A year in review

I know that typically the year ends in December but these days, my calendar seems to flow with that of the public school district that I am employed by. We are (thankfully) coming to the end of this (can I say dreadful?) year and looking back I realize just how life changing this year has been. One year ago, Mike and I were preparing for our move to Colorado and I was extremely excited about my new job at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. We not only packed up our lives there and drove our meager belongings across the country but we said goodbye to our only home together and all of our (wonderful) mutual friends. There was no friend group or family ties in the Springs and we felt like we were just asking to drive each other crazy... no girlfriends to distract me, no Bentley buddies for a boys night out. I also "threw together" the PHS 10 year class reunion during my move and then welcomed my newest niece to the "Bree and Eric Scott gang".
My job here has been challenging at best and nightmarish at worst. It was nothing like I expected and had all of the ingredients to drive someone with people pleasing and perfectionist tendencies to the brink of a breakdown. As I mentioned, I have no girlfriends here to pull me aside for some laughs or advice as I was used to with my friends and coworkers at Horace Mann... I just dove into teaching and preschool-ness with my whole self and am still waiting for this coming Tuesday (graduation) to come up for air. It has swallowed me whole in an unfair and overwhelming way with too many expectations and zero credit. I have loved my time with the kids, they are funny and precious and difficult... I have been given so many challenges that I have triumphed over that you can't feel anything but amazing about the kids... the KIDS... but the as so often happens, the adults in my life need boundaries and I am just now coming to terms with the damage this year has done to me. In the midst of all of this insanity, Jonathan died. My cousin, the closest relative that I had here, just 45 minutes away in Denver, the one that I was going to "get around to hanging out with" was killed in a car accident. Everything just kind of went away from Thanksgiving through January. I spent too many nights sobbing at my computer as I tried to find the right words to support his wife but not succeeding as my heart shattered at the thought of her sorrow... Mike and I are a young couple with no kids, 2 cats and a golden retriever that is our substitute child... just like Brie and Jonathan...
I took a stand at my job- I went through the terrifying and exhausting process of speaking out against my boss. Providing documentation and witness of the corruptness and was successful... sort of.... I am still fighting.
Mike and I bought a house- a wonderful, beautiful, makes-me-happy to come home house which was the start of my wake up call to the life that had been smothered by my job... I wanted to come home again, to have things for ME again.
Kellen and Janelle decided that they would serve a mission in Zambia for one year to share their faith and help people there build better healthcare facilities and farms for themselves... we said goodbye to them earlier this month.
I turned 29... 29!!! this is getting serious...
So as I look to this upcoming week, I am ready for a break. I am ready to be in my home with my husband that I appreciate so much. He has taken care of me and listened to me, comforted me and gotten furious for me. It is time to give back to him...
We have come so far this year... births and deaths, new homes, new friends and new adventures...
its time for another change... to take care of me....
Here are some pictures of the year... The T-shirt is of Jonathan's fishing guide company that he was starting...