Just some updates...
I'm not sure that anyone reads this thing anymore, seeing as I don't post hardly ever these days, but I thought while I had a second I would at least put down some of the latest and greatest happenings. If anyone reads it, great, if not, at least I have it down for me.
Teaching
We're currently on Spring Break, thus why I have the opportunity to write. Our state exam is in two weeks, and I'm extremely nervous about it. My class is so incredibly smart, but sometimes their ability to recall information is seriously lacking. I know they are prepared for the test (as best as I could prepare them), I just hope they truly shine!
To be honest, I fall in and out of love with teaching pretty regularly. I adore the children I work with, and absolutely love filling their minds, but I've often felt this year that I have the potential to do bigger and better things. Regardless, I couldn't ask for a much better job in the grand scheme of things...although I could ask for a little better pay. ;)
I have been displaced this year, which means I had to interview for a new job at different schools. We are losing about 400 students to a new school that is opening nearby so 16 teachers had to go (It's based on years with the county and number of degrees, so as you can imagine, I was near the bottom of the list. #4 to be exact.) I went to two interviews, and was offered a position teaching 2nd grade again at the second school. It is a brand new school that will open for the first time in the fall. I'm excited to be a part of something new, but I'm extremely nervous for a variety of reasons. I have become very comfortable in my current environment and am really hating the idea of having to leave. Also, the new school is not in the best area of town (at all!) and is also about a 40 minute drive from my house. I'm trying to be optimistic though!
Marriage
I won't lie. Marriage has been very challenging for us. I thought it would be a breeze having known each other more than 7 years before marrying, but it has been anything but. We have had to work really hard at times, but a lot of that is due to the extreme circumstances we've had to face already. Jeff has only lived at home for about 3 of the 9 months we've been married. He currently lives in AL where he'll be for at least 1 more year, and depending on the war situation, it's very likely his next stop will be Iraq after that. The constant distance makes it very difficult to keep a good line of communication. I will say that our marriage grows stronger daily because of the challenges. I think we are facing some of our greatest struggles right off the bat. I don't think it can get too much harder. Luckily, we're still deeply in love through it all. I'm just hoping we catch a break sometime soon.
Home Sweet Home
I really enjoy our house, but it stinks to live there alone. I'm also not too fond of the area we live in so I'm hoping for a move in about a year. Jeff and I would really like to move closer to where we went to college. We love the N. GA area, and we're hoping we can make our way up there after another year of me teaching here. If we do that, I could also go back to coaching in the evening, which is something I really miss in my life!
The Future
I applied to an online graduate program. If I make it in, my classes will start at the end of this month. I'm really hoping I can get this started and over with. I love learning, but at this point I'm not really into projects and papers anymore. Once I get accepted it should take me 20 months to complete. I figured this was good timing with Jeff being gone for the year. Something to stay busy with, and hey, I'll get a raise when all is said and done.
I'd really love to start trying for a family this summer, but unfortunately life isn't where it needs to be for that. It would be dumb for us to put ourselves in that situation with all that is going on currently. I've been most disappointed about this part of our life recently. Our goal originally was to start trying this summer. Again, I'm trying to see this as a time for further growth together, but it's hard not to think about how much time is going to pass before we will have the opportunity to try.
That about covers the important things, I guess. I'm mostly just plugging along through life the best I can.
Teaching
We're currently on Spring Break, thus why I have the opportunity to write. Our state exam is in two weeks, and I'm extremely nervous about it. My class is so incredibly smart, but sometimes their ability to recall information is seriously lacking. I know they are prepared for the test (as best as I could prepare them), I just hope they truly shine!
To be honest, I fall in and out of love with teaching pretty regularly. I adore the children I work with, and absolutely love filling their minds, but I've often felt this year that I have the potential to do bigger and better things. Regardless, I couldn't ask for a much better job in the grand scheme of things...although I could ask for a little better pay. ;)
I have been displaced this year, which means I had to interview for a new job at different schools. We are losing about 400 students to a new school that is opening nearby so 16 teachers had to go (It's based on years with the county and number of degrees, so as you can imagine, I was near the bottom of the list. #4 to be exact.) I went to two interviews, and was offered a position teaching 2nd grade again at the second school. It is a brand new school that will open for the first time in the fall. I'm excited to be a part of something new, but I'm extremely nervous for a variety of reasons. I have become very comfortable in my current environment and am really hating the idea of having to leave. Also, the new school is not in the best area of town (at all!) and is also about a 40 minute drive from my house. I'm trying to be optimistic though!
Marriage
I won't lie. Marriage has been very challenging for us. I thought it would be a breeze having known each other more than 7 years before marrying, but it has been anything but. We have had to work really hard at times, but a lot of that is due to the extreme circumstances we've had to face already. Jeff has only lived at home for about 3 of the 9 months we've been married. He currently lives in AL where he'll be for at least 1 more year, and depending on the war situation, it's very likely his next stop will be Iraq after that. The constant distance makes it very difficult to keep a good line of communication. I will say that our marriage grows stronger daily because of the challenges. I think we are facing some of our greatest struggles right off the bat. I don't think it can get too much harder. Luckily, we're still deeply in love through it all. I'm just hoping we catch a break sometime soon.
Home Sweet Home
I really enjoy our house, but it stinks to live there alone. I'm also not too fond of the area we live in so I'm hoping for a move in about a year. Jeff and I would really like to move closer to where we went to college. We love the N. GA area, and we're hoping we can make our way up there after another year of me teaching here. If we do that, I could also go back to coaching in the evening, which is something I really miss in my life!
The Future
I applied to an online graduate program. If I make it in, my classes will start at the end of this month. I'm really hoping I can get this started and over with. I love learning, but at this point I'm not really into projects and papers anymore. Once I get accepted it should take me 20 months to complete. I figured this was good timing with Jeff being gone for the year. Something to stay busy with, and hey, I'll get a raise when all is said and done.
I'd really love to start trying for a family this summer, but unfortunately life isn't where it needs to be for that. It would be dumb for us to put ourselves in that situation with all that is going on currently. I've been most disappointed about this part of our life recently. Our goal originally was to start trying this summer. Again, I'm trying to see this as a time for further growth together, but it's hard not to think about how much time is going to pass before we will have the opportunity to try.
That about covers the important things, I guess. I'm mostly just plugging along through life the best I can.