Grades are up.

A simple statement. I just finished my last semester of classes and my grades did not turn out as they usually do. I am 100% ok with that.

And in a sudden twist of events

So yesterday I was talking to Dan about how I love riding the bus and I love the bus drivers who are always so nice. But like in any good movie, today was when it all came crashing down. I felt like the smiling naive character with the happy theme music when suddenly the soundtrack had a twist. After running to the bus stop this morning, I realized that in my rush to make sure I didn't miss my bus I had forgotten to eat breakfast. That was no big deal, I just ate part of my lunch and launched into North and South, my fun and first non-text book for the summer. I enjoyed the walk from stop to stop at my bus transfer. I even found just the right bench that had a nice back and wasn't aligned with the exhaust of waiting buses passing before my own. At last my bus pulled up and stopped slightly past all the benches. I was just walking along side the bus when it started to drive away! Cue the frantic music. My hands were full but I used my book to bang on the side of the bus as I ran next to it (so much for professional!). I finally caught up to the bus at the next stop light, waved at the driver, and signaled back to the stop to indicate what had happened. The driver looked at me and shrugged and drove on. I walked most of the rest of the way to work and finally caught a bus to take me the last 5 blocks. I was then lectured by the driver for not appropriately signaling when I wanted off the bus. On the way home, I caught my first bus just barely...it was beautiful. Maybe I was going to reconcile with the bus system after all. That was until a long crosswalk made me miss my next bus. I hope that this will be one of those movies where the plot moves quickly and the issue is resolved before the end of the song. Fade to the next morning...

Here there and everywhere

some things I've been meaning to say:

1. James took a huge strawful of Icee while at the zoo on Friday and got a brain freeze...or at least that is what we deduced from the crying and spitting of Icee. Sad at first, funny soon after :)

2. From cinder block to all-weather-Walmarts. On Monday we left our Wymount home forever--very bittersweet. We are now at our new place in Salt Lake City. We found the closest Walmart and it has covered parking that extends to the door so on a rainy day when you just really need some chicken noodle soup, you never even have to get wet on your soup-seeking excursion to Walmart.

3. My first day at my internship was great. I think I am really going to like my supervisor and I think I already know that I prefer the hospital setting to the schools.

4. Although we tend to seek peace and refuge from picturesque scenes from nature, today I found that the hustle and bustle of the city is also quite poetic. I took the bus to the hospital and it was really fun (although the novelty will probably wear off I guess). Anyway, the activity of the city streets around me made my own chaotic mind seem at peace in comparison. Who would have thought? I am looking forward to getting a book to read on the bus too.

A great weekend in MI

I am one of those people who is always a little sad when a much anticipated event comes to an end, no matter how great it was. This weekend was so fun, but I am sad that the trip is over. This doubles as a journal entry, I apologize for the length.

James has always been above average in behavior and cuteness, but he really outdid himself this weekend. I can't tell you how many people talked to me about how James makes them want kids or grandkids more than ever. He was definitely at his best.

On Wednesday we finished finals and tried desperately to finish packing and cleaning our apartment. Alas, we will be returning tomorrow. We arrived at our Salt Lake apartment at around 1 or 2 in the morning and finished preparing for our trip to Michigan. The advantage of a short night's sleep was that James slept most of the way on both plane rides. He was stealing hearts from the time he began trying to get the gold dots off the floor map in the security line at the airport on Thursday until he helped the flight attendant wave good-bye to all the passengers when we arrived again in SLC today.

Thursday night after arriving in Detroit we went to a nice dinner with my dad, his fiancee (now wife), and my grandpa. Dan had a fun time being quizzed by and quizzing my Grandpa. I think he's in. Dianne, Dad's wife, won James over very quickly. By the time we got back from dinner he just played with her for the rest of the evening without any regard for where his mommy and daddy were. Dan didn't get back from the airport with Joe, Lauren, Mike, and Linda in our "Jeppson Shuttle" minivan until about 2:30am. We all stayed together at my Dad's house in his basement and guest bedroom.

Friday the three of us kids and spouses went to the Detroit zoo. It was interesting seeing James try to figure it out. Since he has no concept associated with any animal names besides 'doggy', he couldn't figure out what he was supposed to be looking at unless the animal was moving. His favorite was the prairie dogs (probably because they moved a lot and had the word 'dog' in the name). Friday night was a family dinner at my new step-aunt's AMAZING house. We really like all of Dianne's family (not just because they have deluxe theatre rooms in their basement). My Dad's parents and two of his brothers were also there. James got to swim and play his little heart out. He was SO well behaved considering he did not get much of a nap between the zoo and the dinner. We eventually got home at 2 in the morning.

A short 6 1/2 hours later we were all up for a Saturday morning game of golf. I did terribly, but I think Dan has a new future hobby. James, again, was wonderful just hanging out on my lap, playing with golf balls, and finally falling asleep in the golf cart. After a substantial nap we went to the wedding that night. The hotel was almost as beautiful as the bride and everything went perfectly. James crashed in a portable crib for the whole ceremony and the first part of dinner. He had a special chicken nugget, macaroni and cheese, and french fry dinner with ranch dressing and ketchup accompanying it in fancy glass dishes. He ate and danced and just continued showing off his best and most sparkling personality.

After a group hug with Dan, Mike, and Joe at the airport, we all caught flights at about the same time this morning. Our flights were pretty uneventful. We were all so tired that we just tried to sleep most of the time. What a great weekend. We are SO happy for my Dad and Dianne. It will be fun to visit my dad, Dianne, and Stephanie (Dianne's daughter) in Michigan once we are in Rochester and only 6-8 hours away.

Multifaceted

Today is very multifaceted. It is our last day attending the ward we've been in for 2 years, very bittersweet. It is also Father's Day, which I love because James has the most amazing Daddy. Today is also Dan and my 2 year wedding anniversary! What a great 2 years it has been! Dan and I also spoke in church today. There were lots of emotions in me this morning, that's for sure.

In the "good news minute" at church I got to announce that this past week James started walking and that I scheduled my thesis defense. I thought that it was an interesting illustration of my schizophrenic life with all the roles I am trying to play.

What a great day!

Is grad school as good as it gets?

I too often find myself thinking "What do they have to complain about?". I keep forgetting that I, especially, do not have any right to complain about life. When faced with a decision a year and a half ago to either have a baby and try to fit grad school in later or go to grad school right away and put off having a baby, I decided, "Why can't I have it all?". So that is what I have had this past year: it all. By "it all" I mean an amazing and supportive husband, an adorable loving son, the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience, and the associations with amazing colleagues in my master's program. I have learned so much that I believe will help me to be a better wife, mother, friend, church member, community member, and speech-language pathologist. At the same time, I am SO excited to be done in August and to stay home and be a full-time wife and mother. The dean of graduate studies (who I respect immensely and is actually on my thesis committee) gave a lecture to first year graduate students about how in many ways this is as good as it gets. At the same time, an instructor of a marriage-prep class I took told us how the hardest time in his marriage was during grad school. It is amazing to me that I can look back at almost any time in my life and wish that I could relive it, including the past year. Every phase of my life so far has been the best phase. I wanted to put this in writing as a commitment to make the next phase, and each one after that, the best phase of my life.