It’s over. The 05-06 school has finished in a flurry of late-night spontaneity and ceremonial milestones. You’ll find below a collection of pictures commemorating the events. At the bottom of this post are two URLs that will allow you to browse through additional pictures, either individually or as a slide show. They include all my grad pics, the post-grad activities, and a collection of the best photos of this year’s Storch Seniors.
But let’s back up a bit to the beginning of graduation week….
The seniors and I headed to Basel for their last evening in the city.
Starbucks, no Starbucks, Starbucks…the deliberating was endless!
But the city, as always, was beautiful…
The requisite goofy picture-booth shot before we FINALLY ended up at Starbucks.
WEDNESDAY
Also known as yearbook day!
Let the signing begin!! It took hours… After which two “guests” arrived. Meet Dussel and Horatio, two handsome gentlemen of uncommon humor who attempted to prophecy my future and unravel my psyche. Though they scored a couple hits, they generally failed. But shhhhh, don’t tell them. They were ever so proud of themselves.
It was a rather unusual few hours–in which I was honored to participate. The general theme, as expressed by Liz, was MFEO (which fans of “While You Were Sleeping” will recognize as “Made for each other”…). For reasons that are still a mystery to me, she and Horatio declared that they were indeed MFEO and spent the rest of the evening trying to prove it to…I’m not sure, actually. Themselves? They had moments of persuasive brilliance, as in the picture above, when Horatio seemed particularly bothered by the arm Liz placed around Dussel. Notice the latent violence and yearning in his narrowed gaze. Or is that just pre-grad zoning. Not sure….
But it all ended well, though the above picture, taken AFTER we had discussed the symbolism of a “closed fist embrace”, left me truly disappointed. (Come on, Horatio, I expect more from a romantic hero!) What’s worse than one closed fist? Two closed fists and eyes equally shut! So much for MFEO…. For your info, if anyone hugs you with closed fists, you may safely assume that he’s either scared of you or emotionally stunted. But I digress. I drove the boys back to Kandern at an insane hour.
THURSDAY
Another sunset over Holzen, another night of trying to cram too many emotions into a ticking clock.
While some tried desperately to finish packing and cleaning (phlegs like Gracie discovered a downside to their personality type), others plowed through yearbook after yearbook in an attempt to leave something of themselves behind.
And some lucky ones received gifts from sis and bro that made the rest of us turn a nasty shade of green. (But I’m happy for you Liz, really I am….. 
)
FRIDAY
It had to happen. Friday finally came….
Some tears started before they even got down the aisle…
…and others waited until the ceremony was over.
Once the seniors were off on their cruise around Basel, the alumni festivities began. I couldn’t believe how MANY of them there were who met in the gym at the end of the first World Cup soccer game!
It was a fun swing-dancing evening…and some of the dancing defied focus!
We tried to get out of the school before the graduates returned from Basel…
…but failed. Not that I minded getting to see my favorite ladies once again!! 
(Note the Michelle Tebbe immitation my stomach is doing….I choose to blame the pouffy shirt.)
A couple hours later, three marvelously wonderful and slightly puffy-eyed damsels called. We headed off, one last time, to…
…the Mezzo. We commented, as we sat in our favorite restaurant at 1:30 am (while it closed around us), that it felt so “normal”…like we were just on another of our jaunts away from the dorm and would be returning soon to continue life as usual. It was hard to believe that “life as usual” had already been irreparably altered. I dropped the girls off outside the Formans’ and we said our goodbyes. Painful, searing–and yet somehow beautiful. I saw them standing by the curb, looking a little lost, as I rounded the corner and headed home.
It seemed an endless drive–I kept wanting to turn the wheel and head back to Kandern for a few more minutes…a few more final words…one last prayer…one last embrace. But that would have only extended the pain. So I stepped into my apartment a few minutes later and went straight to the windowsill where my new favorite picture stands. The Storc
h Seniors gave it to me on Monday…and it is precious to me because it represents six of the ladies I most love in this world. Late on Friday night, at the end of the insanity of graduation week, I took the frame in my hands, sat on my couch, and wept.
Thank you Gracie, Shunny, Alana, Nic, Liz, and Fi for allowing me to know you. Loving you is among the greatest gifts God has given me… I miss you already so much.
There are more pictures you’re welcome to browse at the following addresses. (NOTE: You’ll have to cut and paste…. Or you can email or IM me if you’d like me to send the links to you by email!)
Graduation:
https://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shelleyphoenix/album?.dir=f438scd&.src =ph&store=&prodid=&.done=https%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos
Storch seniors:
https://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shelleyphoenix/album?.dir=/6245scd&. src=ph&.tok=phmAABFBsgrj_j4C
sharka25
afewcomments:
fists clinched. definently as a joke, on purpose. never serious.
second, we were on the spot for most of those analyzations.
third, that is a bad picture up there to begin w/. how can you post that bad of a picture and still expect me to be a romantic hero? i almost find it impossible.. almost.
lastly, again thanks for the ride back into town, and all that help in the psychiatric field… good pics overall..
Lady_Bug43
questions: is that really me in the photos? did I really go to bfa? did we just actually graduate and say goodbye for the last time? how? why? it seems impossible……i feel so far away from everything, people, places and most of all feelings. it’s so numb Mish…..ah Mish….I am so thankful I can still call you that and talk to you. I want so badly to come to your house and hang out. To fall asleep on your floor. To cry on your bed. To laugh on your sofa. To watch another movie. Or even just walk into your kitchen to put somthing in the trash can, anything just to be back there again. Although I know I can’t and wouldn’t come back yet, it’s too painful. To say goodbye all over again. it’s gonna take a while to feel again it seems…ya know?
oh mish, i love you so much. thank you for posting these pictures and thank you for the cd and the letters…they are all so special. I’m so thankful for xanga right now!!! i love you
RebLyner
oh michele. it’s 6am here in wisconsin, i’m wide awake 🙂 and i’m finally bringing myself to read xangas again. those are gorgeous pictures. thank you, michele, for all the time, energy and emotional output you invest in our little storch friends. you have inspired me all year to love without holding back, to give all. i’ve just been reading “don’t waste your life” by piper (the title’s so blunt…haha), and was thinking of you in that regard – how you have invested your whole life in the lives of these kids for so many years and seemingly NOT wasted a minute of it. thank you for your example and undying love! hope you have a wonderful summer!
Lady_Bug43
ah mish, i love you so much, thank you for your words. you know, we really didn’t say “goodbye” on Friday…b/c here I am communicating to you as if we were next to each other…I know for a fact, good conversations can indeed happen over the internet 🙂 I’m so excited to be able to keep incontact with you! I love you!!!
sunminchang923
come read brett’s comment on my xanga!!! keke
thanx for the pics… I’m going through and savin all of them!! we should’ve taken more pictures at mezzo… who cares if we look tacky~ we always act tacky~ ^^
and… what’s wrong with france!! they’re 73 minutes into the game and no goal!! come on~ korea won against togo~ haha
unnie13
hahaha oh how i wish that story with the purple t-shirt guy was true but alas i gave someone my password to my xanga and they definetly took advantage of it..too bad i don’t have such an exciting life as that..thehe! and i changed the text to white so i hope that helps..i’ll change my profile pic back soon too..tehehe! i look forward to hearing about me and heinrick and i want those pics from grad too! next years gonna be a blast i know that for sure..and i won’t have megan to go over to her house anymore so how about i take over sunny’s job and be in your small group thehe?? i love you so much michele thanks for talking to me and helping me through alot of things that go in on my life! i love you- squirt
Mama_G_Hugs
Michelly, Wow! I found it funny that you wrote that you wanted to be half as good at loving these kids as me, because I have been thinking the same about YOU! Do YOU realize how much you sacrifice for those kids God has given you a love for?!? The partnership I see with you and your Heavenly Husband is a delight to even hear about, let alone watch!!!!! You have been ONE of THE most treasured friends I have made here in the wacky world of BFA! My love grows for you more and more and the thought of you NOT being a part of this world, frankly makes me question whether I want to stay! I am hanging out at home today figuring out what one brings to wear on a motorcycle trip to Scotland when one is feeling like her clothes are getting tighter and tighter…ugh! Feel free to drop by for moral support and some libation! I love you soooooooooooooooooo much and that is not hyper sanguine gibberish, I MEAN IT! hugs, Renee
Lady_Bug43
Hi Mish! Just wanted to tell you that I was thinking about you and that I love you! I saw your comment on Scott’s site 🙂 haha made me laugh. You mean alot to me!! Love you!
Runnerman
michelle. so i hear there is some sort of professional level and distance that should be maintained between work and the worker. but i can see that you want to completely annhilate such a thing for me. i’m listening to “goodbye” and reading your post and thinking of the footage and pictures that i have of your girls, and i think you really want me to cry over this? true? i think so. 🙂 don’t worry, it will be a priveledge. can we meet tomorrow? please call so that we can figure out a time, hopefully tomorrow, or today… whatever. Communicating through xanga is cool, but not the most productive technique ever i think 🙂 AND, we can further discuss other stuff as well. GREAT.
armie2007roses
Emily, NOT Emilie. Gosh Michele… haha