At last

What is better than graduating from college once? Graduating twice!!! I have officially completed my last class for my masters tonight and I will NOT be going back for any more torture. Of course these were the hardest two years of my life to date, but now that they are over, oh the things I will do with my time. Now I might actually be able to:

Paint my nails and let them dry
Make a dinner other than chili from the can
Read a book for leisure
See my husband
See my friends
Make friends
Have friends
Go on a road trip and not spend the whole time typing in the car
Read without a highlighter
Start Blogging
Watch T.V.
Figure out what is on T.V. on Wednesday nights for the first time in two years
Get my real work done
Go to the gym after work
Go to the gym on a Saturday or Sunday
Read a magazine just for fun
Scrapbook again
Rent all the Disparate House Wives season DVD's and get caught up
I might need to do that with Grey's Anatomy as well
Start saving for a vacation (not tuition)
Start saving for the baby's tuition (you know that will be ridiculous in 2028)
Take a photography class (wait, nix the classes, I'll just play around)
Learn to cook
Most of all ENJOY THE PIECE OF MIND THAT NOTHING IS DUE!!!

These are the sweet things I came home to find after my last class:

Third best day of my life...to this point!

So what is the first most exciting day of my life you ask...My wedding day of course. The second most exciting, getting engaged. But now I have experienced my third most exciting day to date. Don't get me wrong there have been lots of exciting days in my life, like when my field hockey team beat North Carolina to make it to the Elite Eight (we lost in the next game, but hey we got there). Then there was the day I got my license, except my car was teal blue, as old as I was and nick named the La Bamba. Completing my first marathon was pretty cool, but so was my second. Getting baptized was pretty great, but my parents weren't there. Being hired for my first job was SUPER exciting, but then you realize that a job is called work for a reason (teachers do NOT make enough money). Graduating with my masters in two weeks will be VERY close to being the third best day of my life, but I have something that tops even that.

On Saturday, April 17, 2010 I had the third best day of my life. It was a typical Saturday, which means that Phil was up at 7:30 ready to leave for the gym and I was just rolling out of bed (hey, I was thinking about going to the gym later that day, maybe). I didn't really have any reason or suspicions to do what I did next, but I did anyway. I peed on that little stick and I put it down on the floor by my feet (remember I just woke up and I was TIRED). I sat there for about 30 seconds and when I looked down the test was done. I had to turn on the light to read it because I thought I must have been seeing things (the light was off because I didn't REALLY want to wake up). NO WAY...I thought the test was broken. Phil and I had been trying for 9 months and I had taken my fair share of tests (I may have single handedly kept Clearblue in business). I had NEVER seen anything like this before. It really said "PREGNANT".



I had been planning how I would surprise Phil for months. I had all these cute little things planned. But I was in such shock that I literally picked up that stick (I put the cap over the pee part:) and walked into the kitchen just as Phil was getting ready to leave and all I could do was hand him the test. He looked at it and said, "REALLY?" I started crying (and I got all sweaty and shaky for some weird reason, whatever, I am weird). He picked me up and we were SO EXCITED. As he was leaving he said, you don't need to take anymore tests today, although I know you will take another one by lunch." I took another one at 11:00 (He knows me so well). It still said I was pregnant...and that my friends is my third best day to date!!!

This was me being excited...I still make that face sometimes when I think about it!


Oh yeah, for those of you who are wondering...our little peanut is due on Christmas day!!! (Sharing a birthday with Jesus isn't bad)

In the begining...

Here is the condensed version of our life together until now. Phil and I met in college at Indiana University at church the weekend before Thanksgiving in 2004 (He was cute but I wasn't really interested. It was a brief meeting and we did not re-connect again until several months later when a teammate of mine had class with Phil and kind of set us up (Thank you Baldy, we owe you). We dated for about a year then were engaged (it is an adorable story, ask me about it sometime) and married in California on December 16, 2006.

We lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana for a year (our neighbors, Greg and Jim, were 40 something single men who drank beer in their garage and had a pension for driving their tiny riding lawn mower and shooting fireworks at midnight...man I miss them).

Then Phil's job took us to Maumee, Ohio. We have lived here for almost 2 1/2 years now. (See that small 15 foot maple tree in the corner of the house? Phil put that in by himself...there is a reason you can pay people to do your own landscaping. See those huge 80 foot trees in the backyard? Phil and I, along with the help of his parents cut those down...oh did I mention that an expert tree crew of 4 and their bobcat had to come save us from that mess...again there is a reason there are professionals).

Marriage has been awesome and we feel blessed to have had so many experiences together over the past three years. Our bond has grown stronger and deeper with each challenge and joy.