My husband

This is one of my most romantic Charles memories. I drove up to find him riding up to me with a rose in his mouth. It was fresh picked and still had thorns, but he's still smiling!


This is where Charles spends A LOT of time. These books weren't set up for this picture! He usually has that many on his desk in use at one time!

Goofy Charles!





Charles and me dancing on the roof.


Family Football


Doing children's Church - He was the Big Bad Wolf








This was taken right after my hero killed a rattle snake!


Charles actually got to pull Jonathan out when he was born - amazing!




Charles letting me try out my new camera lens...

Charles and Kaitlin at the top of the double mountains


Charles helping with the balloons at J's birthday party


Charles and Jonathan

Charles getting to baptize Kaitlin in October

I am so proud of my husband. I am proud for so many reasons, but the particular reason that I am blogging about today is that he will be graduating in May. Since 2002, Charles has worked full time, gone to school full time and been a full time husband and dad! In that time he has made 2 B's (one in undergrad and one at Masters level). He has worked extra jobs from writing scripts and stocking at Wally world to teaching a Hebrew lab to help pay for gas on his commute to school. I can't even count the number of times he has seen the sun rise while studying or writing a paper - only to kiss us all good morning, take Kaitlin to school and start another day. There have been many times that he has set a timer for 30 minutes and given the kids his full attention until the timer went off. Believe me - he made up those 30 minutes in the wee hours of the morning, but we have always always been his top priority! He never turns anything in that is done with half effort! He gives everything in his life 100% - God, our church, his family, school.

Yesterday he was able to come home a little early, so he called me from the road and asked if I'd like to meet him for lunch in town. I gushed a mushy Yes! Then I got ready as quick as a wink and headed to town! When we got home I had an important assignment to finish. He took Jonathan outside to play kickball and then they practiced nun chucks together. This morning he got up early to take Kaitlin to a Daddy/Daughter breakfast before school. He does so much - yet he makes time everyday to do something special for us. This semester Charles has been such a help to me. He has done a lot of dishes and put away a lot of clothes and he is ever ready with words of encouragement. Every semester about this time Charles says, "I want to finish strong!" - and he always does. Now we are both saying - "we've got to finish strong."

I can't believe that he will have his Master of Divinity in a few short months! (For those of you who don't know - with theology degrees, a masters is 76 hours instead of 36). I truly know what people mean when they say, "The days were long, but the years were short."