Graduation...kinda.

Matt graduated on a Saturday and was back at school the following Monday. Happy graduation... Graduating Law School is a giant let down. Congratulations... you are now qualified to start studying for the BAR. For the next ten weeks he'll be studying twelve plus hours a day. Our slogan for Summer 2014 is LAME! No fun and all study makes Matt something something.  (Simpsons quote... anyone...?)

When I first met Matthew, he was working at a soils lab on BYU's campus. Law school was not on his radar but then within a few months of being married, he decided to take the LSAT. I think the process of studying, taking the exam and applying to schools happened within three months. Waiting for response letters seemed to take forever. I still remember the first acceptance package that arrived, I couldn't wait for Matt to get home so I drove up to his work and surprised him. I  just started jumping up and down as I passed it to him and continued to do so while he read.

I also remember being pregnant with William and thinking, we will have an almost three year old by the time Matt graduated. That thought was so weird and crazy to the both of us.

Now we have two.

This purple velvet and black polyester robe represents so much to me. Firstly, how relieved I am that as a society we've veered away from ceremonial robes.  

But mostly, it sends me down a mushy and sentimental memory montage of long nights, early mornings, deadlines, resume revising, on campus interviewing, saturdays in the library, moving six different times, journal meetings and the dreaded blue book. I almost burnt that blasted blue book on at least three occasions. 

And with all that said, there are happy memories of babies being born, trips to the coast, voodoo donuts, friends that became family, training for our first half marathon, first steps, pumpkin patches, library story time, ice cream at prince pücklers, splash pool, bowling and mini golf.

I really do start to cry when I think about leaving Eugene and the friends we've come to know and love... I'll save you the tears on my keyboard though. 

The ceremony was wonderful and a lot more entertaining than I had expected. William spent a lot of time out in the hall with Nanny (thanks mom for taking one for the team!) My favorite quote of the night was, "People say that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. After law school I know that's not true. Whatever doesn't kill you, only makes you cry in the shower" - Frank Lin

So here's to our next adventure and our seventh move in four years of marriage. We are packing up the family and heading three hours south of Eugene to the small town of Klamath Falls. Matt accepted a job as the deputy director of a non profit organization. He'll be representing agricultural water rights in the Klamath basin.

My hat is off to you, Deputy.