Day 58 – { acceptance }

Three days after my last post, on March 15, 2013, we received two letters in the mail, one from Colorado State and one from Central Arkansas. I resigned myself to the first being a rejection letter and hoped that the second was not. I decided to open the “bad news” first.

I read the first paragraph and did not see the words “regret to inform you”  or “unfortunately”. I read it again. It began to dawn on me that this was not a rejection letter. I read it again, then ran into the kitchen screaming for DC.

He came downstairs thinking there was a giant spider to be reckoned with. I could hardly speak because I was shrieking and laughing and crying at the same time. It was miraculously, unbelievably true: he had been accepted to Colorado State University’s prestigious occupational therapy program. (We nearly didn’t even apply to it because we thought the chances were so slim.)

We know this was an answer to prayers and fasting. We are so, so grateful!



After the euphoria settled down a little (it took a few days, I think :0), we crunched the numbers and saw that to move to Fort Collins and go to CSU would be a bit more expensive than staying here and going to UCA (if he is admitted there, too). We took about a week discussing all the pros and cons and talking to our children and asking pretty much anyone who would listen what they thought was best.

Last Saturday we went to the Memphis Temple. Exacto was super sweet to watch his siblings here at home so that DC and I could be in the temple together. We felt peace about accepting the spot at Colorado State, and announced it to our children over Reese’s Klondike bars when we got home. :o)

Now that the decision is made, it feels like moving a mountain by shovel to work out all the details with selling the house, getting his additional prereq’s taken care of, finding a place to live there by early May in order to get residency for next summer, etc., all with the looming knowledge that the salary will be stopping in a few months. Lead, Kindly Light is quickly becoming our daily theme song.

It breaks my heart to leave Arkansas. It feels way, way out of my comfort zone, which is so funny to me because our first year here I felt like a outsider that would never belong or like it here. But nine years and lots of wonderful, loving friends have firmly rooted a big ol’ chunk of my heart right here in central Arkansas. I can hardly stand to think about the actual leaving. If my family would just move here. . . .if the symphony would suddenly just double his income and move all concerts to weekdays during the day (haha). . . .:o)

I know that Heavenly Father answered our prayers, and that we are meant to be there in Colorado for the next two years. I am so grateful.