one year with Dustin...

I cannot believe it has been one year since my first date with Dustin...and what an amazing year it has been so far! There are not enough words to describe how happy I am with this man...he truly is the man of my dreams. I have never met a guy that gets me like he does...he sometimes understands me better than I understand myself and that says a lot!

Well, I would say more but I will write later since I need to go pick-up a few things and then head over to be with Dustin for the day:)

Here are memories!

Positive Attitude:

If you believe you can, you can

A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.
-David Brinkley

MeRcYmE

AmAzInG

the roller coaster

I have had the most emotional roller coaster these past 3 weeks that I do not even know where to start but know that i need to put some thoughts down...I should not get into many details as this is a big family issue...more complicated than most people realize and some people close to me have had to witness some tough times.

Really, the timing of this all was very difficult as I was adapting to teaching first graders while entertaining my cousin from Germany and fighting a very bad sinus infection while conducting parent conferences where majority of my students parents never received the letter as to why they were meeting with me and not the other teacher. I really was doing conferences with a fever and a very, very stuffy nose that would still run once in awhile. As a teacher, I know I should not do run-on sentences but why bother when I am trying to just get some thoughts down...really, this is what I want to do.

I have not been able to do anything really that help me to relax because of the busyness of life...what happened to my evening time of reading? or my journaling? or heck, even my running every other day? or having time with friends...instead, i have found myself these past few weeks working all day and then coming home to only leave again to go somewhere to show the town of Phoenix...I mean, i don't mind traveling around and being out and about...its just when you just want to relax once awhile and you are expected to do something does it get annoying and hard...I think the only thing that i began to look forward to were the times that I got to spend with Dustin.

I really want to thank the love of my life for being there for me through all this. Even if my parents are trying to limit the time we get to see each other...as Dustin keeps saying, its only a matter of weeks before I can have my freedom. I know when you read this sweety, I want you to know that I really appreciate you staying by my side through this all...thank you for letting me use your shoulder to cry on and venting all my stressful times...I cannot wait for the day we get to be together as much as we want.

My biggest prayer right now is that I can approach my parents on moving out and finding the right place for me until I find a place on my own. Also, that God works on my parents hearts on the family situation and that us kids can approach them with the right words. I pray that God will continue to guide Dustin and I in the right direction and remember to keep Him in the center of our relationship.

An awesome song

some things...

...just seem to be rushing by right before my eyes. For some people, you may know that I have been looking for a job and having been filling lots of applications. At this time in my life, I am very picky on what kind of job I want...a teaching position. So, that has been my focus but the way the economy is, most districts have put a freeze on hiring. The hardest part is that it is mid-year and really, who hires then?
Well, I had applied for a language acquisition position that I find out I am not qualified because you have to have taught for a minimum of 5 years. But, the lady I spoke to said there might be a position opening up very soon. I set-up a screening interview and went to that yesterday. Just as I was finishing up the interview, a principal had been calling for a first grade position. They asked if I wanted to interview for it, I said that I would want to. Since I am over there anyways, it would not hurt to go through with it. I ended up really enjoying the principal and the school (probably one of the better schools in the district). I left thinking...wow, could this really be the job I get? I got a phone call later that afternoon saying they got the go-ahead from the principal to call my references and possibly by Tuesday I have a job....OH MY GOODNESS!!! Then, my mentor teacher from student teaching called me saying the district already called her about me...and that was within 2 hours of me talking to the district about calling my references...I was overwhelmed!!
I keep running around in my head about this job...is this job I should take? The down side is that it is on the west side of Phoenix and a good 45 minute drive.
Here are the pluses to taking the job:

• earning money
• doing what I like best
  
• could move out of parents house
• move closer to Dustin
• become who I want to be

I will be spending the next few days with God to decide whether this is a position I should take. I do not want the job to make things harder in any of my relationships...especially with Dustin. We want to be closer since we have spent the last almost 10 months separated by a 20-30 minute drive and we are honestly tired of it.
I get to drive over to ASU West today to receive my official certification from the Arizona Board of Education and it will be quite a momentous time since I am on the brink of getting my first official job...