Graduation!

After five and a half years, 12 semesters, and 129 credit hours...

I finally completed my schooling! (At least for now, I will probably eventually go back and get my masters because I really like school and know I am going to miss it greatly.) I graduated with honors from Weber State University with a bachelor's degree in English with creative writing emphasis and technical writing minor on December 11, 2009! It feels so dang good to complete something so big. Especially, something that I always said I would do and had set as a goal for myself at a young age. The automatic question on everyone's tongue is "Now what?" and that is a very good question. For now I am going to focus on being a good mommy to my little Hadley girl.

But as far as work and my degree are concerned I have been working on a few projects from home at nap time to earn a little extra cash and, more importantly, experience. I helped a professor from Weber with the interior layout and design for her memoir, Cachitos Dulces: sweet bits and pieces, and designed her cover. I am in the last stages of designing the cover and we are hoping to publish very soon through Lulu. I also am transcribing an interview for a WSU yearly publication. If anyone has ever transcribed, they know it is an interesting experience. It took me almost 8 hours to type a 1 hour interview and I still have to go back and edit punctuation and paragraphs, etc. As well as look up terms that I have no idea how to spell since the subject is scientific and has some crazy scientific terms. Adding to the interest factor but not making the assignment easier, the man being interviewed has a British accent. This means I also have to listen to the interview another time or two while reading it and make sure I didn't miss anything or type anything wrong.

I have been lucky to gain some good experience to put on my resume over the last year, including layout and design for ERGO, the undergrad research journal for Weber, and working as a copy editor for the Signpost, Weber's Newspaper. Once I finish my current projects I hope I can find more things that I can do from home and make a little extra cash while I perform my most important role of being a mother. I also still serve one or two nights a week at good ol' Pepperbelly's to make quick cash.

It feels so good to know that I am done with school, although it is a weird feeling knowing that I don't have homework and won't again unless I do go back. After having homework on my to-do list for the last 18 years of my life it is so strange to go through my mental checklist and still think clean the house, make dinner, do homework, oh wait no homework. Now I just need to get Jake through. He only has a year and a half left so he's getting there. I just wish he liked school more because I feel like his mom always asking if his homework is done and when his assignments are due. Having all online classes and a full time schedule doesn't go well with Jake's disinterest and lack of motivation when it comes to school . He is also working more than full time hours at the stupid gym. So he is a very busy boy and it makes me sad that Hadley and I don't get to see much of him. He is such a wonderful man and is so good to work as hard as he does.

Looking forward to better days with more family time.

(and more money! ha)

Dallin's hair is up in his little asian style bun in this pic but it's longer than mine and probably as long as mine was in high school/when I got married!

Grandma was really excited about getting a picture with four generations! It's so fun for Hadley to be the first neice, grandchild and great grandchild in my family. As soon as we get to a family gathering it's always a fight of who gets to hold her first and they keep tabs, "You've already held her twice and I've only held her once!" It's quite funny.
Mom and Steve, Steve love's Hadley tons! It's so cute cuz he's just a step and has only been a part of the family a few months longer than Jake. I think Hadley has really brought us closer.

The purple and white cord is for the honors!

New Year's Goals

I have so many goals for the new year and one of them is getting better at taking pictures, blogging and just recording mine, Jake, and Hadley's lives. I'm trying to get back on the Blog Wagon! Blogs hopefully to come include: Halloween, Graduation, Hadley's 1st Christmas, and lots of other cute pics and things about my little Hadley girl.
Other goals include:
Spiritual- the usuals (reading scriptures, praying more, family home evening, and temple attendance)
Physical- I have started a dance class! My first time was last week and I loved it! I have been thinking about it all week and can't wait until our next class Wednesday night at 8:30. I was so sore after last weeks class because I forgot that I'm not as flexible as I used to be and was kicking my leg way up there like I was still a high school cheerleader instead of five years later and a new mom. Haha. I also want to try to go to more yoga classes and just make it to the gym more in generall. If I can't make it to the gym, the goal is to at least work out at home. I have done this two days so far so I'm at least making progress!
I guess cooking and eating healthy from fresher ingredients would be in the physical category. I also want to plant a garden so I can grow my own fresh ingredients but I don't know that this will happen this year since I live in a mortuary apartment and don't have anywhere to put a garden. I do have two small planters back there, so maybe I can work some magic with those. I really have no clue when it comes to gardening so it will be an interesting adventure.
Home- I guess cooking could also be in this category... I have the usual goals of getting my house organized and I want my mom to help me Feng Shui my house since she is now an expert after her week long course on Feng Shui in California.
Financial Goals: Mostly just getting out of debt! So we can finally save money and get into a house! Although, I do have mixed feelings about this because I would like to live outside the country and travel more before settling into a house and it's kind of stupid for us to move out of our sweet setup here at the mortuary, unless we are like building or moving into a house that we plan on being in for a while.