All Different Kinds of Adventures! Also, some rambling.

Lately, Neal and I have been having adventures.

The Saturday before Mother's Day we were driving south to visit family and somehow the front passenger window exploded on me. Here is what the leftover looked like after we got off the freeway.

I was more scared that the glass would blow in on me after the initial crash.

And it did a bit, but nothing too dramatic. Also, afterward Neal and I had to high five for how well we handled the situation. We were champs.

Mostly, I am glad for the invention of tempered glass or I would have been injured. The tiny shards still felt sharp and I had pinprick cuts all over me, but nothing too terrible. I managed not to scream, but instead just leaned toward Neal while he kept driving calming, asking, "what happened?" A small part of me wondered if someone was trying to assassinate us, but since that seems highly unlikely, we'll just assume an errant rock came at us sideways. Neal asked me what to do and we quickly found a car detailing shop. The kind souls there let Neal vacuum the glass out for free as I contacted insurance and figured out we weren't covered (lame sauce). Then we headed over to the nearest Lowe's for some plastic and tape to cover the window. It was rainy that weekend after all. Let me tell you something, as loud as driving on the freeway is with the window down, it's three times as loud with a piece of plastic. Ugh.

Despite our new classy look, we had a lovely weekend visiting family. My sweet mother-in-law gave me a handing strawberry plant (yum!) and we enjoyed time with friends we haven't seen in a long time. But between the headache from the semi-crisis moment and a couple very sleepless nights, I developed my first full blown migraine this pregnancy. To everyone who has ever had one of those, I say I am sorry! They are pretty wretched. Monday after getting the window fixed (yay!) I could barely stand to keep my eyes open and by Tuesday morning, Neal blacked out the bedroom windows so I could sleep.

Due to some unwise headache treatment, I exacerbated my headache and added some other symptoms on top of that. Note to self: never ever ever have caffeine in any form more powerful than chocolate again. Anyways, it was a rough week. But that was ages ago and my first adventure in dealing with my heart condition while pregnant is behind me. It really shocked me into realizing how important it is to take care of myself. My high blood pressure and racing heart could have harmed the baby. Since then I've been much more consistent in sleeping, eating, drinking water, and taking walks. I'm no fitness guru yet, but I know it's worth the effort to stay as healthy as possible.

That is what I would call adventure number one. The next adventures are much more positive. :)

Really, I am just desperately trying to sort and organize our apartment before we move. Hooray for finding a lovely place to live (thank you Timothy and Terra). But my slight obsessiveness is beginning to blossom as I go through my closet, the kitchen cabinets, the linens, and even some books. We now have half our kitchen full of donations to the Deseret Industries. I feel better knowing that the things I have are actually things I use though. My goal is to have a living space that really feels pleasant, full of light, and homey. A small part of me hopes that everything will have a place and order will reign. I know, dream on. It has been lovely to look through some of the nostalgia. Case in point, I found our stack of cards from our wedding. Ya'll were so kind to us. Also, I found our stack of written, unsent thank you cards. To all reading this blog ever: thank you for being so wonderful. Please forgive us for holding on to the cards for a year and then throwing them away because they were sealed and improperly labeled.

Besides adventures in apartment hunting, organizing, car trouble, and home decor fantasizing, this week marks another adventure.

Neal is two days away from being officially done teaching for the year at Ogden High School. While he loves teaching, he is supremely happy to be done for the year. I can't wait for the biggest perk of public education: summers of fun! We'll have a whole two months to do whatever the heck we want. I mean, of course we have a lot of projects, but the chance to spend loads of time with Neal after a very busy year for both of us is just incredibly exciting. So if any of you would like to do something that is mostly free, call me! We're up for all kinds of fun. We're already planning games nights and walks and camping and visiting and cooking and learning together.

This is how happy, shocked, and confused he is that the year is over! Also, it's his new photo for the House of Heroes at his former residence at Butterknife Estates (a very posh place to live!)

This is how beautiful the drive home was Mother's day weekend. The pictures don't do the weather justice. I thought we were headed straight for Brigadoon!

Last week marked a big day for me as well: my 20 week mark. All week I've been singing in my head, "oh, oh, we're halfway there....oh-oh, living on a prayer." Really, really, I'm so happy that this pregnancy is halfway over. I'm already anxious to meet our little Baby Whitlock. Today was our target ultrasound as well. I'm not one for posting ultrasound photos, but just so you know, we have a very healthy one pound baby! Also, we aren't finding out the gender until birth. Save your grumbling, we like yellow and green way better than blue and pink anyways. We like the idea of the surprise. We're just happy that everything looks good. I mean, the technician was just complimentary about Baby's spine (oh, look at that spine...). The ultrasound did take a bit longer than we'd anticipated since Baby's hand were in front of his/her face the whole time. The tech kept trying to get those hands out of the way, but we already have a feisty child. At one point, one fist moved just enough to look like we were getting threatened if we didn't stop disturbing Baby's comfy position.

I know, I'm already sounding like a proud mom and all my baby has done is avoid the camera. Oh well, I'll take this side of pregnancy too. Just be glad I don't carry around the blobby photos gushing about Baby's kidney's and spine all the time. Cuz I'm a bit tempted today; I really am. Most especially I'm tempted because the rough week made me really nervous that I'd somehow hurt the baby with my heart trouble. But so far, so good!

I've reached the end of my rambling post today. Eventually I'll start actually writing well in these things, but until then you get my stream of consciousness and photos. Enjoy!

As a note, most of the photos you see in today's post were actually taken by Neal. I've been lax about carrying my camera and he obliged me by taking phone photos!

Random picture from graduation time. This is my thesis chair toasting my achievement! Yay again for being done!

After all the rain, the Logan River is just so big! We saw several adventurous folks with kayaks going down...I don't know how they made it!

I love the way a small amount of water creates so much life! 

Just off the Nature Trail in Logan Canyon, native Utah moss dapples the mountainside. 

I'd really like some, actually, though there also seemed to be an abundance of spiders nearby. 

We used a gift card today to sample Ogden's Sonora Grill. It was quite delicious! Also, Neal's Chile Rellenos were HUGE!

Graduation with Gusto

Yesterday, I graduated. Unlike my previous two graduations, this one felt final somehow. Maybe it's because I'm moving away from Logan soon, making a clean break from my life for the last eight years. Maybe it's because I'm not going back to school in the near future, possibly ever. Whatever the reason, as I sat in the car with the sun already making sweat bead on my forehead, I felt nervous. Neal laughed at my anxiety, "there is literally nothing you have to do but follow the crowd." He was right, of course. My college was last in the lineup. We waited forever taking haphazard selfies in billowing black polyester robes. I finally told some colleagues I was pregnant. I blessed my decision to wear flats even if they were more worn out than the formality suggested I wear.

Finally, we began the walk out of the fieldhouse, down the main street on campus. People I didn't know lined the street cheering. We struggled to stay somewhat single file to guarantee we'd sit next to each other. I wondered what graduation would have felt like in the days before synthetic fabrics. I wished my hair was off my neck and my curls weren't so limp. Bagpipes played in the background, making me feel more regal than I'm sure my stickiness warranted. We did a slow robot jig to the music. We came in last to the spectrum filled with people. I'd forgotten to ask where my family might sit. Neal's red hair didn't help him stand out enough in seats for me to find. It was my father's Vulcan hand wave that caught my attention in the end.

As far as graduations go, it was among the most dull. No speakers, no special events. Just name after name read and diploma covers handed with a smile. We took more selfies of how bored we were. I begged a tissue from a woman I didn't know behind me. I ate a granola bar and yearned for cold water. When everyone else had gone, we stood. Two professors I didn't know placed the hood around my neck. My name sounded from the microphone. I shook President Albrecht's hand then Dean Allen's. Dean Allen recognized me and the moment felt special. That was it. My entire education finished. A few snapshots later I wanted all my official regalia off.

There are some parts of my graduate career that I regret. I wish I'd been better friends with some professors, that I'd stressed less and enjoyed the process more, that I'd taken that folklore course or this literature course. But in reality, it's been wonderful. Every penny spent on this degree has been well spent because I am better than before. I've learned some things I'm good at and some things I still need to work on. I found a place where I could be happy and help other people and make a living.

And I'm leaving it behind for now.

I add the 'for now' because I don't know what the future holds. My goals are diverse and ambitious. But this is the first time where I truly feel like I'm leaving something behind. My education will be from a different perspective as I stop school, stop my job, and start motherhood. It's still a ways off (but not too far, I'm at 17 weeks guys!), but as the youngest of seven children, I feel like I've got a lot to learn.

For all those who came to celebrate with me, thank you. For all those who will celebrate with me in the near future, thank you. I couldn't have finished without you. And I couldn't make this step to a new world without you either. You inspire me with your diverse experiences and perspectives. And in some ways, I feel like I've been on a long journey where I was a second rate letter writer, only staying in touch when I stopped to rest. The journey was worth it though. I'm back now. Or rather, I'm starting a new journey.

And you're invited.

Instead of eating year old cake, Neal and I ate cucumber sandwiches in celebration of our anniversary. We served them at the reception, in case you didn't know. 

Look I'm on the jumbotron! Also, my friend Amy is too. She  looks demure while I just look out of my mind happy to be done.

At the end of the line, ready to be hooded.

I used these little cuties for centerpieces at the party afterward. I neglected photography there, but just needed you to see these.

I mean, come on, teacup flowers are the epitome of whimsy!

To celebrate my first full day of freedom, we took a walk up the canyon. 

Now is the best time to go hiking because there is so much water!

Doesn't this stone look like a tomb? Who lies buried by the side of this trail?