I've been proud of my husband many, many times in the past six years we have been together, but there is something so special about today that I'm not even sure words will do justice to how proud I am.

I remember back when Jimmy left for Midwestern State and I left for OU. We were parting our separate ways. I was confident in my journey to college, knowing full well what I expected of myself academically. I wanted to go to college for the academic challenge, to raise my personal limits and stretch myself farther. And I knew I was up to the task.

Jimmy was different. He wasn't as excited about college as I was, and he never really expressed interest in the academic side of things. But then, something inside of him sparked. I'm not sure how it happened, or even exactly when it did, but he woke up one day with a new love for learning. When he was accepted into OU for his sophomore year, I knew big things were in store for him. I was proud of him for getting into OU and then for blowing away his own expectations his first semester there by getting a 4.0.

And there are about a million other things in his personal and work life that make me proud. He is the type of person that people flock to, his personality is so infectious and he has such a big heart. He is also a remarkable man of God, always making sure as head of our family that we are placing our faith in our Heavenly Father and no where else. He keeps me grounded. He makes everyone laugh. He's ridiculously smart and puts me in my place better than anyone has ever been able to. Not a day goes by I don't thank God for putting him in my life. I think it's safe to say that I, along with everyone else who knows him, am a better person just for having the opportunity to be around him.

But today, he found out the big weight that has been bearing down on him for the past month could be lifted. A few weeks back I blogged about how Jimmy was faced with a big obstacle and we were just putting it into God's hands. God responded in a BIG way. At the beginning of February, Jimmy took the CTE, a technology content test to certify him to teach. With only two weeks to prepare and a lot of pressure on his shoulders, he passed with flying colors. He endured so much pressure from only having two weeks to teach himself all new concepts and walked away victorious. I will never forget his face when he walked in to tell me. Amid preparing to be a dad and a crazy work schedule, he decided to make a major career change. His love for learning led his heart to the world of teaching.


There are still pieces of the puzzle to be worked out, but he overcame such obstacles to pass the test and it required him to put every inch of his faith into God, knowing at the end of the day there was potential for failure. Baby Jimmy doesn't even know yet how truly blessed he is to have such an awesome dad, and I don't think I will ever be able to fathom in this lifetime how truly amazing the individual that I call my husband is. Congrats, Jimbo. No one deserves it more than you.