Masters Complete

We have some big news... some really big news.

Hubby has completed all the requirements to earn his Masters Degree in Educational Administration.

This is a huge accomplishment and something that he (and we) have been working toward for over two-and-a-half years.  I don't mean to detract from his accomplishment by saying that we have been working toward it... but he began this degree when Tracey was ten months old and so WE worked toward this degree.  Every moment he was working on graduate school, I was manning the home front by myself -- first with one child, then with one child and pregnant with two, then with three children... etc.

Not only is it a huge accomplishment that Hubby has earned this Masters Degree, I just want to put this entire process in perspective for you... again not in any way to lesson Hubby's accomplishment, but to show you really, how huge of an accomplishment this is that he has earned this degree.

Hubby has been working toward his Masters in Educational Administration for 2 years, 6 months, 3 days... that's 915 days.

But what those numbers do not tell is that Hubby actually started work on a Masters Degree before we were married.  In fairness to him, there were a lot of teacher cuts happening around the state year after year at the time, and he was looking for job security, so he began a program about which he wasn't particularly passionate, but was usually in high demand -- Special Education.  He spent 1 year, 8 months, 14 days in that program... 623 days toward a masters.

Then, after we were married and we had settled in Rifle, and he had grown to love his school and community, he decided to stop the masters program in special education, and begin one in a subject that he did really like and that would further benefit his school -- Educational Technology.  He spent 1 year, 10 months, 3 days in that program... 679 days toward a masters.

Then, after Tracey was born, an opportunity was presented to him to move into the administrative realm of education.  Hubby was thrilled at the opportunity to make this change and decided that the administrative side of education was, in fact, where he wanted to devote the rest of his career.  He decided to stop the masters program in educational technology and begin a program that would let him pursue the administrative aspects of education -- Educational Administration.  He spent 2 years, 6 months, 3 days in that program... 915 days toward a masters.

I had to do these calculations last week because I was starting to unravel pretty fast, and Hubby and I were getting pretty snippy with one another.  By looking at these numbers I can admit that this has been a really long road, and it makes perfect sense that Hubby and I are completely whipped.

I need to point out in the below picture, that Hubby completed four classes before I created this check-list board.  I wrote it a year ago when I felt like there was no end in sight... it helped me to imagine that someday this graduate degree endeavor would conclude... and yesterday it did!

We have finished this marathon (maybe I should say triathlon since he enrolled in three schools toward three masters) not smiling and running with our hands in the air telling tales of our great race.  No, we finished this race limping, bleeding, barely still moving and vowing never to do anything like that again.

But, you know what... we finished this frickin race.

Hubby has devoted 6 years, 8 months, 11 days (2446 days) to earning a masters degree.  We've only been married for 5 years, 10 months, 9 days (2140 days) and we've only been parents for a measly 3 years, 3 months, 10 days (1196 days).

Pretty much the only thing that pre-dates his working toward a masters degree is that we have been in a relationship for 7 years, 4 months, 16 days (2695 days).

We almost don't even know how to process this relief and what we're going to do with this abundance of family time.

This is a huge deal.

Hubby's Master's Degree - COMPLETE!