Looking Back

Sitting here tonight reflecting on 2011 I am content.  I haven't been able to use that word a lot, but lately I have really been making the effort to be content in the moment.  We are not out living it up tonight, instead are spending a quiet evening at home together.  I could give a lot of excuses for why we aren't out ringing in the new year, but the true reason is that it just isn't our style.

I'm excited about 2012!  It has taken us a lot to get to this point, but we are finally almost at the place we have been trying to be: settled.  Just one more semester and then hubby will graduate with his master's and his teaching license!  Hopefully, just one more semester and we will be living and working in the same area again!  There is light at the end of this tunnel of hard work and sacrifice.

While I am excited about 2012, 2011 wasn't all that shabby.  We got to do a lot of traveling and spending time together as a family.  We have been to Dallas, Chicago, Savannah/Tybee Island, and just got home today from a week at Disney World.  We have been to lots of Razorback sporting events and other sights around Arkansas.  We really have experienced a lot over this past year in spite of work and school commitments.

I have truly been more blessed than I have any right to be so I am enjoying the calm pace of this New Year's Eve and am enjoying reflecting on this past and am looking forward with anticipation with what 2012 holds for our family!

Bittersweet Blessing

This past month has been very busy with a lot of changes.  The huge blessing in our lives was that hubby got a job.  Well, he already had a job, but he got a real teaching job that almost doubles his salary.  Wow!  Talk about an answer to our prayers.  Starting in January, he has to start his internship so that he can graduate with his Master's in May.  We had been praying over what we were going to do next semester.  He couldn't keep his current job as an instructional assistant because he had to be in the classroom.  We had resigned ourselves to the fact that he would have to do his internship during the day and get a night/weekend job.  We had come to peace with that after he was unable to find a teaching job.  It is very hard to get a school to hire you before you have completed your degree and have a standard license.

First and foremost, we consider this a blessing, but it does come at a price.  What price?  The new teaching job is 2 1/2 hours from my job.  I am staying in NWA and hubby has gone back to Central Arkansas to work at this small charter school.  This job came out of nowhere and so we saw it as a sign from God that this is what we should be doing now.  Hopefully, next year he can find a job back up here with me.  We are apart during the week, but we spend every weekend together.  We had Thanksgiving break together and will have Christmas together, too.

We know we can make this work, but would appreciate prayers that these next few months will go smoothly.  I am constantly giving thanks for the lessons that will be learned from this experience.

I'm Still Here

I know you all must be thinking that I have fallen off the face of the planet, but I'm still here.  There have been some major changes in our lives over the past several weeks.  I hope to have several posts soon letting you in on everything that's been happening.  Tomorrow is my final class of the semester and I am so excited to have a few weeks from having to worry about class.  Welcome to the Christmas season!

I hope you all are enjoying this special season with your loved ones!