this year, i am thankful for all the new changes in my life. it's been a long road in that i'm not always willing to be thankful for all of them. it's been hard being away from my family, my best friends, my church, and just my home... but i think it has brought me to a very new (and good!) place in life. i am extremely thankful for my wonderful husband. i'm still amazed that he picked me to spend every day with for the rest of his life and amazed that he has made it through thus far... ;) what a trooper! marriage is HARD, but oh my goodness-- i love it and i wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!
i am thankful for this new city and how beautiful it is. i am never wondering what to do because there is an abundance of things to do in cincinnati! it is also so visually appealing and simply a lovely place to live. i am thankful for the new friendships i have been able to establish here and for the old ones that are such a comfort to me. what a blessing it is to move to a new city but to be able to have the comfort of such dear friends! i am also truly thankful for home. i have never truly appreciated home as much as i do now. sometimes... well, more than sometimes... i long to move back to michigan. hopefully it will happen someday soon, but if it doesn't soon, i have a wonderful husband that is with me and a wonderful family that i know will always welcome me back with open arms. same goes for my best friends from michigan. i am absolutely thrilled to be seeing them this coming weekend... that is a HUGE thing that i am thankful for!!!
i am also thankful for these sixth graders and the joy and challenges that they bring to my life every single day. there are hard days but i think that goes for every part of life. honestly, they crack me up more often than not. i am thankful that they are teaching me how to be a better teacher and a better person, i am thankful that they teach me their dances and their sweet "moves" and i am thankful that although they put on a tough guy face sometimes, they really do love me and tell me that in their own individual ways. i just got the most precious letter from a student telling me that she loves to see me smile and that i am her most favorite person in the world. now, i realize that i am probably not really her favorite person, but just the fact that she took the time to write me a sweet note blesses my heart. being a teacher is hard... especially a middle school teacher... but i am thankful for it. :)
we just had another single mom pass away at CCS. this is our second of the year... the year. the first is a little girl in my class but this was a 4th grader. please be praying for her as she faces a very difficult time without her momma. you can also continue to pray for jessica, the young lady in my class as she is facing some difficult things without her precious mom as well.
i hope you all take time to really be thankful throughout this next year. i hope that i can look back on this coming year and say that i really took time to thank the Lord for all the blessings in my life each and every day. there sure are a lot of them! happy thanksgiving!
