Only two words are necessary:

Two Years!!!!

Only one word is necessary

PASSED!

T.D. (Thesis Defense, aka The Doomsday)

First the happy news! We had a fantastic weekend! Some of the highlights were

• Free frozen yogurt at Froyo (you get a free coupon just for signing up for the Provo library summer reading program. You don't even have to read anything!). The key lime with granola was DELICIOUS!
• Seeing Monsters vs. Aliens. It was surprisingly very funny and definitely worth a trip to the dollar theater.
• Hiking to Stewart Falls with my sister, brother, and sister-in-law. If you are looking for an easy but enjoyable hike I definitely recommend it. We just parked at Sundance and asked someone to show us the trail head (no signs...what were they thinking?). It only took about an hour to walk to the falls and it the only part that went uphill was not steep. All the pictures are on my brother's camera, or I would post them.

This coming week was already going to be stressful since we need to pack up the rest of our apartment and move down to my parents house for 3 weeks until we leave for Maryland. Now it is more stressful because on Friday afternoon I got the last edited copy of my thesis back from one of my committee members. I gave it to her a month ago and my thesis chair assured me that the changes would only be minor.

Unfortuantely he was wrong and I have a LOT to do before my thesis defense on Friday afteroon! Contrary to the title of this post I've heard that the defense really isn't all that bad and the one I attended last month was surprisingly calm and un-intimidating. The part I am stressed out about is making the changes in time since this Friday is literally the ONLY day all of my committee members will be in Provo before we are moving to Maryland. I understand that even after dozens of revisions my thesis still stinks, but I just wish my committee member wouldn't have taken a month to return it! But hey, a week from now I should be making the real minor changes to my thesis and completing the electronic submission.

Even though I am extremely bummed that we have to move before graduation (the only one I have ever wanted to attend), I can't tell you how happy I am that I will have my masters degree. I know it's a miracle that I was able to get it done so quickly and I really have loved the experience. I am seriously indebted to my parents for prodding me along for 3 years of concurrent enrollment, and summer and AP classes during high school, suggesting speech-language pathology as a major, and supporting me all the way through. I am also seriously indebted to Stephen for enduring innumerable boring conversations about school and encouraging me through all my discouraged days. I'm excited to switch roles and do the same for him.

Takoma Park, Maryland

We finally decided on a place to live next year!!! We've been eyeing the apartment complex for a while, but we couldn't decide if we were okay living 193 feet (I have no idea how Steve found it the exact distance) away from tracks that run the Metro, Amtrak, and freight trains. After talking with the landlord we decided that we're okay with the rumbling of trains (luckily there are no crossings nearby so no whistles). If not, I guess we'll have fond memories :). Every review we've read says that it only takes a few days to get used to and all the tenants say the benefits outweigh the noise. Plus, our apartment will be on the side of the complex that's opposite the tracks. I am personally excited about the fact that we will have a DISHWASHER, garbage disposal, and a living room that actually fits a full-size couch! The city we're moving to is called Takoma Park. It's a suburb of DC (the border between DC and Maryland is right behind the apartment complex) with a population of 17,000, although I'm guessing the city boundaries aren't all that distinct. We wanted to live is a little more west and north in some nicer areas, but this apartment was closer to the Metro, which Steve will be taking to school every day. So we are crossing our fingers that it really is as nice as everyone has rated it and that we are not unknowingly moving into a ghetto. Here are some pictures from rent.com (they're not the greatest). We'll of course post more once we move in!