I'm a College Graduate!

Can you believe it? I sure can't. It seems like just yesterday I was graduating from high school, packing my bags and starting a new chapter in my life in the freshman dorms at BYU. It's hard to believe that that was four short years ago. The time has flown by and saying good-bye to the Y has been the definition of bitter-sweet. On one hand, I'm so sad that my formal education is over; call me crazy, but I love school and am going to miss the whole classroom setting (I guess thats why I became a teacher, so I don't have to give it up cold turkey). I can't even begin to count the time that I spent on the campus, the number of great friends I made there and how much of my life over the past four years is tied to that school. I always get a little nostalgic when a chapter of my life ends...

But on the other hand- I'm done with college!! I have a Bachelor of Science degree! I'm officially an alumni of a major university! I don't have to study anymore! I don't have to drive to Provo anymore! I don't ever have to experience finals week again! This is the sweet part of the bitter-sweet. Oh, how sweet it is.

Graduation was perfect! I went to the commencement speech that Elder Oaks spoke at on Thursday and then the rest of the night was spent at my grandma and grandpa Hymas' house. Friday morning I walked at my college's convocation which was so rewarding after all my hard work. Bennett was ridiculously thoughtful as usual and planned the rest of the day. We had a delicious lunch at Biaggi's with all of my family and Bennett's family. Later that night, my mom and dad had everyone over for games and Bennett made homemade ice cream (my favorite) for me. It was such a great couple of days full of celebrations with all of my favorite people. I am so grateful for all of the support I had from Bennett, my family and in-laws.

 Just before the commencement speech with Benito 

 After the commencement speech with some of my siblings

 With mom and dad

 Couldn't have made it through college without these three

 The girls (and little baby James coming soon!)

 With Aubrie and Emily after convocation

 After convocation with my mom and dad

 More with these three after convocation

 Grandma and Grandpa Child

 The whole Hymas clan

 With some of my very favorite professors

 With Grandma and Grandpa Hymas

With McKenna and Emily after convocation

Celebrating with games and homemade ice cream and my mom and dad's house Friday night

Thanks again everyone who showed me love and support this weekend and throughout my entire college experience! 

Failure

Remember the last time I wrote on my blog and how I made a big to-do about going private at the beginning of the year? Clearly, I failed. Not only did I fail to make my blog private, but I have failed to even look at my blog, and anyone else's for that matter, for the past four and a half months. In fact, I almost forgot I had a blog until my sister-in-law texted me tonight asking me if I had one.  

Now, it seems that it would be a little anti-climatic to make my blog private after a non-threatening, 4 1/2 month threat. So, to all of you who so graciously offered me your email addresses- thank you! I can now send you emails, although I'm racking my brain and can't seem to identify many reasons of why I would need to send you emails. So, scratch that. More importantly, if in the near or distant future I do decide to make my blog private, I will already know where I can send some invitations.

Why, might you ask, have I taken a four and a half month sabbatical from blogging? Well, rather than rambling on and on in paragraph form, I will enlighten you using my personal favorite: the list.

• The Christmas season was jam packed with family parties and enjoying life so much so that I didn't ever want to waste a second sitting at my computer blogging about it
• I started (and finished) my student teaching! My first block was in a fifth grade class which I loved more than life itself. Yes, I cried on my last day. My second block was in a second grade class, which I loved, but not more than life itself. If I discovered only one thing during my student teaching, it was that upper grades is where my heart belongs. But, I loved each experience for many different reasons. It's hard for me to believe that I'm finished with the Elementary Education program at BYU- I'm fairly certain my life has revolved around it for the past two years and now I'm done. I've made some of my best friends in that program (Jordan Cohort Forever!) and we better have monthly lunch dates for the rest of our lives (Aubrey, McKenna, Emily, I'm talking to you). I also learned more than I even thought possible, which I will use not only in my classroom, but raising our kids as well. But most importantly, I found what I am passionate about, sometimes annoyingly so- sometimes I feel bad for Bennett because practically all I talk about is teaching, but he patiently listens and acts interested. Well, so much for trying to avoid paragraph form. My apologies. 
• Bennett started his new job in January at an accounting firm in Salt Lake, where he's loving going to work and getting awesome experience- and building his resume- yay! 
• Bennett's plugging along through another semester of school 
• We've spent tons of time hanging out with family and friends
• We took a short trip to St. George to watch my brothers play in their high school tennis tournament 
• We celebrated Bennett's 23rd birthday!! He's just getting so old. 
• I have no idea what else has kept us so busy, but I feel like we've hardly been able to breathe, in a good way of course. We can't wait for the summer and for life to slow down just a little bit. 

So, I apologize for the long absence. I would promise that I will never do it again, but let's face it, I will. Who knows when the next time I write on it will be, but with a small break before I start teaching full time, I may be able to squeeze in a few posts. Although, this beautiful change in the weather isn't going to help my cause at all. Who wants to be inside on a computer when it's finally warm outside?