Holy Moses! Where do I even begin? The thought of writing everything down about our whirlwind of a month has been weighing so heavily on my mind and I have been putting it off for way too long.
Graduation was amazing. Aside from all the packing up and craziness, I loved the whole weekend and I couldn't be more proud of Scott. It was such a treat to have family come out and support him. I wanted to write about my most favorite experience of that weekend. There was an awards ceremony on Friday afternoon. It was a special event for only those students who were specially invited and who were going to receive an award. I had heard a couple of my friends talk about going for their husbands and Scott hadn't mentioned it so I thought he wasn't invited and I felt sad for him! The day before he mentioned how we needed to go and I said, "What? You are getting an award?! You need to tell me these things." His reply: "Well it's not a big deal and I didn't want to sound like, "Hey I'm getting an award"..." He's so goofy. So we loaded up that next afternoon with such low expectations. We sit down in the very back and said hello to a few of our friends and their visiting families. As soon as the ceremony began, they announced the first award given and a big picture and the name of the student popped up on a big projector screen over the stage. Scott turns to me and says, "Teds, they never asked me for a picture of myself.....maybe we're not supposed to be here." My heart sank...I was so embarrassed for Scott! I said, "Well didn't you get an invite?" He said, "Well I signed something they sent me in the mail and I thought it was for this but maybe not!" We were dying. Scott's mom and sister Holly were laughing so hard they were crying. Mostly, I was just embarrassed for Scott because it was a somewhat intimate ceremony and it would be obvious if Scott never got called up for an award. So Scott says to me, "Maybe we should escape and leave." We held out for a few more minutes and my heart was pounding for Scott and his family was still crying of laughter. A few minutes later, FINALLY, they announced an award and up pops DENNIS SCOTT ELDER! We were so relieved!! We  WERE there for a reason!!! And then it all began....again.....DENNIS SCOTT ELDER! again....DENNIS SCOTT ELDER....again....DENNIS SCOTT ELDER...continued on 5 times. He received an award for each department, endo, surgery, operative, prosthodontics. I know I sound like such a boastful wife but it was one of my most favorite days of my whole life. I was SO incredibly proud of Scott. I always hear the bad things from school and to see these incredible awards given out by the professors and doctors of each department to Scott was such a treat. The best part of all was because it was so unexpected. He had no clue what was about to come and neither did we. He stole the show. The very last award they gave out in memory of a darling student who graduated from Creighton in 2004 and so had his wife, his father, his brothers, etc. He passed away 2 years ago and it sounds like he was such an amazing guy. They started an award in his honor and it was decided upon by the dean of the school and all the professors and Dr.'s. There was a huge description of his qualities and personality traits. They read the whole paragraph which included things like, "charismatic, incredible chair side manners with his patients, honest and full of integrity, not only a love for dentistry but incredible skills and beautiful dentistry, the love and desire to excel and become more educated in the dental field, etc." The whole time they were reading it I thought, "That sounds like Scotty but he would know if he was getting this award because it also came with a $1,000 check." I asked him who he thought was going to receive it and he said with no question a friend of his who is amazing and then sure enough after a brief pause up pops Scotty's name and picture. We all couldn't believe it! We were so proud. I know I sound like the most boastful wife of all time right now but it's not me and I will gladly brag about my sweet husband! It was such a special day for us and it is a day I will never forget. Not only is Scott an amazing kid as far as his personality and charisma go but this showed how highly all the professors and Dr.'s of the school think of him and his dentistry. Way to go Scotty!


Everything else went great that weekend. The hooding was a really neat night and it started to hit home. Graduation ceremony was a good old typical "graduation ceremony" but I had a lump in my throat the whole day knowing that I was leaving in a few hours and going to have to say goodbye to our sweet friends. Man, it was difficult. I miss them so much.


Things are going so well here though. I couldn't have imagined it going better. We are staying in Scott's parents' basement until we get on our feet a little and see how things are going and it is working out wonderfully. Scott was told he wouldn't get his liscense till July 1st but he is up and running! It pays to call everyday!! He is working at Olympus View Dental in Holladay and loves it. It will be a challenge because he really is starting from scratch pretty much but we really hope it will work out. If you want to support him or need a new dentist we would LOVE YOU!!! hahaha I promise he will do a fabulous job!


Jane has been amazing. I can't even begin on how much I love that little gal. She is growing up so fast. She repeats EVERYTHING I say and we are having a blast. She is Miss Personality. Holy smokes. She loves all her grandparents and all of our family so much. She is super in to her babies right now. She carries two of them wherever she goes. She kisses EVERYTHING. Every dog, baby, kid, page of every book, anything she sees. She is the sweetest thing in the whole world. It's good to be home!

 After graduation at the Century Link Center

 Scott and his darling parents who came out to support him!

 Right before the awards ceremony at Dixie Quicks (our most FAVORITE restaurant)

 This picture makes me cry! Scott and Pete and little Owen (best buds). We're gonna miss them SO MUCH!

 Scott and his sister Holly, who came up from St. Louis!

 Us and the Theures. Couldn't have survived the last few years without these guys!

This is Scott in his clinic. I wish everyone could see this crazy place when it's in action. There's hundreds of dental chairs and it's hilarious with all these people and drills going! But just ask Scott how excited he is to get out of there!