We Did It...

I am not going to lie, graduation snuck up on me! One minute I am sitting in my High School English class and the next minute I am sitting in my cap and gown at my college graduation. I remember being told in High School by my parents to cherish every moment in High School and never wish for it to go by fast, especially in your senior year. Well you can probably guess what I did... I wished it away. I wanted High School to go by so fast. I felt that once I was out of High School, that that is when my life would begin. Oh how my parents were so right. Once I got into college I yearned to get my High School years back. Not that I wasn't having fun or learning what I was passionate about, I was missing the carelessness that you could have in High School and the group of friends to call up and hang out with, but I mostly missed the sports and all the teams I was a part of. So in college I decided I would try to take in every moment and become passionate in my school work and never take anything for granted. I wanted to get involved and make friends that would last a life time no matter the distance between us.

I do have to say, my four years in college were pretty great and I am very happy with how I lived it. There were times in my semesters that I just wanted them to go by fast because of certain classes, but I made sure to not push away the social aspect of it.  I made some amazing friends in college and I wouldn't trade them for anything. All the people that came into my life during my four years at BYU-Idaho have shaped my life in so many ways.  God knew I needed to be around the people of BYU-Idaho and of course he knew I would meet my wonderful husband there.  I am so grateful that I listened to my instincts... Even though I did NOT want to attend BYU-I.  It was way to close to home, they had no sports, and because I lived so close to Rexburg it felt like home and I wanted to experience moving away from home. But none the less my college experience is one that I wouldn't trade for anything.

My last semester at BYU-Idaho was spent away from my husband a lot of the time.  This is because we lived in Utah, so I had to commute every week.  Not going to lie, it was really hard.  I hated to be away and to have to sleep in my own bed. I am however so grateful for our amazing friends Ben and Rachel Hubbard for taking me in half the week while I was there for my classes.  I loved living with them and getting to play with their two girls.  The semester went by pretty fast though, mostly because every week felt like a vacation in my three month long semester.  I just still cant believe how fast graduation came and now I am an alumni to BYU-Idaho.  Graduation was on a Friday and the day before I got so sick.  Luckily Michaels parents were coming into town for graduation so we stayed with them in there hotel room and I just got to lay in bed taking medicine to try to get better before we had to walk for graduation.  I ended up feeling a lot better, but it still hurt to stand for to long, but I made it, I made it through the whole ceremony with my husband by my side! We walked with the exercise Physiology major because all my friends were in that major and a lot of Michaels friends graduated the semester before. I am so happy I got to graduate with best friend, such an amazing experience. It was so nice to be able to see all my friends and professors one last time before going our separate ways.  It was so bitter sweet, I get very attached to people so it was hard to separate from everyone.  I had my family there also, so it helped to have them there to distract me.  Once we left the I-center after graduation we went to G's Dairy for Ice Cream with every one.  Once we got there though it started to blizzard! There was so much snow I was worried we would not be able to make it to Oregon the next day and that my family wouldn't even be able to make it home to Driggs that night either, so the blizzard kind of shortened our time together. I wanted to get my family on the road home before they got snowed in. Once my family left we headed back to the hotel, I took some medicine and went straight to bed.  The sad part is I remained sick the whole week of Christmas.  Overall I did have a wonderful graduation day with my family and friends.  I am sad it's over though.

Here are some pictures from graduation

Taylor and I

If you look closely you will see Taylor Morgan and Ashley Nelson right next to each other on the program.  I laughed and thought what are the odds...  Taylor is one of my amazing friends I got to know in college.  We met in some classes we took together(Strength Training, Health Prescription and Appraisal, and water aerobics) .  Taylor was so fun to have in class! In our water aerobics class we were talking buddies and we literally didn't stop talking in that class(don't worry it was except able to talk in that class)! I would talk to her about everything!! And I mean everything.  I am going to miss those days with her. She is definitely one of those people at BYU-Idaho that I was suppose to meet to help shape my life, she might not know it but she taught me a lot about life and how to always stay positive even when you have a bad day. Even though graduation was such a happy day for me I was sad to know there would be no more Taylor & Ashley in class time.  I am so happy I found her in the sea of caps and gowns after graduation. That was the last time we saw each other.  We of course still stay in-touch and I hope it will always be that.

This is Mine and Taylor's(different Taylor from the one above) favorite teacher at BYU-Idaho, Brother Jerry Schlegelmilch or as he would have us call him Coach Schleg or just Coach (which is what I would call him), our sports psychology professor .  Out of all the teachers I had at BYU-I, this man right here inspired me in so many ways.  He made me see life as an opportunity and to take advantage of everything that comes my way.  He taught me that staying positive everyday no matter what is going on is the key to a happy life and a happy house.  He was such a good teacher that he made me passionate about baseball... and I don't even care about baseball.  He always talked about baseball in class because he use to coach college baseball and because of all his stories he would tell us he made me want to become a coach and mostly just to be there for the kids playing the sport, to give them opportunities that other people wouldn't give them.  I hope that one day I can become a coach and if I do I hope I can become and amazing coach like Coach Schleg. I am going to miss sitting in his classes.

Pictures with all the people who were able to come.  My dad and brother couldn't make it because they had a basketball game(my dad coaches varsity at the high school and my brother is on his team). Luckily they won! I was sad they weren't there, but am happy with how they did.