The Hassle was Worth the Tassel

So remember the good ol' days when I used to post about working on those beloved master's classes and trying to find motivation to write papers and submit projects??  Well I officially finished my last class and portfolio in August and enjoyed my short walk across the stage a few weekends ago.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to mess with walking or not, but now I'm so glad I did.  It just felt like such an accomplishment and my family, grandparents, and Scott and I celebrated the whole weekend in style complete with a cake and night out on the Plaza in Kansas City.

A peak at the hassle...when I'd watch Kelly and Michael while working. 

The tassel...check out that hood!

I received my Masters of Arts in Education through Baker University at their Wichita location.  The ceremony was in Baldwin City, so Jana hosted us at her place in Olathe for the weekend.  

Jana had the cutest cake made for the party...strawberry, my favorite!  The ceremony was complete with bagpipes leading us in and a speech from the president of the University.  I must say, I hadn't done much of my Baker background knowledge before starting the program.  I had heard nothing but good things, the classes were just 7 weeks long, and the mascot is another wildcat, which were all enough to get me to fork over my money.  I had a great experience and would definitely recommend Baker!

Being "hooded" 

After the ceremony we headed to the Plaza and enjoyed a yummy Italian dinner at Buca di Beppo's.  It's an underground restaurant that serves family style pasta goodness.  We were going to attempt a carriage ride or walk along the streets to enjoy the shops and Christmas lights, but the cold led us into Starbuck's and then to our warm cars to head home.  It was such a fun weekend that really proved all the hassle really was worth the tassel. ;)