Grab Bag

Well, Hello! It's been a while since I have done some real blogging. I was kinda miffed at the situation which inspired the post in November. I wanted to blog in December, but time constraints and other situations prevented me from an all out blog post. So here I go, with a variety of topics. Some good, some bad. All catching up.

It's a new year and I am going to try to get back into regular blogging. I always feel topics bubbling up in my mind, but by the time I am by the computer, the words have been lost in the never ending whirlwind that occupies my brain.

So many things have happened in the last couple of months. I am still loving my job as a teacher's aide at my kids' school. Being there has inspired me to work on getting back into school and pursuing my degree in elementary education. Today, I went to the local San Antonio satellite campus to take care of the business of registering for classes, discussing what I need to take/retake. I found out that I am closer to an associates degree than I thought I was. That's good. I also discovered that I don't need to take this test that I thought I needed. That was great! The best news is that the Pell Grant paid my tuition in full and there is enough leftover for me to purchase any books that I need.

Now for the not so wonderful family news. On Halloween, a freecycler was giving away a puppy. He was a half chihuahua, half poodle mix named Jack. We were the first to respond to the post, so arrangements were made and on November 1st, we adopted a new furry family member. Jack was perfect for us in every way. He got along great with our other dogs and was incredibly patient and gentle with the kids. He was very playful and oh so cute! Our family immediately fell in love with the little guy. He stole our hearts quicker than a pickpocket! Sadly Jack snuck out of our home on New Year's Eve afternoon, amidst the chaos of 4 little cousins running amok. He darted into the street and was struck by a car. We have been reeling ever since. It has taken almost a full week for smiles to return to our faces. Our heart strings have been pulled, tugged, and unravelled. We have cried enough collective tears to fill a bath tub. I could go on and on about the grief that we have been experiencing, but I won't.

Do you know this is the first year that I didn't sit down and compose a list of goals and resolutions? Our life was turned upside down on NYE so I never got around to it. And you know what? That's OK. I don't think I will. I want to continually improve on all aspects in my life but I don't want it to be a resolution reserved for New Year's. I am hoping to constantly live my life purposefully and lovingly. Always.

Oh, another thing that has happened since my last regular post. Danny and I celebrated our 11th anniversary. Eleven years! Wow! In the last week, during this period of grief and sadness, our family has grown closer together. I have fallen deeper in love with this strong, beautiful man that I married. Seeing him love and protect and comfort out children (and me) has been so wonderful. Gosh, he is an amazing man. How in the world did I ever manage to catch such a great guy? I am so lucky, so blessed. I thank God every day for Danny. He's the bomb!

Well, enough playing catch up for one evening. I will try to blog more. It will be good practice for writing papers for college! HA!

Love y'all!