The Graduation of the Decade

Shawn and I started out this journey 10 years ago. Wowzers!
He has been in school every single day of our marriage (I know, except holidays, but you get what I mean). 
And on Friday, May 19th it came to an end.

THERE ARE NO WORDS!

It was a little surreal sitting there, watching Shawn graduate. Contrary to what he wrote on his application essay…. he had NO idea what he wanted to do with himself after receiving his Bachelors in Chemistry. The extent of his Optometric knowledge was that they prescribe glasses, period. This all changed when he kept a friend company on a road trip to Southern California to check out an Optometry school. Shawn was just going along for the ride. He called me that day and his exact words were, “I have decided to become an Optometrist.” I actually laughed (is that mean?) But seriously, your husband leaves in the morning, and has his future planned by the afternoon…. okay?

And here we are, 4 years later…. with that future fulfilled!
The journey was not easy for any of us. The dean of Optometry laid out the facts that over the course of his schooling, Shawn has:
“Sat through 1,710 hours of lecture
Participated in 690 hours of lab exercises
Took 72 midterms
35 written final exams
5 lab finals
Passed at least 35 mini proficiencies
Passes 1 big proficiency at the end of the second year
They spent 1,960 hours in clinic
and for the privilege they paid $42 per hour”

But he’s not the only one who had to endure that. Those stats were our life. I’ll spare you from going on and on. Let me just say that when I look at that diploma I feel like they omitted 4 names: Kristina, Jefferson, Grant, and Reagan. Maybe I’ll scribble our names lightly on the back… no one will know but me (well, and you now).

Friday morning the graduates had a “Hooding Ceremony”, where they received their hoods together as a class. It was intimate and emotional. Shawn’s friend, Dave Glabe, gave an AMAZING valedictorian speech. The keynote speaker gave 7 useful tips for entering the field of Optometry and ended with the emotional advice that none of them forget the importance of putting their families first. The school hosted a simple lunch… and we rushed home to get our kids ready for the commencement ceremony.

I know…. pictures already!!! Here they come…

Here we are waiting for the graduates to enter. I know it meant a lot to Shawn to have 4 of his brothers in attendance. L to R: Ryan, Aaron, Monty. Nick is busy with the video camera I put him in charge of. My boys spend most of the ceremony listening to an audiobook.

Reagan and Aaron.

Monty, Shawn’s dad... just waiting in the heat!

As soon as the band started playing “Pomp and Circumstance” I was a blubbering baby. Like I said earlier, it was surreal.
   

I was sitting in the aisle and Shawn walked right by me to his seat… which didn’t help my blubbering emotions. But I felt lucky to be able to steal one last kiss. Here he is walking into the stadium.
   

And… he sat 3 rows in front of us. I guess sitting in the back can have its advantage…. for taking excellent ‘back-of-the-head’ shots!

The ceremony itself was 2 hours long. It was a pretty hot day…. but I cannot complain because it poured rain for the next 4 days following. This is what Reagan did during the ceremony….

And the boys, well, this is what they did while they waited for their Dad….

Finally, Shawn’s name was called. I remember thinking how lucky he was to have a ramp to walk up…. he had been so paranoid of tripping.

Being Hooded by the Dean of Optometry
  

And receiving his diploma….

Walking back to his seat as Shawn Skinner O.D. (Doctor of Optometry) It’s almost as if he got more handsome since walking off the stage, don’t you think?

Wow, even the back of his head is better looking!

And here’s Shawn walking out of the stadium. Don’t his shoulders look lighter?

The ceremony was over… it was picture time…..
Here’s a shot of everyone who came to support Shawn. His parents, his 4 brothers, my mom, and us of course. I know what a sacrifice it was for everyone to fly up here, and we thank you!

Shawn’s parents, Monty and Peggy.

The brothers. L to R: Monty, Nick, Shawn, Ryan (nice smile), and Aaron.

Shawn and my mom

My mom and I. Looks like I’m giving her a tummy punch!

There was a group of guys who stuck together through all 4 years. Here’s the bunch. Just look at these handsome Doctors.
L to R: Devin Farr, Eric Johansen, Colton Crowther, Aaron Cole, Shawn, Brandon Reed, Dave Parkinson, Dave Glabe, Seth Jensen, Scott Pitts

And us wives… I could not have survived without these girls! I’m serious. Do NOT go to graduate school without making a group of friends like these… you will die otherwise. That is my one piece of advice. That, and also that the years really do fly by…. so don’t waste a moment with your friends!
L to R: Tana, Jen, Jenny, Claudia, Me, Jen, Tara, Brianne, Sierra, and Erin

All of us. We not only had Optometry school in common… we were neighbors (really really close neighbors), we had children woes, husband woes, financial woes, and more.  What a shock to leave this comfort behind and enter the REAL WORLD. We’re all going to different places across the U.S. This makes me sad, and saying goodbye was especially hard. But it’s not all doom and gloom, because………

We can FINALLY buy fabric at RETAIL!!!!!
at least that’s what has me jumping for joy.

It was hard to say goodbye to this girl in particular. I’m really going to miss you Jen…. but Georgia is only 6 hrs. from us… that’s nothin’

Shawn and Brandon… who not only graduated Optometry school together, but will graduate Officer Training together in 1 month…. oh scary, in an exciting way!

Our Family.

Some people may say that we did things backwards…. having children, then getting the career. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. True, there was sacrifice involved. But these children never wanted for anything! Shawn, you gave them what they all needed individually, and more! At their ages they will always remember their Dads’ graduation day. What an example you have set for them…. one they won’t just hear about you having accomplished…. one they could see (and be a part of). Take a look at these pictures….. One was taken right before Shawn began school, the other just last week. (Jefferson Hall was the building Shawn’s classes were held in). It’s clear how much our children grew over this 4 year journey.
  

Honey, I was such a proud wife on this day… actually, the effects are still lingering. I hope they always will. I know better than anyone what it took for you to get here. I laugh at the size of that ginormous diploma… but in fact, it’s not quite big enough!

I LOVE YOU!

Preschool Graduation

Today was a special day for this little girl.
Just look how excited she is….

Today Reagan graduated Preschool. Well, not exactly graduated (we’ll be doing this again next year)…. but what the heck.
I have to document this tonight before all the craziness of “the Graduation of the Decade” happens in 2 days and I forget to post these pictures.

Anyways, Reagan began this year with a love/hate preschool relationship. She wanted to go…. but would cry when we got there. Her teacher, Lynda had to pry her (screaming) out of my arms. It made me feel like the best mom in the world. But we stuck it out… I’m glad we did. She LOVES preschool and gets disappointed when she can’t go.
Here’s some pictures from her big day today.

Both AM and PM classes (Reagan was in PM)

Keeping her “eye on the grand ‘ol flag”. I swear I thought she was going to fall over backwards from looking so high!
Her dress was hiked up through the entire program by that ridiculous star clapper. It drove me bonkers! (and still is)

My favorite part. Not because I didn’t have to listen to preschool songs anymore, but because it was pretty adorable.

Her Daddy got her some special flowers. Yes, her and I compete for his attention at home.

With mommy and daddy. If I look tired and chubby, it’s because I am….

Here’s Reagan with one her best friends, Harper. Reagan is extremely friend picky (understatement), but she adores Harper. They get along really well and I’m sad we’re leaving yet another great friend. (don’t worry, I have more sob stories coming up in future posts)

Here she is with her 2 teachers, Lynda and Chris. They put up with Reagan (and me) crying for months. Yes, me… because I felt like the best mom in the world, remember. These were the best pictures I got.
 
This is the 2nd best

I know how much today meant to Reagan because she let me dress her up, do her hair, and paint her nails…. none of which she ever does. It was fun to celebrate with her. We went out to lunch afterwards, her choice. She chose Yogurt Munch, a frozen yogurt place. So, we filled up on that for lunch, yum. Whatever her little heart desires.

Congratulations Reagan! You graduated preschool and now you’re off to…. well, another year of preschool. At least you’ve got a head start!

There’s a new Ranger in town

It’s baseball season again….. which means we are eating, drinking, and sleeping baseball because Grant it completely obsessed.
If it’s not raining, we’re outside playing catch and hitting balls. If it is raining, he is inside tossing the ball in the house. Grant is relentless, and SERIOUS about this game.

FYI: If you read any further, you will find a fair amount of boasting. You’ve been warned.

This year he’s in Little League, none of that T-nonsense. His coach from last year called Grant a couple months ago to make sure he was signing up for baseball and to request he be on his team. So, pretty much my son was drafted to the Texas Rangers…. right?

He has games twice a week, which can be tiring, but we love going. The games are actually thrilling… yes, for Little League. In last nights game Grant and another boy made a triple play. The other team was stunned, and there were tears. Man I wish I’d had the video camera (for the play, not the tears).

Here’s Grant throwing the ball that got another runner out at first.

He’s got an awesome throw, powerful hit, and he runs at lightning speed! Grant doesn’t mess around…. he’s here to learn how to play his best, and do it! He’s a quick learner too, which I think the coach likes.
Here he is at bat. I have to roll his pants under because he’s so darn skinny.

Bookin’ it to first base (with his tongue stinking out)

Running home….

Way to go Grant! We love watching you play.

I see a fun future here. Not major leagues (I’m not that delusional)… but as long as he loves the game. He’s sure got the skill!
and in the hollered words of his coach, “You are freakin’ awesome Grant!”

p.s. He’s #11

Tulips and Baby

We took our annual trip to see the tulips in Woodburn. This winter season delayed a lot of the flowers, so it wasn’t the most spectacular we’ve seen. But golly, it was still breathtaking! This is the last year we will be visiting this gorgeous place…..

It’s like the Lord took his watercolors and painted rows and rows of color. I’m always in awe!

This year I opted out of the stress of doing family pictures. I just had my heart set on a nice maternity photo. It was difficult because the wind was out of control (along with my kids). It’s really hard to pose for a photo that I can’t just take myself. I like to be in control of the camera. But I think Shawn did a great job.
p.s. I had no idea where to put my hands, so please disregard those.

The baby is 32wks now. He/She is growing well and I am feeling great. I’ve felt a slight boost in energy and can finally do things I used to do pre-pregnancy (like get dressed and style my hair).

As the end of this pregnancy gets near, the Doctor is taking more precautions. I’ll be stopping the baby aspirin soon. She was  alarmed when I told her that I bleed for several days when I nick myself with the razor, or get any small cut (it’s sort of scary). I will go in once a week to have the baby monitored on a machine for the next 4 weeks. Then go in twice a week for monitoring until delivery day. This is just to check the health of the baby and placenta. Hopefully this careful watch of the baby can avoid anything similar to the scare of Jefferson’s birth. The placental abruption that occurred with him could be related to the blood clot disorder the Dr.’s have linked to the miscarriages. It all ties together, and can leave me panicked if I think about it too much. Especially when the Dr. says, “we will keep a close watch on the baby twice a week, but that doesn’t guarantee that something wont happen on a day in between.” Way to keep it real… and freak me out.

Really, I feel confident that everything will be perfect. It could be the fact that my adorable children pray for this baby (unprompted) in every morning, dinner, and bedtime prayer.

The baby’s movements are still really faint. The Dr. believes it’s because my placenta is anterior… providing a little padding between the baby’s kicks, and my stomach. It’s just sort of weird. Especially at 32 weeks to think, “was that the baby moving?” When normally they would be jabbing kicks. I’ll consider this as a blessing!

8 weeks to go

Jefferson took this picture of Shawn and I. He did great, don’t you think? I’ll tell him you think so….. it will boost his self-esteem.
I don’t look too pregnant in this photo. Shawn is getting closer to this little one the bigger I get. I think it gets more real for him when he can see and feel a little one boppin’ around. This is a fun time!
Seriously… the hand awkwardness is killing me….

Shawn and I tried doing one more pose, but it didn’t work out. Grant thought it was hilarious to sneak behind us and give us bunny ears. I love this picture… it captures his naughty smile perfectly. Shawn and I are not amused.

We spent the rest of our visit just walking around the flowers and playing on the play equipment.

Reagan was dying to get a picture with Shawn in this. 

My uncooperative little tulips….

Goodbye Woodburn tulip festival. Next year we’ll probably be posing like this in front of a tobacco field in North Carolina.
oh, nothing can compare to Oregon.
Yes, I’m already getting emotional. We only have 9 weeks left here.
I may never recover from this move.

The Facts

Warning: this blog post was intended to be informative, but turned into more of a platform to vent.

Shawn finally received his orders for service in the Air Force. We’d been waiting so long! Really, it was getting ridiculous.
We got a list of 15 available bases and we ranked them in order of our preference.
We got our #1 choice, which was,
Drumroll…………….

Pope AFB, North Carolina

Hip Hip Hooray! We’re thrilled. This new adventure is going to be awesome, I can’t wait.
But, it is far away from family and friends. And by far I mean clear across the entire continental United States.

This is all exciting for our family. But my mind is completely overloaded with stress. So much so that I am in a comatose state. I literally spend half my day sitting on the couch, (literally just sitting there), thinking.

Let me explain…
Packed in the next few months are some of the most important and/or stressful days of our ENTIRE lives (to date). I highlighted each important day on this calendar so we could visualize the insanity together.

May 19 – Shawn graduates from Graduate school as a Doctor of Optometry. THIS IS HUGE!
May 29 – Shawn begins Commissioned Officer Training in AL. He will be there for 4 1/2 weeks. (I highlighted each day because this will be the longest I will have ever been alone and I can only imagine how awful it will be…. I know, I need to work on my pessimism)
June 16 – Jefferson’s 8th birthday. A Birthday Party year (which takes a lot of planning) And his baptism day (which of course will be postponed because Shawn will be in Alabama.)
June 20 – I am due to deliver our 4th baby. Without my husband. Enough said! (this one can’t be postponed)
June 25 – The day our movers are (tentatively) scheduled to pack our belongings and leave me in an empty house
June 26 – the day I check myself into a psychiatric hospital. Only kidding…. sortof
June 29 – Shawn graduates Officer Training, after enduring a month of abuse.
July 2 – We load our 4 kids into our car and drive 2,908 miles to our new home in NC. This is INSANE, and truly ridiculous… but after exploring all other options, it’s the choice we’ve made (and will live to regret…. if we even live through it that is)
July 13 – Shawn begins his first day of work as the solo Optometrist at the Air Force Base.
July 15 – Shawn’s 30th Birthday.
and August 10 – We celebrate our 10 year anniversary!
Somewhere in there we’ll have to throw in a baby blessing and Jefferson’s rescheduled baptism

Do you think we could we put anymore monumental events in there?

And that folks, is what I sit on my couch and think about day after day after day. There is so much that is out of my control, it could really drive me bonkers. I could think my brain to pieces when it comes to Where, When, and How I should have this baby…… When and How we should get our family to the state of North Carolina…… Which city to live in…… Which school to enroll my kids in….. What we should do for Jefferson’s birthday (I know, in the hierarchy of things I should let this one go, but it’s important to him)….. and on and on. 
Does your brain hurt?
Mine too!  I was talking with a neighbor and she said, “It’s amazing what you can do when you have to.”  That is so simple and true. It boosted my energy and got me permanently off the “thinking couch.” I’ve decided to trust that everything will be okay (it always is) and just do it!

  And who knows, it might be a fun journey through it all.

Happy Easter

This was a happy Easter indeed! The sun actually made an appearance this weekend, halleluiah! It changed my entire mood. Some people actually store snowballs in their freezers… why can’t we box up the sunshine in the oven? Just a thought.

This Easter we did a simple egg hunt in the grass behind our house. I had glorious plans of filling the eggs with cute trinkets and kid coupons, but alas that takes energy, so my kids had loads of candy for dinner Saturday night.

We took Easter pictures ‘before’ church this year because I thought our outfits would be wrinkly and dirty afterwards (I was right).
I thought we should leave home 30 minutes early because I knew it would take forever to take pictures (I was right).
I thought we’d take enough to get at least one good picture (I was wrong).

I mean…. look who I’m working with….. and is that a middle finger? Reagan loves the choke hold…

This is the best we got.

All 4 kids…

Our Family (what is with my kids and tongues? seriously!)

Reagan hated the dress and refused to ever try it on…. Until I added a pettiskirt to it. Now she’s obsessed with her “Princess Dress.”

 

This evening we made lasagna, because Grant refuses to eat ham, EVER AGAIN! He seriously gags when he tastes it, and I have no idea where this came from? So lasagna will have to do. The kids were so excited to make Resurrection rolls. And we took a walk in the beautiful weather. It was a peaceful afternoon.

We hope you had an enjoyable Easter Sunday.
And I’ll leave you with this picture Reagan made me take of her performing her “Easter Egg magic trick.”
now that is talent!