Introducing Miss Pea

I got a teaching job!!!!!!!

It isn't the one I last mentioned, which occurred on the same day as my wisdom teeth extraction. It is actually the one I interviewed for before THANKSGIVING, that I wanted so badly and was so disappointed to have never heard back about. God works in mysterious ways, and after two months of hearing nothing, the principal of the school called on the very day of this other interview, during my surgery. Since then, I have gone through two more interviews and was offered a teaching position on Sunday!

I will be teaching first grade which is my absolute dream! I don't want to give any specific info about the school here, but it is a mile from my house which is just another HUGE bonus. I start February 2nd and I cannot WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

In other news, I am having the slowest recovery ever from my wisdom tooth surgery. I am STILL in pain almost two weeks later. But it is getting somewhat better and the doctor says it is healing up nicely so I am grateful for that.

Friday

I have another interview on Friday: 5th grade at a school a couple miles from my parents' house.

3 hours after my interview time, I will be getting all of my wisdom teeth extracted :(

Please pray for me!!

Graduation

So graduation was so awesome. The process was boring and similar to all other graduations, but I loved that Jessica and I were the only two people in the entire place who went through our program. I loved that my entire family was there to cheer me on for the first time in all of my graduations. I loved that Lisa and Camica drove all the way to Indian Rocks to pick me out in a crowd before heading out again. I loved what it all meant symbolically. I am totally, officially, enthusiastically, and preparedly a teacher.

Gettin ready

Brov: Official Stuff Holder

Me and my bro in law

Me and Daddy

Did we almost get thrown out for being rowdy?

The two grads

Camica, me, Lisa

My Sweet Fam

Moma and Daddy

Me and Jessica, Teacher Supremes

Introducing my horse (sorta)

As of today, I am officially leasing a horse! He is a beautiful 12-year-old mustang named Apache. His coloring is cremello but most people would probably call him white, so don't worry about the fancy terms. Most cremello's, unlike whites, have blue eyes. He is a heartthrob -- reminds me of Paul Newman :)
I am leasing him from a girl who is getting ready to go to college. I'll be riding him a couple times a week, more hopefully when I start teaching. He lives at a beautiful 40-acre barn out in the country, with an indoor ring, outdoor dressage ring, and a 4-acre jump course. I can't wait to start retraining myself on Apache. This is going to be a great outlet for me to escape, be outdoors, and be with horses. I am so excited!

(Doesn't he look like a unicorn in this last one??? :))

Updates

1) The trip to Cali was awesome in every way possible! I will post pictures, probably next week.

2) Graduation is tomorrow, I am indeed walking and the ceremony is at 10am. No one else besides me and Jess (which means the other 6 graduates from ourt program -- you wouldn't believe how many people didn't make it through!), but we are proud of our accomplishments and my family has never been able to all make it to a graduation so this is really special to me. We're all going out to lunch and then my friends and I are going to dinner to celebrate tomorrow night. What a day!

3) On Sunday I am volunteering with Metropolitan Ministries to feed 1,000 homeless, then I will be babysitting for a new family on into the evening. They seem really nice and have a 9-year-old boy so it should be a fun time.

4) I work Monday and Tuesday (both bosses will be already on vacation though) and then I have off from Wednesday through January 5th! I am so excited! Christmas with my family is sure to be as wonderful as always. I can't wait :)

5) On the 27th, I head to NC with GABBY (I love road trips with her, unfortunately Ava will have to stay with Grandma). We will be spending MUCH-needed time with Kene and Duht, two of my BFF's that happened to get married! I will be there through the 2nd at least, if not longer. I will also take a day trip from Charlotte to Winston-Salem to see my grandparents and extended family. This is another long-overdue visit and I can't wait to spend time with my Granddad especially. He is so special and super-cute. Picture an 80-year-old cowboy with a heart of gold. That's my granddad. He thinks this idea of a visit is fine AND dandy!

6) I am keeping an eye out for teaching jobs, but nothing has shown itself yet. I am praying a LOT about this!

7) I am getting back into horseback riding, and am juggling a few options right now. I have been trying to do this for a while. The problem is, I ride English saddle and most barns around here only offer Western. Plus, everything is SO far out in the country. But now that school is over, I am willing to make a drive for the right barn. More on that to come.

This is probably the longest post in a while, and I'm sure there is a lot more going on that I haven't mentioned, but I'll leave it at this. I am doing really well, moving forward and pursuing the things that make me truly happy.

I hope anyone reading this has a fantastic holiday!!

Greetings from beautiful Yosemite!

Right now I am writing from our lodge on the edge of Yosemite National Park. It's 9am and we're drinking hot chocolate while waiting for one of our friends to finish a conference call. Then it's exploration exploration exploration!!!

Pictures to come..

deck the house 2008

i'm really really really trying.