The Holden Family: We Have A New Master!

Ben graduated from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with his Masters of Divinity degree last week. It has been a long road, but well worth the sacrifice for him to excel in his education for the calling God has on his life. Ben has been in school the entire time I have known him (10 1/2 years) as he has worked full time. In that time, he finished his undergraduate degree and has now completed seminary, met and married me (which is an interesting ride for him, I am sure ;)), we have sold a house and bought a house and had two, almost three daughters. He has done it with integrity, diligence and always a humble attitude (as he does all things). Him striving to complete his education has been a time of give and takes on both of our parts but has never stopped him from also allowing me to reach the dreams I have of teaching, becoming a mother and being a stay-at-home mom. He has been there for the girls and I even in the midst of his busyness. He is more than an answer to prayer for the husband I desired and I could not imagine sharing this journey with any other man.
He will finish one last class next week and write his final paper and then a new chapter for our family will officially begin. We will be redefining how our day to day life works as well as incorporating things we have long wanted to do but the schedule did not allow. We are so blessed that he is finishing school at this time as Ellie has started to really vocalize how she wishes Daddy didn't have school, so for our family we started and are ending at just the right time.

The Chapel where the ceremony was held. It was a great celebration and lasted about two hours. The girls did phenomenal and I did not have to step out once for them to get wiggles out or because they were too loud!

Between the three of us taking pictures and standing for Ben, this is the best picture we got of him actually on the stage and he is actually walking off of it.