Happy Anniversary to Me!

For the past month, I've been thinking about my one-year anniversary blog entry. What to say to sum up the past year's worth of blog entries? I've been preparing to write my one-year entry on my one-year anniversary, which I've been thinking for the past month or so was May 31st. I just now clicked on the May 2004 link in my archive list, and realized that TODAY is actually my one-year anniversary. I'd planned to have all day Monday to come up with some really profound and hilarious writing to keep your attention for a good two minutes or so, but since it caught me off guard, here we go.

I've just spent the past five minutes trying to fill in the blank for this sentence: "The past year has been the most ________ year of my life thus far." The problem I came across was that no one word will fit in that blank, because there really isn't a word to describe this past year. However, if there were a word that combined the meanings of crazy, difficult/challenging, rewarding, dramatic, growing, and unpredictable, that would be it. I am not the same person I was when I started this blog a year ago. Not that I'm all that different, but I just feel like I've grown up. A lot.


Here's a quick summary of the past year. Most of this is embedded in the blog somewhere, so if you want more details, dig around and you'll probably find it. It's not all in there, though.

• I started this blog at the end of May because of a suggestion my friend Julie had. She wanted us all to start blogs so that we could keep up with each other more easily. I was the first in our group to start one, followed by Mel and Kendall. To this day, Julie still has not begun blogging.

• Through June, July, and August, I worked in Children's Ministry at Highland. Throughout most of that time, I hoped to stay in Abilene after graduation and work at Highland permanently as the children's ministry assistant. One of the best parts about the summer was developing a relationship with the Lewis family. I love those people!
  

• In August, I said goodbye to a very special person as he moved away to begin his first real job. It was hard saying goodbye to my five best girlfriends in May, but somehow this was even harder. I suppose because it finally made me wake up and face reality. I also moved in with a new roommate, who is SUCH a blessing in my life! Thanks for asking me if I wanted to live with you, Lindsey!
  

• At the end of August I began student teaching. Such an incredible experience. If you've read my blog for any length of time at all, you know how much I loved it. I never once dreaded going.

• In September I helped with Freshman Follies, which was SO much fun! It was my first production since Sing Song, and I wish I had helped with it the other three years after my freshman year. Also, I wish I had blogged when I was a Sing Song Hostess. Anyway.

• In October I met a new friend who would later (January) add a good bit of drama to my life. (But not in a bad way, really.) He helped me see some value in myself that I wasn't in touch with. Thanks for that.

• By November, I was in love with teaching and had changed my career plan from children's minister to teacher. I was still planning to stay in Abilene, though, because I couldn't imagine life anywhere else.

• December was graduation and the most depressed I can ever remember being. Obviously, I ended up leaving Abilene. Fortunately, that's when I got my precious Bailey and my first real job.

• January was mostly just starting the job and all the drama with aforementioned friend.

• In February, I started going to Famer's Branch Church. That was the turnaround point for me in the whole leaving Abilene saga. Suddenly, I felt like I was back in Dallas for a reason. I also got to see my best friends at Sing Song.
  

• March-May were basically comprised of just trying to keep my head above water with the teaching thing. I still can't believe that I'm entrusted with 17 children every day. Not that I'm not trustworthy, but you know what I mean. During this time I got very involved at The Branch with Worship, Childrens, and Singles ministries.

• In May I moved into my first grown-up apartment, which I've now been in for exactly two weeks with my roommate Kim. I was also asked to be one of six small group leaders for the singles group. Why on earth I was one of the ones they chose, I have no idea, but I am thankful for the honor and the challenge.
  

That basically catches us up to now. I'm not sure what the future holds except that I have accepted the same job again for next year. I am looking SO forward to this summer! Thanks for visiting my corner of the web and listening to my ramblings every day. I've logged over 2,600 hits in less than two months and while that really isn't very many page loads, it's astronomical to me that people have clicked on my page that many times. I love checking it each day to see what new places people are reading me from.

This blog has been a fun outlet to write, and I have no plans to stop writing anytime soon. If you ever have any blog ideas for me, please leave them in the comment section. This teaching thing really wears out your brain, and I'm ready for some renewal this summer so that I can possibly come up with something more interesting for you to read.