It has been a long time since I have written a blog post, so I am not exactly sure where to start. So much has happened in life. It has been a time of major transition and change, but I have seen the Lord working in so many ways, it really has been amazing.
Since my last update I moved to Houston, spent 12 weeks student teaching, planned a wedding, married the most amazing man, went to Jamaica, landed my dream job, moved to DFW, spent a summer enjoying married life, set up a classroom, and spent 13 weeks teaching some amazing 7 year olds.
Whew! It has been a complete whirlwind. I sometimes take a step back and think, "Wow, how has all that happened to me?!" but it has, and I am so thankful for everything.
Times have not all been easy, trust me. With Trey being in his first semester and I being in my very first year of teaching, there are some definite times of struggle. Our apartment is rarely completely clean, my meals aren't anything gourmet, and laundry gets done when I realize Trey is on his last pair of clean socks. But we are both heathy and madly in love, so I would say that is a win.
Here are some FAQs for those of you we don't see everyday so you can keep up-to-date with our life.
#1 How is Trey doing in school?
He is doing great in school. It is hard and there is a lot of studying to do, but he is so ambitious and motivated to do well, and I am really proud of him. He says it is much different than undergrad in that his classes are meaningful and all have a purpose for his career. He really enjoys what he is studying, which is very helpful since he studies for about 4 hours on a good day! I am just thankful it is him and not me. Ha! He is very excited for the upcoming break in about 3 weeks where he will get a month off and plans to sit on the couch and watch the Office and spend some time with friends. I think he deserves every second of that!
#2 How is your first year of teaching going so far?
I will try to keep this brief, although it is hard to sum up 13 weeks of teaching in a few sentences, but I will do my best. It has been the most challenging but rewarding experience of my life. I am so blessed to have landed a job in one of the best school districts in DFW, Coppell ISD. I teach 2nd grade, and although I have no other experience, I would say it is the best grade! They are still so sweet and caring about me, but have some independence, which I am so thankful for!
I have 17 kids, which is a blessing in itself. They are the most caring, and thoughtful group of kids ever. If I drop something on the ground, I have at least 12 of them running as fast as they can to come pick up whatever it was that a dropped. They truly are an amazing bunch. Some people warned me that it isn't the students that are hard, but the parents and so far, I have not found that to be true. The parents in my class are fantastic. I have so many that are willing to help me at a moments notice, and they shower me with presents for no reason at all. It is wonderful. My class has really made my first teaching experience a great one.
There have definitely been some challenges though. Teaching in itself is just a hard job. There is so much pressure, and such high expectations. It is a very humbling job. Just when you think you have got it down, here comes another curve ball to throw you for a loop. I have learned a lot about not putting too much pressure on myself and just taking it one day at a time. It really has been a great learning experience for me. I am thankful for it.
All in all, I love my job. I love my kids and their parents. I love my co-workers and administration. I am truly blessed.
#3 How is the DFW area?
So far, we really like it up here. We live in Bedford, but neither of us claim that as our "home." Trey claims Fort Worth, since he spends most of his time there with school stuff. I claim Coppell, as that is where I spend most of my time. So we really know nothing about Bedford other than a few food places and the Walmart that eats up our grocery budget every couple of weeks. However for me, I love the DFW area other than the afternoon traffic that I fight daily, but I suppose that comes with any big town, so I will just have to get used to it. Trey rides the train to school every day. It is way less expensive than driving, and he doesn't have to worry about traffic. Lucky him. We love our apartment, it is the perfect spot for us, and we have really turned it in to our first home. We like to call it our humble abode. Also, we are like 15 minutes from the airport, door to door, so if you ever need a place to stay or a ride, we would be happy to help!
#5 Where do you go to church now?
We have just placed membership at Riverside Church of Christ. It is in Coppell, where I teach, and we love it. There is a very new, young group of Newlyweds and we have loved getting to know all those people there so much. It has been so amazing to go off on our own and settle in a new city, and choose a church family together. God has truly blessed us with this amazing church, and we can't wait to see how we can in turn serve Him there.
#4 How is married life?
The first year of marriage will be "hard work", they say. Add in a first year teacher and husband in PT school and "hard work" is the understatement of the century. There are many nights when we do not see each other and many nights that we are both home and sitting on the same couch, but me working frantically to know the difference between fables and folktales...I mean seriously, what is the difference?? (See I told you I am learning something everyday!) Trey will be on the other side of the couch learning what bone connects to what muscle which connects to a tendon and a ligament...blah blah blah. I try my best to listen and be understanding, but most of the time I think he is speaking a foreign language. We still laugh and have fun though, which is what we are best at. We are learning a lot about each other, and I hope we never stop. Being married to Trey has been one of my most joyful experiences ever. Coming home and telling him all my crazy stories, and him telling me about the gross stuff he saw in lab, those are my favorite times of the day. I can't imagine us not being together and going through life together. It really is the best.