Over and Done

I took my last final today, and I am officially done! I graduate on Friday and decided to walk at the last minute. I found out if I walked, I would get honors cords so I thought why not. It is still surreal that I am finished and will officially be a college graduate. I will continue to take classes at UVU in the summer, fall and spring until I am able to hopefully start a Master's program at the U in the fall of 2011. But for the time being, I am DONE!!!

Senior Thesis

As a requirement for the history program at UVU, I have to write a paper on a historical topic of my choice. We are required to have a three person committee and defend the paper at the end. The topic I chose to write on was Civilian Women who served in Vietnam. One of my professors on my committee was able to put me in touch with a woman who had served as a civilian, in Vietnam. She was a great help and through talking with her and exchanging emails along with hours and hours of research and writing, I was able to finish a 44 page paper on different civilian women's experiences in Vietnam.

Friday I defended my paper, and I would not be honest if I did not say that I was really nervous. I was sweating and my teeth were close to chattering when I sat down with my professors to discuss my paper. I don't know why I was so nervous, I have become good friends with my professors but I was.

The defense of my paper consisted of me summarizing my paper, telling how I had come to research it, and what I plan to do with it. After that, my professors get to ask me questions. Well to sum it up quickly, I kicked butt!!!

My professors were so complimentary to me about my paper and my hard work especially doing it all with three kids. They told me that my paper was the best out of my cohort and they would like me to continue it in my master's program and possibly turn it into a book!

The week ended on a high note and now I just need to make a couple of revisions and then turn in the final draft!

I am glad that it is done and that I am graduating in a few weeks! I can't believe I did it! I will be taking a class in the summer because I will be a teaching assistant for a professor at UVU in the fall and I haven't taken the class I will be a teaching assistant for. If I get into the master's program at the U of U, I won't be able to start until the fall of 2011 and so I will also be taking a few classes in the fall and possibly the spring to hold off paying back my financial aid since I plan on continuing my education.

Glad it is done and honestly can't wait to push it further!

Spring Break 2010

We didn't do much for Spring Break because I was still in school. We went to the pool on Monday night. My friend Nicole and I swam with our kids while our husbands did water aerobics.

On Wednesday, we went to the zoo with Greg and Nicole. Greg and Nicole have two boys that are adopted and they have a very open adoption with the birth parents and grand parents. It is a really cool thing and we are thankful that they have included us in their extended -extended family. We have become friends with Hayze's birth grandparents and Sally his birth mom. They are some really great people and Greg, Nicole and Hayze are really lucky to still have them in their lives. Hendrix was adopted last June and the relationship with his birth parents is still expanding, but they too are some really great people.

Hayze's birth family on left and Nicole's parents and sister and nieces on right.

Ryan forgot a jacket but did okay. I think I was the only one really cold.

All the kiddos waiting to get into the zoo! Oh and Ryan, but he really is just a BIG kid.

Ryan took Wednesday through Friday off and we were able to get the yard fixed up for spring planting and the whole family was able to come with me on Friday when I defended my Senior Thesis. Ryan had not met my professors and I wanted him to meet them since I talk to them about him and him about them. It was cool for me and for him to meet them.
I did great on my defense. My professors have really become my friends and I really enjoy talking to them about everyday things. They were so complimentary to me and my paper. My chair told me that my paper was the best out of my cohort!
Saturday and Sunday was spent reorganizing the storage room, pantry, house and yard. Of course we did get in quite a few games of Settler's of Catan: Cities and Knights with Greg and Nicole. We also barbecued some fabulous steaks on Greg's new BBQ that Nicole bought him.
It was a fun week and now just two more weeks of school for me!

Organized!

This is more for me to remind me that it is possible to keep my pantry and storage room neat and organized. Ryan bought us some new Shelf Reliance shelving for our canned goods. He bought a big one for the storage room and two smaller ones for the pantry. Saturday and Sunday were spent moving cans around as well as our other food storage. So these pictures are for when it becomes unorganized (as I'm sure it will at some point) I can look back and remember that it is possible to have it neat and tidy.