D-O-N-E

It's official. Chris is d-o-n-e with his MBA. Three years in the making and it's done.  I am so so so relieved.  I am also so so so proud of us.  I'm thrilled that we survived this and with flying colors I might add (3.8 GPA, baby!).  Sure, it was tough.  Sure, we struggled emotionally, physically and mentally.  Sure, it was almost unbearably stressful.  Sure, it tested our relationship and our relationship to those around us.  But it is done and we survived.  We're stronger and smarter and more wrinkled.  Really, I cannot express well enough just how relieved I am.  I've dreamt about this blog post for a long time and the moment is finally here and I'm just rambling because I'm giddy and relieved.  Not only was Chris focused on his degree these past three years but we also decided to have another baby (Lincoln) and I got laid off from my job.  We kept our chins up (most of the time anyway) and made the best of a seemingly rotten situation.  We worked as a team.  We sacrificed A LOT over the past few years.  I'm so glad it's over.  I'm still not certain I understand how Chris stayed focused.  I'm also baffled by how well he functioned with such limited sleep and so much stress.  He's truly an inspiration to me!  He somehow managed to get a lot out of school while still being an attentive husband and father.  Linc is too little to understand the impact all of this has made on our family but Ava gets it.  Ava is thrilled to have so much time with Daddy!  Have I mentioned how relieved I am?  Have I mentioned how proud I am?  *Sigh*  While we do deserve a pat on our backs I should also thank YOU because we have an awesome support network.  Without the love, support and encouragement from our friends and family I'm not sure we would have made it through in one piece.  Sounds dramatic, I know.  But it is.  It is dramatic.  It was a little traumatic too.  I needed those "vent" sessions on the phone with my brothers, those uplifting visits from my sister-in-law and those many dinners and adult conversations with my parents in order to survive in one piece...without professional intervention or medication.  We're so thankful it hurts.  I'm relieved too.  And proud.

Here's how we celebrated...  

THANK YOU.