Graduating!

Woohoo I did it [:
I just wanted to take a second to be grateful for all the ways in which I have grown through my experiences at BYU - Idaho. I have loved attending this University. I have been pushed academically and spiritually, and I believe that I have reached new heights in both areas that I could not have at another University. I have also absolutely LOVED my degree! I love English, and I have enjoyed the challenge it continually placed before me each semester! I am so grateful I made the switch to English, I have learned so many valuable skills. Sometimes the load has been quite heavy, but that's okay when you love what you are doing.
I am also glad I had this "selfish" time of my life. Going to school is an inherently selfish pursuit. Its a very "me, me, me" type of life style. Its your work, your grades, your success, your failures. I will probably never have another time in my life that is so centered around me now that I'm entering the Mother stage. Which I am also grateful for. I feel ready to make the transition now, I've accomplished my goals, (I still have others too but I can do them as a Momma), and I feel ready to be a mom. Well as ready as one can be! I'm glad that my education will be done and my children will know that it was important to me. I would not have been able to do school and children--many women do and they are awesome! I just don't have the right personality for it, so I am very grateful for how everything is working out! I still plan on learning new things my whole life through. There are SO many other things I want to learn though outside of a scholastic setting. So we will see what the future brings my way!
I was looking through some old emails that I sent to my family my first semester up here and I decided to share some from my first week or so up here.

" I miss the family to be honest.  But today I went to all my classes and I really enjoyed it. My work load is pretty heavy and some classes are for sure going to be a challenge, but ultimately I feel ready to use my brain again. Most importantly I'm so grateful I can attend here because of all your hard work. I am truly blessed to attend this university. So I guess I'm just saying thank you for providing me with this experience. I love the spirit here and I love that in every class I'm finding ways to be more like Christ. My education and the gospel are going to be going hand in hand and I'm realizing that is what I've been longing for for quite some time. Its pretty awesome. I'm going to learn so much in both areas."

" First and foremost I want you guys to know how good I feel about being here. I do feel that this is where I'm supposed to be. Not being around you guys is hard because we're such a close family, but I feel like I'm about to progress in ways that I wouldn't be able to any where else on this earth."

Sharing an experience from a business class: 
" We talked today about prioritizing. He held up a bucket and some rocks and told us to say what each rock meant. So naturally we said "family, school, work, gospel, etc." Then he asked what the bucket was and we said "life". But he clarified that the bucket needed to be a disciple of christ. Because in the work force or anywhere in life we shouldn't have "this is who I am at work." "this is me at home" "this is me at church" etc. We are a disciple of christ in every area and it should flow through every part of our life. Our professor said "The gospel shouldn't be a rock at the bottom of your lake of life. It should BE the lake. Flowing into everything we do." It was pretty sweet. I can see how going to this school make people so much stronger. "  


Also had to share the classic first semester advice I got from my father in an email: 

" Don't worry too much about major/ minor right now just focus on what's in front of you at the moment and it will all come together. One thing I have learned is to try not to force it in pressure situations. As you know I love Golf and when I am standing on the first tee in a really pressure packed tournament or match and I am choking like a dog the best thing you can do is take a deep breath swing easy and just get the ball in the fairway. Don't try to force birdies - make a few pars to start, get your feet under you and let the game come to you.

Same thing with College in the first year. Enjoy the challenge, enjoy new experiences, and let it come to you a little bit. You don't need to force everything all at once. That's when you make bogeys!"

That was all my first semester. 
There are too many tender experiences, professors, classes, and opportunities to share here on a blog post but just trust me when I say that this is the best University in the world. 
I chose this school as my #1 for a reason. 
I'll be forever grateful that I did! 

Also for those of you who thought I would drop out after the wedding, or after getting pregnant--in your face [: