"Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back!"

After a very long, unintentional, blogging hiatus, I have returned. To be honest, my first and only three blogs were written on a laptop while sitting on a couch. We only had a desktop, and when I arrived home from vacation, blogging seemed like a chore. I know this seems silly but sitting at a desk and typing reminded me too much of my least favorite part of college: writing papers! We have just bought a laptop from a friend, and as I type, I am sitting on our couch relaxing. This is more like it!

A lot has happened since I last blogged. For one thing, I completed my first year of teaching...and all in one piece I might add! I thoroughly enjoyed my 2nd grade students and realized God could not have called me to anything else. We also moved to First Baptist Atlanta. Stephen was offered the Associate Student Ministries Pastor position, and through immense amounts of prayer and deep conversations we accepted. We absolutely love our church. Stephen and I are constantly in awe and humbled at how the Lord has blessed us with opportunities we feel we don't deserve. We miss our students at NMFBC tremendously. It was a very emotional time as I left the church I had been at since I was six years old. We do know with 100% certainty that this is where the Lord wants us to be! The position fits Stephen to a T! We have been super busy with camps, conferences, and mission trips since we arrived, and we couldn't be happier about it!

Perhaps the most exciting and equally stressful event that happened this summer was that WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!! We actually bought the VERY house I was writing about in my last post It is the absolute best house. We moved in during the first week of July. We were at our new house for four days and then went out of town for two weeks. I never knew how crazy moving could get. When we were unpacking at our new house, I told Stephen I was beginning to see the positive side to moving. He responded by asking, "Is there a negative?" To which I said, "Yes...packing and moving everything from the old place!" The house is coming together. The walls will be painted sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I cannot wait because right now the walls are whiter than white. Stephen says I am exaggerating, and I guess that is slightly true! I do need to take some pictures, so I will remember the "before painting" house. In the meantime, here is a picture of us in the front of our humble abode...

Tomorrow is my first day of school with my new class. I spent the last few weeks of my summer moving into my new classroom with a window. This year I have 21 students. I only had 17 last year. I have...and I promise this isn't a joke... 7 girls and 14 boys. I keep telling myself to take a deep breath everytime I see that! Really though, it will be great! I met all my students at Open House last Thursday, and they all seem super sweet! I am praying that God uses me to teach and love these students to the best of my abilty. I am excited about the new year with a new class.

I guess that is the Cliff Notes version to our summer. To sum it all up in three words would be pack, move, and unpack!