All Grown up and Graduated!

Well, today I graduated! It was great. We got to be the first graduating class to graduate in the new BYU-Idaho center! It is a beautiful building and it resembles the conference center. It is a lot bigger than the Hart auditorium is, but of course it's not nearly as big as the conference center. It seats 15,000 people! Crazy! Anyways, can't believe we made it! Well, I still have to student teach, but we are done in Rexburg FOREVER! I will miss it here a lot, but I definitely won't miss the fall/winter/spring weather! Yes, winter lasts three seasons.... usually. Plus, I am terrified to drive in the snow and especially when there is ice. It's been melting and freezing a lot and if I slide the littlest bit, I will cry... and I have a couple of times... but we're still alive and I am rambling. So, yes. Graduation was great and Marvin K. Jensen spoke to us and it was wonderful. Last night Joe and I went to the graduation banquet and got to have a little reunion with some of our closest friends who have since moved out of the ward. It was so great to see them before we move. Convocation followed and that was fun too. There were a lot of education majors graduating (A LOT more Eled than ECSE though, which is to be expected). It was just all great and I felt bad Joe has been so sick, but has still come because he is the only one here to see me do something I thought I'd never see myself do. Well, the end of the tunnel is here and it feels great. I know I couldn't have done it without my Father in Heaven, My husband, my family, and wonderful, wonderful friends who have done so much for Joe and I. Thank you everyone! :) We are excited for the next part of our life.... very nervous, but excited. We are starting our family and Joe is hoping to find a career that he enjoys. For now, he'll be selling insurance with Allstate...and who knows, maybe he'll love that. That'd be hard for me to love though. Just saying. And I probably won't start teaching teaching until our children are in school (unless something happens and I need to work) and that will be a while. I better make sure to keep my credentials up! I didn't do this for nothing! I really do want to teach one day! :) Okay, anyways, our next step is to pack and clean this apartment out! It'll be a long couple days, but it's worth it to wait and let Joe get over pneumonia and gain strength back. For now, we can do the little things... like decide what we are trashing or giving to D.I. and putting some things in boxes. Anyways, world! Next time I post, we might be in Henderson, so Merry Christmas!!! :)

Joe and I at my graduation banquet...My cheeks are huge.These are our good friends Luke and Mary and there adorable baby boy Max. They've done so much for us, and I served with Mary in the relief society presidency before her little family moved out of the ward. :)Joe got a snap of me before I went to be awarded my diploma (case, haha).Joe and I after convocation...what a trooper. Poor boy was feeling sicky.This is us and our good friends Kristen, Jared, and their cute new baby Ashlyn (they also have another little girl Kaylee who is almost 2). They are really good friends and I served with Kristen in the relief society presidency before they moved out of the ward. As you can see, they graduated together. How exciting! :)Here's a little snippet of the new BYU-Idaho center auditorium. Beautiful isn't it? This is where we had commencement this morning. Joe and I couldn't be there for the dedication of the building because Joe was bed ridden, so when we marched into here from the gym, my eyes got huge. :) I look like I am on drugs in this picture... hahaMe and my two favorite people :) Joe and Ryker. So glad they could share this special day with me! Love you boys! :)