The Great Stages Of My Life

Every philosophy is the philosophy of some stage in life.
~Friedrich Nietzsche

It's Thursday again and this week's Theme Thursday is stage. (To learn more about Theme Thursday just click on the link.) Here are some of life's greatest stages I've had the honor of walking across-starting with high school!

Following the footsteps of several uncles and aunt I attended Independence High School with 4,000 other students! Yes, there are three zeros behind that four. Here I graduate from high school with my high school sweetheart, Hugh, and 800 something other seniors! Go Sixers!

I went onto San Jose State University where I met the greatest bunch of people in the chemistry department. Here I stand with my Hugh, my high school sweetheart turned fiance, Tom and his fiance Stefanie whom I met through the chemistry club. (They are now married and living in Ohio while Tom attends medical school.) I am the first in my family to graduate from a four year university and earned a bachelors of science in chemistry! Go Spartans!

Ok, you know what stage in my life comes next after college-getting married! Here are merely two photos of the 700 something that were taken overall. I was wed at St. Joseph's Cathedral Basilica.

My husband and I decided to get married here for two reasons, the first being that my parents were married here long before the renovation and the second reason is it was directly across the street from our reception hall the San Jose Museum of Art.

I can't help it, I have to share two more photos and these are from the reception. Uh-huh, those are Chihuly glass chandeliers. They are absolutely spectacular. (I had a chance to see a full Chihuly exhibit at de Young Museum in San Fransico last year and recommend anyone to see it if it's near you. It's positively amazing what this man can do with glass.)

Now the next stage in my life was not about me. This stage belongs to my husband and all the hard work he put into law school. I merely got in the way of his readings and studying, but helped out in the ways that a loving new wife could-cooking and cleaning.

After three grueling years he graduated from McGeorge School of Law. As you can see he was very happy.

I'm not going to lie and say it was easy being married to a law student, in fact it wasn't easy. There were times where we both thought we wouldn't make it to his graduation but we toughed it out and hoped that things would become easier. Having faith in each other, faith in God, and learning how to communicate with each other without hurting one another and sharing the same dreams really pulled us through. It was the greatest challenge we have ever faced together and we passed it. Unfortunately there is no stage or diploma at the end of such a challenge but if there was we would have walked across that stage proudly.

The latest stage I had the chance to cross was the finish line of my first marathon-the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon in 2008! I didn't stand on a podium but I did earn a free Tiffany necklace for completing the race, 26.2 miles!

I ran it in 4:45! This is the very same marathon I am training for with Team In Training this summer. TNT is an awesome endurance training program that raises funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Last year I raised $2647. You can help me reach my goal of $1500 by clicking here or on the TNT badge on the upper left hand corner of this blog. Thank you in advance.

So my goal is to run this year's marathon in 4 hours, but will be happy with any time under 4:45. You can read more about my training by reading my other posts. Check out what I go through after running double digits (anything ten miles or above), an ice bath.

My next stage in life is being laid off for the first time and going back to SJSU to earn a teaching credential to teach high school chemistry/science. I start classes in late August and I'm so excited. I can't wait to buy my books and start reading through the materials!

I can't post photos of a wedding without one of the bride and groom kissing now can I? Here it is.

Now comes the next stage in our life-the soft pitter patter of feet. God willing, of course, after my second marathon. ;-) As any mother will tell you, there is no stage to walk across here either, but what a great stage of life it is, the stage of motherhood I hope to enter soon.

Happy Theme Thursday everyone!

If life were a stage, then we're all running around ad-libbing, with absolutely no clue what the plot is. Maybe that's why we don't know whether it's a comedy or a tragedy.
~Bill Watterson

You are in charge of your life. God gives you the freedom of choice to do what you will. Make your life what you want it to be.