Graduation!

PESM Graduating class 2012

  My last day of classes was March 8th.  March 15th was the deadline for all assignments to be turned in,  (mine were turned in 3 days ahead of schedule!) But the reality of finishing my Master's in Ministry degree, it didn't totally sink in until today!  I'm done!  I really did it!
After 3 long years of writing papers and pages upon pages of collateral reading, this chapter is done.  I received a M Min. - Master's in Ministry.  Yay me!  

Dr. Carl Durhkoop and Linda Hoenhouse (my mentor) hooding me

Receiving my Diploma 

Friday Flowers

One of the many things I love about living in Seattle is Pikes Place Market.  I love going down there.  It is so festive and new every week.  There are always new vendors and different things to look at.  I especially love the flowers.  Each week the flower assortment is just a bit different.  There are only a few weeks in the dead of winter that you can't find some fresh flowers.  And even when there are no fresh flowers to find, you can still find a wonderful assortment of dried flowers.  

Steve and I usually take the bus downtown on Friday mornings.  We get off in the tunnel and when we emerge up to the surface, we find the closest Starbucks.  We then walk around, finding new shops to look in.  Sometimes we venture down to the waterfront.  No matter where we go,  we always stop at Pikes Place Market and pick up a bouquet (or 2) of flowers. I love Friday flowers!   

The Bus

What a morning!  


It started out to be just another Thursday morning...  Cat , Alex's caregiver (an angel in street clothes), came in at the regular time ready to start the day with Alex.  He seemed to be in a pleasant mood (something I have difficulty with in the mornings, until I have enough coffee going through my veins).  Everything seemed to be following our "normal routine".  Granted, our "normal" is a bit different than the average guy's normal... but it's our's and we do okay.


The closer it got to 8:00am, the fussier Alex became...  but that too, is almost a "normal" thing for us.  We "usually" can simply distract him out of his fussy moods, and today was no different.  That is until the bus came.  Now, Alex is a very social young man and loves people and going places.  He has been riding a school bus since he was 4 years old and seems to enjoy getting on the bus and going.... 


Not today!  As soon as the bus turned the corner and was in sight, Alex began to pitch a fit.  While screaming at the top of his voice, he sat down on the pavement in protest.  He then became "one with the ground" and there was no way I could physically pick him up.  This went on for what seemed to be an eternity (in reality, about 2 minutes).  The more I tried to coax him onto the bus, the louder and more agitated he became.  


I finally had more than I could handle, so I sent the bus on it way.  As soon as the bus was out of sight, Alex quietly got up, took my hand and walked into the house.  Alex waited patiently as I changed in appropriate clothing to go out and about (jammies and a robe are okay to meet the bus, but not okay to drive to school).  And off we went to school.


It's time like these that I wish with all my heart, Alex could talk.  If he could just verbalize what the problem is...  Is there something I need to know?  Is something horrible happening on the bus?  Or, did Alex just want some extra "mommy time"?