Grilled pork chops for dinner!

We have a favorite kind of meal that includes something from the grill, wild rice, and vegetables.  In the last two years, we've barely eaten at home because brainless dinner was a much higher priority.  Tonight, though, we could tell that grad school is all done because we grilled out again!  It was delicious, refreshing, and exciting!

Music to my ears

I just got to hear Keith talking about plans for his next big trip.  He'll get some time alone, some time with Paul, and some time with me.  He's excited, and I'm glad to hear it!

The truth is that my dear husband is a traveler at heart.  He reads books about other places, he often can be caught looking at a map on the wall, and he's done enough traveling in his life to whet his appetite for more.  A career in landscaping combined with a marriage didn't lend itself well to much traveling, but teaching and marriage work much better together.

I'm eager to hear how Keith's plans turn out and about all the things he gets to see and do on his trip.  If you want to read about his adventures here, then let him know.  :)  Meanwhile, I'll be happy to hear him excited about the planning!

Light at the end of the tunnel

Keith has one more assignment this semester, and summer will be his last term before he earns his master's degree.  It's close enough that we can see the end finally.  I guess our silence on this page speaks volumes about our busyness this semester.

We're eager to move on to the next chapter of our life, the one that can begin when grad school ends.  One of us might go back to school one day, but not very soon.  We've done the grad school thing for long enough that we have to rediscover life outside of school assignments.  We can't wait to find out what that looks like again!

I'm sure non-school life will give us more stories to tell here.  No one should have to read (nor should we have told) all of the school stories.

Before we get all the way to the end, though, I want to tell you all how immensely proud of Keith I am for the things he has accomplished in recent months.  I have NEVER seen someone work harder than he has.  The responsibilities at work have been demanding, and the grad school assignments have been taxing.  Keith has learned a lot, and he is spoken highly of by so many of our colleagues.  His classmates also look to him for help with assignments.  While he's been a full time student and full time employee, Keith has also worked hard to be a good husband and son.  What more could this girl ask for?!