2010 Reflection

Happy New Year's Eve! As I sit here reflecting on the past year, I am amazed once again how quickly this year has flown by. Am I really 30? Am I really half way through my second year of teaching? Where has the time gone? Just one year ago today, Britt and I were headed downtown to celebrate the New Year with Jessica and Chris. As of right now, however, I don't know what I'm doing tonight. Josh and I are going to spend the evening together, so we're working on making some fun plans. Until that decision is made, though, I figured I could take a moment to look back at the past year.

January:
*I received a letter from my school district thanking me for my year of teaching but saying my position would end at the end of the school year.
*I received an email from the head coach of girls Lacrosse (sent to the entire staff) asking for a Level III coach. Hoping to save my job, I signed up for the gig, thinking at least one other person would volunteer and get the job. I was wrong, and they gladly accepted me as coach.

February:
*I started my coaching job having no experience in Lacrosse. In fact, I didn't even know what Lacrosse was, but I quickly learned the job and had a blast coaching the girls through the end of the season in May.
*Britt and I started planning our trip to Vegas.
*Britt and I attended The Bitter Ball.

March:
*Britt and I took a day off work to get a tattoo and attend the John Mayer Concert (Britt won free tickets through the radio).
*There was a massive snow storm that same day, so school was cancelled the following day and Britt was snowed in at my house for two days.

April:
*I began training for the MS150.
*Drove to Lincoln to attend my friend, Marcy's, wedding. Got profiled and pulled over for potential drug distribution, but was let off with a warning. The officer must have been bored.

May:
*I interviewed at Gateway High School for a teaching position. They turned me down for a more experienced teacher in ESL (English as a Second Language), but they asked me to interview for another position.
*At this point, I still didn't have a job at Chatfield and was starting to really worry about my teaching future.

June:
*I was preparing for my second interview at Gateway and had been told through an inside source that I was the one they wanted for the job.
*On the last day of school at Chatfield, an English teacher turned in her resignation and the principal offered the job to me. I gladly accepted even though it was a temporary position again (meaning I'll get the same cut letter in the next month) and called Gateway to cancel my interview.
*Britt, Amanda and I celebrated the end of the school year with a Rockies game and a night on the town.
*I began teaching summer school for six weeks.
*Completed my third successful year of riding in the MS150.
*My second niece was born.

July:
*Spent a lot of time at the pool after teaching each day. Got a nice tan for the year.
*Finished teaching summer school in mid-July.
*Got my own apartment and moved out of the basement of Shan's house.
*Spent a weekend in Vegas with Britt to celebrate the marriage of her sister, Astrid.

August:
*Began my second year of teaching; this year I'm teaching 10th and 11th, which I LOVE.
*Went to a Greenday Concert at Fiddler's Green.
*Volunteered to teach a high risk 10th grade class. Half of the kids in this class are high risk for dropping out of high school, so it is my job to get them involved in school and help them see the importance of their education.

September:
*Attended a wedding in Estes Park for my friends, Jessica and Chris.
*Turned 30 and threw myself a massive Martini Party themed: Nerdy, Dirty and Flirty.
*Went to Vegas again to celebrate Jeff's 40th birthday.
*Went to the Zac Brown Band concert at Red Rocks.

October:
*Paid off my car.
*Was in Ben and Lindsey's wedding in Estes Park.
*Signed up for a class to be trained to teach online courses to high school students. It was a six week course.
*Dressed up as a 1920s Flapper for Halloween and went to an Avs game with Britt, Cam, and Lenny.

November:
*Went home a weekend early to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family.
*Spent actual Thanksgiving Day with my dear friend, Linda from Chatfield. Then went to a student's house for Thanksgiving dinner.
*A student gave me two tickets to Lady Antebellum, so I was able to semi-repay Britt back for winning John Mayer tickets.

December:
*Finished my first semester teaching 11th grade, which proved to be a challenging semester.
*Went to NE a week early to celebrate Christmas with the family.
*Had my 3rd Annual Ornament Exchange party at my new apartment.

Amongst all of this, I also:
*Dated
*Attended Happy Hours with friends
*Had game nights with friends
*Worked a lot of volleyball/wrestling/basketball games at school
*Watched a lot of football
*Invested in friends
*Ate out a lot
*Lost 35 pounds this year
*Attended birthday parties
*Danced at the Grizzly Rose
*Watched Carson turn 6, Kye turn 4, Case turn 3, Corinne turn 2 (yesterday), and Siahna was born
*Went to NE a few times
*Went to Rockies games
*Shopped
*Went to movies at Red Rocks

There's my year in a nutshell. As I enter into 2011 tonight, I look forward to what it has in store for me. God blessings to you all as you enter into a new year!