announcing dr. kristin!

Well, folks, I did it.  I finally graduated!  God is so amazing.  I had only 6 weeks to edit over 200 pages of dissertation, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to do it.  I took it to the Lord and had some of the very best prayer time of my life.  God is able...period.  He accomplished what I couldn't.  I remember staring at some of the paragraphs that somehow made it to my computer screen and just marveling at the words written there.  I couldn't have thought of that on my own!

By the end of May, I had the signatures of every member of my dissertation committee.  It was such a great feeling (and a bit anticlimactic) to go to California and actually put on that cap and gown and bring this journey to a close. 

With Ellen Hartigan-O'Connor, the dissertation committee member who hooded me at graduation.

Graduation was interesting.  All of us graduates had to stand outside in our caps and gowns in the 90 degree heat for an hour before the ceremony.  I had cute hair before I got there...promise!  My major advisor was out of town, so I was fortunate enough to have had another dissertation committee present to hood me.  She put in a lot of work on my dissertation, so it seemed fitting that she was there.

From what I hear, Rebekah handled the ceremony pretty well!  Nathan spent the majority of the time walking her around, and she gave a lot of applause to the theater majors (apparently, she didn't see the need to applaud me :).  She entertained those in nearby seats with her renditions of "The More We Get Together" and other songs.

We had a pretty bad graduation speaker, which is how it should be, I guess.  I don't know that I've ever attended a graduation with a good speaker.  This guy's thesis was "I am awesome.  Be just like me."  Good message for the masses.

Getting hooded was pretty funny.  My professor's sole job was to hand my hood to some other "professional hooder" (actually, I really don't know who he was).  He practically gagged me putting the thing around my neck, but at least he didn't knock my hat off.

So what's next?  Well, I've really been feeling called toward Christian education, specifically at the high school level.  I've realized that I love being a mother and a wife and want a position that will allow me to put those things first (university positions would require well more than 40 hours a week).  We are also fortunate that we live near several private Christian high schools.  God has placed in my life a lot of individuals affiliated with those schools, and by the time I graduated, I was pretty sure that's where He wanted me to land.

I interviewed with one particular school that is just 10 minutes from our home.  It's an amazing school, and I enjoyed the interviews very much...all eight hours of them!  I didn't get the position this year because they needed someone with a bit more secondary-level teaching experience.  But the door there is still wide open!  The principal and I had a great conversation, and he promised to "hunt me down" next year.  He has a particular vision for his history program that I am uniquely qualified to fill, and I strongly believe that God has a place for me at this school in the near future.

Until then, I'm going to start working on my teaching certification.  Isn't it ironic that I'm qualified to teach 19-year-olds - and have, in fact, taught college students for 3 years - yet I'm not qualified to teach 17-year-olds? :)  It will be good, though.  I'm looking forward to more learning, to feeling more prepared to enter the high school environment, and for all of the extra time that this will give me with Rebekah in the coming year.

I figured I should close out this post by thanking some people.  Like my husband and daughter, who put up with me and my work for so long.  And my parents, who've always supported me and who have never hid the fact that they are so, so proud.  It feels good to make your parents proud.

Me with Mom and Dad - they made the trip out to California to see me graduate!

And my advisor, Alan, who really helped carry this project along from start to finish.  He might not smile much for photos, but he sure was great to work with. :)

My dissertation advisor, Alan Taylor.

And to close, I thought I'd copy the acknowledgments from my dissertation itself.  Hopefully, I didn't leave anyone off.

I’m grateful to many people for their help, encouragement, and generosity as they walked alongside me in my academic journey.  Although a simple “thanks” seems so small compared to the tremendous support that they provided me, I’m honored to be able to express my gratitude publicly and permanently.

            Alan Taylor is everything any graduate student could want in an advisor and more.  His insights as a scholar are unparalleled – I believe I learned more just sitting and listening to him chat about his historical interests than I have in most formal classroom settings.  However, it was the personal attention he gave to my scholarship that I will most remember.  He always took the time to listen, provide detailed critical feedback, and more importantly, to praise profusely where praise was due.  His financial generosity sustained me at several points throughout my academic career.  For his efforts and encouragement on my behalf, I am extremely grateful.

            This project would not be nearly what it is today without the additional influence of the rest of my dissertation committee – Ellen Hartigan-O’Connor, John Smolenski, and Ari Kelman.  Ellen particularly pushed me to think more critically, read more broadly, and analyze more thoroughly.  Although I inwardly cringed whenever I would receive her overwhelming notes on each chapter, I can honestly say that I am grateful for each and every one. 

            I’m appreciative of those fellow graduate students whose friendship made my journey through graduate school a pleasant one.  Yulian Wu has been a great friend since day one.  While an excellent scholar, she also proved an excellent companion when making sugar cookies and meatloaf, and I’m grateful to her for dragging me to yoga – turns out I enjoyed it more than I thought I would!  My most enjoyable adventures as a graduate student involved Yulian – thanks for being my partner in crime!  Luci Petlack has been the best “dissertation buddy” I could have asked for.  Not only has she read every single chapter in its roughest stages, but she’s also been there to encourage, complain to, and just chat with when the words wouldn’t seem to flow.  I’m so thankful that we were able to finish our academic journey together. 

            Debbie Lyon and Ross Eikenbary are two of the hardest working staff members at UC Davis.  They go above and beyond in every way.  I’m especially appreciative of Debbie for keeping that bowl of chocolates on her desk – hard days always seemed a bit brighter after a talk with Debbie and one of those chocolates.  Outside of UC Davis, fellow scholars Joe Adelman, Steven Smith, Andrew Torget, Seth Rockman, and Seth Cotlar provided valuable insights, encouragement, and helpful aid throughout the course of my project. 

            I’m grateful to the many institutions, archives, and foundations that lent me support along my journey.  UC Davis and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation provided generous financial support.  The Gilder Lehrman Institute not only provided monetary support for my dissertation research, but they also helped start this whole process by accepting me to their first History Scholars Program while I was still an undergraduate.  To Thorin Tritter and the rest of the GL “crew” – thanks for showing me just how fun history could be.  I was honored to be a participant at the American Antiquarian Society’s summer seminar led by David Paul Nord and John Nerone on the newspaper and culture of print in the early republic.  The AAS’s Phil Lampi and Paul Erickson have provided encouragement and valuable insight.  I also appreciate the society’s generous financial help and the use of their collections in my own work.  Without the American Antiquarian Society, a history of newspapers would be a much more difficult beast to conquer.  I’m especially thankful to the Maryland Historical Society for making me feel at home during my extended stay.  Their H. Furlong Baldwin Library has been my most favorite of all, primarily due to the friendliness and helpfulness of their staff.  I’m also thankful to Columbia University, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Library of Congress, the New York Historical Society, and the New York Public Library – it was an honor and pleasure to conduct research at each of these institutions.

            I would never have even considered going to graduate school in the first place if it hadn’t been for the overwhelming support and encouragement of three very special professors.  David Snead invested in my academic future from the moment I stepped into his class.  He gave me a love for the subject and encouraged me to consider a future in it.  More importantly, he showed me that you don’t have to compromise your faith or values to be a successful academic.  Christina Ashby-Martin pushed me to become my best, praising me every step of the way.  Her guidance in the world of fellowships and grants helped me secure much-needed financial resources.  And Gretchen Adams – thank you for jumping on board when this timid undergraduate came knocking at your door asking you to be her undergraduate thesis advisor.  I have never regretted my choice and am so thankful to have had your friendship and guidance along my academic path.   

            Finally, none of this would have been possible without the support, friendship, and love of my friends and family.  Katie Sluis, Kristen Queen, and Stacia Heuser – you all kept me sane, grounded, and rooted in my faith.  I’m so thankful that we’ve managed to keep up our friendships despite the miles that separate us.  Marta Bonds and Lauren Ferguson have not only been great friends but have also shown me that it can be done!  I’m so proud of you both and am excited to join your ranks.  My extended family of in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents has continually blessed me with their prayers, encouragement, and support.  I relish making them proud.

            Mom and Dad, thank you for always encouraging me to do my best at everything.  You’ve taught me many things, but your love for me is what I’ve always clung to.  Thanks for raising me to take pride in myself and my work and for loving me no matter what!  Elizabeth (aka. S.I.S.), thank you for giving me a reason to be a role model.  I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become and so honored to call you my sister.

            Nathan, I love you with all my heart.  You married me knowing full and well the academic journey I was starting, and I appreciate you sticking through it with me.  Your love, support, and knack for knocking sense into me has kept me both balanced and blessedly happy.  And Rebekah – I know you have no idea that this is what Mommy has been doing during your naptimes, but thank you for sleeping well and amusing me when you woke up.  Seeing your smile is always the highlight of my day.

            It is only appropriate that I save the most important for the end.  Heavenly Father, thank you for your constant guidance, provision, and blessing.  Thank you for leading me when I didn’t know where I was going.  You have sustained me throughout this process, and I trust completely in Your will for my future.

rebekah turns one

In February (yes, over a month ago), Rebekah turned a year old!  We're finally getting around to posting pictures of her big day.

We were fortunate to have several guests join us for our celebration.  Kristin's parents came from Kansas, Nathan's brother and his family came from Oklahoma, a few friends from church dropped by, and Kristin's sister skyped in from Nebraska.

Rebekah particularly enjoyed having a friend from the church nursery over to play. 

We did a little photo shoot of Rebekah with her newborn photo.  She's grown up so much in just one year!

She likes wearing a mixing bowl for a hat...she's her mother's daughter.

Kristin made homemade whoopie pies for dessert.  Rebekah smiled when everybody sang and when Mom and Dad helped her blow out her candle.

We didn't know whether she'd throw the whoopie pie on the floor or give it a try...she decided to be adventurous and just stuck it in her mouth.

At first she was very serious about it...several bites in and not one smile.

In the end, though, it was a winner!  She loved her first taste of chocolate.  She ate about 3/4 of the whoopie pie before looking at us and saying "all done!"

After whoopie pies, she got to open a few presents.  A friend from church handmade her an adorable elephant.

Mom and Dad got her a doll - her very first one!

The only downside to the party was the adult cake.  Kristin had envisioned a giant whoopie pie with three layers of chocolate cake, two layers of marshmallow filling, and chocolate ganache covering the top.  Once we constructed it, however, the whole thing just went sliding.  Fortunately, it tasted amazing.

The whole family on Rebekah's first birthday...

To cap off the night, Rebekah and Daddy did what they do every night - read the Bible.

january snow and smiles

It's been a while since we've posted for a very good reason...I've been working on my dissertation.  I've worked during every nap that Rebekah takes, just about every evening, and all day every Saturday while Nathan watched Rebekah.  The only days that I didn't work were Sundays.  I figure that God knew what He was doing when He made the sabbath a day of rest, and I didn't argue.  All that work finally paid off this week...

It's done!  I mailed the final, revised copy to my major professor on Monday.  So now we wait for my committee to review it.  Prayers are much appreciated that they will accept it for graduation without any additional major revisions.

We celebrated with cupcakes and a bottle of sparkling wine.  Then I cleaned out the fridge.  It's so nice to have the time to clean my house again!

So now that I'm done, I'm trying to get caught up on blogs, photos, scrapbooking, and everything else.  Here's what we missed telling you about in January...

 

Rebekah went through a "hat" phase.  She loved signing the word "hat" and saying it (she articulated it very well).  And, she loved turning any object she could find into a hat.  Above, she is wearing a banana hat. 

We also went through a period of time where she learned to pull up but then couldn't figure out how to get down.  This led to a week of no sleep for anyone.  She would pull up in her crib and then stand and cry until we came to rescue her.  Then, the minute we did, she'd pull up again.  Finally, she just wore herself out so much that she fell asleep before she could even lay down!

We had some beautiful snow in January!  It was a wonderful surprise to wake up to a winter wonderland.  I ran outside in my pajamas in order to snap this picture of our house covered in snow.  I'm glad I did - the snow all melted by lunch!

Our little gangsta' really enjoys bath times with Daddy.  And he enjoys giving her new hair styles.

We went on a lovely date to a nearby park.  We'd been having trouble thinking of date ideas recently.  We're trying to save up money to hopefully be able to go to California in June for my graduation.  As a result, we've budgeted out things like movies, restaurants, and child care.  We got creative, though.  We headed to Costco for some frozen yogurt (under $3 for the two of us) and then went to a nearby park for a walk. 

While there, we took Rebekah to feed the ducks.

We showed her how to toss the bread to the ducks.  Then we gave her some bread to throw, but she ended up eating it instead.  Silly girl.

december dating

We've been doing a good job of keeping up with dates, even if we haven't done the best job of writing about them.  For instance, in November we both kept a record of of all the moments where we "turned each other on," for lack of a better phrase.  This stemmed from an Everybody Loves Raymond episode where Raymond frustratingly asks for directions to "the mood."  We recorded those moments when we were in the mood for an entire week and then shared with one another on our date night.  There were lots of fun surprises, and it was a great way to encourage and compliment one another.  We both got some ideas for the future. :)

December is always a challenge when it comes to dating because of all of our holiday travels and celebrations.  We have to be super creative to make time for one another in the midst of the busyness.  Inspired by this post on the Dating Divas website, I created a "dating Advent calendar" for Nathan.

I got a bunch of gift tags and wrote a number on each (1-25, for each day before Christmas).  Nathan enjoyed waking up on December 1 and seeing them covering the fireplace.

On the back of each gift tag was either a date for that evening, something I was going to do for Nathan, or something I love about him. 

Here are some pictures from just a few of our "dates."


December 1 - Put on your Santa hat...we're decorating the tree tonight!

We put the tree in our bedroom so that Miss Rebekah wouldn't get into it.  We had a lot of fun pulling out all of the ornaments and getting into the Christmas spirit.

Day 2: I hear the Denton Square is awfully pretty this time of year.  Let's go check it out!

Denton, Texas has an awesome looking courthouse.  We enjoyed walking around, looking at the lights, and then checking out a local bookstore.

Day 7: Everybody Loves Raymond marathon with as many cookies as we can eat...

We watched a marathon of every Christmas episode while cookies baked in the oven.  Of course, Nathan had to be sure and eat some dough as well, just like one of the characters in the show.

Day 8: Happy Birthday to meeeeee!!!!!! :)  Let's drive around and look at Christmas lights this evening.  You pick the route.

On my birthday, we did more than just look at Christmas lights.  Nathan gave me a full day of special events.  He joined me upstairs for some scrapbooking, and we ate some delicious cupcakes.  I hadn't had chocolate in months, so it was a real treat.

For dinner, we went to a place called Prairie House.  We've passed by the restaurant numerous times on our way to and from Oklahoma, and I've always wanted to go.  It was absolutely delicious - definitely a place we'll be frequenting in the future!

After dinner and our Christmas light tour, we got home, put Rebekah to bed, and then Nathan brought out my "birthday cake."  Actually, he made me a delicious caramel pecan pie cheesecake.

Look....the candles spell out 31!  Not that that's how old I am or anything...

He surprised me with a movie and a book - both of which I'd been wanting for a while.  He also gave me movie tickets so that I can plan a date for us in the future.

Day 11: Don't make your lunch today - we're delivering you a hot one!

Rebekah and I brought Nathan soup served in bread bowls.  As always, Rebekah was the talk of the office, even if she was covered in crumbs.

Day 20: It's your birthday!  Let's celebrate with a picnic and slumber party in the living room.

When Nathan got home from work, I had sleeping bags laid out on the living room floor and a full picnic of paninis and sweet potato fries waiting.  We watched a "Nathan movie" while we ate (it had aliens and stuff...definitely not something I would have picked!).  Nathan enjoyed a birthday dessert of cookies and cream fudge in the shape of his age along with a cookie dough sundae.  We ended up not sleeping all night in the living room, but it was fun to pretend while we watched the movie.