please excuse this blog for hibernating (we're back!)

Already mid-April? Time has been moving quickly, and of course, as we move into warm weather, my brain gets all discombobulated, thoughts going every which way. That fresh air rush of emotions to the mind... making me happy with a bittersweet base. We are in a good place.

Crazy job that I love in a crazy district that I laugh about and have learned to navigate. I've made a few friends at work, including one fantastic partner-in-crime. We seek out the good in our middle school world, encouraging the kiddos and spreading a 'positive' vibe. I often say to people that I'm lucky I'm old, and that I have years of experience, because otherwise this job would have suffocated me. But instead I was able to make it my own, even with no support or direction. Hmmm... I suppose it helped that I had the Abu Dhabi experience first-- couldn't get any more disorganized than that!

My hubby and the Bilbo cat snuggle me regularly, so I can say that home life is fantastic. Nate has been substitute teaching this year, and he is really good at it. He also scored high enough on the LSAT to qualify for a full-ride to law school at Cooley next year, so that will be a new adventure. Bilbo has gone from being the under-the-bed-only cat to a cat that cries sadly when I leave and sprints over to me when I get home. Mr. Bilbo Baggins Boy is quite possibly my best friend.

Friends! It's been especially fun to make some new down-to-earth friends here in Grand Rapids. People here seem more inclined to venture out or come over or have us over, and we do wine nights and game nights and bar nights. I'm definitely excited for this warmer weather so we can do more bicycling to friends' houses. We biked to a fun bar last weekend, and it was great to get the exercise and also feel that we were saving gas. Nate has been obnoxious (but yes, admirably so) all winter with his "I bicycle to school" gig; he refused to get dropped off at his sub jobs and instead opted to ride his bike ALL WINTER LONG. Awesome, most def, but obnoxious because he simply put me to shame. Maybe now warm weather will help me redeem myself.

I've also never fully known how nice it is to have family close by... Nate's folks are a half-hour away, my parents an hour away, and Nate's brother's family lives within walking distance. And it's just perfect. I feel a little lucky that we did our crazy brief UAE stint-- It made 'this' all the more valuable; 'this' being our space in time here in lower Michigan.


p.s. Follow this link to find a yummy recipe blog as well as a chance to enter and win the give-away; I was kind of excited about the mug I could win (it looks like a large one, quite pleasing to the hand)... So, add your comment to this blog entry, and we'll see who wins. The oopsitsvegan folks live in Ann Arbor, my old college town. :)
http://oopsitsvegan.blogspot.com/2011/03/national-pancake-dayand-give-away.html