Firstborn's Graduation Party: Rain, Rain Go Away

I planned a graduation party date weeks ahead. It was basically the ONLY free time we could host a party for Firstborn, as she leaves on a senior trip this week. And it really doesn't rain much here. So, my plan was to have an outdoor, picnic-themed, graduation party in our little front yard. Everyone chipped in with various ways to help. Sweet Cheek tied little cookies to make them look like diplomas. 

I even assigned Firstborn a job. We stopped to get a pallet (which didn't fit in the van, so we drove with the door open!) and she nailed into it, tied it with string, and displayed pictures from her various activities, her senior pictures, and ones from when she was little. 

I printed some simple tags that read 2017. Sweet Cheeks, the green thumb in the family, gathered and arranged wild flowers. I didn't pay a dime to a florist. 

Firstborn and I checked the weather once we hit the 10 day mark. Scattered thundershowers? What? Here? We felt confident that forecast would change. Yet it didn't. I then determined that perhaps we'd get a brief sprinkle, but the party would go on.

I woke at 5:30AM (after the annual banquet the night before! yawn!) and began setting it up. I had gone on Pinterest for some ideas, but decided to spend about 30 minutes on Pinterest, mark a couple cute things to do, then just move on! The main thing is people, not decorations. I also bought a JENGA set and asked friends to sign a block for her. So, this was her little display. Set up by  7AM. 

Rather than getting big tables, I brought out all the small end tables and coffee tables we had. I set up little groups around the yard. CC had trimmed and cut the yard up to look nice the day before. 

Everything looked great. Two big tables for food, lots of little tables for people, signs, displays. We were all set. The weather had been saying the scattered thundershowers could be expected at 1, right as the party got started.

But they didn't come at 1. They came right then. It was an absolute downpour. I was exhausted. I'd been up late for the staff event the night before, then up early the next morn to set up the party. And it's just everything. My daughter is graduating and leaving home! So, along with the rain came a downpour from my eyes. CC and kids had left for church. I frantically grabbed the picture display first, then began dragging everything inside, wondering how we could possibly host an indoor event inside, wishing I had rented some sort of tent.