4 Day Week!

Only 3 days to go! And tomorrow I'll barely be with my students, so it's really like only TWO days to go! Wahoo! :) (can you tell I'm excited and ready for a day off???)

Yesterday was a blessing. After church I prepared grades for my students who are being considered for retention. Then we went to Matt's coworkers' to hang out and have dinner. Some of them are leaving in a month or so, and they had some people over. Matt played bocce (the yard game with the balls you throw) for the first time, and apparently he is a bocce master! He was excited to be good at a game the first time he ever played it. :) After dinner, we headed to our small group. It was the first time in 3 teaching weeks that we'd been there! It's not been 3 straight weeks since we made it, because one Sunday we did a community service project. Matt and I made it to that. But 3 other weeks recently one or both of us has been sick. I think we're finally better--JUST in time for a vicious stomach flu to be making its way through my room. Two out today, two left early, and one got sick (in another teacher's room!) at the end of the day. YIKES! I do NOT need to have the flu or take it with me to TN please!! Anyway, after small group one of the girls asked us about heading up a "greeters" ministry for Sunday mornings. So, the worship team is meeting in about a week, and then they'll let us know if we're on! How amazing is that? Right now we don't have anyone who greets--at all, not even to hand out programs or direct people to the nursery. As MUCH as I'm in introvert, teaching has taught me to speak up and welcome people. I can summon the courage to speak to those I don't know, especially when it's a "job." It'll also be a cool way for us to meet people, being new ourselves! We'll be those familiar faces new people, and even people who've come a long time, will see first thing when they come Sunday mornings. That will make us familiar to more people and hopefully make it easier to meet new people. It's neat to be in a place to already step up when we're so new. God has plunked us in a small group with several people in leadership in the church and Gainesville area (including the RUF pastor), so we're getting swept right in. :)

Tomorrow a magnet program mentor is coming to observe me for about 30 minutes in the morning. Then a sub's taking over my class and I'm going with the mentor to several other classes to observe with her. My kids looked very distressed when I told them they'd have a sub for most of the day tomorrow--a mixed blessing. I'm thankful they want ME and will miss me, but I want them to be good for the sub! So far we're 50/5o on stellar sub behavior. ;)

Wednesday is early release, Thurday I am staying late (well, only 4:15, I stayed until almost 5 today preparing for the sub!) to finish my inservice hours for Friday, and then I have Friday OFF!!! I am sooooooo excited!!!! I might rubber stamp, I might who knows what! Live it up! A day off to get me through the LAST week before spring break. Two weeks from today we'll be in KNOXVILLLLLLLLLLLE! I am beside myself counting the days down. :) Our visit should be long enough we might actually get to visit with friends. I'm hoping my Bible study might be able to have a mini-reunion. Ruthie will be freshly back from visiting bride to be Kerry in Europe, Jessica will be in town for wedding planning, and it would be such a blessing to see everyone and catch up. I need to email Paige about that and see if she can round up people on that end--Laura, Sarah, etc. I'm also hoping to see the other Jessica, Rachel and Jack, OUR FAMILY, maybe stop by Farragut, stop by CSPC, I just can't wait! :)

Matt's finishing the dishes (what a good hubby have I!), and then we're doing some Bible study. Then I need to finalize what I'm doing for my observation tomorrow. Then I need to call our realtor--we got a realtor!--and confirm to meet with her Saturday morning for a preliminary "get to know you and what you're looking for" kind of thing. She seems really nice and VERY on the ball. We had been thinking a wooded lot was really important to us, but lots of people we know here have actually had their trees cut DOWN, because it's mostly tall, skinny pines that are horrible in hurricanes--lots of breakage and house damage. So, now that we've been advised trees are not necessarily an asset, that opens up a lot more neighborhoods for us. :) I can't believe we might buy our own house! You HAVE to come visit if we do. Even if we don't! We want visitors this summer!!! :) Please?! You know you need a Florida getaway. ;) We're, once again, within EASY distance of the Atlantic coast, Gulf, and Disney World (/Kubo promotional). ;)

I'm hyper--3/4 day weeks will do that to a person. :) We love you and miss you! We can't wait to see our K-town loved ones SOON! And get this! The next weekend Matt's parents are coming to see us the first time ever since Matt moved down! They've never seen our place! We are just thrilled to have time with family. :)

Much love and blessings (and counting the days),
Becca