Friday, May 20th was a monumental day for our family. Jason GRADUATED! Nobody is more proud of him than I am. He has worked so hard for this, and as a first generation college student, he has had to push himself and stretch himself when the odds seemed against him.
The graduation ceremony was emotional for me. I was bursting with pride! When they announced "Dr. Jason Thomas Hair" as he accepted his diploma my eyes welled up. This was the culmination of years of extremely hard work, stress, juggling school and family, and studying...but it was more than that. This was Jason setting a very tough goal for himself and accomplishing it, and by so doing setting a precedent and example for our family. Our seven-year anniversary was Sunday, so we have literally spent our entire married life as a student family and now it is OVER!
I am blessed to have such a motivated husband, he's always been someone who doesn't wait for things to happen, but he is someone who makes them happen. Something I didn't know about him when we married was how goal-oriented he is. Six years ago he made a goal to beef up his resume for optometry school. He started the UVSC Pre-Optometry club and the club is still going! Well, not only did it make him a great candidate for school, it also earned him a scholarship. Since those undergrad days, his determination hasn't let up. He has already set one-year, five-year and 20-year goals for his professional life and even more spiritual and personal goals. In fact, he wrote down these goals just a few days after he graduated.
It has been a wonderful nearly four years in Memphis. We have made some wonderful friends, some life-long friends, and Jason and I have both grown as individuals and as a couple. We trust each other more, strive to live the gospel more, and are more comfortable in our own skin. It's been a lot of learning who we are as a couple, individuals, and as a family--and I know we are stronger for it. We will miss those who have helped us become what we are now, but look forward to our post-student life, to a new start with new people who have no preconceived notions. It's exciting to start fresh, and really be given the opportunity to be someone you've always wanted to be. While nervous about so much change, we are excited about the great possibilities that await us in Fredericksburg...here we come!
**I want to add more pictures later. For some reason my computer is stalling, and I have to get to sleep!
**Oh yeah, and if you know someone who needs a couch, washer, or entertainment center in Memphis, send them our way!! :)
