Realizations of Me

For the past week I've been on spring break from work, and it has been delightful. Today is the first day that it hasn't rained, but I could totally handle the weather being crummy if it meant I didn't have to go to work for 9 days in a row. But being home all week has made me realize something: I like who I am when I'm not working there. I mean, technically I still work there. But having this whole week off without having to worry about what goes on at that school has given me a chance to get things done this week, reconnect with friends, and in general just be a happier person.

I don't think it's because I'm happier not working. In fact, I love being a teacher and being in the classroom. But I'm happy to be away from a stressful environment, even for this short time. It's also making me more excited for summer, which is only 6 more weeks away!

I know this is short, and it's just kind of a random blurb of an update, but it's been on my mind the past couple days and I wanted to get it in writing.

Hello, April!

Hello, beautiful April! Okay, so maybe it isn't beautiful yet. We're 4 days into April and it's been 3 days of cold and 1 day of rain. But I have faith that April will be a beautiful month.

I know it's been a month since I've posted--I can't believe how quickly March went by! It seemed like as soon as I got a minute to sit down and write, something else would come up and my minute would be gone. But I finally have a moment to breathe, and I feel like I need to write--even if it's just a short update on life.

March came and went quickly, especially with work (thank goodness!). We had a week of state testing, which meant no teaching for the week which was a nice little break. There were some rough patches at work, especially when a student stole my phone, but I'm going to stay positive and chalk it up to a learning experience. I saw a few weeks of sunshine and a week of actualy "warm" weather (okay, as warm as it gets in Ohio in March) which was such a pick-me-up for my mood. And I've been trying to focus more on better eating and working out--I even gave up pop and fast food for Lent. We started TurboFire for working out, too, which is a lot of fun but is making me very sore. Totally worth it, though, when I can fit into that size 8 wedding dress!

So what does April bring? First, April brings a visit from JP! He finally graduated Ranger School and is visiting this week. It's so great to have him around and actually be able to talk to him whenever I want. It also brings spring break, which is going to be a much-needed vacation. I'm going to visit my student teaching placement and see my kids there, hopefully going out to visit a few friends in the Sandusky-area, and of course going home for Easter to see the family. And (finally!) April means only 10 more weeks of school left! So beyond thankful to be almost completley done with my frist year of teaching. it's been quite and experience, but this summer is going to be such a wonderful (paid!) break.

So many blessings are headed our way this month, and I'm so thankful for what God continues to do in our lives. Bring it on, April!