What You've Missed

Well, guys.  A lot has gone on, and I have completely disappeared for a while.  So, here's what has gone on during that time:

We went to Houston for a wedding...but not just any wedding!  It was my first ever college roommate getting married, and we were really excited to go.  She is from Iran and her husband is from Palestine, so we knew it would be an all out party...and it was!  We finally left the hotel just after 2 AM, tired from a lot of dancing and plenty of delicious food.  It was quite the experience and I am so glad we got to be a part of their special evening.

Matt and I waiting for the bride and groom to arrive.

Mitra and I. She was so beautiful! I'm really glad we are still friends after all these years.

Then I got a teaching job and spent the entire month planning, preparing, and panicking.  Sounds about right, doesn't it?  My classroom was a bit chaotic when I first inherited it, but with Matt's help and a lot of hard work we got it looking pretty darn good!

Here are the lab stations to the left (if you are facing the front). There was so much stuff in there!

In this pile we found some pretty interesting things...!

The room also acts as a storage room for the school and church during the summer.

All the lab stools, plus textbooks, trophies, and some of maintenance's things.

All these trophies stayed right there until they were taken to be recycled.

So here is the view from the front left corner of the room after hours and hours of hard work!

And this is the view from the front right corner. A big improvement, I'd say!

We also just celebrated our one year anniversary.  I can't believe it's already been a year, and at the same time I can't believe it's only been a year.  So much has happened, you know?  We've been through a lot this year - we lost our jobs, house, community, and a large portion of our support system all in one day.  We moved in with my parents and waited eight months for God to answer our prayers to provide a job for me.  We got bad news from the doctors and got "investigated" by our insurance company (they thought the condition I was being tested for was a pre-existing condition that I just chose not to tell them about).

We went to the Tower of Americas for dinner. There were lots of pretty fountains.

We also really liked these pink flowers.

But a lot of really great things happened this year - we got to spend more time with my family and my parents are more generous and understanding than we could ever hope or ask.  God provided Matt with a great job and we have had more time together than ever before.  We are able to go to church on a regular basis again, and Matt is involved in the men's ministry at our church.  I also have become a Zumba master.  We got a new-to-us car that we really like, and the issue with our insurance company was resolved.  And, of course, God provided me with the perfect job.

I am so happy to be married to my best friend.  This year was tough and I can't imagine going through it all without him.  I'm so glad I didn't have to.

My parents surprised us with an anniversary cake - the exact kind we had at our wedding!

Tired, but happy. And so ready to eat this cake.

And tomorrow?  The school year begins.  Oh boy!