memories

Miya and I had a conversation yesterday about college and it made me think about all the things I went through to finish school after moving here to Washington. I had finished two years at BYU when we moved here to Seattle to get married. I had to get my residency here in Washington so I worked for a year before I started school. I continued to work full-time while I finished school. Both Phil and I were doing it so it didn't seem like a crazy thing to do. I worked for a great law firm that allowed me to get in my 40 hours whenever my schedule allowed. I remember often being the only person left in the building and walking to the bus after most people were home (and sometimes in bed) from work.
Then after a few years we decided to have a baby because Phil had graduated from school. Miya came two weeks early and I hadn't finished finals yet. Those two weeks of new baby and studying for finals were pretty crazy. I still had two quarters to finish before I graduated. UW didn't except most credits from BYU. I don't know something about transferring from a conservative Mormon school to a liberal State school didn't always work out so well.
So after Miya turned one I had a really fantastic Sister in Law and friend that said they would take turns watching Miya while I finished school. Miya and Cora were so good with each other and became more like sisters. I think this is one of those debts that you never really pay back because both of these women loved Miya like their own and even took her when she was sick and I had to be at school or in the lab. We had a lot of stops at the 7-11 in Kent on the way home from Aunt Jenny's house on my short Thursday schedule we both loved slurpies on the warm spring days. Heather was so good at taking photos of the things Miya did during the day. Then I found out we were having baby #2 and I finished at UW looking just like this. There were lots of whispers on campus when I walked by looking like this. I am sure this is something people saw everyday walking around campus at BYU, but at UW this was not a common occurrence. I finished school the end of June and had Cannon July 2nd.
I know that Miya might not understand now about how much sacrifice was made by myself and many others in order for me to finish college, but I am sure someday she will read this and know that I feel it is important to go and to finish college.