Graduation

That's all.

I'm only 27!

Last Friday was Josh's birthday!!!
He's handsome.



He unfortunately had to work early in the morning, even though we didn't have school. But that was a good thing, because then I had time to do this:


And Amy and Colin surprised me and showed up to help! How did they know?


They were just as excited to celebrate Josh's birthday as me. I know it. See?



This is Josh right when he saw the surprise. :)



After having an EXTREMELY lazy day, we went here for dinner. True love.



Happy Birthday, my dear Joshua!

I know, I know...

It is amidst this stressful time, where my dear friends, Mrs. Cramps and her sister, Stomach Ache have returned, that I came to this realization (one that many people have told me before):

I am going to miss this. Badly.

As much as I complain about the stress, the cramps, the papers and the reading, I know I will miss this. I know it. I already do. Every time I walk home from campus, I think about how it is the twelfth to last time that I will ever walk home from campus. Then I walk slower. I left my class on Thursday, halfway depressed that I only had one more American Novel class left. I was close to tears as I finished teaching my last clogging class (Tuesday is technically the last day, but we will be watching videos and eating yummy treats- no teaching for me...). And I won't even go into the emotional wreck I've been over the final days of folk dance. That will be saved for a post of its own.

But I will miss school. I will miss the stress. I will miss the all-nighters pulled before my papers are due. I will miss walking across campus. I will miss climbing the RB stairs multiple times a day. I will miss signing up for classes at midnight, trying to get into all the classes I want. I will just miss a lot. I have already started missing it. And it's not even over yet.

Let's please imagine how weepy I will be during graduation. Lovely.

I knew it.

Our 6 Monthiversary

Let us just take a moment to pause from this incredibly stressful week (fyi- not ALL of the things I need to do are on that list I griped about before. Yes, there's more), and celebrate just one thing.

LOVE!


On this day, six short months ago, we were here:



I got to wear this beautiful dress:


And kiss this handsome man:


And be with family all day:



And have these sexy women by my side:

Sorry Jen. I had to...

And have a magical reception:


With yummy cake:



Perfect day.



I love my handsome Joshua.

FYI...

Poor Josh has been sick. Couple that with his mondo-spring allergies. He doesn't feel good. Sickness + Allergies = pink eye.

Now there's me. I haven't had stress cramps for over a week! Huzzah!
But those have been replaced by some kind of stomach pain and nausea (no. I'm not pregnant). Stomach pain and stress + Sick husband = pink eye.

Somehow these two equations don't make sense to me. But my eyeballs are a juicy salmon color, and I'm afraid to touch anything around me, for fear of contaminating others.

Oh. And I'm still not getting through my to-do list very quickly either. I realize it could be worse. I'm not trying to romanticize my stressful life. But still...

To Do: Stay Positive

I get cramps when I am stressed. Similar to those womanly cramps given to me each blessed month. At least I know I have the possibility to have children. Birth control is supposed to relieve those monthly cramps; however, I do believe it has made mine worse. Perfect. Please imagine this past week, when I have those monthly cramps and those stress cramps all together. Basically I sit on the couch with the wonderful heating bean bag thing my new sister-in-law let me borrow a few months ago (I keep forgetting to give it back to her, but I think I'll need to keep it until graduation), and try to focus. This is my to do list:

In the next 17 days, I have to:
- make up at least three class periods for my ballet class (which is at 8:00 in the a.m. Remind me why I took that class???)
- watch video of and critique myself for the above class (which, while wearing a leotard and tights, makes the skinny me feel very fat. Imagine when I'm feeling not-so-skinny. Remind me why I took that class???)
- interview people for my folklore project. I need at least ten "collections."
- put said interviews into an analytical collection format (not too hard, even though it sounds like it, although it does take some time...)
- write a cover essay for the folklore collection project- 8 pages
- present my "work-in-progress" for said project to my folklore class
- read the last third of Moby Dick.
- read the last three-fourths of The Mosquito Coast.
- read all of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
- read all of Daisy Miller.
- read all of The Sun Also Rises.
- write my extra credit paper for the same class that makes me read all those books (Eight novels in one semester is too many).
- write the second application paper for same class- 2 pages
- start the research paper for same class- 8 pages
- further edit my senior thesis, which includes expanding it so that the current 7 pages becomes at least 15 pages.
- prepare a brief draft of my thesis for my 10 minute PRESENTATION of it. This presentation includes pretending like I know anything at all about Art History.
- prepare a slide show for said presentation, except I want to do a Prezi instead.
- beg Amy to help me create a cool Prezi, so at least my facade of art-historical-knowledge is at least presented in an entertaining way
- attend all my classes
- attend rehearsals three times a week (three hours each. lovely.)
- attend Spring Festival of Nations, where I will be presented with my World Dance Minor certificate. At least one thing in this school life is complete.
- Perform our last show of the semester at the Covey Center in Provo. Last Hopak. I will cry.
- Try and get the normal allotted hours of sleep I need. Possible?

In the next 22 days after that, I have to:
- attend a ballet concert for my ballet class, in which I will watch the ballerinas do the things I will never be able to do.
- write a critique of said concert for the ballet class which makes my hips hurt.
- take a written and practical final for ballet. Which is hard.
- turn in my completed folklore project- April 1st
- read American Tall Tales and write a new version of one and share that retold version to the folklore class.
- take the final for my folklore class.
- read all of Eat Pray Love (a book which all the boys in my class wish the teacher would cut from the syllabus of assigned readings. I look forward to reading a book I have already read.)
- turn in research paper for same class.
- write and turn in more extra credit for same class.
- take final for same class.
- PRESENT my senior thesis to my family, friends, strangers and the row of Art History professors who have no idea who I am, and who will ask me all sorts of probing questions about my thesis- questions I'm afraid I won't be able to answer- and I have to look good doing it. Please help me with my Prezi, Amy. April 1st.
- finish and turn in my completed Senior Thesis- a paper that is the "culmination of my college career". What a scary thought. I'm placing my completed college career in the hands of a dead artist, who I don't feel like I actually know.
- GRADUATE. and do everything that comes with said process.
- Still try and get the allotted hours of sleep I need.

Now you know why I have had stress cramps since February. And why the blessed heating bean bag thing has not been returned to Josh's sister.

Colin's Version

Click here to see Colin's take on our relationship. (His February 13th post...)