We are in the home stretch!

Thanks be to God.

It has been one crazy, rollercoaster of a year, to be an understatement. I am very glad that the journey will be over in 10 days (after tomorrow). Technically, it will be less than that because of the following activities:

1. Class picnic

2. Talent Show

3. Class Awards

Those three major events will take up a good chunk of the day. Hooray! PLUS Field Day is tomorrow, which will take all morning. I had to give my kids the "good sportsmanship" speech today. I doubt they will remember!

Like I was saying, it has been an emotional year. Having to move grades/campuses only days after starting my dream job w/amazing co-workers... being thrown into a new grade with new people... having a very tough class for my first year of teaching... Nate getting a new job which made him move away... Crazy things! Some good and bad, but overall helped define my first year of teaching. In two weeks, it will be AMAZING to say that I finished my FIRST REAL YEAR of teaching.

My kids have grown SO much. It is amazing to see the kinds of things they can do! At the beginning of the year, it was a struggle to spell kindergarten words like "the", "and", and "so". Now they are writing huge sentences with words like "because", "friend", and "please"! Their reading has gotten SO much better too! It'll be bittersweet to leave them at the end of the year because I won't be there to greet them when they start 2nd grade. But they'll be in good hands!

Now the next part is to get a job in the 'Burg... I've applied to 8 DISTRICTS. 3 have already told me there are no openings, but to keep checking in case something comes up. In one district, they had a KINDER POSITION!!! :) I e-mailed the principal and she forwarded it to the assistant principal (she's retiring and the AP will take her place). The principal said I seem highly qualified for the position! Cross fingers! Pray! I'm just waiting for the AP to send a response!!!

NOW for the summer! We have many church events planned in Sburg: Youth Camp, VBS, and various youth outings (Schlitterbahn and an Astros game for example). PLUS hopefully we'll be moving into our house at the end of June! We qualified for a USDA loan and our mortgage lady (I'm not sure the official term) said if everything checks out, we'll be closing in June :) HOORAY. I'm already starting to pick paint colors, make "furniture" (i.e. a coat/leash/scarf/hat hanger for our entryway: it has different colored knobs on it to hang our things when we come inside)!

The middle knob has a "J" for Johnson. Aren't I cute? :) I'm really excited to keep purchasing/creating items for our first home. I'm following (in blog terms) different home decor blogs and there are great ideas out there! Luckily, I'll have the summer to make some!

Latest Happenings

Well, it's been a lonely two weeks.

Why, you might ask?

Nate moved to Sburg about two weeks ago to start his new job as the youth/music minister of FBC Sburg. I visited him the past two weekends and went to church and he is loving it! I'm so glad he is finally in a place where he is full time and enjoys what he is doing :) Now I am ready to be down there with him! It's so sad having to leave on Sunday afternoons. Not for long though: just four more weeks!

I am VERY ready for the summer. And I'm pretty sure my class is too. Things are getting kind of crazy in my classroom now and I'm readyyy for a break! I'm also ready to find a job where we are moving. I have applied to EIGHT school districts and I have e-mailed all of the principals. I've only heard back from two, of course to hear the phrase "We don't have anything available right now, but we'll keep your paperwork if something comes up." Womp womp. I'm still wishing/hoping/praying that it works out! If not, I will be "substitute Johnson" next year. Yikes.