So doing a "beginning of the year" blog is always fun. We're all just going to ignore the fact that I am not always a very consistent blogger right now, and we'll just pretend it's the first week of January when I'm writing this instead of the first week of February. I'm breaking this up into two blog posts because so much happened in 2010. It was definitely a year full of struggles, but there were also some great moments. I learned a lot about life and myself. Here it is, folks.
It started out in January with the LoveFest - a bunch of my friends headed out to Bethany's dad's hunting lodge for a great time. The temp was well below zero, but our hearts were filled with warmth. (Wow, this is already starting out with cheesy lines?) We played a bunch of card games and had some great conversations. Now it seems that half of the people that were there last year have all gone off and got married or engaged. What's up with all this growing up stuff? Why can't everything always stay the same?
-----Things I learned: 1) God has blessed me with AMAZING friends. 2) Change is inevitable.
At the end of January, Bethany moved back to Florida after an amazing couple months back in South Dakota. It was so sad to see my best friend leave me. Again. Once again, God has totally blessed me with some great people in my life. Bethany is pretty much at the top of the list.
Snow days were abundant during this time of the year too.
-----I learned: Teachers love snow days just as much as students.
In March, I had two of my other close friends move away - to Mexico of all places. Yep. That left me basically all alone in Sioux Falls without many friends to hang out with. With a lack of friends around, and a tax return much larger than any I had received before, I decided to spoil myself with a new plasma screen TV and a Wii. It was great to have these new fun items, but my life was very lame during this time, and I was kind of in a rut. It was a difficult time. Trying to find friends. Trying to come up with things to talk about what I did over the weekend. Trying to get past the loneliness. This low lasted for a couple months. During these months we got my grandma's dog, Ginger, because my grandma had moved into the nursing home and couldn't keep her anymore. If it was not for that dog, I seriously would have been in an even worse and darker place. It's kind of pathetic, but that dog was the light of my life. It was so great to have someone greet me when I came home. She was a bundle of joy and energy that added a bright spot in each day.
-----I learned: 1) Things can never replace people. 2)Dogs really are man's best friend. Or woman's best friend. At least during that point of my year.
Soon after we got Ginger, my grandma got very sick. After a long fight, she passed away. It was definitely hard to see her go, but probably even harder to watch my mom dealing with it. It's good to know that she's done suffering, and now has a new body and is with her Lord.
------Lesson learned: God is faithful through the generations.
Oh yes, I was still getting through my first year of teaching. And then May came along. May - the craziest month of my teaching career. Very little teaching and learning going on with 8th graders who are just looking forward to that next big step to high school. Is it possible for 8th graders to get senioritis? Apparently. We were constantly off at 8th grade career day, math bee, track meets, hike day and the 8th grade class trip to Omaha. Definitely a chaotic and busy, busy, busy, but tons of fun.
------For what I learned here, I'm going to use a quote from a book I just read - Sold by Patricia McCormick: "If you look hard enough, chaos turns into order, the way letters turn into words."
Eighth grade graduation was not only a day of accomplishment for my students, but also for me. I had done it. I completed my first year ot teaching. I was even offered a contract to teach there again the next year! So that must have meant that I did an okay job of it too. It was a great year, and I definitely learned a lot.
Second blog post coming soon! Stay tuned!
I will definitely stay tuned :p
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