Graduation Week Top Twenty

There are few things in my life that top last week.

You could send me to Paris for a month or Seychelles for three and it couldn't be any more delightful than the week I just spent in the dim of the Wasatch and Timpanogas mountains, with lukewarm spring weather and Skittle-colored tulips sprinkled around the city like jimmies on a cupcake. (Let's experiment... send me to Paris and then I'll let you know for sure which is better.)

All of my siblings were together. That hasn't happened since Nicholas Cage made a decent movie. We just kept celebrating one thing after another after another and the good times kept rollin'.... rollin' like a river.

So, here are the week's Top Twenty magical moments for me...... (not in chronological order)

T W E N T Y

Scoring a pair of Top Siders at Nordstrom Rack

N I N E T E E N

Slopping up garlic hummus with warm baby-soft pita bread at Aristo's

E I G H T E E N

Devouring homemade granola with strawberries and pancakes with buttermilk syrup on my brother's patio for breakfast

S E V E N T E E N

Being spoiled with an awesome Mother's Day dinner of my favs:  prepared, served and cleaned up by my kids and Mr. Fish.

S I X T E E N

Watching my mom enjoy her American food (such as the taco time crispy bean burrito) after eating sea creatures and donkey meat in China

F I F T E E N

Getting news that my brother passed his anesthesia boards and is officially a board certified anesthesiologist

F O U R T E E N

Hearing that Andy, left behind in Hurricane, made the only and winning goal in Thursday's state play-off soccer game against Judge Memorial (last year's state champions).

T H I R T E E N

Moving Daisy home from college for the summer

T W E L V E

Taking in the smells [ooh ya] and sights of the breathtaking spring flowers at Temple Square and the homemade rolls at Lion House Pantry

E L E V E N

Rocking out with with the whole fam + 1,500 other freakin' fanatics at the season's 1st Provo Rooftop Concert Series (featuring Paul Jacobsen and Fictionist). And visiting with  C Jane and Sarah Wiley (organizers of the event). Also you should know I couldn't really take my eyes off Jacob Jones. He hardly cracked a smile when 700 girls were screaming for him. That takes some real talent. When Fictionist gets on the cover of Rolling Stone, we will remember the night we saw them up close. It was great to soak up the balmy electric atmosphere, chomp on swedish fish, dart out of the way of crowd surfers, get confirmation from my sibs that we must all be getting old, and support my brother Justin, another one of the concert organizers and co-master of ceremonies.

photo credit: justin hackworth photography

the fictionist. photo credit: justin hackworth photography

jacob jones of fictionist. photo credit justin hackworth photography

T E N

Partying with fab four family and friends

fab four singing "Ain't Nothin' But a Dr."

melissa sings "fly" by hillary duff. jeremy accompanies on geetar

presenting each of our daughters with a butterfly necklace. now it's their time to fly.

N I N E

Getting pedicures and facials with my sisters, mom and daughter

E I G H T

Receiving a J. Crew leather satchel [big enough to hide 3 lbs of hot tamales] from the sibs;  a string of genuine high-grade pearls and an iPad from my parents; and a Vosques bacon-chocolate candy bar from my supersis... she knows me WELL!!

S E V E N

Staying up till 2 am playing guitars and singing covers of the Bodine's, Head and the Heart, Lucinda Williams and Magnetic Fields, plus Hackworth originals: Holly, Peppy Peppito, and Silly Shoes and a Sundress. (Fictionist? what's the big deal. you oughta see our concert). Then all sleeping over in the same room like we did on Christmas eve as kids and waking up to presents from China!

photo credit: amy hackworth

S I X    P O I N T    F I V E

Having most of the family go to Heber to watch Andy's high school state quarter-finals soccer match against Wasatch.

S I X

Having over 40 family members and friends at the graduation (thanks so much!)

F I V E

Speaking at graduation [and controlling my tears]

either the dean is enjoying my speech or she just realized I'm almost finished

F O U R

Surprising my mom and dad about being a convocation speaker. They didn't find out until they read the program.

T H R E E   P O I N T   F I V E

Getting to bask in the company of my awesome parents after not seeing them for 8 months.

T H R E E

Talking for an hour to our missionary son on Mother's Day and hearing him laugh.

T W O

Getting hooded. Finally.
 

we did it together. the best friends a girl could ask for

we are smart and can model too!

aunt donna and cousins: crystal and sharlee

cousin gardner and daisy

aunt shauna and uncle kaey and cousins: gavin, andrew, rebecca

the handsome hackworth men

justin and amy

jordan and janna

my brothers: jeremy and jordan

we almost always get along

three generations. my grandmas are smiling from heaven

love mr fish

sisters

my one and only daisy

double docs: both graduates from the university of utah

the women of the hackworth

four hackworth siblings all earned three stripes on the regalia sleeves

mr fish thinks of the possibilities now that i am no longer in school

jeremy and girlfriend carisa

my family and good friend, jeff donovan. we missed andy and sean

half of our chilluns

dnp program director: dianne fuller

my capstone chair: mardie clayton

And  the   N U M B E R   O N E   M O S T   M E M O R A B L E    M O M E N T {drum roll please}

Freaking out when my sister from Virginia surprised me {!!!!!!!} by casually sauntering up the sidewalk outside Kingsbury Hall before the graduation ceremony. The little turkey said she couldn't come.

genuine joy

"look everybody... my SISTER is HERE!!!!!"

Thanks to my papa and his new fancy camera for taking all these incredible pictures. I am unflinchingly grateful for photographs which become my memory....."a way of holding onto the things I love, the things I am, and the things I never want to lose."  - the wonder years

And thanks to my family and my dear fab friends. FOR ALL OF IT!!