Well, this post is two-fold. Good and bad. Good news first…

I just found out my final grades. After taking 18 hours (one heck of a load) this final semester, I will graduate in the morning with A+, A, B+, B, B, B-. And that's in six hard classes (including a B in STATS! I stink at things like that). Final GPA (with hardly any studying over the last four years) is a 3.2.

Now the bad and heartbreaking news:

Yeah, I'll walk across the stage and get my Bachelor's Degree in the morning…

But I'll do it without Mom.

She has Crohn's Disease, and it's taken it's toll at a very bad time. I got a call yesterday (Saturday) morning from my cousin Jennifer. She told me Mom was in the hospital in Enterprise. My mother-in-law came into town for graduation, and she, Amy, and I headed down there. The doctor thinks she has a staph infection in her colon. And thanks to this, my mother will not be here for my graduation. My mom… the one who came to every little league game, band concert and contest, football game, both drum corps championships (Dallas and Madison), graduation (high school, USAF basic training, and junior college), and my wedding… won't be here.

I cannot describe how heartbroken I am. I've actually cried off and on all day. When we were leaving the hospital to come back up here to Tuscaloosa, I hugged Mom and just cried in her ear. I've cried with Amy tonight here at home. I'm just devastated. One of the happiest days of my life is also one of my saddest. At least I got to see her on Mother's Day.

I love you, Mom. Get well soon.