Count your blessings...

I am feeling incredibly blessed tonight and I just needed to share it with the interwebs.

• I've finished my first week at my new job teaching high school. There were, of course, some ups and downs but I seriously love what I do. I love working with my students and helping them learn. I love the ridiculous things they say and how silly they are. I love getting to know them, and helping them achieve their goals. I had forgotten how exhausting the start of a new year is. It's a shock to your system - mental and physical. My feet and legs ache at the end of the day, my voice is a little raspy after talking all day, my legs are definitely feeling the three flights of stairs that I take multiple times a day. I'm a little brain dead today. But at the end of it all...I love it. Moving to the high school and leaving behind my security net of friends was a big move for me. I was nervous and unsure I had made the right decision, but after this week, I can say I'm so happy to have made the switch. I have the best job in the world.

• Even though I'm at a new school I still get to see familiar faces. All my students from last year that are 10th graders this year are roaming the halls. They stop me in the halls to say hi. My football players run up to me and give me bone crushing hugs. Girls that gave me attitude all year stop to talk about their day. I think it's a comfort to both of us. We're all starting a new school and, let's be honest, it's a little intimidating. It's good to see friendly faces in the halls...even those students that were a pain in the rear last year. It reminds me why I do what I do.

• I have such amazing friends. With all the ups and downs of the past four-ish months I have had a whole cadre of wonderful and stalwart friends from every part of my life step up to support me and encourage me. Friends are something that I've always struggled with. Historically, it's been difficult for me to make friends. Through school I'd typically have one really close friend and then various acquaintances. Never before in my life have I been surrounded and supported by so many strong, loving, kind, intelligent women. Thank you. You have gotten me through the past three years...most especially the past six months. You all inspire and amaze me with your individual talents and strengths.

• I'm not sure just how to articulate this one...Vlad is...well, he's the best blessing. He's a man that isn't afraid of hard work. He's a man of quiet strength. He works so hard to improve himself and he's constantly, without realizing it most of the time, challenging me to do the same. We've been apart for about a month and a half and it's gone by quickly yet agonizingly slow. The best part of my day is when I get to Skype with him before going to bed. We're still waiting to hear back from his interview last week, but we're definitely feeling hopeful. If he gets the job, he could be here in 2ish weeks!!! How amazing would that be?!?!

• And finally, and most importantly, I am so thankful for the guiding hand of my Heavenly Father in my life the past year. It hasn't been an easy path that's lead me to my current happy situation. There have been lots of ups and downs, and at times I was ready to give up hope. I am so grateful that He never gave up on me. I have seen His hand and His love in my life in ways that are so undeniable it's almost laughable. I am blessed and grateful...so very grateful.

Ready or not...

The school year starts tomorrow...what??? I've had very little stress leading up to tomorrow. It was far easier to move into this classroom than any other classroom. My classes continue to fluctuate, but I know a good number of these students - I taught them two years ago in 9th grade. I'm sure some of them saw my name and had a few choice words. I wrapped up my plans for the week and couldn't think of anything more that I needed to do to be ready for tomorrow, so I went home at 4:00. I left with the feeling that I'd forgotten something but I have no idea what. Needless to say, I'm a little anxious about tomorrow. It's probably partially due to the unknown of teaching high school. I'm still not 100% sure on some things - as far as school procedures are concerned. I've asked about things that have popped up, but I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

In other news, Vlad had a phone interview on Friday for a job in Salt Lake...as in a mere 45 minutes from where I currently reside. That is a vaaaast improvement over the current 10-13 hours (depending on your route) that we currently "enjoy". He felt the interview went well and there are multiple openings. We're trying not to get too excited, but it's difficult not to. It's incredibly similar to what he is currently doing and would get him in the door with a great company. We're cautiously optimistic. He was told he should know by the end of this week. I seriously hope they don't keep us waiting that long. If he is offered the job, he'll put in his two weeks at his current job and be down here by mid September!! Gah! How crazy is that?! So, we're keeping our fingers crossed...and praying. If you're so inclined, we'd really appreciate your prayers and good thoughts! If he doesn't get this job, we know there are other jobs out there, but this would be so great!!

All natural

It's kind of funny (not really) how certain topics or issues that you've ignored or just dealt with can suddenly take on new importance when it can and will impact someone else. In this case Vlad. So I don't have uterine cancer (yay!) but I do have PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). This is something I have known about since my early 20's but other health issues seemed to take precedence. However, now I'm getting married and I want to be healthy and have a long, happy life with Vlad. I also would like to have children. This is something that I've always wanted but now it is an actual possibility. I've found the other half of the equation. PCOS causes infertility. PCOS now has a very real impact on my life in a way that the other symptoms (obnoxious and frustrating as they are) never really have.

My doctor has put my on hormonal birth control to treat my PCOS. I have been doing some Googling and discovered that this course of treatment can lead to other issues down the road - like Type 2 Diabetes. Given my family history, on both sides, that's not really something I want to risk. So I've been looking into more natural treatment options and it's all so overwhelming. There are so many different websites and blogs and opinions... I don't know what to do or who to believe. I do know that my body is protesting...vehemently...to the current course of treatment. I was told to give it three months for my body to adjust. But dude...month one has been a doozy!

I've spent the evening making lists of foods and herbal/vitamin/mineral supplements that have been suggested. There are lots of different options it seems, but I've focused in on the ones that keep popping up across the board. I just want to be healthy and I'd like to do it in a way that doesn't involve ingesting synthetic compounds.

Sometimes I wish I had a degree in a medical field so this stuff made more sense to me...

The all clear...

I finally heard back from my doctor. After over a month of nerves and nonsense, I was told the pathology of my biopsy was normal. Phew...huge relief....huge! Thank you to everyone that has texted, called, emailed, sent me messages of support and love. It's made this scary situation a little bit better.

I'm particularly grateful to have the most amazing fiancee. He has willingly and enthusiastically entered this relationship knowing that there was very real possibility I would be very sick and could possibly lose the ability to have kids. It's kind of mind blowing, really. He's listened calmly when I've been pissed off about it. He's held me when I cried, made me laugh off my frustrations and just been incredibly supportive about the whole thing. It's definitely been a whirlwind romance and the distance thing isn't the easiest, but I'm seriously so blessed. (Sorry...that was a little gag-inducing, wasn't it??)

Patrick's response to this news was "YES. So glad. Now get married." That's all. My younger brother makes me laugh...he's so concise and to the point. Vlad and I are still working on the whole setting a date thing. He really needs to get to Utah before it's realistic to set a date. He's applied for some jobs and is looking at others, but no news yet. I'm hoping he'll be here by mid-late September...at the latest?? But really, it's out of our hands. So, if you're inclined to pray, we'd definitely appreciate it if you could add us to your prayers. We're doing our part but that will only take us so far sometimes.

In other wedding-related news...the longer this thing drags out without a definitive wedding date, the more ideas and "themes" I'll go through for the reception/wedding. I think I'm on the third...maybe fourth color scheme, decor yadda, yadda, yadda. They're all very pretty, just very different. Turns out my dream wedding is an outdoor, summer wedding. As we're heading into autumn, shortly to be followed by winter, I doubt my dream wedding will be happening. I do know that however it turns out, it will be beautiful. And really, all that matters is that I'll be marrying the best man ever.

Cheers!

For the love...!!

I'm on week two of starting birth control and holy hannah, I seriously dislike it. I would seriously love for my uterus to stop hating me...that would be great.


That is all....



TMI???

Yin Yang...

Tonight I am super grateful that I have a wonderful fiancee that wants to be better and makes me want to be better. In the face of my ridiculous rants he simply smiles and listens patiently. That's all.

He's basically my favorite...