Sooner Than I Thought - Thank You Snow Day!

I'm back much sooner than I would have anticipated...thanks to the snow storm that blew through and froze the Pacific Northwest over yesterday. My drive home from work was pretty dicey - thankfully the husband met me at work so I could follow him home. There are some hills on my route home that when they are covered in ice can be scary. Although I'd anticipated a 2-hour late start today because it was announced yesterday, I was a little suprised when it turned into a full snow day. So even though I've got a bit of anxiety about missing a day and having to re-plan, but on the other hand, I needed the chance to get caught up on housework and get ready to have my mom and brother visit for Thanksgiving. The husband and the pets were also a big part of my day, I loved having the extra bit of unexpected quality time with them....Bambino had a blast playing with us and chasing his frisbee in the snow. This was the first experience with snow for the Buff Orpington hens that are new to the flock this year - they seemed pretty disturbed by the cold white stuff that was on the ground and every surface. I gave them lots of extra scratch corn - I've heard that it raises their body temperatures. It was wonderful to get a bit of time outside...even though it was cold, the sky was perfectly blue and sunny. I took a ton of pictures, I love how the snow makes everything look fresh and new...I tend to go nuts with pictures on snow days! So here's a whole lot of pictures with not a lot of post...Enjoy!

Thankful...

It's been over a month *over a month!* since I last came by here. To be honest, I haven't slowed down much in the space of that month. My life became really busy when I took on this new teaching job. The thing is, if I didn't love what I'm doing as much as I do, I don't think I'd be able to keep this up much longer. I am being challenged, stretched, pushed...I am feeling overwhelmed, excited, exhausted, refreshed, and far too many other emotions to explain here and now. I need to remember how to say "no" because lately all of my "yes" answers are adding up to very full days. But honestly, I'll take busy and happy, over the other option any day!Being in such a good place professionally, I have hope and many things I'm dreaming about for the next five, ten years and beyond. I'm doing what I've been made to do. It is clear that my fear-filled decision to leave the field of engineering nearly 8 years ago now was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I can also honestly say that losing the teaching job that I had for the first two years I spent in Washington was a blessing that allowed me to find my way to where I am now. It's ironic to think that the process to finding joy in my career required going through so much pain and uncertainty. I am thankful for the job I have, not only is it providing for our financial needs, it is also giving me the joy that comes from doing something that is worthwhile and valuable.As I think about Thanksgiving coming up so soon, my thoughts are filled with thankfulness for my family, we are closer than ever, I can hardly believe sometimes how much my relationship with my stepson has smoothed out as we've grown closer. I may be the only "parent" in history to be glad to see a child enter adolescence and the teenage years. I like being able to relate to him on a new level. I'm also grateful for the husband, the dear man who is my best friend, who has been patient with me as I've been so busy in the past few months. He knows that I'm finding my way with my career and he is happy to see me happy. He is taking steps to pursue some long-time dreams of his own...I'm proud of him for that.

That's all for now...I'm sure I'll check back in sometime in the next several weeks, probably just in time for Christmas!