Three Things

1. Dr. John Gonas is the man. And here is further proof for that case. It's incredible that we have both had the honor of calling him teacher, boss, mentor, and friend. There are not many as deserving of the accolade as he. I spoke with him, today, while he was in D.C. and you could just hear the elation in his voice. For someone who really likes for his students to get the recognition, it's about time he enjoyed a little of his own.
2. I just put both of my degrees up in the new office. And I can't even begin to tell you how good that felt. After months (and years) of sitting on the floor framed and collecting dust, they now hang in a place where I am reminded not just of sacrifice and hard work, but of blessings and favor, as well.
3. Cliff will be back from retreat soon, and we will finally get to celebrate, tonight! You can't even know how difficult it was not to share yesterday with him. Although, I am incredibly thankful to have spent the evening with my dearest Molly. We've got the new job, the house goal met, and sixteen months (of marriage) under our belts as of today and that calls for a little celebration, don't you think?

Two-Time Graduate

Well, I did it!


At approximatelly 11:40AM on Friday, May 9th, I became a graduate of Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. According to my degree, I am a Master of Education. (Too bad we don't really walk around calling people "Master Such-and-Such", like they do "Doctor Such-and-Such" when you get any sort of doctoral degree. That'd be pretty sweet.)

The family started coming in with Mom, Cearra, and Marcus' arrival Wednesday night. Dad, Sue, Grandma, and Grandpa flew in Thursday morning, and Cliff's parents and Wendy came in for just the day on Friday. We managed to fit a lot into just a couple of days, which I am incredibly grateful for. There was dinner at our place, breakfast at Mom's hotel, the Country Music Hall of Fame, lunch at Big River, swimming at Mom's hotel, dessert at Peabody, Graduation, breakfast at Pancake Pantry, the Zoo at Grassmere, lunch at White Castle, dinner at J's, and a night at the Grand Ole Opry.

I should also mention that Cliff planned an incredible post-Graduation lunch that was a complete surprise. First, of all, we left Nashville and came all the way back to Franklin. I had a suspicion of where we were going, but was completely off. We went to Saffire at the Factory:


Which has INCREDIBLE food and a great atmosphere. LOVED it! And not only that, but then he suprised me again and had them bring out trays of Gigi's Cupcakes which he had created a whole elaborate plan (involving Matt Burchett) to get them from Nashville to Franklin without me knowing. Check these things out:


I was sad to see everyone go, yesterday, but am SO grateful for the blessing it was to have everyone here and so supportive of not just my accomplishment, but of me.

Dunzo

... well, at least one step closer.

I'm in class. My last class of my graduate career. It's amazing that yesterday I woke up dreading it, and now I'm practically doing cartwheels inside and wishing the last hour and a half wasn't taking nearly as long as it feels like it's taking. My group finished presenting about a half hour ago, and even though our paper still isn't due for another two weeks and we have some work left on it... we're done. DONE DONE DONE.

I think the part I was (still kind of am) dreading about this last class was finality. Death. Anytime something ends, it's like a little death. And for me, this is the end of nineteen years straight of connecting my identity to my success and achievement as a student. Not as Kristine, but Kristine, straight-A student grades K-12, or Kristine, Gifted and Talented and then Magnet School student, or Kristine, 3.76 Magna Cum Laude in College, or Kristine, graduate student at Vaaaanderbilt. School is something I can handle, and even when I hate it, it's familiar and I can get it done.

After this? The unknown.

And for the first time ever, at least this far in "the game," I don't know what's next. And school isn't an option. At least not right now, because that's not where my heart is at. I could go on to a doctoral program, but I'd be doing it because school is the only constant I've ever known and because I'd be the first Dr. in both my respective families. Nowhere in that is a motivation anywhere close to the things or desires God has placed on my heart.

So that's what I'm getting back to. A series of conversations with a close mentor and my husband have me going deeper and stepping further away from a place of settling. Believing my heart and my talent are worth more than a dead-end job I despise or a job I go after just so I won't be the last of my classmates to get a job and won't disappoint my professors, mentors, friends, and family. I fear the shame of failing, because I've always had school to come back to as an achievement - as an accomplishment - as proof and validation of my worth.

But not anymore.

The Sun'll Come Out

I know I'm just repeating the choruses of everyone in Middle Tennessee's praises for the weather the last couple of days, but it's been awesome. For serious. There's nothing that lifts the gloom of rainy outside in the world and rainy inside the heart kinds of days like the sun.

Last week was hard for me, in a lot of ways. And hard for Cliff, too, as both a catalyst and a companion through some difficult challenges. But we're surviving, and we're thankful for God's provision of warmth and sunlight to remind us that there are reasons for both rainy and sunny days.

The weather got us out on Saturday, cruising around Franklin on our nine-mile training run. I'm running a lot less and walking a lot more on these long runs, I must admit. I started to figure out that I run only a little faster (13 min/mile) than I walk (14:30/mile) when I go long distances and walking saves my knees a whole lot of pain. But even mixing up nine miles can hurt. We're still sore, but it's the good kind. That, mixed with my new dance yoga routine courtesy of a recently purchased workout video, has me recognizing feeling in muscles that have probably never been worked out... ever.

Sunday was class and church, which were both really great, and then a quick lunch at home and paddling the Harpeth. We decided after trips all over the place, we might as well check out the portion of the Harpeth practically in our backyard. So we did, and it was nice. We put in across from the Franklin Country Club and went 4.7 miles to the Williamson County Rec Center. Lucky for us, we had our first experience portaging, as we came upon an unfortunate discovery on the river close to Pinkerton Park. If Cliff has ever had a fantasy of seeing me mud wrestle, it came true on Sunday. I ended up hip deep (only on my left leg) in the mud as we struggled to get out of our kayaks and up a slippery slope - it was me against nature. We laughed it off, though, and quickly found our way to the other side of the bridge, rinsed off in the cold water, and continued on our way. We saw Canadian geese, a great blue heron that led us all the way down the river, a bunch of kingfishers, and even a huge beaver that just eyed us from the bank. There was so much evidence, though, of the damage the growth in our area has done to the river. I only hope we can work to continue to preserve such a great addition to the landscape and enrichment of our area.

So we're back at it again, Cliff hard at work and me hard at preparing for what's next. I have my last class of my masters career this weekend which will involve a presentation of our group marketing plan, and then in two and a half weeks, that marketing plan, along with my Practicum binder and paper are due. And then that's it. I'll be done with grad school and will graduate two weeks later. ...crazy.

Please continue to pray for me, if you are already, as I prepare for what's next. There's been some changes in my perspective lately, and with Cliff's leadership and the wisdom of a close mentor, I'm re-evaluating my heart and the motivations I've had through this whole job search process. I'll probably have more to write on that later, but God's still dealing with me and I'm okay with that.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

The Rankings Game

We are both excited to discover, this morning, that my degree has gone up in value before I even receive it. Thank you, U.S. News and World Report for giving a number to an otherwise immeasurable game. Usually, I loathe you, but today, we love you.

Now, don't let anyone tell you rankings don't mean anything. Because, when they tell you that, they're fibbing. While it may not mean the whole "kit and kaboodle," it sure gets any institution with a number below 10 all in a tizzy. And now, going from numero tres to dos? And leaving Harvard, whom we were tied with last year, in the dust? That's pretty awesome. And then my specialization went from ten to eight, so that's exciting, too.

Let's just hope the powers that be (you know, those people making hiring decisions at local colleges and universities) think it's just as important as I'd like them to.

That'd be awesome.