Update...

Hello again! It's been a while since I updated, mostly because I no longer have my own computer to use. Last week Friday was my last day at Kiln Creek, and I am very happy to be on summer vacation. It has been a very long and trying year, and I am glad that it is over. After finally clearing out my classroom (while another teacher rudely tried to move herself in at the same time--and was NOT respectful of the things I still had in the room), everything is at home and I am not trying to get that stuff organized so that I can take only the things I need to my new school. I have received an offer (though I'm waiting on the contract yet) to teach Spanish at Warwick River Christian School, which I feel very good about, though I am terrified to teach the Spanish--mostly because I've never done it before. I will be teaching K-8 (K-6 once a week and 7-8 every day) Spanish, mostly as a resource class. I had a fantastic Spanish teacher in High School and I plan to piggy-back on some of the things she did with us. The best part---I totally can have a Cinco de Mayo party in my room! I'm totally stoked about that!!

Thank you to those of you who have kept me and Philip in your prayers lately. Things are a lot better for me now---especially since the students left. I had a student in my class who caused a lot of problems. I worked especially hard with him this year as we identified a learning disability for him and I really wanted to see some improvements in his academic performance. I can honestly say that I've never worked so hard with a child before. Both of his parents are in the military, and though I have the utmost respect for our servicemen and women, I have no respect for his mother anymore, because she has treated me so poorly all year. At the end of the year, I started having the feeling that the child was not coming into the classroom by himself--there was a definite darkness about him and everything got darker and heavier when he entered the classroom. The other students started acting up and he was just aweful! I've never experienced something like that before. After getting some council from my wonderful hubby, my mom, and my mom's friend, I came to the conculsion that I had some spiritual work to do in my classroom before my students arrived in the morning. For the most part after that, things got a lot better, but I could still tell that the devil was trying to get to me because the child's mother kept sending me nasty threatening emails.

I am so blessed to know that I am following the Lord's will and I am honestly doing what I know I am supposed to do. I am also SO glad that I no longer have to deal with this family. I had definitely gotten to the breaking point and couldn't (without God, of course) handle any more than I did. Thank you for your prayers. They definitely helped me get through a rough spot.

Philip and I are heading to Colorado this weekend, where we will spend about a week with my family in the mountains. We are very excited about this, and are also looking forward to spending our SECOND anniversary in Aspen together on the 24th!