Just call me Kristy Smith, FNP

Well, it is finally here! I am finally

DONE WITH SCHOOL!!!

This weekend we have had all kinds of graduation activities! First up was Celebration of Excellence on Thursday night. This was the nursing pinning ceremony for Carson-Newman's School of Nursing.

Here I am after getting my pin. Dr. Greg Casalenuovo is the Dean of the Nursing Department. He pinned me. The lady at the podium is Dr. Kim Bolton. Just don't ever upset her, she can ruin your life! She is the Chair of the Graduate program.

Will, Taylor, Liam, Momma, and Daddy all came to the pinning ceremony. I wish that everybody could have been there, but it was on a Thursday night and people had school the next day and work...it just didn't work out. The kids did pretty good during the ceremony. They were sitting in the pew across from where I was. At first I thought that was going to be awful, but it worked out pretty good that I could look over there and wave to them and say hi during the whole thing.

Me and my wonderful husband. I must stop right here and speak to him...

Will, you have been the most supportive person during this whole thing. I will never forget the day that I texted you and told you that I was thinking something really bad. You texted back and asked what. And I told you that I was thinking about going back to school. I cannot imagine what your first thoughts were when you saw that. I don't think either of us could have imagined what the next couple of years would bring us. You never doubted that I could do this or that I would do it well. You have supported me with prayers and good thoughts and have been my cheerleader through it all. Even when I wanted to give up, you pushed me and told me I could do it (I think because we had so much money in it already!!). You were there for me when I would find out my test grades and be a little disappointed in myself and you would remind me that a 92 was an amazing grade even if I didn't believe it! You put up with my whining and complaining without fail. You picked up the slack where I fell short in the wife and mother department. You were always there for the kids for whatever they needed without fail. When they were sick, you were there to cuddle them and love on them when I couldn't be. You put them to bed by yourself more times that I can count. And as much sleep as people thought I lost during all of this, you slept very little I know! You have worked so hard for us and worked overtime even just so that we could continue to eat and pay bills! I will never be able to thank you enough. But maybe being able to help with the bills will help a little bit! I love you so much and I thank you more than anything for all the amazing support!

My sweet little family!

Taylor and Liam, you have been the greatest little troopers during this crazy time. When I decided to go back to school Liam was 1 and Taylor was 2 1/2. You were both just little babies. I know it was not easy on you to not be able to spend time with Mommy all the months. You both have no idea how hard it was to leave you crying in your Daddy's arms while I had to go study or write a paper. I spent many nights crying over my books and notebooks just wishing I could cuddle with you all on the couch. I wanted nothing more than to spend all of my time with both of you. But years from now I hope you will understand why I did this. Why I couldn't tuck you into bed every night and why I couldn't read you books every time you wanted. The ultimate reason I decided to go back to school was so that I could give you all more in life. So that we would have money to send you all to college without struggling over it. And so that we could go on cool vacations and you could enjoy life without Mommy and Daddy always worrying about money. I know you would have ultimately been happy either way, but I hope that by me doing this, your lives will be better. You all aren't babies anymore, you are my big kids. I feel like I missed a lot during these past couple of years, but I hope you will understand when you are bigger why I did this. I love you both so so much and thank you for giving me reasons to stop studying and find time to play!

My Mommy, me, and my Daddy

Thank you to you both for supporting me in my decision to go back to school. Momma, you have always been one of my biggest supporters. You are sometimes too concerned, like when you ask me what my grades are and if I was studying or not when I should have been, but I am so thankful to have a mother who cares about me and my future. I know that all those crazy questions are your way of telling me you are thinking of me and praying for me during all of this. You did your fair share of watching my kids so that I could study and write papers. Thank you for always being available to help! And thank you for always being available to talk in the mornings when I was making that long long drive to school! And Daddy, you have always been one of my biggest fans and I know that you are proud of me. I know you still think that I should be a doctor one day, but maybe after I get a job and start working you will see that me being a nurse practitioner is so much better than me being a doctor! Thank you for watching the kids when you could and for keeping them occupied. Thank you for always believing in me and supporting me!

And to Kimberly, Tim, Amber...you all have also been some of my biggest cheerleaders. You all never questioned my craziness when I decided to go back to school with two little kids. And you all helped out with the kids when asked too! Kimberly, you probably took my kids to the doctor more times than an aunt should have to during the past 2 years! Thank you for being there and for helping me out! And Amber, watching you go through nursing school these last 2 semesters really kept me motivated to keep at it. You are so dedicated to studying and school that it made me feel obligated to keep being studious too! You are going to be a wonderful nurse in just one short year! And Tim, you were supportive in your own way, but I am so thankful for you! I know that you believed in me during all of this school stuff. And I also knew that anytime you called it would be a very short phone call, unlike phone calls from our mother!!

Ok...so now that I have been all sappy and thanked all the wonderful people in my life...let's get on with the celebrating!!

Here is me getting my hood

Me and Tim and Amber

Thank you Tim for taking off work and being there!

Me and Momma and Daddy

Me and Will and Diana

Thank you Diana for being there!

Me and Tim and Kimberly

Love you guys!

Me and my babies

The whole graduation gang! I am so thankful that all these wonderful people drove all that way just for me! I love all of you!

Me and Will

Will was hot and tired and hungry and wanted to leave. He was so so happy to be having all these pictures made!

A picture of my hood

We forgot to take a picture of it at the field, so I put it back on once I got home and got a picture...I worked hard for that thing and needed a picture of it!

It was a busy couple of days but I was so happy to be able to celebrate being done with all of that hard work.

And not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am pretty proud to say that I finished all of this and graduated with a
4.0 GPA!!!

I owe it all to God and my family for supporting me and being there for me.
Thank you all!!!!