A Chapter Ends, A New One Begins

Yesterday was a big day for all of us. Joey graduated with his MBA!!!! Although the ceremony was a little too long for Em I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I am so proud of my husband for all that he has accomplished and love that I was able to be by his side supporting him the whole time. I didn't think I would be as emotional as I was; I started crying while taking pictures before the ceremony even started. And the tears didn't stop then. They flowed when all of the spouses and children of graduating students were asked to stand. It was a long road for all of us with many things sacrificed but it was worth it and I love him all the more for his dedication and all that he was able to achieve.
I know what I am about to write will be hard for some of you to believe/understand but here I go. I can't believe I am actually going to say this, but I am going to miss Provo. I know it is crazy to hear that from me especially if you go back to the post I wrote two years ago when we started our grad school adventure. I will miss Provo for these few reasons; I loved the townhome and community we lived in and my neighbor, you know who you are, as well as the BYU MBA program that provided my husband an all around education and opportunity to succeed in his career, and lastly I will miss Provo because of the MBASA (Spouse Association). This association saved me during the two years my husband was MIA. Although I didn't go to every activity and become best friends with everyone, I did get involved as much as I wanted to and made several really good friends that I will remember always and hopefully keep in touch with. I feel like I am leaving my family and going far, far, away. Wait, I am leaving my MBASA family, my immediate family and moving far, far, away. However, I am looking forward to it and I am getting excited about the idea of visiting so many beautiful and historical places.

BBQ with friends to celebrate the end of two wonderful years

Before graduation at the Marriott Center

Where has the time gone?

This past month has probably been one of the craziest months we have experienced. It started with the loss of my amazing grandmother at the age of 94. I could probably write a whole post dedicated to her but I will save that for my personal journal. I will say though that I have a lot to live up to and a great example to follow. If I ever start thinking that life is too hard and that I have had to face unbearable challanges I just think of my grandmother who has endured everything from a mother who tried to drown her in a river when she was just a baby, getting married at age 15, and losing several children and a husband (my father's father who died while my father was in the womb). Although she had to go through these trials you would never know it; she was the happiest, most optimistic person I ever met. I will miss her beautiful face but will cherish the memories that I have and always keep her in my heart. Love you grandma.

We returned from the funeral on a Tuesday evening and flew to CO the following afternoon. We were welcomed by a typical March snow storm. After spending about a week in CO I met Joey at the airport, leaving our beautiful daughter with grandma and grandpa, to fly to CT to search for a place for us to live. We spent one full day looking at places and felt really good about a home in the town of Ellington. We haven't signed a lease yet, we are still waiting for our application to be approved, but we sure hope everything falls into place because we love everything about it. The best part of our trip to CT was meeting up with our good friends Dan, Anne and Beckett for dinner at a "Food Network" recommended restaurant in Manchester called Shady Glen (great idea Dan). It was a delicious meal but even better company. I sure miss my little Beckett, the moment I saw him he ran up to me and gave me a huge hug which made me feel so special. I look forward to many more dinners and get together's...next one is on us!! The next morning we flew back to CO and only stopped for a moment to see our baby and grab a bite to eat before heading to the car dealership where we finally got ourselves a four-door/second vehicle. My two-door isn't cutting it these days and well, we need a second car. It felt good to wrap up a few of the tasks on our To Do list as we close out the end of grad school and head back to the real world. It is a bittersweet time for us. I have really enjoyed the two years we have been at BYU and will miss all of our friends but I am looking forward to a new adventure and meeting new people in a place I never imagined living. Connecticut is a beautiful place and I know we will love it once we get settled in. Plus I am looking forward to all of our family and friends who have promised to come visit us. I promise we will invest in a really good air mattress!

To wrap up our crazy month/trip we were able to celebrate Easter with my family by watching the LDS General Conference and enjoying a delicious meal before once again heading to the airport. We are so grateful for our Savior and the life he lived and the gift of the Resurrection that he has given to each of us. The gospel has blessed our lives in so many ways; knowing that we will be a family forever gives me joy beyond description, knowing that there is a living prophet on the earth to guide us during these latter days gives me hope and knowing that I am daughter of divine heritage gives me comfort and confidence in who I am.

Here are a few snapshots of CO with my family Spending time with grandpa at the zooLoving the elephants but distracted by something else

Grabbing first Easter egg to dye

So excited to be holding an egg but not quite sure what to do next

She chose blue as her first color and loved holding onto the wire egg holder