Graduation and randomness

21 months ago I started a Master's Program.  It was a quick decision and one that I am grateful for and that I learned so much from.  One day shy of exactly 12 years from when I graduated high school I graduated with my Masters.  What a difference 12 years can make. I am excited about new adventures that are ahead and for all the new things that I can learn about. 

My parents were able to make it out.  It was great to see them.  They hadn't seen the kids since last September.

Arik found me.

My awesome husband!

During the ceremony I realized that I was pregnant with my first child when I graduated with my Bachelors and I am now pregnant with my last child when I graduated with my Masters.  That's right we are having a little one!!  We are about 13 weeks along.  I am due Dec 2 but since I have c-sections and the fact that I actually went into labor last time my doctor will take me either the Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  The end of the month baby and one during the winter is something that will be new for us.  We are excited though.  Every time I throw up Arik just reminds me that this is the last time that I will be going through this. 

Arik sprang the news on his family while we were all hanging out at his sister's house the night before graduation.  They were talking about something and then Arik said, we can't she's pregnant.  All of his sisters laughed like it was a joke and then said, "Are you serious?"  I just smiled and got hugs around.  Poor Mom was on the phone and realized that she had missed something.  In the end everyone found out.

For my parents, I wrote this story and stuck it in my mom's mother's day present.  Below is the story.

Once upon a time there were a group of cousins.  These cousins weren’t just cousins, but they were so close and they loved to do things together all the time.  Up in Heaven they had a joyous time just playing waiting for their turns to get a body, for they knew and understood Heavenly Father’s plan.  One day while playing four cousins decided they were ready to go to earth but they didn’t want to go down without one another.  So they decided to go down as close together as they could and they did.  All four came to earth within 24 days. 

The other cousins missed those that had left but enjoyed each other.  They played and played and were well aware of what was happening below.  One day three more cousins started talking about going to earth.  They were ready and really didn’t want the other four to have too much fun without them so they decided to go.  One jumped the gun and came to earth a little ahead of the other two but the other two followed quickly and close together. 

The cousins still in Heaven were happy for those that had gone before and while they wanted to receive a body and enjoy Earth, they knew it wasn’t their time.  So they watched what was happening below and played and played.  There finally came a time when one cousin turned to a couple others and told them that he was ready.  One of the others said that he just wasn’t ready yet.  They talked and talked and the one cousin decided that he would go.  Another cousin would follow a few months later and then the third would follow not too far behind.  So one went, six months later another followed, and the third was just not quite ready and waited for overa year before he finally went. 

Now in the part of Heaven that all these cousins had been playing was now pretty quiet from the noises of children playing that it had had.  Then one day a cousin came running to the spot where all the cousins had been playing.  “Wait for me.  Don’t leave me behind.”  This cousin ran around looking for any cousins still in Heaven.  “I wanted someone to go down with me too.”  This cousin looked and looked but if there were any cousins around they must have been playing hide-and-seek, for there was no one around.  The cousin was so sad and had really wanted to go down with at least one cousin because so many others had before and they were all having such a fun time on Earth whenever they got together.

As the cousin sat just sad, a hand was placed on the shoulder.  “I’ll go with you.”  The cousin looked up and saw another cousin standing there.  “Really, you will?” The cousin on the ground asked afraid to get any hopes up. “Sure, I am the last one left in my family and it is time that I join them.”  The other cousin replied.  They sat down and starting talking about all the things that they could and would do together on Earth once they had bodies of their own.  They are now planning and waiting and decided that they would only be 4 weeks apart.  As they were talking other cousins came and joined in and began playing.  Though there are not as many cousins running around and playing in Heaven waiting for their turn for a body, there are still close cousins playing and watching the cousins that went before. 

 
My brother and his wife are also expecting and are due 4.5 weeks before us.  We are all excited. 

I got to play indoor this last winter into spring and man I got beat up at times. 

I ended up losing this toe nail. 

All and all life is good.  Things have really slowed down for me since school and work has stopped for the moment.  I am still teaching though that starts again June 10.