the one about starting the new year

I have mixed emotions about starting a new year, but either way... Welcome 2008!!!

Saying goodbye to 2007 is bittersweet. Of course, our biggest trial of the year is losing Brett's dad in August. I am glad that our first holiday season without him is over, but at the same time I feel bad knowing that the last time I saw him was in 2007. And now, 2007 is gone. It just makes his death that much more final.

Also, as most of you know, I am the sunbeams teacher in my ward. I wasn't real excited with the calling at first, but grew to love it. ALOT! I love the sweet kids that I taught. They came so far and I am super sad to say good bye to them. I feel like they are my kids and I don't like watching them grow up. Of course, saying goodbye to them, means saying hello to new ones. I am frazzled today after teaching 14 new 3 year olds. Yes, I said 14. But they will be splitting the class in two so I think I end up with 7 or 8. Still, they are such babies and have a long way to come. I hope I grow to love them as much as I did my old class. It was tough today. Very stressful and BUSY!

Another hello/goodbye thing is my freetime. Let me explain. I have been substitute teaching, and most of the time, LOVING IT! I have found something that I think I could spend the rest of my life doing.... Teaching. I have finally decided, and it is official, I am going back to school. Utah State University. I started my generals (I hate to admit this....... gulp...) 10 years ago. So I have about a year completed. Now, ready, set, go, I start tomorrow. When I quit college 9 years ago, I never ever ever thought I would go back. I just knew it wasn't for me. I hated it. But now I am a little (or a lot) older and hopefully a little (or a lot) wiser. We will see. I talked to the Elementary Ed Advisor on Friday and we planned out my next few years. I am so scared to start. I was an OK student, but it was really hard for me. I hope now that I am going with a goal in place, I will be more determined and it will be a little easier for me. Wish me luck. The semester starts this week. I have really been debating this the last couple of months, but after meeting with the advisor, I decided to go for it. I haven't had much time to think about it because my decision came on so fast. But, I am at a good place in my life to do this, so here goes nothing. Go Aggies!

I am still planning on subbing for the time being. I really love it. I taught for Quayd's teacher this whole last week. They had a death in the family so I took over. I can't tell you how at home I feel when I am in the classroom. I love K-2nd grade, so I am getting my degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Development. Or something like that.

It is so crazy.

Our ward experienced some changes this year too. We were scheduled to go to Church at 11:00 am, but they had to add another ward to our building and it changed it all around. Now we go at 9:30. I am not sure why this happened. But I know it will work out and it must be for a reason. But I sure am curious. It was weird. We had a member of the Quorum of the Seventy and our Stake President in our Sacrament meeting. Anyone have any insider information they would be willing to share??? Let me know. It cool, though. The 9:30 thing is great for me. We are out at 12:30. Now here I sit with the whole afternoon ahead of me. I plan on blogging and working on my latest project, digital scrapbooking. I am working on an album of our cruise. I am still learning how to do it, but so far, I love it!

I am really not big on setting resolutions for the new year, but I do like to look at it as a fresh start. Although, sometimes I take the "fresh start" idea a little too serious. I have a hard time not getting to overwhelmed with the things I need to change about myself and my life. But today I heard something that I need to take to heart. Our Stake President spoke to us in Sacrament meeting and made the comment, "We can only compare ourselves to the way we were yesterday." That is genious. If I can look at my life in one year and see any change for the better, then I guess I have succeeded. I definately feel that I am doing a little better since January 2007. I am blessed with a happy life, a great husband and the perfect child. And at this time next year, I will have one more year of education under my belt.