Hello!
Since I'm graduating in 15 days, I'm feeling the bittersweetness of it all. Rexburg and BYU-Idaho have been so good to/for me. I've complained a lot along the way and even though it was tough at times to go to school, I wish I had a more positive outlook.
The happiest thing, though is that I'll be able to take the most important thing I gained here with me: my family. I don't know that I thank Tom enough for all he's done for me. In a culture where it's really common for a couple to move on as soon as the husband gets his degree, Tom saw the importance of me finishing school even more than I did. As soon as I found out we were expecting Emmitt, I sat down to do my grad plan and thought, "No way am I going to finish by the time Tom needs to be done." So I figured I'd just call it quits when it became too hard to go to school with a baby or when we moved away...whichever came first. When Tom heard that, he said, "Think of everything you've invested. Is it really worth it to just walk away?"
So Emmitt was born, we went to Oklahoma for Tom's internship, and we did classes online, and we were busy.
We came back and both went to school for one more semester, baby swapping between classes, losing sleep, and trying our best to make the grades, and we were busy.
Then Tom graduated with flying colors because he's really smart and he works crazy hard. Tom took a new job as a PSR worker and commuted every day to Idaho Falls, taking Emmitt to work while I stumbled through another semester, and we were busy.
Then the blessed day came when I finally landed an internship that worked for our family. It was close to home, I could take Emmitt to work if need be, and I could take a few credits as well. Tom quit his job and went back to working in Rexburg, we found out baby number 2 was on the way (Surprise!) and we were still busy.
This semester, we finally slowed down a little. I became a part-time student and I resigned my post at my internship. Through it all, Tom has been willing to work around my schedule and be an amazing father to Emmitt, trying to make sure that at least one of us could be with him at all times. Before I married Tom, I couldn't have dreamed up a more considerate, understanding, hard-working father and husband. I think of all the late homework nights he stayed up with me to make sure I didn't fall asleep, all the things he's teaching Emmitt, how he's worked to support us and how he holds down the fort while I'm at school. I really don't know how to thank him. It feels so good to be walking away from school and being able to say that I finished my degree. I couldn't have done it without Tom.
It's true! We have a lot of friends where the wives didn't finish their degrees or took an easier route to graduate faster. I am glad to have the degree I have. It's really helped us make it through grad school. Congrats on graduation!
ReplyDeleteCongrats! I am so excited for you to have number 2! When are you do? Congrats on graduating also! You are an awesome woman! I miss you guys!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on graduation. In all of the job changes that Brandon has had it has been so nice to know that I had the education to back my employment up and that I was qualified to increase my income if needed. And congrats on baby #2! Siblings really are a great things for kids.
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