The final Final and Law School Graduation

So it is official! I am Kacie Marie Murphy, J.D. Granted I still need to pass the Texas Bar Exam (yikes), but nothing can take away the fact that I am now the proud owner of a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree! That seems so crazy! The last three years have been the most difficult and rewarding years of my life so far. I am so thankful to have Boyd on my side or I never would have made it. He has been the most amazing husband. He even helps me study for my exams by going through my flash cards with me and not letting me get too upset when I feel like I am missing too many. On Wednesday May 13 I finished my last law school final ever! After the end of the last law school exam it is tradition for South Texas College of Law students to ring the bell and have champagne. No one can ring the bell until 9 PM because it is so loud and it may disturb the students who are still taking their exams. The goal is to make the bell ring only once because the story is that the number of times it rings equals the number of times it will take to pass the exam. I only made it ring once, so that bodes well for me! Boyd was there with me and it was a very happy time.

After the Ringing!

Even though finals were over, we had to wait until the end of May for Graduation! It was a fun day! Though, the speaker left something to be desired, I did get my doctoral hood and I was able to be hooded by one of my favorite professors--Professor Yamamoto--a tax professor! I did manage to get through the whole thing without crying! Hopefully I will get more pictures from family members soon, but for now this is what I have!

Dr. Murphy!

Tribute/New Beginnings

Emeril playing at the shelter and his monkey tail!

The picture that made me fall in love!




The new puppy!!!!!!! Hurry up, Friday!

So, again it has been a while since I wrote. I got caught up in the studying for my 5 finals and then had a personal loss. I held off writing because I didn't really want to talk about it and if I wrote it down, it would become REAL. But now, I have healed (somewhat) and am ready to move on...in another direction. The night before the first of my two tax exams, my kitty Emeril started acting strange. He went in and out of the bathroom often and began dragging his hind end around and yowling. I was distressed, but Boyd and I decided that it could be that he was constipated, so we let him sleep in the bathroom and decided if he wasn't better in the morning Boyd would take him to the vet...I had a final that day. The morning was worse, he looked soo sick and so sad. I was very upset! So we called the vet and off Boyd went with the kitty, dropping me at my friend's house so we could study. I couldn't concentrate all day. Boyd called me before my test to say that the vet thought that Emeril had a urinary constriction, but that he would be all right when he passed some urine. But that this could be a recurring health problem because apparently it happens to male neutered cats. Emeril couldn't come home on Saturday and couldn't come home on Sunday, so Boyd left LG without him. I was so sad, the house was so different without him. But then Tutu was able to pick him up on Monday. I was so anxious to get him back, but we were not going to have time to get him until Thursday. Tutu said it was ok, that she would take care of him. I missed him and wanted him home, but we agreed that there was no better option. Then on Thursday afternoon, I called Tutu because I had a missed call and I wanted to check on Emeril. She said that Emeril had died in the night and that she was so sorry. Of course I lost it! She was so nice and buried him next to Samantha. But I was nearly hysterical; Emeril was my baby and he got sick and he was dying and I wasn't there. I was his mommy. I was shattered, I couldn't tell Boyd; my dad called him and told him. When Boyd came home I cried for a long time. It seemed like I cried for days and days. And then I started to notice it more, the apartment...it was empty, it was quiet, too quiet. I began to yearn for a critter. We talked about it here and there and cried and talked about it more.

Then about a week ago we decided, it was time for a new kitty. So we decided to spend Valentine's day looking, it could be our present. But the whole day do you know what we did? We went looking for Emeril. Everytime I saw a kitty with his coloring my heart stopped, but then when the kitty would look at me...it wasn't Emeril. By the end of the day, I was so sad. We talked about it and we decided that a new kitty would make us feel guilty, because it wouldn't be Emeril, so we wouldn't feel fulfilled and the new kitty would never live up to our expectations.

So we decided it was time for a dog. We have toyed with the idea of getting a dog a lot over the last few years, so it isn't something that just came to us. But now it was more real. So we began to look. Now, I have wanted a Yorkie for years and years. Boyd not so much, but I finally convinced him that it wouldn't be all that girly (we would keep it puppy cut) and that I wouldn't put bows in its hair or carry it in a purse (at least not when he was around to see it and disapprove). We started searching and were disheartened at the prices, even though it was to be expected. I just thought if I keep looking and this is supposed to work out, it will. I was just giving up today and I randomly looked on the classifieds page for the Chronicle and I found HIM! When I saw the picture of kitty Emeril years ago, I knew. When I saw this puppy I knew!!!! And the price was right and he will be ready on FRIDAY! I am so excited! But I will never forget my kitty. He will never be replaced and he will always have a special place in our hearts! We love you, Emeril!