We have 5 weeks of school left. I have been subbing since March 1st in Mrs. Nuuvali's 3rd grade class. It has been really hard sometimes but also the most fun way to spend 8 hours of my day and make money. I feel like I am in my element, and I hope that this feeling continues into real contracted teaching. I have learned that teaching and working with children can be a lot like dog training. No, I don't mean that in a degrading way, but Ripley has been having some intense training that has made a huge difference in her behavior. She has had so many less problems with submissive peeing and tearing up Daphne's toys, growling at strangers and being aggressive. And it's because she knows we are in charge, we will keep her safe and we have high expectations. You have to apply distance pressure and eye contact to show Ripley (and students) that you know exactly what is going on and they need to stay in line. There is more, and maybe I sound crazy, but it's true. My class makes me laugh, they make me aggravated to no end, and I love them so, so, so much. I am so excited to finally be a teacher.
But there is even more excitement. At the beginning of April, I interviewed and was hired by David E Normal Elementary in Ely, NV. Lucas and I were definitely going back and forth, back and forth about if we should move, where we should move, and we think we are supposed to move to Ely, or at least that Heavenly Father is telling us it is a growth opportunity, if not a necessity, to move there. We will live in Lucas's mom's house, and it is definitely downsizing and there is currently no lawn, and our whole lifestyle will sort of change. I'm excited, and incredibly sad, and scared, and worried. We have only known Boise as a family. Fell in love, had all our babies, finished college (twice for me). So much has happened here. The good, the bad, but we have grown so much, and it is a beautiful place. There are a bunch of reasons that it makes sense to stay but also some good reasons to move. Surprising that we choose Ely, but in some ways, like a job, being closer to most of our family, and financially, it makes sense. It will be hard though, and this move is heartbreaking at times. I still think maybe we won't move. Maybe Heavenly Father will pull the plug on this plan, and that would be okay. And definitely, this could be the worst thing I've ever done to someone else because Lily is going into her senior year. I think she can have some great experiences in Ely, but she is taking it hard...and I blame her exactly 0%. This is being done on faith and prayer and hope, and, as a parent, and an adult and a wife, it's pretty scary. I don't know the consequences for any of us, positive or negative. Faith and hope. Practice faith and hope.
We will be leaving this....so green and tree-ful and lovely in the spring (but also with a quickly growing population, traffic, and a slightly crazy state government)...
and moving to the below house. Yes, it is a different color now. Lucas's mom had it fixed up completely (minus the lawn) years ago, and we have lots of good memories here. But it is the deep, deep high desert. I wanted space. I wanted a slower pace. It could very well be happening. I just don't know what to make of it all, so I will leave it at that for now.
