What's up doc?

We recently made a big decision. Well, it felt big for us at least. It will surely impact not only the next few years, but the rest of our lives in some ways. I feel like this stage of life is unique in that we never quite know what the future holds and we are constantly having to make big decisions that might change the way everything else plays out. I know life is always unpredictable, and you never really know what happens next, but something about age 18 to whenever this ends seems special. Anyways, just as I thought this stage was about to end...something changed.

The plan was for Ryan to graduate early next year with his Masters. This meant he would start applying for jobs this summer and hopefully sign with a company by late fall. The finish line was so close. I had stopped thinking about ways to fix up and decorate our house, I started organizing things in a way that would be easy to load onto a truck, I was doing everything short of making an actual paper chain counting down to the end. I was so excited for the next chapter. 

Then Ryan came home one day a few weeks ago and said, "what if I get a PhD?" It came out of nowhere for me, and so I just laughed and basically told him that's not what he wanted.  Well as the night progressed, and it was a very late night, I discovered he really did want it. Ryan is a very quiet, usually emotionless type guy. But this? This he got excited about. I knew that night he needed this. I would not be the one to get in his way. So the planning began. What school? When? How long? 

We had several options and all of them seemed ok. Most of the schools were far away from here and I got excited at the thought of a new adventure even though it would mean major downsizing and at least four more years of surviving on a student budget...it would still be a new adventure. The thing I had been craving most. Then came another option. Go straight into a PhD right now, not get the masters and just stay at BYU for the doctorate. This option meant we would stay in our house, and only add two years onto the previous finish date. I was a little devastated. You might think I am crazy for this. We live in a nice house, on a lot of land, for only a bit more than our previous apartments. It is beautiful. We live close to family, I have a good clientele base, and things are nice. So why am I bummed about staying? Nothing important enough to expound on:)

But after much deliberation, prayer, and talking, we have decided to stay. It is an incredible opportunity for Ryan to do what he loves. In the long term 3 years is nothing.  We  feel blessed and lucky to have this as an option and I am elated Ryan is chasing his dream. I am coming around to the idea of a few more years here and am finding a lot of reasons to be happy to stay. I know it is the right thing for our family. So many things fell into place so fast to make it feel even more right. Sometimes you just need to add a whole chapter you never knew was there, before moving on to the next one. 

And so begins the journey to become Dr. Ryan Lundgreen. Get excited!