Today my younger brother, Jonathan Hellewell, graduated from Lone Star College–Tomball. We don’t need much reason to celebrate, but this seemed like a perfectly legitimate reason to get together and do it anyway. I do have to say that this was a short, sweet, and to the point graduation ceremony. They did not drag out all the pomp and circumstance like many college do. We were done in about an hour.
The top people at the college doing their thing.
Guest speaker, Bruce Hillegeist. He is the current president of the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce. He was probably not the most awe inspiring and make you feel good speech deliverer at a college graduation that you have ever heard, but he had some good advice for the students. He is definitely a local and was encouraging in a time when the economy is a little rough.
Presentation of the candidates for graduation.
Preparing to walk across the stage…
Walking across the stage.
Still walking across the stage. It was a long walk evidently.
Shaking hands. There were several hands to shake so it takes a while.
Still more hand shaking.
The graduate, Jonathan Hellewell.
“Check please!” I have no idea what he was doing, but it is a great picture. That is the beauty of candid photography, you can put some great captions on them. Jonathan with mom (Kathy Hellewell).
Mom (Kathy Hellewell) with the graduate, Jonathan Hellewell. They don’t look the least bit proud of themselves, do they?
Mom and Dad (Kathy and Louis Hellewell) with the graduate, Jonathan Hellewell.
Headlock! Is that mom shaking her head? Probably not, but maybe she should be with the public spectacle. Jonathan putting our niece, Victoria in a headlock. Oh wait, maybe that’s a hug? We may never know.
More mom and dad with Jonathan. They are pretty popular subjects today, aren’t they?
Now anyone who knows our family is probably wonder where the rest of the family is. I assure you that they are not intentionally hiding from the camera. It just so happened that last night was a “father-son” camp-out with the Memorial Springs Ward and Ben took all the “boys” camping…so Ben had Andrew, Kyle, Lance, and Darin with him off camping. So here is a partial family shot. Left to right: Victoria, Mom (Kathy Hellewell), Katlynn, Jonathan Hellewell, Dad (Louis Hellewell), and Brianna.
Siblings. Yes, we learned to love each other. Ann, Jonathan, Jennifer, and me (Stacey).
Now keep in mind that just because we love each other does not mean that there is not one of these crazy ones in the group. It just happens to be the shortest one trying to do the bunny ears on the tallest one. Just so we’re clear on this, I am NOT the shortest one in the group. I am actually the tallest of the girls. Not that it is evident in these pictures.
The candid pictures are sometimes the best. What caption should we put with this one? Again I am not sure what was going on, but oh my? The faces are priceless! Even the onlookers turned around with faces. Did someone read the book The Gas We Pass?
A family portrait. All five of us together. Smiling. Too bad the sun was shining so bright that we’re all squinting! Still a good picture of all of us together though. Left to right: Mom (Kathy Hellewell), Ann Walmsley, Jonathan Hellewell, Jennifer Mowrer, Dad (Louis Hellewell), and me (Stacey Sansom).
Full body shot of the graduate. Just in case. You never know. He might get asked one day what shoes he wore to walk across the stage at his first college graduation. His sister (me) has documented that for him right here.
Katlynn is all her cuteness. She is very hard to get a picture of sometimes so the fact that she even sat still for this picture, let alone POSED for it is impressive.
The Walmsley females…Victoria, Ann Walmsley, and Brianna. They had to be facing this way because that was the way the wind was blowing and it was the only way that it was not blowing their hair in their face. Picky, picky, picky!
Another shot of the graduate. He doesn’t typically let me take this many pictures of him. I am surprised. I think he was scared that I might rat him out to Grandma Hellewell if he didn’t stand still. OK, so I am totally pulling your leg there.
Mom and Dad.
It was a lovely day. The sun was bright. The facility was nice for pictures. The ceremony was not too long. All in all it was a nice day.
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