No title can suffice

Shocked...Overwhelemed....Scared...Sad...Disbelief...Depressed...Overwhelmed...Tired...Loved...Relief, Committed...Assured. Let me tell you that when I said Monday was emotionally draining, it was. Those are all the emotions that we went through just on Monday. It was the start of what we would feel throughout the next 4 days.

In the past 4 days we packed our ENTIRE house. All 6 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms, 1 office, 1 family room, 1 front room, 1 kitchen, 1 dusty attic, and 1 cluttered garage. The playground is staying, I don't care how much it cost, we'll consider it an investment in the house! Then last night, in 2 hours, some great men and great friends helped us move our ENTIRE house into storage. To shut the door for 5 long months.

I can't explain to you in words what it feels like. We've never had to make life changing decisions so quickly and surely. But at the same time the answers have come quicker and with a firmness than ever before. When I said that we're going to take it one day, that's literally what we've had to do. With the end results still the same our life has been ever so changing.

At the end of the day Mike and I have crashed with exhaustion from filling our day with never ending packing. And the kids have crashed with exhaustion from a grandpa taking them to the park in the morning and friends letting them play at their houses in the afternoons. I know it's dramatic, but it feels like part of me is going away. The part of me that LOVES my house HERE, my friends
HERE, my ward HERE, my daugthers schoool HERE, the 9 1/2 years of marriage we've spent HERE. So I'll mourn for a little bit, get it over with and then move on.

Our truly inspired Bishop called us earlier in the week and told Mike he had a couple tickets for the Saturday morning dedication session at the temple. And Mike was right on when he told him we would love them, that would probably be the thing that keeps us from going crazy. So after a hectic week we woke up early this morning took the kids over to an awesome friends house, who was willing to take our kids at 8 in the morning. And went to the beautiful new temple sitting on the hill just 10 minutes from our house. Once we walked into the temple all the stresses we have went away.

Last night I couldn't tell you what we had for dinner, today we were able to take it in, awe at the beautiful lines, gorgeous chandeliers, flowing decorations from one room to the next. We got there the requested 30 minutes early and sat down in our seats and watched the slide show of this beautiful temple we were sitting in. The gleaming rooms, and intricately designed glass windows. And we listened to inspiring music by MoTab. The ceremony was perfect, the speakers were uplifting. We could definitely feel the spirit, that same spirit you feel when you do a temple session.
When Mike and I walked out we had a very quite ride home, you could tell the weight of the past week and the week to come was back but with a lighter burden. The decisions we've made so far were re-confirmed to us.

We've got another long week ahead that is bound to go by too fast. With so many things to do and not enough hours to do them, we'll have to take this week one day at a time too.

On another note, we're taking our blog private. Probably by the first week of September. I'm have mixed feelings, I like being able to share with anyone but it's time. So leave me your email address and I'll take it down and then delete them.

And it just keeps comin...

There was a list of things we really wanted to get done before Mike headed off to the other side of the US and we headed to Cali. The last thing being his graduation. He really wanted to walk and we really wanted to see it. So it would be perfect for him to get a call in the MIDDLE of the graduation ceremony telling him they are ready, it's all up to him and his physical fitness test. When Mike told me my big question was WHEN? Understandable, this is our life that's changing big time and a date would help alieve so much stress. Mike said first thing Monday morning he would call, after the celebrating and after the craziness calmed down.
Well he didn't get that chance to call. Because first thing Monday morning(that would be today) they called and said they want him on a plane on Aug 29 for class to start Aug 30. I was in the room only hearing one side of the conversation so I was on pins and needles wanting to know what was going on. When he got off the phone and told me he was leaving in LESS then 2 weeks, Yea I FREAKED out!! I am still freaking out. It is kinda of a take it or we're not sure when the offer will come again. So of course he took it.
What does this mean? This means in the next week and a half we're packing like mad, putting everything in storage and me and the kids are heading to Cali. Today has been emotionally draining and I still don't think it has sunk in all the way. We had this idea that it would be not until the middle of Sept at least. But plans change, and we've gotta change with them, right?
I'm not ready to say goodbye's yet, I've cried enough already thinking about all the stuff needing to be done. After being here for just about 10 years it's real hard to try and leave it in 10 days. But we're going to take it one day at a time with a lot of faith and prayer.

Oh what a DAY

FINALLY.... So Mike did it! He's absolutely done with school. No more late school nights on Wednesday nights. No more writting a paper last minute. No more group meetings. NO MORE! And we celebrated the past couple days as proof. Family came out, friends arrived, and parties were given.

I can't tell you how proud I am of him. There was nothing more rewarding then watching him get dressed up in his cap, gown, and HOOD and recieving his diploma. We are so greatful for our friends and families and his coworkers who have helped and encouraged him and us through it. So we decided to have a luncheon to celebrate. We made reservations at The Garden Resturaunt at the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It was delicious, and such a great atmosphere to enjoy food and friends.

Mike invited his co-workers that he's gotten really close too. They are great people and he really enjoys and looks up to them. He's sad to leave, but they are really supportive of him. Yes that would be Dustin in the back wearing his Ute's shirt. He was almost asked to leave. JK. We got him back, everything in the gift bags were BYU! I got up and gave a little speech. I'm not the speech giving type at all. Mike has always been the public speaker in our house and will always be. But I wanted to tell everyone how much we appriciated them.

It's not just the fact that Mike got his MPA, he was one of 35 that got their MPA's that day and one of thousands that get their Masters yearly. But it's everything he was able to accomplish while getting his MPA. I started thinking back over the past 3 years and what he's done and when the list got long enough that I had to start writing it down it made me really impressed of him. Here's just a couple things.

-When Mike started his MPA he worked as a Supivisor at 5 am in the morning. That means getting up at 3:30 to get up and off to the airport. On Wed, when he had school, he would wake up at that horrible time and not get home till 10:30pm and then get up again Thur morn at 3:30am.

-He was promoted twice at work

-Promoted once in his guard unit

-During the first half he was the Young Mens secretary

-The second half he was the YM president

-He started a month after we had Christian

-We had Kaki in the middle of it

-Was in the gaurd the whole time, which is a part time job

-The last 6 months this application process has seriously been a part time job

-Every summer he did his military camp for 2 weeks

-I cant even remember how many times he's had to go for training for his current job. DC, San Jose, Colorado Springs, Oklahoma City, Miami, Burbank

There are also lots of things we've passed up to make sure his schooling came first and got done.

-His commision

-We put off the Fed Gov(I know shocking)

-TDY's to DC making A LOT of money

-TDY's over seas for fun

-A TDY to the middle East (mandatory, but delivering Kaki got him out of the first month, and school got him out of the rest)

-A couple family vacations postponed

We wouldn't change anything though. We're so glad he's done! So after the luncheon we went to the Main Street Plaza and took some pictures.

Then off to Provo for the main event. Poor Mike started not feeling well on the way to down. He got a fever and the shakes and sweats. We thought great it's the flu and all his family is in town. He managed to make it through his graduation but after when we were taking pictures you could tell he was sick. So we went home and he slept until the next evening and woke up feeling fine.

Nothing more rewarding than a sweet kiss from a sweet Kaki!

I totally feel I should be getting something too. It was definitely a team effort!

YEAHHHH!!! He did it!!!!