We have reached the Light at the end of the MFA Tunnel!

Well I have been back just over a week - and Kirk came home Tuesday early morning. We were in Boston for his final residency for his Master's in Fine Art program. He has gone to Boston 5 times in 2 1/2 years. He would go back in January and June for a 11 day period each time - then work on his stuff at home between residencies. Anyway - I went back for part of the time because he was graduating. His schedule this time included giving his Artist Talk, defending his Thesis paper, having a Gallery Show opening and then Graduation.

I really wanted to be there for EVERYTHING - but with 5 kiddos at home that was not possible. Luckily, my mom was willing to stay with my kids while I was gone for 6 days and 6 nights. I went to the first half of the residency. Kirk wanted me there for his Artist Talk, which was the first Friday. In being there during that time meant I could not be there the following weekend for his gallery opening or his graduation...but that is ok.

It was so great being there at all. I have never left my kids that long - and I think it was great for all of us.

Kirk did a great job with everything! He has come a long way in his art too. The funny thing about this whole MFA degree - is that it is not something Kirk was dying to get. When we moved for him to teach for 1 yr - we felt strongly he needed to get a master's degree. He felt this was the program he should do. After the 1 yr hire he then got a job in the administration area of the University. Which means the Master's degree really doesn't do him any good. He is still in Administration and has moved up in it. He is still trying to figure out why we felt so strongly he needed to get this degree and right now. I guess someday we will receive the answer to why...hopefully before we have paid off the almost $40,000 of debt we just took on for it. ugh! I guess it is good that our only debt is our house. =) Seriously though - I am not worried about it. Yes things will be even more tight than they are now --- but I can't believe that the Lord would direct us to do something that will hurt our family, or not show us a way in the end to make it work.

Boston was great! I had a couple of days that I was on my own until the evening. One day I went to the Aquarium and took lots of pictures for my kids. Afterwards I went to lunch and a great experience being pampered by the Manger and Chef....the Manager ended up being originally from Idaho - and before that a small town that we moved from just a few years ago.

It was a very relaxing time - a nice break from the everyday - and I loved the T. It was so easy to get around...in fact Kirk and I went to Church that first Sunday at Harvard. We had to trek through 6 - 7 " of snow - but hopped on the T and rode it right over to Harvard - then had to walk 6 - 8 blocks to the Chapel. It was great! We joked that on TV that morning they kept reporting all the Churches that were closed due to the snow...but not the LDS Church - it never closes does? Made us laugh. We enjoyed being able to spend time together without interruptions. Our dating is usually a dvd and take out dinner up in our room why the kids are downstairs watching a moving - or a 40 minute motorcycle drive when it is warm enough. So to have 6 days just the two of us has not happened since before our first was born 14 1/2 years ago! So we enjoyed being to talk and visit and just be without our everyday responsibilities at home or work.

It is so nice to know this chapter is now behind us and we are on to the next. It is also nice to be home again all together as a family. =)

What can you highlight on the list?

My friend did this. Copy and paste to your own site or email and see which ones you can highlight. Side note - some of these were from when I was very little. =)
You can add to the list when you pass it on to someone else. Thought this was fun to start the New Year off!


1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4.Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14.Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a 1/2 Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run. 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone. 78.Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 92. Joined a book club 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee 100.Made amends with someone who offended you 101. Flew in a small Cessna plane with just you and the pilot 102. Ran out of gas 103. Eaten fried okra 104. Swam in the Caribbean Sea 105. Peed in a swimming pool 106. Stayed in a beach house 107. Hosted an exchange student 108. Been a Secret Santa to a family in need 109. Worked on a political campaign 110. Coached a sports team 111. Baked bread from scratch 112. Driven from coast to coast 113. Paid off all of your debt 114. Roast marshmallows over a campfire 115. Cut up a credit card 116. Drove a car through a flood 117. Been on t.v 118. Had braces 119. Been to the top of the twin towers in NY. 120. Have played in both the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans 121. Been to ground zero 122. Bite my fingernails 123. Likes to scrapbook 124. Hates pie 125. Visited Mexico 126. Seen a Tornado in person 127. Rafted the Colorado and Green rivers. 128. love aprons 129.flew over bryce canyon in a helicoptor. 130. my husband delivered my 3rd child.(and the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th) 131. Been bit by a rattlesnake. 132. Danced on the Las Vegas Strip 133.Seen a Bison in person – next to my car window. 134. Driven on the Coast HWY in California. 135. Been to the Redwood Forest 136. Been to the San Diego Zoo 137. Saw a Moose walking down your street. 138. Been somewhere when it was -32 or more degrees outside with the windchill. 139. Made called backs for the Broadway show of Annie. 140. Built your own house from foundation up.

If I counted correct I think I highlighted maybe 83 out of 140. Not too bad since I have a lot of living to do still! =)