The End.

I have finals next week. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled that the semester is coming to an end. It has been a semester that has kicked my butt! However, there is something that is a little different about the end of this semester compared to the end of the others I have experienced this far. This semester officially marks the end of all pre-core, pre-requisite, and general ed classes that I will take. WOW!

It has been a long, long journey. One that started after the birth of my third child. Just an FYI, my third child is now 14. Crazy!

After my third child was born, I felt this overwhelming feeling to go back to school. It seemed crazy. It seemed impossible. It seemed down right insane.

I think that the reality hit me that I was the mother of 3 kids (at that time) and I had been out of the workforce for quite a while. I had no education and some skills, but nothing that would get me enough pay to support my family if something were to happen to my husband. It was a very intimidating thought. I remember thinking that I wasn't sure that my husband would be supportive of me going back to school because he was so busy with work and we had three kids. Our oldest was only 4 at the time and we had two in diapers. It would take a lot of support from my hubby in order for me to be able to go back to school.

I remember the night so clearly. We were sitting at the dinner table and I told my husband that I really wanted to go back to school. He was very supportive. He agreed that it was a great idea and that is where my journey began.

It has been full of starts and stops. I attended night classes while my kids were young. Bryan would get home from work and I would head to school. I would do homework while they napped and homework while I waited in the car for them to be done with pre-school. It wasn't easy.

I attended school through two pregnancies, several moves, remodeling of two homes, building of one home, and quite a few other challenges.

Some semesters I would only take two classes and other semesters I would take three or four. Then finally in December 2000 I received my diploma for my AS degree! I figured that it wouldn't take me long to finish up my BS degree at that point. HA! Boy was I wrong!

I have changed my major a couple of times. As a matter of fact, I am only a few classes from having my English Lit degree. I figured I would finish up with that and then get my teaching certificate. Last summer with all the changes with Bryan's job, I once again went back to school, this time pursuing my Elementary Ed degree. Funny story, that is the degree I started toward all those years ago when my third child was born.

In January I will officially start "in the program". I have three more semesters of classes and one semester of student teaching. After that I will have that BS degree I have been after for all these years. I guess if nothing else at least I have been persistent! ;)