After 3 years, my law school education @ Cooley Law comes to an amazing end!

Well, it's official. I am a graduate of the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law. It is one of the best feelings in the world, second only to the feeling of being sealed to my eternal companion. I can't believe that it was 3.5 years ago when Will and I were loading up our Penske truck rollin' out to Michigan to begin the law school adventure. I have so many memories from Cooley, both good and bad, that I will take with me forever. There are a few memories I want to write down and share. The first memory I want to share took place the night before I actually went to my first day of class. I was suppose to "brief" these required cases so that I could be prepared to discuss the case with the professor if called on to do so. I was so scared because I didn't even know what a case "brief" was or how to "brief" a case. I remember that I started to cry with frustration because I was just lost not knowing how to prepare. I ended up doing what I considered a case brief and by the end of the first day of class, I realized that what I had done was actually a pretty darn good briefing of the cases. The second memory I want to share involves the friends that I made while attending Cooley. I made a couple friends that I know will be my friends for life. Ashley is one of those people. She is seriously the friend that I needed to keep me motivated, laughing, and working hard through this journey. There were a lot of times that Ashley had my back and stood up for me. There were times when we could spend every break during class talking solely about R Patz and Twilight! I am so grateful to have made great friends at Cooley. The third memory I want to share involves the library at the AH Campus. It's in the basement, but there are windows everywhere. I remember so many times studying in that library, being so sick and tired of memorizing notecard after notecard, and looking up and out the window and seeing deer just grazing on the grass right by the window. One time I saw a doe and her 2 fawns. It was such a refreshing sight to see to take my mind off of studying for a few minutes. The fourth memory is playing on the co-ed Cooley ball team. It was a blast. I was so ecstatic to be asked to play on the team. I loved every minute of it. I was also able to make friends with Dewnya through the ball team. She turned out to be a good friend of mine and we loved playing ball together. The fifth memory I have of Cooley that I want to share is that I had so many great professors who truly cared about the students and very few who were more concerned with other things besides the students. There are a couple professors that had a huge impact on me and who motivated me to want to be the best attorney I could be. I hope that someday, if I get the opportunity to teach, I can be the teacher who leaves the students motivated to be their best. Anyways, since I completed my externship in December, I officially had enough credits to graduate from law school. My graduation was set to take place on January 21st, 2012 at MSU Auditorium in East Lansing, Michigan. Will and I met my parents in Las Vegas at the airport on the Thursday before graduation. We had some time to kill before our flight to Detroit, so we went out to breakfast and went to the Pawn Shop on the tv show Pawn Stars. We flew out for Detroit in the morning and with the time change, we ended up getting to Detroit around 9 pm. Let me just say this, when I stepped off of the plane in Detroit, I about went into shock....it was COLD. BITTER COLD. We picked up our rental car and headed north towards Auburn Hills. On Friday, we decided to go to the mall so I could get a new pair of shoes for graduation and so that my mom and I could get manicures adn pedicures. It was so much fun spending the entire day with my best friend, Willy, and my parents. We also went to Cooley to pick up my cap and gown. It was a surreal feeling walking into that building knowing that it would probably be the last time I walked through those hallways. We took some pictures at the campus and then headed out. I will always remember everything about Cooley, the look, smell, sounds, and the people. Graduation was on Saturday, so we woke up, ate breakfast together, and then got ready to head out. Will surprised me with a little small jewelry box and inside it was the bottom band to my wedding ring set. What a graduation present. It was beautiful and I LOVE IT!!! We headed to Lansing and once we got there, it is all kind of a blur. It all happened so fast. I took some pictures with my mom and Will before I went to get in my gown. Once the people got my gown all hooked up and robed me and I got my cap on, I went back upstairs for some more pictures. It was fun to see so many of the people I started at Cooley with, and get to reminisce with them. Graduation started at 3 and was over by 5. We had some very talented speakers. I was so surprised at how calm and not nervous I was. I seriously couldn't quit smiling. I just kept thinking, I can't believe I really did this!!!!! They called my name, I walked up on the stage to get my diploma, shoot hands with the Dean, and TA DA!!! It was all over. I had graduated Cum Lade from law school. Every minute I spent slaving over briefing cases, every tear I cried with frustration, every hour I spent studying and memorizing millions of notecards, every day I went without being able to socialize because I was too busy, and every year that Will and I were away from our family was all worth it at that very second. In my hands, I held something that no one can every take away from me, KNOWLEDGE! I could see in Will's and my parent's faces how proud they were of me. After the ceremony, we took pictures at the auditorium. Will, my mom, and my dad all had leis for me from Hawaii. They were beautiful. We headed back to Auburn Hills so we could have dinner with some of our friends. We met everyone at the Olive Garden. For 2 hours, we all sat and chatted and caught up on what has been going on in our lives. The friends that Will and I made in Michigan were nothing short of miracles to us. We needed them in our lives and will never forget how great they were and are to us. We will miss all our Michigan friends so much. We had a blast just talking story and eating yummy food. We took some pictures and then just as quick as we sat down to eat, everyone had left. Will, my parents, and I went to Culver's for a shake for dessert. I love their cookie dough concrete mixers! On Sunday, we went to church at the Lake Orion Ward. It was fun to be back and actually felt more like we had just been on a 5 month vacation to Hawaii and were now back home. My favorite part of Sacrament was that I got to sit with Julia and her family. We left after Sacrament to go get ready for our flight. Before we left the hotel, I told my parents and Will how much I really appreciated all they had done for me and let them know that I could not have done this without them. My mom told me that watching me graduate yesterday was one of the most proudest moments of her life. I have always wanted my parents to be proud of me and so it meant the world to me when my mom said that. The trip to Michigan with Will and my parents was an experience that I will never forget. We made so many memories that I will forever cherish. Before we flew back to Hawaii, Will and I were able to spend 3 days in Utah. I got to spend the whole day with my mom, McCall, Dilly, and Nixy. There are few things in life that I like more than just sitting on the couch talking with my family. We ate Chinese from the Station for dinner...YUM! I tried sweet and sour chicken for the first time and it was delicious. On our way to Milford to pick up the Chinese food, it was snowing and the roads were covered and McCall was driving slow and careful and I will never forget how Drake said, "Geese, we've been driving for 45 minutes already, mom your going too slow." Such a teenager, but I love it. I love seeing Drake grow up and he is so darn cute and I am so proud to be his Aunt. On Tuesday, I ran to Beaver with my mom to get groceries. We picked up the kiddos from school and played games in my mom's basement. That night, my mom cooked a graduation dinner for me. Spaghetti! Yep, it's my fav! It was delicious!!! Thanks momma! She also ordered me a cute cake(see the pics below) for all the fam to share in. After dinner, we played games and the girls beat the boys at name 5! I had a blast. Thanks so much to my mom for putting that great dinner together and for thinking of me and having a graduation celebration for me. We flew out late Wednesday night, but before we left for Vegas, Will, Skip, and I ran over to Richfield so I could see my family. My Grandpa June was sick so Will and Skip gave him a blessing. I got to visit with my Grandma Carol and Shay Dawn for a few minutes. I took them a fresh Hawaiian pineapple.....I hope they love them as much as I do. I also ran down to visit with my Grandma Carla before we left for Vegas. Will, my mom, and I boarded the plane headed for Honolulu at 2:00 am on Thursday. We landed in Honolulu at 6:30 am. I get to spend the next 10 days with my mom as she visits us in Hawaii. We are super excited. I just want to say a special Thanks to anyone who has thought of me, prayed for me, helped me, or in any way influenced me in the last couple years as I worked my way through school. It was never easy, but I know that my burden was lightened. Many Mahalos!!! :)