30 days of Thankfulness

I'm a bit late to the game since I can't seem to find time to blog much these days, so I will post all 30 days of gratitude here today. I do still keep up with a daily gratitude journal and have encouraged quite a few friends to do the same. Thanks to Ann Voscamp's inspiration in her book, One Thousand Gifts, I got to a thousand on my list many years ago and haven't been able to stop since. 

1. The warm, crackling fire beside me, heating my home in preparation for a cold front coming in tonight.

2. Friends that feel like family, that time and distance can never separate. (Picture to be taken tomorrow when I meet with a longtime, far-away friend for our annual brunch.)

3. A job where I can speak in Spanish every day and celebrate bilingualism with my students.

4. Coworkers from around the world, each bringing a unique culture and dialect to the table.

5. Travel opportunities over the coming year to experience new countries and cultures that I have not yet experienced.

6. Friends to meet with over coffee and talk about God's work in our lives. 

7. A classroom funded and built by my village (donations from my Amazon wishlist), reminding me daily of friends and family who support me as a teacher. 

8. Looking across the sanctuary at church on Sunday mornings and seeing other bilingual coworkers soaking in the Word and praising God alongside me.

9. A new learning experience this year, that has challenged me, stretched me, and helped me grow as an educator.

10. Being able to be part of a still new initiative to bring a dual language education opportunity to students in Columbus, IN.

11. My husband's opportunity to live by and work with his brother, after nearly 20 years of living far apart from each other.

12. A chance to build a closer relationship with my husband's side of the family and watching my son build those relationships, as well.

13. Getting certified as a Biblical counselor this year, as well as getting licensed as a Spanish teacher in Indiana.

14. Public school students who voluntarily bring their Bibles to school and write their Bible reading on their reading logs. 

15. A 6th grade teammate who's been super supportive and welcoming to me as a new teacher on board in a grade level I've never taught before.

16. A friend who encouraged me to join her in the Bible Recap New Testament, which has helped me see Jesus' love more intimately than I've seen it before when reading the gospels.

17. Newcomer students who have joined my classroom, adding new depth to our Spanish discussions and purpose for my English speakers learning Spanish. 

18. More time with David here, giving him a chance to make our new location feel like home to him rather than just a place to visit Mom and Dad. 

19. Reconnection with my friends from Colombia, seeing how God connects us and weaves our stories together in ways we could never fathom. 

20. Long walks on a country road where I meet and get to know all my neighbors. 

21. Fresh new trails cut in my woods that David and I can hike together.

22. A new writing spot/prayer bench set up in my woods, overlooking a beautiful landscape. 

23. Experiencing God's creation in a new way through the distinct changing of seasons that happens here in Indiana.

24. Finding new writer friends in Columbus, in my own church, after leaving all my writer friends behind in Texas.

25. Facetime that keeps me connected to the family I moved away from, even though I personally hate Faeetime. Lol. It does make it feel like they're not so far away.

26. Family to spend Thanksgiving with today, and a husband who got up early to smoke the turkey.

27. Students who enjoy writing and are turning into great writers in Spanish.

28. A few days off from school to rest and reset.

29. My sweet kitties 

30. My church family, filling the familial role just as God designed it to. 

Fall Break 2024

Fall Break did not disappoint. I will admit that it was a very needed time to regroup and reset for me. This year has been a huge learning curve that's worn me out both mentally and physically! I surely needed the last week off to get out of a rut and have some time to think and make connections. It was a good reminder of God's design for rest. I feel much more relaxed and confident going into the second quarter than I did just a week ago now that I could step back out of the details of each day and take a good look at the bigger picture. 

I had a few moments and hours to myself, which was super nice for this introvert, but I also kept busy with friends and family. First I had a nice lunch out with several bilingual coworkers, then tacos after school with more of those bilingual coworkers. The next day Mike, David, and I went to an Ethnic expo and enjoyed some Colombian food, Mexican food, Puerto Rican food, and even Amish food! After that I had a day and a half touring Covered Bridges with Mike, a day out shopping with David, an afternoon coffee outting with a friend, an evening with Matt and Chrissy's family when my mother-in-law came into town, a lovely afternoon with my mother-in-law at a cute Christian bookstore and then trying hot caramel apple ciders at a local coffee shop, some good old outside time either walking or sitting in the chair watching the boys cut down trees and clear out more land, lunch out with our Colombian friends, and a yearly doc appointment that put my mind at ease over several things I've put off addressing (like a painful heel spur!). Let's just say I've revamped how I structure my class so I am not standing for 3 hours straight every day. And I will make much more use of the stool placed at the front of the room. 

A year ago during Fall Break, God had just begun to bring Spanish back into my life by letting me meet Spanish-speaking neighbors and drawing me to connect with a new friend from church who worked at a Dual Language School. A year later, we now share coworkers from all over the world (this picture alone includes new friends from Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Texas (that counts as another culture, right?)

An annual Ethnic Fest in the community with so many nationalities and cultures represented.

A beautiful Covered Bridge tour/adventure, bringing back lots of childhood memories of the covered bridge right down the road from my house. 

Out of all those bridges, we only made it to eleven! 

We plan to go back and explore more another time. Next time I want to study the history of each bridge. Several of them were built in the 1800's!

Boots and I shared a lovely time outside on a beautiful day, 

especially when two deer decided to go for a stroll down the road right in front of us. 

I sure have enjoyed these special times getting to know my mother-in-law 

better than I ever have before. She's a special lady with a determined spirit!

Wish I had time to write more, but I've got to be back at school bright and early tomorrow morning! Despite enjoying every bit of this break, I missed my multicultural students and can't wait to hear about their adventures.