No school yesterday or today. It's kind of like having a weekend in the middle of the week. Why can't this be a permanent situation? :)

A few updates...

-My "Winter Around the World" program was WONDERFUL! There wasn't even standing room left in our cafetorium (fancy elementary school word). All of the comments I received, principal included, were positive and supportive. I was even given TWO bunches of flowers, one from Choir, one from the third grade class. As a director of a program, that is the most humbling experience. It also reminded me that, yeah, sometimes class/rehearsal is rough, but we respect eachother and have a common goal despite those things. Josh came to watch, and even he was impressed.
-Christmas was great. We made our "Tour of Texas" the week after Christmas. On Christmas morning, my parents came over and I made breakfast for all of us. I gotta say, it was kind of wierd having Christmas morning at my house instead of theirs. It's the whole growing up thing...
-School is back on for Josh and I. He completed and "I-Term" last week and earned 3 hours of credit for college ministry. He absolutely loved that class, and more and more each day, we are moving toward the possibility of doing campus ministry full time. That, most likely, means we would be raising our own funding and moving to a state like Colorado. More on that later.
-Tomorrow is a half-day for me, which means no teaching. However, I have lunch duty from 10:15-noon! Much longer than I'm used to, but at least I'll get to spend time with the kids. Grades need to go in tomorrow, as well. In the afternoon, I'm hosting a meeting for the other elementary music teachers so we can work on choreography for a choir concert in May. Should be fun.
-No school on Monday! MLK Day!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great weekend!

This time next week, I won't be worrying about lesson plans. I won't have to wake up at 6:00 tomorrow morning. And best of all...I won't have a Christmas Program looming over my head.

Tomorrow, I have Love and Logic training in Plano. I'm pretty excited about it. It's a day away from students with the other new teachers to my school, and we get to learn about Love and Logic, which is the model of management and discipline from which our school operates. However, it falls on the day before my lovely Christm....ahem...HOLIDAY program (insert exaggerated eye roll here), and I definitely would love an extra run-through with the kids.

Tuesday is eventful for two reasons. #1...the program, with a performance at 2:00pm and at 6:00pm. The kids are very excited to perform, and I'm extremely excited to have it behind me!

#2, and most importantly....the 16th marks 2 years of marriage for Josh and I. It's flown by, seriously! However, it's been an amazing 2 years, and I love him more and more each day. We celebrated this weekend by doing some shopping (my favorite), listening to my brother play the trombone in the all-region orchestra concert in Carrollton, and we ended the day by driving back to Southlake to go to the Cheesecake Factory (Josh's favorite). We had an amazing dinner! I had this seared tuna salad with avocado, mixed greens, tomato, and wasabi vinagerette. DELISH!

Have a wonderful week! For all you teachers out there....5 instructional days left!

WE MOVED!

...and our new apartment is fabulous! There is something magical about being able to do laundry in the place where you live.

I know I promised pictures, however, a terrible thing happened to my digital camera when it was out of my possession. So, I'm hoping for a new camera soon. When that happens, I'll get some pictures up.

Here are some wonderful things that I love about my new place...
-9 foot ceilings
-crown molding
-non-white walls
-built-in desk and shelving for pictures
-all stainless-steel kitchen appliances
-ceiling fans in both bedrooms and the living room
-non-fluorescent lights (except the kitchen)
-a washer and dryer COME WITH the place
-the layout
-a stand-up shower in the master bathroom and a super deep tub in the guest bathroom
-5 minutes to my school. No more 1-hour-one-way drives. For me, anyway.
-a view that faces trees and a field
-first floor...no stairs!!
-Pergo floors in wet areas
-a coat closet
-2 other walk-in closets
-linen closets in both bathrooms
-8 drawers in the master bathroom alone....TONS of storage space
-only 2 other apartments in our building are occupied
-no one has ever lived here before

So basically, I'm smitten. Josh loves it, too.

Next big things in life for the Lilly's....
-payday on friday
-getting to see Savanna on friday
-going to San Angelo on Sunday night, staying until Wednesday
-Thanksgiving = week off of school!

Hope y'all are having a blessed week!

Home with a sinus infection again. That would be the second time in the past 11 weeks.

11 days until the move! Our great friends Kevin and Lindsay will be able to help us move that weekend, which will be really nice. They are the first friends our age we've made up here, and it would have been a dreary summer without them. Since school started, we really haven't been able to hang out as much, except for the occasional Taco Tuesday at Rosa's. So, it will be great to spend that whole weekend with them.

Josh is already signing up for classes for next semester. Since he's a MACE student now, he won't have as many theology classes. He'll have more practical ministry classes, which is where he feels he needs to be. God has blessed him here.

Time to light my pumpkin pie candle and snuggle up to watch a movie! I'm sure I'll be at school tomorrow.

Have a great night!

Tomorrow is paycheck #2! I love getting a "real-world" paycheck, but I don't like that it only comes once a month. Bah.

This weekend, Josh and I are going to Georgetown, TX, to see his brother Ben conduct his marching band at Area. We are staying in a hotel, which is really special for us. We are going to see some of his family, also, which will be nice. We have to come back Sunday for Josh to work at church.

My job is still wonderful. At least once a week, I have a parent or a fellow staff member telling me how great of a job they think I'm doing. I'm sitting here feeling like I'm barely staying afloat! From what I've heard from others, kids are more excited to come to music this year. I have 70 fourth and fifth graders in my choir, which is about double last year's number. Parents are telling me how excited their kids are about starting recorders. The encouragement I've gotten has really kept me going. The Lord knows what I need to hear to reassure me that I'm where I'm meant to be. And I KNOW I'm where He has placed me, and I am most definitely blessed by it.

1 month until we move into our new place! I'll post pictures when moving day comes.

I am SO excited for all of the good things going on. Babies, engagements, pregnancies, stress-less jobs (not teaching, Cassandra!)....makes my day everytime I hear about all of the good things happening!

Lots going on, folks!

School is fabulous. I start the 4th-5th grade choir in a week, and lots of kids are excited about it! I'm ready to get rolling with choir for sure.

My very first real-world paycheck comes TOMORROW!!! Praise the Lord! This provision is coming at the perfect time. Our money from the summer has officially run out (i.e. we have $41 to our name as of right now) but will be replenished around midnight tonight, I'm guessing.

Josh and I are moving to some apartments that are about 5 minutes away from my school. This is a very welcome change because my drive right now is about an hour-EACH way. These apartments are brand new, so no one will have lived in our apartment before us. The one we will move into is being built right now. We're moving into a 2 bedroom/2 bath place, stainless steel appliances, washer and dryer furnished (!!!) and 9-foot ceilings with crown molding. I am so thrilled! We can paint an accent wall in some rooms as long as we paint it back before we move out. We'll be moving at the end of November-early December. No more 5:30am mornings for me at that point!

These weeks are flying by. I'm going to go chillax.

Adios!