I bet you thought I'd NEVER post again. . .

. . .but you were wrong! Let's face it - most of the time I just do status updates on Facebook, but I thought I would get back on here.

It has been a fall filled with the unexpected including a car accident and surprisingly good feelings about work. With Christmas a week away, it seems hard to believe 2010 is on the brink. I'm thankful for another good year with blessings that outnumbered worries and look forward to whatever comes next.

Yesteday I got to be a part of one of the most incredible experiences of my life. A dad returning from Iraq early surprised his daughter during my class. She had no idea he would be home for Christmas - being a part of that moment was truly special. Of course I was crying - thank God the kids brought in tons of tissues for my room this year! I feel so thankful that this father could come home safely FOR GOOD in time to spend Christmas with his wife and kids.

Maybe I'll be a little more consistent with the blog in 2010 - stay tuned!

A little stroll through the library

I stopped off this afternoon at the library to grab a new book to read. I just finished "Rhett Butler's People," which tells Rhett's side of the "Gone with the Wind" story. Needless to say, I loved it.

Today I went in looking for only one book and came out with four. There is something so soothing about walking through the fiction section reading the summaries until I find stories that pique my interest. Today I picked up "Waiting for Teddy Williams" (which I swear I have checked out before but never got around to reading), "Stardust," "The Lovely Bones," and "Sushi For Beginners." With summer coming, I cannot think of better ways to spend the quiet nights than curled up in bed reading until the late hours.

A week from today Tim starts his new adventure in Grosse Pointe and I start getting prepared for the Ireland adventure. Time flies!

Yeah, I know I hardly ever write anymore. . .

But I thought I'd do a quick update. May was a good month - I finished my Masters degree, my kids took their High School Assessment tests, we squeezed in a weekend at Busch Gardens, and my parents drove in for a long weekend.

I also had to get reading glasses because apparently I have the eyes of a forty year old. So much for my amazing eyesight. Moments like this make me feel old.

Now it is June - school is almost done and I am counting down the days until Ireland (24 in case you were wondering). But first - Tim graduates! On Friday we will be up in NYC to watch Dr. Romanoski recieve his degree. I could not be more proud of him right now. We should have a blast catching up with his med school friends (or in my case, meeting many for the first time) and celebrating with the family. Four years have gone by surprisingly fast. . .

. . .and it dawned on me last month that I graduated college five years ago. Wow.

So. . .does anyone still read this thing?

Let's face it, I don't blog much anymore and I wouldn't blame the world for giving up on this thing. But tonight it's raining and I have nothing on the "to-do" list, so here goes. . .

It has been a crazy few weeks. I officially finished up all of my graduate coursework last week so now all I need to do is walk at graduation. It feels so good to have my master's degree finished! My job, on the other hand, is as busy as ever.

My students take their high school assessment test in twelve days (but who is counting?!) and the next few days are very me-intensive as I review the entire year with them. One thing that scares me about public education in this state is that we all but take the tests for our students. We feed them questions and answers without taking the time to develop critical thinking and learner self-sufficiency. I'm getting to a point where I am becoming more and more disgusted with HOW we educate in this country. If you aren't feeling the dangers of it yet, just wait a few years until the "No Child Left Behind" generation fully hits the workforce.

At least the townhouse is looking super great these days. Sarah and I have been doing some serious spring cleaning and minor redecorating to get ready for the next few weeks. My place finally looks less like the post-college collection and more like a homey space. I love coming home and just sitting in my tv room relaxing. All the room needs is a nice big flatscreen, but that will have to wait for a while longer.

Tim graduates in less than a month, and I'm done work in five weeks. While part of me wants the school year to rush to an end, a large part of me wants to slow time down a bit, too. The next few weeks are going to fly by way too fast. . .I guess all you can do is hang on to what you have and roll with the changes to come. . .

Hershey Park, here I come!!!

This weekend we are hitting up the first theme park of the summer. We are heading up to Hershey Park, where much roller coaster riding and chocolate sampling will occur. The weather should be in the 80s, which means perfect tanning weather, too!!!

In other news - I have planted an herb garden. Sarah and I are keeping rosemary, cilantro, oregano, and basil on the deck and I cannot wait to start cooking with all of it! The rains of the last few days are really helping most of the herbs to grow. The jury is out on whether the basil is going to survive the monsoons, however. . .

Sometimes, it's so not worth it.

I HATE my job this week, not because of the kids, but because of the adults. Coming home with headaches that won't go away and cause mind-numbing pain can't be healthy. You want to know what else isn't healthy? Treating adults like they are incapable of independent thought. More on that later. . .my head still hurts and I'm going to bed.

Prayers have been answered!

Tim found out today that he has a one-year residency match. He finds out more on Thursday about where it will be, but for now I am just doing cartwheels knowing he finally gets to live his dream.