a world with autumn

As the saying goes...
"I'm so thankful to live in a world with Octobers."

(I believe that originated from Anne of Green Gables.)

In general, I'm just thankful for Fall.

Although summer will always have a place in my heart (hello, I'm a teacher), Fall is hands-down my favorite time of year.

The crisp weather, vivid colors, pumpkin everything, and cozy outfits.  What's not to love?!

On a personal note, Fall will always be the season that we celebrate our anniversary.  It's the season I earned my first big girl job.  The season of getting together with family and friends. 

Here's what we've been up to, so far, this Fall...

--enjoying the fog-filled, puffy-clouded sunrises and sunsets

--shooting some doves... then grilling them up with some cream cheese and jalapeno.  a winner in my book!

--bonfires.  enough said.

--bachelorette parties/old friend reunions.  good for the soul.

--celebrating our first year of marriage... just the two of us and a nice dinner at home.

--admiring our beautiful wedding cake yet again.

--a new fall 'do.  shorter, darker, and much faster fix time... and less ponytails through the day while i'm teaching.  this was well overdue.

--decorating until my heart's content.  this is a snapshot of the fall scene outside my classroom door.  the kids absolutely love it.  i'm hoping to put up a tour of the fall decor in our home very, very soon.

--Fall Break :)
homemade caramel apples for my dad's successful cardiac stress test, deer hunting with the Hubs, the marriage of our best friends, and getting rid of debt!
(love that snapshot of the two of us in the recessional line.)

--and, of course, the holiday preparation will begin very soon.  i couldn't help but get excited when i saw this in my email. 

fortunately, i have resisted the urge to put on the Christmas music so far this year.  that's something i haven't succeeded at in the past.  but don't hold your breath because i have a feeling it will be up and running before October is gone.

I made a Fall Bucket List at the end of August and have done very well at crossing items off the list.  What's your favorite part of Fall?!?

Hubs and I have had a relaxed weekend... no plans so we've just made our own along the way.  This past week kicked my tail as I had training on a new software program, parent teacher conferences, two observations, and the completion of my first KTIP cycle all in the same week.  Praise Jesus that is all over!  This week looks to be much more laid-back which suits me just fine.  I love being able to just focus on my teaching and my students rather than all the meetings that sometimes come along with my profession.

The rest of our Sunday afternoon will be filled with the usual items before another week begins... laundry, ironing, and lunch making.  However, the weather is fabulous and I get to do it all with the windows open.  I don't see a need to complain too much ;)

once upon a time, i used to blog.

... and then life took over and I took a 3.5 month hiatus.

 

But here I am. 

 

There is no earthly way I could update you on every detail of the past 3.5 months of my life.  They have been filled with all sorts of emotions and roller coasters.  However, I have four major things to bring you up-to-date on.

 

At the beginning of July, I turned 22!  (cue Taylor Swift song)  We put a lot of miles on the car that weekend as we traveled nearly 4 hours to eat at Lamber's resturant then ended the night at the drive-in with our closest friends.  I was one happy birthday girl!

 

Just a few short days after my birthday, I was "officially" an employee of my local school system.  I teach 4th grade Reading and Social Studies at the exact place where I went to elementary school.  My elementary principal is now my boss and my 4th grade teacher is now my curriculum coordinator.  I am always amazed at the plans God has for me.  I have now completed my first semester with my 4th graders and I can truly say that I love my job!  Blessed is an understatement.

Here are a few shots of my classroom... it has evolved a bit since school has started, but you get the idea :)

Then just one week after school started, my Dad had a heart attack.  It was a complete shock to us all and just as we were starting to realize what was going on, the doctor informed us that he needed open heart surgery to repair the major blockages that he had in his arteries.  In short, his surgery required six bypasses.  After six days in the hospital, our prayers were answered and he came home.

The recovery is still continuing and will continue for quite some time but we are just so thankful for the outcome in his situation.  The Heart Institute at The Medical Center (Bowling Green) provided amazing care to him.  Your thoughts and prayers for his recovery would be greatly appreciated!  My mom is keeping him busy with "honey-do" tasks ;)

So then about three weeks after my Dad came home, we received a phone call on a Sunday afternoon that one of Nathan's best friends, Jake, had fallen 20 feet out of a deer stand.

Jake hunts just a few miles from our house and, luckily, Nathan was able to get to him very quickly.  After being flown to Vanderbilt, he underwent back and leg surgeries to repair his injuries.  All the surgeries were a success and he had no damage to the spinal cord... praise God!  He was transported to a local rehab facility before being sent home about a week ago.  He has shown great progress and we are so thankful to see pictures like this... those who know Jake can only laugh at the hat in this picture.  He's a goofball and we love him for it!

And there ya have it... the past 3.5 months of my life in a nutshell.  Nathan and I celebrated our first year of marriage last week (another post for another day) and as we were talking, we both promised that we hadn't broken any mirrors and that we are just thankful to have all those here today that were there for our day a year ago.  I am a firm believer that all things happen for a reason.  Many times I think the reason is just to give us all a good wake-up call as to what life is all about.  We are always reminded of the blessings God has given us!

This week is my fall break... also known as heaven.  I am looking forward to catching up on household chores, enjoying naptime, doing a little shopping, and just enjoying the moment.  It has been eventful, to say the least, over the past few months and I hope the pace slows down just a bit ;)