Weekly Linkup Where I was 5 years ago

I am linking up with my girl Monica from I Heart Grade 3 for her weekly summer link up!

So this week's topic is all about where I was 5 years ago. So 5 years ago would take us back to 2010 and in 2010 I was 27 years old. That was the year I decided to go back to school and finish my degree to become a teacher!!

2010 was a great year. We bought our house. We got married. I started back to school. WHOA. :) That year was epic!

This was a picture from our family picnic at my Mom's house for the 4th of July in 2010. Christopher looks so little!! He was only about 10 months :)

This was from our wedding. We got married on September 11, 2010. I know that wasn't the ideal date. However, it was the only date in September that all my family was available, so we went with it. My wedding day was one of the best days of my life (with the exception of my 4 kids births :) It was absolutely fun :) I was a single mom when I met my husband with my oldest son Karter. We then had Katie and Christopher, and then got married :) A little backwards, but it worked for us.

After we got married, we had our honeymoon, not really a honeymoon, since we took all 3 kiddos with us, but we went to Myrtle Beach. It was a fantastic week, and we had so much fun. I absolutely love this pic of them looking out on the ocean. They were all so little!!

So also in 2010, I decided to go back to school. I don't have any pictures of me studying or anything like that! But it was the best decision I've ever made. Prior to kids, I had finished 2 years of college at a community college. So I had my associate degree in general studies. The fastest way for me to become a teacher, with the colleges located near me, was for me to get my bachelors degree in sociology (which would take 2 years going full time) and then going through a 1 year intense Masters of Arts in Teaching program. So from 2010-2012, I went back to college full-time, while working my job in Human Resources for the school system in which I also now work as a teacher. A lot of my classes were online or 'blended'--where we would meet every other week in the evening for about 2 1/2 hours. It was quite do-able. My husband is amazing. We have pretty much a traditional household---I cook and clean, although he helps take care of the kiddos of course. When I was going to college at night, he completely stepped it up :) I remember I gradated in May 2012 with my bachelors degree, then 3 days later, my masters classes started.

This last pic was from May 2013 when I graduated with my Master of Arts in Teaching, when everything was complete :D I was also preggo with my little jelly bean Alexa Grace in this pic, but no one knew (but me and my hubs).

Anyway! So that's where I was 5 years ago. I am so thankful for my journey and the experiences that I've had. Different people that I've spoken to have said to me, wow, how did you go back to school, get married, manage a household, and raise 3 kids----and I always tell them the same thing----I had a great support system and the determination :) I KNEW God had a bigger plan for me, and here I am, just finished up my 2nd year teaching---living the dream!

Have a great week!