Lots of changes

I can't believe it is already April. Nathan and I are approaching the year mark of our engagement, and it doesn't feel real (or possible!). We are getting a lot done, and I finally feel like we are up-to-date with all of our "to-dos". The wedding is going to be here before we know it. I am extremely excited, but to be completely honest, I'm ready for it to be over. I'm ready to honeymoon, and relax. Most of all, I'm ready to have a marriage. It's been a long time coming and I'm so in awe of the fact that it is so close. Nathan and I have grown so much closer through this year. You'd think after 7 years, you are "there"...what else could you possibly learn after that long that you don't already know? But everyday it seems we have learned something new about each other. These little things have made me fall in love with him all over again. Some have been really eye-opening, others hard to deal with, and still some extremely hysterical. For instance, I learned something about him just a few weeks ago, after one of our dogs decided to go romping through the forest. Our darling little Toga returned from his adventure with a companion...a tick. I found it and it made me annoyed/worried. Nathan saw it, and jumped onto the bed (reminiscent of a women seeing a mouse in a old movie). Apparently my cockroach fear is countered only by his fear of ticks. He screamed, and shivered in disgust, and then proceeded to leave to run an errand that "just came up"...hahaha. I know, what a girl, huh? But it was adorable. This big strong man that I run to for everything, is terrified of a tiny bug :) It's things like that, these little "adventures" that make life worthwhile.

In other news, the student teaching countdown is coming to a close. I only have five days left, and as great/relieving as that feels, it's more bittersweet. I love my kiddos. I love working with GT students. I love the teachers I've been privileged to observe and learn from. Most of all, I love my other student teachers. These girls have been my rock this semester. I feel like we created this amazing support system for each other. No matter how terrible a day was, no matter how stressed I became, if I spent three seconds talking to any one of them, my day was instantly better. I am truly going to miss that. I can only pray that we are able to keep in touch, and that God gives us each an equally supportive group of people to lean on next year! I hope we all hold up on our agreement to blog about our lives. I know how crazy hectic life can get, and how easy it is to fall out of touch with people...and I HATE it. It would break my heart if I never heard from them again.

This year has been such a growing experience. In some ways, I don't even feel like the same person. I have learned so much, in such a short period of time, and my life has been changed by it. On the other hand, I feel more like myself than ever. I feel happy. I feel content. I feel at peace. I think I am starting to understand that phrase, "coming into your own". There are a lot of real-life-grown-up things that are just around the corner, and I finally feel a teensy bit prepared for them. I owe that to the amazing people that continue to play a role in my life.