I mentioned on Instagram that my family and I were in Portland recently for a short day trip. K's beloved 8th grade buddy was graduating from high school so we wanted to make sure we were there for such an important event. K was thrilled at the thought of seeing her buddy - they still have such a special bond and K really looks up to her like a big sister. They hadn't seen one another since our last visit to Portland in 2015. She was so excited that she hardly slept a wink the night before.
We spent the days before the trip in preparation. I finished up K's dress that she requested while she sewed a gift bag for her buddy with the leftover fabric. She then tucked her most treasured nature finds into the bag, including a whole sand dollar that she found on the beach here. After she finished her treasure bag she clipped a baby spider plant from her special spider plant (she received from her 1st grade teacher on her very first day of school) and gently placed it in a pot with fresh soil and worm castings. She also picked the first rose to bloom at our house just before we left to give with her gifts.
K patiently sat through the three hour long graduation ceremony (unlike her brother that I ended up taking outside to play) and then waited in quite a long line before she was finally reunited with her buddy. Well worth the wait, of course! I hadn't seen K so happy in ages. They were able to catch up a bit and even discuss having some time together before college. K was absolutely glowing by the end of their time together. What a precious gift her buddy is to her (and the rest of us)!
K as a first grader and her 8th grade buddy then:
And now:
