Back in School?!

Spring is FINALLY here and so is a new semester. Only the thing about this semester is that we weren't planning on BOTH of us being in school. I was told when I first got put on academic suspension (yes, suspension) that I wouldn't be able to return to classes until Fall 2011. So we were shocked when I checked my email on Saturday the 16th, down in Arizona, and read that I was now on academic probation and had to register for Spring 2011 or reapply to BYU-Idaho. Spring 2011 started on Tuesday, the 19th. SURPRISE!!

Don't get me wrong, it was good news to be back in school. But at the same time, we weren't quite ready for me to be back in school. Jopes' schedule was already super booked. Like, school full time, working full time, coaching competitive frisbee, being in charge of the club frisbee team, and being in the bishopric kind of booked. Talk about never getting to see him! And now I was to register for classes too. Oh boy.

So we got back from our lovely little trip on Monday and worked on "how are we going to do this??" We found out that one of Jopes' classes had been cancelled and the students registered for that class had been sifted into the other sections of the class. Well that meant his class conflicted with what work had already scheduled him for. Drop that class, add another. Okay. Now on to finding classes for me to take. Only my online student status is still set as "former student" so I can't get to the registration system. And it's after hours so I can't call anyone. Terrific.

Tuesday, while Jopes was at work and school, I was at home making phone calls. I finally talked to the right person who said it would be a half hour for my status to be changed. After that half hour, I registered for some classes. And then I dropped and added different ones all day if felt like. And then Jopes called and said that work needed to know my schedule ASAP. So I switched things around some more, and called him back at work. I gave him two options, and he chose the second. 4 classes, 3 credits each. 2 of them online, the other two one night a week from 7-10PM. Thank goodness we have Becca and Anna up here, and that they are willing to watch the kids when needed! We had to use Becca both of those first nights, since Jopes had bishopric meeting the first night and work already scheduled the second night.

All that being said, our first week went okay. I really like the teachers of my night classes. And the subject material is fun for me. As for the online classes, the first one seems very do-able. I don't think I'll mind it. The other, I'm not sure if I can do. It's got tons of stuff due twice a week every week, on top of tons of reading and discussion boards, etc.. I will probably be dropping that one and try to fill the slot with a better one. Jopes thinks he's going to like his classes this semester. Except one. He's not thrilled with the teacher's philosophy on grading. But he likes his other teachers and classes.

All in all, we're doing great. Busier than we've ever been in our 3+ years of marriage, but great. Our kids are the cutest, sweetest little ones in the world, and they convince us of that more and more each day. We love them. We love our little family and we feel so very very blessed.