May 17: Part 1

Saturday was such a full day that I think it justifies a two-part post. I have anticipated this day for so long, but I had no idea how the emotions would hit me.

To start with, I was so excited for my family to come into town, but on Friday I found out some sad news. It's certainly not the end of the world, but I think a person can only take so much change before it starts getting to her. I found out that the daycare provider for kids is selling her daycare. The good news is that she plans to stay on as an assistant. I don't know more details yet, but that news set me into a crying episofe. Yuck!

I cleaned the house and got everything busy for our hectic Saturday. I woke extra early on Saturday remembering that I had forgotten to wash Emma's tights. I got up and hand-washed them and then started getting everything together.

We went to a small breakfast the department hosted before the ceremony. The kids ate a ton, and we visited a little. I was able to meet the graduate from the program (we had a few classes together), so that was great. We then headed to the gym. My cap was huge. It kept falling off my head, but otherwise, everything went well.

The moment we started walking into the gym, I started crying. I think it just hit me, but I got it together and was fine. I was the second one to walk across the stage. Afterward, it took a while to find everyone. Jenny and mom snapped a couple quick photos and then we booked it to Emma's dance recital (part 2 coming soon).

I thought the culmination of this degree would jump start a new career path, but these days I find myself wondering if I am focusing on the right thing. Right now, my family is most important to me, so is it the right time to jump into attaining a promotion or new job (all hypothetical ... nothing is in the works)? Should I step back and learn how to be content (from a professional standpoint) until my kids are little older? I don't have the answers. I have been praying that the right door opens or that I find comfort in my current role, but only time will tell.

In the meantime, I had a wonderful weekend celebrating this milestone with my family. They were amazing, but I will write more about that in my new post.