nothing that fits me!
Good call with bringing oatmeal packets
And it’s true you look beautiful in ALL the photos.
Congrats to Mike, how exciting!
Yes, you are gorgeous!
And I’m not gonna laugh at ANYONE’S high school photos, as I am a child of the 80′s and therefore have lost the right to make fun of anyone, anywhere, lol.
I wasn’t laughing but justing thinking on how amazing you look now!! You were beautiful then of course, but you’ve come a long way in your health. It’s amazing.
Your dad looks like the guy on the Dos Equis (or is it Corona?) commercials!
Allison,
Haha – yes! The Dos Equis “most interesting man in the world”. That’s what everyone tells him. Hilarious. Love those commercials.
Seriously, thank goodness for travel-friendly packets of PB and oats – I don’t know what I’d do without them. Congrats to your brother – going back to school after having been away is a huge undertaking and a major accomplishment.
I didn’t so much “laugh” at the HS picture so much as drop my jaw! What an amazing health journey!
Great pics, even the high school one!
Congrats on having so many grads in the family!!
lol i love the high school fashions
very clever with the hot water…i’ve never thought about doing that but it’s a much better option than trying to digest anything mcd’s has to offer! eeps! congrats to your bro!
I’d only laugh b/c of the face you are making- I also had a zillion floral dresses and many had the ties in the back as Charlotte mentioned- go me!
I wonder how you survived without your BABY!!! (babies!!) Congrats to your bro!
You know how much I adore single serving anything. I lived off of many you sent me ages ago on my travels!
You are awesome for sharing that high school picture!
You’re so lovely, honest, and open. Thank you for being you!
Fun family photos! Congrats to your brother!!
I love looking back at old photos
so much fun!
I’m chuckling at the high school graduation photo because you’re giving your dad the funniest sideways “Uhh, whadayadoing??” glance! And yes, totally the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the World!
I love how you still make makeshift batches of oats on road trips. I think I might try that out next time I’m travelling!
Heather — this gives me so much hope! I feel like right now I’m where you were in high school and I want to eventually be in the place of health you are in now! Thanks for the reminder that it will take time, but I can get there too!
You were just as beautiful in high school as you are now
(But I must say, aren’t you glad those long flower-print dresses aren’t in style anymore? I have too many pic’s of myself in those too… not cool!) Glad you got to hang with your fam and then had a sweet reuniting with your own lil’ fam!!
Wow, what a change you have been through Heather!
And I love the idea of just blending almond butter with water! Easiest almond milk ever!
HUGE congratulations to your brother!!!! You were gorgeous even back in high school, but seeing the “after” pictures are very inspirational!!! Have a great day Heather!