Near to You: Updates on life

Hi.

It has been a long while! With school and engagements and wedding planning and apartment hunting, it has been a whirlwind of a winter/spring. I think this is a good place to update on the goodness of a FULL life. :)

1) ENGAGEMENT

Rob and I got engaged! I don't think I have updated this blog with this. He proposed on January 1, 2011 (read the story here at sunandwalker.ourwedding.com), and we have been full wedding planning ever since! Being engaged has been as much fun as being boyfriend/girlfriend. It has been really neat to make decisions together in our wedding planning and more important, in our future married lives together. I have been so blessed to be able to share my life in this way with someone as caring, kind and loving as Rob, who points me towards Christ and continues to show me love and mercy that is like Jesus'. I am excited to be his wife in a little over 100 days!

2) First year of teaching: Complete.

My first year of teaching is DONE. I work with students who have severe to profound disabilities, so every day is an adventure. Whether it was being coughed/sneezed on, almost thrown up on, changing dirty and oversized diapers, getting slapped or hit, singing/dancing/laughing with the kids, seeing growth and progress throughout the year, the smiles I got from the cute things they did, or getting slobbery kisses on the cheek, I had a BLAST. I don't think I could have asked for a better group of students.

I learned a lot - things that I want to do again next year and things I won't EVER be doing again. I constantly learn compassion and patience from my students. I love my students and am excited to be apart of growing them into people who can function more independently, despite the disability that they have been dealt. I love that I am able to spend my time with these little children of God, who may not contribute much to society on a grand scale in the eyes of some (finding the cure to cancer or discovering alternative sources of energy) but who bless those around them in ways they do not realize, which may be an even greater contribution (to me). I love to believe and trust in their potentials and their abilities. And I love pushing them to be the best and do the best, to be what they are capable of, which is a lot more than what most people give them and sometimes more than what they think of themselves. I truly feel like I am doing what God has gifted me with and what He has called me to do with my life. :) Which is really cool.

I feel blessed for the preparation school and grad school gave me. And I feel lucky to be surrounded by such supportive people, at my work and in my personal life, to encourage me and urge me to be the best teacher I could be, even when I don't feel like I am.

So now, I have two weeks of a mini-break before I go into summer school with 4 of the 5 students I had during the school year and 3 more. I will return to the same school next year.

3) Living Situations

Rob and I just put down an application on a condo in Greenbelt. Things are looking good. I am very excited! It is in a nice quiet neighborhood, has a patio with a small garden (!), new kitchen appliances (flat top stove!), track lighting throughout the condo, dining room, walk-in closet... A real cute find that Rob and I will hopefully be cozy in! I will be moving in July and Rob will be moving in once we get married in October. We are super excited about it; I am starting to think about the cute ways I can decorate it! We have been scouting the local furniture stores, Ikea, and craigslist for furniture finds and decor. This life is crazy but exciting.

4) Wedding Planning

Sites I live by: weddinggawker.com, theknot.com, weddingwire.com, weddingchannel.com. Wedding planning is coming down to the small things now - hair appointments, DIY little projects, music selections, etc. It is crazy to think that it is June already (105 more days)! I am ready to be married, but I know that God is using this time to continue to grow and mold me individually and Rob and I as a couple.

Let's hope I don't become like this lady (I don't think I have but feel free to tell me otherwise):