done. complete. finished.

10 pm Sunday night, he sits cranking out his final reading!

4,300 pages read? check.

book of Hosea translated into Hebrew? check.

150 pages of written work? check.

and yes, that was just this semester!

*EDIT*
apparently, the translating was done from Hebrew into English. I didn't know there was a difference, but now I do!

"we" are done with seminary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we look forward to graduation on Sunday!

take a nice long nap, babe, you deserve it!!
we are soooooo proud of you.

Seminary Wives

Last week I attended my FINAL seminary wives get-together.

(these are some of the faces of friends! yes, I took these from your facebooks! don't hate me :~) I wish I had time to put everyone's pic - so sorry if I missed you.

One of the most encouraging aspects of seminary for me has been interacting with the professor's wives and other seminary wives. They would hold monthly get-togethers and I always loved getting together with this group of ladies. Some years I could participate more than others because of my teaching schedule and I wish I could have attended everything!

It was encouraging to mingle with the other wives because most of them were at the exact place in life as Andrew & I were. Most had gotten married and moved here for seminary. So those first few years we were all adjusting to not only seminary life, but married life as well. As we neared the end of our time here, many of us either recently had babies or are expecting to soon! So we had many pregnancy/labor/mommyhood stories to relate!

Learning from the faculty wives who have served with their husbands, not only through seminary, but doctoral work as well and then as they went on to teach at seminary was also wonderful. These women can understand what it means to be married to a life-long studier more than anyone!

So I am so thankful for all the wives who have impacted my life here and taught by example how to love your husband and children, exhibit graciousness and patience, and continually put others above themselves.

I hope these are lessons I will not forget and that God will continue to remind me of my time here and what I have learned.

I want to encourage other wives who are still in seminary to thoroughly enjoy this unique opportunity you have to be a seminary wife. Encourage your husband, let him know that you are happy to be in this journey with him. He needs your full support! Don't wish the time away, but embrace what God has to teach you during this time.

That being said...I am THRILLED to be a post-seminary wife!! Praise God for his graciousness to us during these four years.

Need Your Help

Many of you know that I have volunteered for various things with the Crisis Pregnancy Center the last few years. I have been so blessed by this ministry. Even though I have never faced an unplanned pregnancy personally, I have been able to speak with lots of women who have. Their stories are sometimes heart-breaking and many have faced abuse, forced abortions, no money, and most of all, no love or support system in their lives. This is where the Center steps in. They provide pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, vitamins, maternity clothes, baby items, childbirth/parenting classes, and that support system that each women needs, all FREE of charge to these women. Many lives have been changed and babies that were headed to the abortion clinic have been saved, by God's grace! Each year the CPC holds different fund-raising events to raise their support in order for them to continue to provide all of their services for free.

This Saturday I am participating in the Walk for Life. I am currently raising donations, not a per-mile pledge, but just one-time gifts. This has been a hard year for the CPC. Donations are way down and previous donors have had to drop their support because of the affects of our current economic situation.

Cash is tight for almost everyone, and the cash we do have, we are tending to hold to a little more tight-fisted in case of that WHAT IF situation. (I know, because we are too!)

But would you consider even a "small" donation? $10...$5...$20... every little bit counts!

Donations can be given quickly, safely, and easily through my online fundraising page.

http://www.firstgiving.com/kellyhughes1

Please visit it and consider making a donation.

Many women & babies would thank you!!

Easter Sunday

We had a wonderful Easter. Our hearts were full after a great Sunday service as we worshipped with our church family.

There in the grave, his body lay,

light of the world by Darkness slain.

Then bursting forth in glorious day,

up from the grave he rose again!

Ans as he stands in victory,

SIN'S CURSE HAS LOST IT'S GRIP ON ME!

for I am his, and he is mine,

bought with the precious blood of Christ.

(In Christ Alone)

Later we enjoyed lunch with lots of great friends and a buffet of AMAZING food!

Of course the big question of the day was...
what's Graham wearing??? which is very funny to me! Great-Grandma O'Neil had given me this outfit before he was born and I thought it would be good for Easter day. And of course, us, being the picture fanatics that we are :), got it well documented!

We are hearing a lot about Christ's death & resurrection between this past Sunday & Easter Sunday. I appreciate the focus on what Christ has done for us. However, we should be focusing on, thinking of, and celebrating Christ's work every single week! Let's not get caught up in thinking about it this week and then let it pass by as if it doesn't change every single day of our lives!

But I do wish you a Happy Easter as we celebrate His resurrection!
I appreciate this song that we're singing in our church this week...

May I never lose the wonder,

the wonder of the cross.

May I see it like the first time

standing as a sinner lost,

undone by mercy and left speechless,

watching wide-eyed at the cost.

May I never lose the wonder,

the wonder of the cross.

family date

It was a beautiful, sunny 80 degrees on Saturday (not to rub it in to anyone who may still have snow :) but we took advantage of the beautiful day and spent some time at the park.

love this brilliant white tree!

I was talking to this nurse who was totally against Babywise scheduling and was telling me how those babies are underfed and end up in the hospital because they are mal-nourished.

I have two words for her...Graham Owen. :)

he is not sure what's going on here...

getting more ok with it...

awww...perfect!

Because of other things we had going on that day, Graham was totally off his schedule. He has been so smiley & happy lately, but Saturday was not one of those days unfortunately.
come on baby, smile! m-e-l-t-d-o-w-n!
he's not crying...we'll take it!still a fun time with my boys!

an average day

Graham is such a big boy that sometimes I forget how little he really is!

He was patiently hanging out in mommy & daddy's bed while I folded laundry.

He seemed to be enjoying himself!