WOW

Okay, okay, I know it's been FOREVER! To sum it all up, since September I have been teaching and have the most wonderful team-teacher this year. I took a grad class in the fall, and just finished another one last weekend. I'm just about at the halfway mark! With 15 hours under my belt, I can apply for an increase in salary, which is wonderful since we haven't gotten a raise in two years, and that includes no COLA :(

BUT, the REALLY big news lately.......JOHN (OJ) PROPOSED! and I said yes, of course!

So, I'm finally sitting down to write the story so everyone can read it.

Let's start with about a week and a half ago...Saturday (3/6) OJ and I take the girls into DC for the day, and he mentions that he wants to do a date night Thursday night and maybe go into the city. I was going to be leaving Friday morning to speak at a conference at JMU for the weekend, AND my grad class was ending that same weekend, so I had a lot on my plate. I told him it would all depend on my work load. Wednesday rolls around and I am stressed! I was trying to make sub plans for Friday, prepare the presentation, AND get all my assignments done (which at the time, I thought were due at midnight on Sunday). Wednesday night, OJ's at the house to help me on homework and I look and realize that I had assignments that were due THAT NIGHT! Okay, so I had a bit of a breakdown/freak out moment and was beyond stressed and overwhelmed. At this point, dinner Thursday night was out of the question!!
Now, back up a few months to last school year...John used to be a music teacher (and still is at heart). He used to come in early in the mornings to play the grand piano in the auditorium at school. I used to go in and listen some mornings and it was a special time for us, to just sit, listen to the music and enjoy each other's company. He hasn't been able to play as much this year, as life has gotten in the way, but he's been trying to go in when he has time.
SO, Wednesday night, in the midst of all my stress, he asks me to come in early and listen to him play...he had just downloaded a new song and wanted to stay learning it and wanted me to come listen. At first, I told him I couldn't--I was too stressed, too tired, etc. But, in the end, I told him I would come by for just a few minutes.

Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 6:30am
I woke up and was not excited about going to work--I was so tired! Threw on jeans and a t-shirt (not looking cute at all) and headed off to school. As I walked into the auditorium through the stage door, I didn't hear piano music, but instead Beauty and the Beast music (now, this is my favorite Disney movie, and being around two little girls a lot, we talk about Disney movies all the time). All the lights were off but a single spot light shining down on the center of the stage where a little round table was with a single rose standing up (like in the movie). John walked up to me, all dressed up in his suit, and led me to the center of the stage. We danced and when the song was over, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Then "our song" came on and we danced some more. Now, granted, I had only had one sip of my coffee at that point, and I wasn't quite awake...but from what I remember, it was a very special morning!

So now I better get ready to see my students for the day. No plans are made yet as for the date and whatnot. I'll keep you posted!

I haven't forgotten...

Wow….it’s been awhile! A lot has happened since I last wrote….let’s see….
1) I returned from a great trip to Ireland and miss Jess and Seth and the boys like crazy!! We haven’t been able to talk much since school started, and I look at their pictures, and they are growing up so fast!
2) Laura and Jesse moved to Japan, John went off to college, so now it’s just me, the dogs, and mom and dad. Dad hasn’t started working yet, so it makes morning s rough knowing that they are both still asleep, and I have to get up so early! But it’s been nice to be back home and have some quality time with them.
3) OJ and Dad talked and now he and I are “officially” dating J Two weekends ago, we took the girls up to PA and I met the rest of the family (I had only met his mom) and it was a great time of just hanging out and getting to know everyone. This past weekend was a big weekend—first, I threw OJ a surprise birthday party for his 30th (which is today!) and I actually pulled it off! He was so surprised! Not everything went as I had planned, or wanted, but he enjoyed it and we had a great day of celebrating! Also, Saturday morning, OJ and I started taking a class at church…called “Looking Towards Marriage.” It’s for dating and engaged couples who are thinking about marriage. Though it might seem soon for us, both of us are taking this relationship seriously, and it will be good for us to go through this class and learn about each other early on J So Saturday morning was all focused on the Myers-Briggs inventory…I had never taken it before. WOW! I’m an ISFJ. John’s an ESFP. It was awesome how just going through this and learning what each of us are brought up a lot of conversation about why we get along or have disagreements. And after the party on Saturday, I was DRAINED! Being an I, it took everything out of me to throw the party, and John’s the opposite.
We are also reading through a book, with the other 22 couples in the class, and last night we had some awesome table discussion about the habit of happiness and the three sides of the love triangle.

Okay, I think that sums it up! I’ll try to write on a more regular basis….life just gets in the way sometimes!

I love my Irish boys :)

On Thursday, Sam and I took the train from Dublin down to Waterford, where Seth met us and drove us to Youghal. I finally got to meet baby David, who turned 2 months yesterday! And I've been able to spend time with my favorite boy in the whole world--DANIEL! Though, I can't really call him my favorite anymore, now that I've met David. He's got competition now! But they are both adorable and I love getting to hang out with them. Friday, we went to Blarney Castle, and I kissed the Blarney stone for a second time...why, I'm not quite sure, but why not? Also, I did some shopping at Woolen Mills and splurged on an Irish Wool Sweater--something I've been wanting to buy since my trip in April. Now I can't wait for winter!! Saturday we did some local sightseeing, but our morning didn't really turn out as we planned...so we came home and had a lazy Saturday afternoon--which was wonderful!! On Thursday, Jess had made lamb for dinner, so Saturday, we made lamb stew--yummy yummy in my tummy. Jess is an AWESOME cook and everyone should fly to Ireland just for her cooking!!!! Today I got to visit Youghal Baptist Church which I was very excited about because in April, the Sunday I was here I spent on the couch, sick :( How amazing to see the church and meet the people--the reason Jess and Seth are here! WOW! Tomorrow, Sam and I take the train back to Dublin, and then fly home on Tuesday. I hate not knowing when I'll see the Lewis family again. I love them so much and I hate that they are so far away...yet, at the same time, I'm so happy to see them following God's calling. I just wish Ireland wasn't so far away...or at least not so expensive to travel to. But it's soooooo worth it to see my boys, and hear their laughs, and get to spend time with my bestest friend in the whole wide world!!

Ireland, Round 2

Okay, so I know it's been awhile since I updated last...yeah yeah yeah...I'll get to that another day. But right now, I'm in my hotel room, in Dublin, with my friend Sam. We got here this morning (after leaving Dulles yesterday afternoon) and we're exhausted! We've walked all over Dublin, found the Starbucks, (as you can see I'm very excited about my new coffee mugs)toured Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells, had dinner in a pub (The Auld Dubliner--Heineken, fish and chips, and Bailey's cheesecake), and already did a lot of shopping! Tomorrow we're doing a bus tour around Dublin that will take us to the Guiness Factory, the Jameson Whiskey Factor, St.Patrick's Cathedral and many other places. And Thursday....I get to meet baby David finally! Jess and Seth had baby #2 in June and I can't wait to meet him, and to see Daniel again!

More later...

Let summer finally begin....

It’s been awhile… it’s a Saturday night, I’m home alone, and I’m finally able to breathe and start my summer. The last day of school was Thursday, with graduation in the afternoon. Friday was a teacher workday. And tonight I had a research paper due for my grad class. I submitted the paper about an hour ago, sat down with some dinner, and watched an episode of Army Wives (my favorite summer tv show, and I missed the season premier because oh wait, I teach and the show comes on on Sunday nights!)
Well the past week or so has been CRAZY! Last Friday was the senior prom. A whole bunch of my teacher friends and I chaperoned. I never went to prom when I was in high school, so OJ picked me up to take me (in a coworker’s Dodge Challenger RT—NICE!) and we all had a great time. The senior class provides dinner for all the chaperones before the dance, so we all enjoyed a nice dinner and some pre-student dancing. Unfortunately, prom is from 9pm – 1am, on a Friday night. Well, I normally am in bed around 9:30 or 10. So I struggled to stay awake. By one, I was having to lean against the wall to keep myself standing…I was SO tired! Over the weekend, I tried to catch up on sleep, but it didn’t seem to happen. Then on Monday, final exams started. After giving two exams, the group of us teachers loaded up six buses of seniors and headed off to Kings Dominion for the senior trip. So much fun! I hadn’t been on a roller coaster in about three years, and I forgot how much I miss them! Plus just hanging out with my teacher friends, and some of the kids, was so much fun. Seriously, I love this part of being a teacher!

But, it was a LOOONG day, and so I definitely started out my week exhausted! The last week of school is never really hard…we give exams, pack up our classroom, etc. However, being exhausted, and having to write a research paper on top of it all, made for a very rough week. Thankfully I have amazing family and friends who helped me out and kept me from stressing TOO much…or at least they tried. Me and my stress levels…one of these days I will get it under control! I hope!
So school is done, my paper is turned in, and I can finally relax. Sure, I still have two more weeks of this current grad class, and I start a second one on Monday, but I think I can handle it. I just can’t believe how fast the summer is going to fly by! I was looking at the calendar and school will be starting again WAY too soon. But I’m looking forward to the summer, however short it may be, and I can’t wait to see what all it holds. There will be grad school, and time by the pool, and moving back in with Mom and Dad, and traveling to Ireland with Sam to meet baby David, and hopefully a trip to St. Louis to see Grammy’s new apartment, and hopefully lots of good times with friends!! I’m excited!