Jonathan & Lindsey's Family Blog

After all the events and build-up, Commencement Day finally arrived. I thought I’d be more tearful, but I was bursting with pride. Congratulations, Avery. You earned this and we can’t wait to see what you do next! We love you so much!

Mount Si High School Class of 2025

Filing in

Dalton & Avery, buds since kindergarten

I ‘m so glad Izzey’s mom, Judith Milstein, was the one to give Avery his diploma. She and I were on PTSA together back in the North Bend Elementary days. 

He’s (sort of) on the jumbotron

Erika accepting her diploma

Us in the audience

We had early dinner reservations at a Thai restaurant in Kent Station, but unfortunately, despite our planning, Highway 18 traffic derailed our plans, as well as those of many other graduates and their families. Traffic was horrendous due to the diamond interchange project, and on this particular day, a State Patrolman decided to stand watch, prohibiting drivers from making illegal right turns. Clearly, this guy had no clue it was graduation and his being there actually made things worse.

Long story short, we ended up hungry, but with very little time before graduation. So once we were through the traffic, we stopped in Covington for Chick-fil-A. We needed something fast! I documented the occasion and we took some family pics outside since we were warned there wouldn’t be a lot of time between graduation and senior night check-in.

Fortunately, there was some time for more pics post-graduation!

With Matthew Shandling

With Haley & Aliyah

Jacob & Avery
 

Whew, graduation is over and now it’s time to celebrate! We threw Avery’s party the day after, while we still had family in town and before we left for Europe.

Henry, Neil, Hayden, Elijah, Jacob, Preston, Ben, Natalie, Dalton and a few others!

Dalton, Nate, Rowan, Natalie, Lizzy, Logan & Matt

Lynne and Duke travelled up from Vancouver

John and Jill Bainbridge came to visit from B.C.

The moms at Hayden & Jordan’s Party – Jacqui, Leslie, DeAun & Joanna

We went to Jackson Kokich’s party. These two hadn’t seen each other in more than ten years!

The Lindse/ay’s

Another special tradition we gained from Covid is the Senior Car Parade. The poor 2020 Seniors really got gypped, but I’m thankful the schools came up with meaningful ways to celebrate them (and that they stuck around and became new traditions). The last Saturday before graduation the Seniors decorate their cars and have a parade. Our small community shows up and cheers them on. In past years the route went up and over the Snoqualmie Parkway, but the traffic lights broke up the parade and then cars would go faster than safe to catch up. This year the parade route was around the block by the High School. It was nice to keep the parade together and to have Mount Si and the high school in the background.

It was a lot of fun decorating the car with Avery and Erika that morning. We’d blown up a balloon arch, but it was so hot out that when we put the arch in the car to drive it to the school, they all started popping from the heat! We frantically worked to save what we could. which turned out to be enough. Jonathan brought his drone and got some incredible pictures of the event, which we shared with the district. Then he hopped in the car and drove Erika and Avery in the parade while the kids and I cheered in the crowd.

Avery & Erika representing WWU and OSU

We found the Lott’s and the Dickenson’s and watched and cheered with them

Lucas and Dylan Christensen, BYU bound

Logan Green, bound for Georgia Tech 

Izzy Milstein & Kate Spradlin