Is there a doctor in the house?

YES! YES! Yes, there is - ME.....Dr. Thomas!!!! I could NOT have passed without the help of so many. THANK YOU! The incredibly sweet, kind and thoughtful emails sent and comments posted here on Christi's blog gave me a ton of inspiration. Thank you for lifting me up in prayer and for shaking your pom poms! During the intense dissertation defense this afternoon I kept telling myself, "Christi's whispering the answers in my ear (That little stinker was so smart) and Christi's fans are in this room so just have a conversation with them and don't think of this as an evaluation by these intimidating looking professors."

Prior to my 1PM defense, I took one of my former 8th grade students to lunch. When I switched to middle school, he was a student I just hit it off with and we kept in touch. Last night he sent me a text, "Call me when you get to campus." I told him I'd be really nervous and not my usual cheery self, but I wanted to see him and how he was adjusting to Ohio State. (He's doing GREAT! He's one of just 33 freshman in the incredible Ohio State University marching band! What a talented and amazing young man, he will do great things!)

After lunch, we strolled campus a bit and took in a mini-pep rally for tomorrow's game. (Of course I told Josh I thought the university spirit was to wish me goodluck or maybe they were starting to celebrate my successful defense early - hee hee!)



I believe my defense was meant to be a useful exercise, but at times it seemed like a form of hazing. After the two hour "interrogation" (smile, breathe), a white piece of paper with the committee's signatures on it was probably (next to the girls' birth certificates) the most beautiful piece of paper I have ever seen. THANK YOU, dear Lord!

I couldn't even answer about three of their questions based on my reivew of the literature, but really everything else I was really well prepared for and I thought it appeared I "had my act together" even though I was questioning myself.

One of the emails I received, from a sweet MSKCC volunteer who read to Christi many times in the hospital in NYC, said: HE hasn’t let you come this far not to succeed. I kept thinking of that on my two hour drive to Columbus this morning while praying for God to give me the gift of intelligence and a sense of peace that I could not obtain without His divine intervention.

And I had to laugh at what my sweet Heidelberg University friend (Dr. Lori) wrote:

What does PhD really stand for?
Pretty Huge Dope
Pretty Huge Deal
Party Hard – Duh! (That’s afterward!)
Port-potties have diseases!
Pronounce it “FUDD!”

I always thought it meant just "Piled Higher and Deeper" (since I find I really rely on my BS degree more than anything else, hee hee) Oh, what a glorious feeling!

I've notified BGSU of my official completion and it's great to know I can now finish serving this three year contract with the rank of Assistant Professor and not just Instructor, and my salary will be adjusted accordingly, whew! (It's still a pay cut from what I was making as a teacher at Seneca East, but I am soooooooo happy at BGSU!) The Dean of the College of Education at BGSU sent me a text saying she'd congratulate me in person on Monday. (Oh, guess I better show up on Monday, eh?! hee hee! Seriously I was planning to take doughnuts to Dr. Grine's sweet students who hosted the lemonade stand today, but.....looks like I'll do both now.)

God is good! I am blessed! Thank you everyone! I'm certain "in the shoe" tomorrow at the football game I will be the Buckeye's biggest fan there!

(As you can see from the picture of my office of my diplomas hanging above my desk, there's just one missing! It'll be in my hands soon! I'm in such a giddy mood I had to add labels to them. This last one doesn't go with my "color scheme", but it's definitely the one I worked the hardest for! Praise God, I'm done!!)

So now it appears I no longer have an excuse for putting off ordering Christi's cemetery plaque (other than I do not want to). Who, other than my mother - hee hee would want to do that for their kid?!)

Now on to something important - raising $$$ for pediatric cancer research. I've yet to see any pictures; however, Dr. Grine emailed today to tell me over $600 was raised. WOW! That is impressive! Thank you, Heidelberg University!!

I greeted Shayla at the door with my cap on. (Do you think she thinks I wore it the whole way home? OK, ok, I thought about it - and trust me since I paid $897.00 for my robe I should have, smile!) She decorated the living room for me "Congratulations Mom" - precious! (I noticed in this picture how well Christi's artwork she created weeks before she died shows up in this picture too. I'm telling myself it's Christi's way of letting me know she knows I passed.)


HUMOR: When my sweet friend, Becky, texted, "How are you going to celebrate tonight?" I told her I was doing lesson planning. She didn't believe me at first, but that's what I need to do now. Good thing I really enjoy it!