Onward and upward!

It's been forever since I have blogged. No reason in particular, other than the normal family and work obligations. We have had an exciting year filled with new opportunities and experiences. It seems like a good time to knock the cobwebs off the blog.

2017 saw the end of Nik's high school experience. It was an exciting and at times confusing experience. We had to make some tough decisions and deal with the things that all other special needs parents have to take care of before their child turns 18. Then there was the very normal decisions, like does that tie go with that shirt, how will we decorate the graduation cap, and what will the senior ad be like.

All in all, it was a great experience. It all culminated in the big graduation ceremony. We had decided to celebrate his graduation by going to London and Paris. So I did a little spin off of that and used it as inspiration for his cap decoration. Yes, that is the Tardis flying over Hogwarts.

"I'm climbing in to my Tardis and heading off to Hogwarts!"

We had the best time at Nik's graduation. He had wonderful teachers! Without their support, he wouldn't have reached such success.

It was a long, emotional day and one that we won't forget. Noah serenaded his brother with the old Sinatra song "My Way" as we dropped him off at the school. Nik rode to the ceremony with his teacher and a few students. It worked out nicely and we didn't have to worry about Nik getting lost in the shuffle.

Alex, Noah and I headed to dinner and just enjoyed some quiet time before heading to the ceremony. We cheered loud and proud for Nik when they called his name.

So proud of this kid!

And the tossing of the caps was pretty neat to see.

It was a great day, but Nik was exhausted by the end of it. Look at that tired face.

It was past 10pm when we got home, and too late to celebrate that night, so we celebrated the day before. Dave and Busters followed by ice cream cake.

In the end, we celebrated Nik's success. It's not about what college he is going to, or what scholarships or whatever other achievement his peers received. We chose to focus on how far Nik has come. He is compassionate, kind, hard-working, and the best son and brother we could ask for. 

Next up, our big celebratory trip to Europe!