Smart Cookie.

This is Greg's graduation party invitation. We are having a cookie party with many different kinds of cookies and milk. It's going to be yummy. And fun. Greg doesn't like a bunch of hoopla about him but this degree has been more work and time than his high school or undergraduate degrees so I feel like this needs to be celebrated. He IS a smart cookie. Very, very schmart. And who doesn't like cookies?

If you are around Columbia and want to stop by, please do!

And if you are thinking this degree from CIU has been a cake walk for Greg. It hasn't. It's a big deal. Greg has been working on these 90 credits for five years (graduate programs are often 60 credits or less). From an accredited university. The same accreditation agency that accredits the University of South Carolina. Plus another one that accredits only biblical higher education institutions so you know they aren't wacked theologically. As a higher education field wannabe (oh how I miss working with students!), I want you to know the importance of accreditation. It's a big deal, k? Off my soapbox.

Greg has taken a ton of great courses on a wide range of subject matter. Some of the most beneficial, from what I can tell, have been Greek and Hebrew. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in Greek. So he is working on being able to read the Bible in the original text. Or at least knowing the basics.

Sidenote: There's a professor at CIU that is so stinkin' smart that when he reads the NT to his class, he reads it from the original text, translates it in his head and speaks it in English out loud. You wouldn't even know he was doing it unless you happened to look at his Bible and be able to say "it's all Greek to me." I actually had a class from this prof and would sometimes catch my jaw dropped at his intelligence. And the sweetest thing about him? He's so humble you'd never know he is one of the best greek scholars in the world. There are some really amazing faculty at CIU.

Anywho, I'm proud of Greg.

I need to bake some cookies. Today was supposed to be "peaceful cookie making while Greg's parents watched Eli". Greg's parents were supposed to fly in last night. But thanks to blasted Chicago, their first flight was delayed two hours, missed their connection so they stayed at a hotel last night there and were re-routed to DC this morning and into Columbia this afternoon.

This has happened too many times. Eli and I were stuck this summer, Greg was delayed a day once, Amy missed Maelee's funeral... grrrrrr. It's a neccesary evil: the only common denominator/airport for Columbia and ND is Chicago. If we want only two flights we have to go through Chicago with United. I suppose this is what we get for having two small airports as our destinations. Sigh. At least they will (hopefully) get here today and not miss the graduation.

Eli woke up three times last night. He peed through a diaper and I think he was just upset that the promised Gma and Gpa K were not here. I'm sure that's what it was... and not at all the two mountains trying to escape from his gums. I'm hoping for a nice morning nap so I can work on these cookies. It's not a cookie party without Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies (oh how I wish the China crew could be here to eat them with us!).

Fun family photos to come!

-Heather