Reflections & Ramblings

So we're finishing up dinner tonight and Brandon asks Luke if he's ready to go outside and do his chores, which I know nothing about.  So Luke says, "Mom, Dad is going to pay me to pick up acorns.  That IS NOT a rip-off!"  Cracked me up. 

My husband is in the running for "Husband of the Century" or some such award that he should be given, hands-down.  For the 3rd week in a row, I've come home to a clean house.  The man HATES to vacuum, but he's done it...for me...for 3 weeks.  Wow...hubba, hubba.  And not only that, he surprised me with flowers on our anniversary last week.  Neither of us are gift people.  It's not one of my love languages (have you read that book?).  I'm a words of affirmation person - compliment me sincerely and I will love you forever.  However, I have to admit, my heart did go pitter-pat and my eyes teared up when Brandon told me to go look in the fridge to figure out what was for dinner and I found a dozen roses in there.  Love.That.Man!

We had a great time visiting with friends last Friday night.  The former youth pastor of our church, who is now a missionary in Ecuador, his wife and one of his daughters came for dinner, along with another of our best couple-friends.  It was a great night of visiting and catching up.  I'm so thankful for their friendship - even if we only get to spend a little time together once a year when they come back to the States to visit.  An added bonus was that we were talking about this awesome church video that our friend, Bennie, was part of several years ago that was so funny.  He told us it was on YouTube, so we watched it with them and once again over the weekend.  And I'm not going to lie, I just watched it again before I put the link in.  It is funny everytime.  I'm putting the video below...if you don't think church can be funny, then please watch this video.  It's a hoot!

I LOVE my new job.  I can't stop smiling.  I can't stop gushing.  I'm so happy doing it, it's ridiculous.  I love my new team, I love the kids, I love, love, love, love, love it!  I knew I needed the change.  I had no idea how badly I needed the change, though.  I wake up and I'm excited to go to work.  Someone told me last week that they had never seen me so happy at work (and I thought I was a generally happy-and-even-if-I'm-not-I'm-going-to-look-like-it kind of person), so that really told me something.  Tomorrow is IEP sign-off day and instead of worrying about who will or won't sign all my IEPs, I actually have to go sign someone else's.  How cool is that?  I know - not really that cool, but I'm excited. :)  I know the feeling will likely fade as the year wears on and August becomes December and then (cringe) March, but I hope that even if it fades, that it won't completely go away.

My reading for pleasure is definitely suffering now that I'm back at work.  Between trying to walk the dog, spend time with family, work out, and also get a little extra of my job-work done, I haven't had much time.  Add to that, today one of the sweet girls on my team brought me a Young Adult book that she feels is a must-read.  So sweet of her, but yikes, when am I going to get that done?  I just started The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale a couple nights ago, but haven't gotten very far.  Labor Day weekend isn't too far away - maybe it will be a Labor Day Marathon Reading Weekend?  We'll see!

So, there you have it...my reflections and ramblings on my life as I know it these days!