Congratulations Graduate.

When I first started talking to Nic again, post-fifth grade, he told me he was going to school at SLCC and would soon transfer over to the U. He said he was thinking about maybe going to law school. This to me sounded like a pretty normal plan.

I don’t know where I got the idea that college was so important. But, I have honestly never considered another option. You go to college after graduation, you at least get a bachelors degree, end of story. There isn’t another option, you don’t ask seniors what they are doing after high school, you just say where are you going to college.

In February 2010, Nic and I drove home from Las Vegas and argued about a lot of things. We always talk about this night, because it was kind of one of those first experiences as a married couple that we truly disagreed on really important issues that maybe we should have talked about before sealing the deal in the ol’ SL-T. But, it helped Nic stay awake and we both changed our minds and turned out agreed with each other in the end. I agreed after much debate that our spoiled rotten kids won’t have cell phones until they are older and more accountable. Those cell phones would not have functions that our iPhones do and there will be a check-in check-out policy. Of course things will change in the next 12-14 years before cell phones for Ruby are even a topic of conversation. But, the world is scary and we feel (I didn’t at first) that these babies of ours need to be protected from it.

It took Nic a little longer to agree with me, and change “sides” if you will on the issue of obtaining an education. He was about halfway done with his degree but the idea of finishing was not on the top of his priority list. HE TRICKED ME! I thought I was marrying myself a lawyer. He just didn’t see the importance of going to school, and earning a piece of paper. He had said that he hadn’t really learned or found value in the three or four semesters he had gone to since his mission. He was not sure he even wanted to get a degree in business but his brother had signed him up for the classes and he was just following in the steps of Jordon. I was floored. I couldn’t believe that it wasn’t ingrained in him how important school was, and not that being a lawyer is the end all, be all of life. But whatever he wanted to be, a doctor, a lawyer, a high school football coach. That it wasn’t in his mind the top priority in life.

Nic said something to me that we always laugh about. “Just because your Dad went to college, doesn’t mean that you HAVE to go to college”. The truth was my Dad did go to college, but doesn’t have a degree, he is tradesman. And has worked manual labor his whole life, up until about five years ago when he was given a management position. But he still does manual labor, and I have seen the toll it has taken on my sweet Daddy. I remember his back being hurt many times growing up, that he would be exhausted after putting in 60 hour work weeks over and over again. I also realized that though my dad is great at what he does, it’s not his passion. My dad is a very smart person, he is knowledgeable about so many things, and drinks up information and history like it’s going out of style. My dad would have made an expert professor or historian or museum curator. But, he didn’t follow through and finish college. He still made an amazing life for himself and his family. But, I think his quality of life would have been different if he pursued something he loved.

Anyway, our talks continued. Both of us almost in tears over things like curfew and sleepovers. But we survived the canyon and made it home safe. Over the next three years Nic worked hard to finish up the degree. At many times I think it was just for my benefit. He went to nigh classes after working full time, he woke up at 5am to take morning classes. He drove back and forth from the U multiple times a week to fit in his full time job and school. He went back and forth about going to medical school, business school, law school. He talked about opening his own company, buying a cattle ranch, and becoming a high school principle.

But on May 3, 2013, he finally did it. He graduated from the University of Utah, with a bachelorette of science in Business Administration. We had a big party, and he has been smiling ever since. That night he told me he had never been more proud of himself, which I was so grateful to hear. There were times he did it just to appease me, but in the end he found out more about himself. Maybe not about macro or micro or business law or operation management, but that he could do anything that he put his mind to.

Nic is now studying to take the GMAT in September. He will apply to MBA programs this coming October/December and we will hopefully be packing our house and two sweet babies to move somewhere adventurous by the end of next summer. I am so proud of Nic. He has a rocking GPA, a wonderful resume, and a heart of gold. If he can do well on the GMAT we will get to go to a top twenty school. If you know Nic, he’s a big timer and would love the feeling of Harvard or Yale. HAHAHA! But we have narrowed down our list to six schools we will apply to for first round applications;

-UCLA

-UT Austin

-Arizona

-Wisconsin

-Vanderbilt

-Michigan

By the end of December we will know if Nic has gotten into any of these programs and from there it will be a decision based on scholarships and where the Lord wants to send us. We want to go out of state, we feel like it’s important for the growth of our family to be away from Utah for a little bit, maybe for a longer bit. We are excited to live in “the mission field” because of our experiences as missionaries and our love for the example of the Saints in California and Wisconsin.

I at first was really really hesitant to move to Southern California. I’m a winter girl, I hate heat. But, I have felt extra excited about that option lately and the adventure of living close to the ocean and so many touristy attractions. My heart is in Wisconsin though and to live a few hours (I never served in Madison) from the greatest of the greats would be so welcoming to me. Strangely enough Nashville is my third choice, and I don’t know why. Maybe because it’s new and exciting and it’s kind of the common ground third choice for both Nic and I. His first choice is UCLA. He is to CA as I am to WI. We’re obsessive. His second choice is Texas. We loved Austin when we visited. Plus everything is bigger in Texas so he just seems to fit, for Big Nic. And his third choice like mine is Vandi. I mean what would be cuter than our babies having southern accents.

Life turns out better than you had hoped. At least that is how my life has been. I have just felt like the Lord always takes care of me. He leads me to amazing places, to meet amazing people and to learn wonderful lessons and have wonderful experiences. I am beyond thrilled for the next few months to see where life will take us. And I am extremely grateful for the dedication of my husband. I know he loves me because he saw something that was so important to me and made it important to him. Now, it seems like it’s even more important to him than it is to me.