10,000 Reasons

Wowzers, it has been a long time since I have posted.  Maybe it was because I have been vacationing on a Caribbean island where their was sun and sand and an endless stack of books but no internet access.

Or maybe it is because in the past few weeks I have packed up one apartment, moved to another, set up a classroom,  helped both of my sisters settle into their new homes (one a little more than the other...), and started my new career teaching a group of 5th graders.  Maybe that was it.

So, life has been a little crazy, but very blessed.  As I was hanging yet another poster in my classroom today, I was hit by an unexpected wave of joy.  And gratitude.  And peace.  Unfortunately, I haven't slowed down much lately to let it soak in.  So, I am staying up way too late considering my new wake-up-before-the-sun routine, and I am going to make a list about what I love about this new phase of my life.  Contrary to the song above though, I will not give you 10,000 reasons, just seven :)

1.  I love my new apartment.  It took me a while to get to say that, but now that everything has a place, I have figured out what to do with the miniscule kitchen, and I have had some time to hang out here, it feels like home.

2. I love getting to set up a classroom.  It is a lot of work, but I love rearranging, organizing, decorating...love it all.  Expect another post soon just about that- I promise.

3. I love being at a Catholic school.  Love, love, love.  I was just explaining to a friend that I am still working on switching my brain over to remember that I can bring faith into everything now- no censorship, no biting my tongue, no knowing that there is a better answer.  I so look forward to creating a Catholic community in my little nook of the world.

4.  I love that I can still work daily Mass into my day.  I thought that it was something that I was going to have to give up since I don't exactly make my own schedule anymore, but praise God, I still can hinge everything around it.


5. I love the staff I work with.  There is just something about gathering at the beginning of every work day and starting with prayer.  We are all there for the same reason, with the same focus, for our God.  It is so good.

6. I love Downton Abbey...wait!  Did that sneak its way into this list?  Sounds kind of superficial, and a little behind the trend, but I do.  I do love it.  I got to catch up on the first 13 or so episodes while packing up in O-Henry and settling in here.  And I grinned like an idiot as I watched the end of season two at 1 'o'clock in the morning while sitting on the floor in my new craft room.  I am not ashamed.

7.  I love my students.  I have only spent a short amount of time with them for the past two days, and I can already see their little personalities shining through.  It is going to be a great year!