Two Duke graduations, one by each of my two sons-in-law made me a very proud mother-in-law.  Becca’s husband Carl graduated from Duke Business School and Jen’s husband Adam graduated from Duke Law School.  I traveled to the Raleigh-Durham area to enjoy the festivities.

My first stop on arriving in Raleigh Durham has become almost a tradition.  We all went to eat at the Cheesecake Factory.  Followed by the second traditional of tossing of pennies into the fountain at the Southpoint Mall.

Throwing pennies in the fountain.

 

Carl’s Graduation From Duke Fuqua Business School

In its relatively short history, The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, has established itself as one of the leading business schools in the world. With talented faculty and renowned research centers, the school sits among top-ranked U.S. business schools.

 

 

Adams Graduation from Duke Law School

Duke Law School is an ambitious, forward-thinking, and innovative institution whose mission is to prepare students for responsible and productive lives in the legal profession. As a community of scholars, the Law School also provides leadership at the national and international levels in efforts to improve the law and legal institutions through teaching, research, and other forms of public service.

At Duke Law School, students and faculty experience academic rigor in an interdisciplinary environment where creativity and innovation rule. Bold, strategic expansions in faculty, clinics, interdisciplinary centers, law journals, public interest opportunities, and high-tech facilities ensure that the Law School stays on the cutting edge of legal scholarship. The Duke Blueprint to LEAD is a powerful set of principles for leadership growth that informs the development of committed, ethical lawyers who are well-equipped for the 21st century.

 

 

 

We enjoyed other activities in conjunction with the graduation.

Barbecue at Sarah P. Duke Gardens

One was a barbecue at The Sarah P. Duke Gardens which was  founded in 1934 and now considered one of the top 10 public gardens in the United States.

 

Duke Gardens is a 55-acre public botanic garden on the campus of Duke University. It is a place of beauty, dedicated to learning, inspiration and enjoyment through excellence in horticulture.

It  features four distinct gardens, each with its own focus and flavor: the Historic Gardens, including the popular Terrace Gardens, dedicated in 1939; the H.L. Blomquist Garden of Native Plants, a representation of the flora of the southeastern United States; the W.L. Culberson Asiatic Arboretum, devoted to plants of eastern Asia; and the Doris Duke Center Gardens, including the new Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden. There are five miles of allées, walks, and pathways throughout the Gardens, and many shaded benches.

The kids enjoyed the walking and discovering:

 

I loved this gate at Duke Gardens

 

and the beautiful gardens…

Butterfly release.

Another activity was the butterfly release at Henry’s school.

 

Building at Lowe’s

We did building at Lowe’s (I did a previous blog on this activity).  It is a fun activity. (And it is free.)

Horse Back Riding

Henry and Becca both enjoyed the opportunity they had to go horse back riding on Jennifer’s friend, Kimberly Isley’s  horse.

We went to have yogurt but it seemed that tree climbing held more interest for Henry and Becca.

I got to be there for the last soccer game of the season:

And the end of season awards:

And some other fun photos: