The Crazy, Charmed Life We Live: The Next Chapter...

Well its been awhile since I blogged...7 weeks I believe. I definitely have not stuck to my commitment of blogging once a week! I now only have 3 weeks of student teaching left. I CANNOT believe it! It is such a bittersweet feeling! The last 18 months have been challenging, but I can honestly say that it has been a life changing experience. I have a special place in my heart for so many of the children that I have had the opportunity and priviledge to teach the last few months. I decided that I wanted to teach because I love kids, and even after a rough day, the many hugs that I receive confirm that I made the right decision. I will write more about my student teaching later...I could go ON and ON and ON because I have learned so much...to be continued...

Now, what I actually wanted to write about. We are "moving" to New Orleans. I don't think there is any other city quite like it...most people either love it or they hate it. I personally love it! And when I say love, I mean LOVE IT! I have loved it since the first time I visited. The city just has soul...I'm not exactly sure how to explain that, but I get this warm and fuzzy feeling everytime I drive into that city. I could wander around all day and be perfectly content. When visting in the past, I have always looked at the apartments and homes (especially those in and around the french quarter) and think of how amazing it would be to live in one of them. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen.

We have known for while that we would be going to NOLA, and Sean was actually originally supposed to report there in January. Since I was student teaching, we asked if it was possible to send another guy who had been hired for the project in January instead of Sean and then send Sean later when I was done student teaching (when the other guy was originally supposed to go). Even though Sean is gone half the month now, when he is home for 2 weeks he is the biggest help in the world!!! I don't know how I would have made it the last few months if he were living in New Orleans during the week...Props to all the single mommies out there...I have no idea how you ladies do it!!! So, we finally found out that Sean will start at "the square" in June. We will live in downtown New Orleans in a high rise apartment building....what a change from our life in Lafayette! We will keep our house here though...Sean will no longer go offshore while in New Orleans, but will instead work M-TH in the office so we plan to come back to Lafayette often. I think it will be nice to walk out the "front door" and walk or ride the street car to the French Quarter, children's museum, aquarium, and countless other places in New Orleans. Oh yes, and we only need one car there which is a relief since gas is projected to rise to $5/gallon by the summer. The apartment building will also be on Poydras so Sean can walk right down the street to work! There is a rooftop pool at the apartment that Pres and I can hang out at while daddy is working :). I'm also excited about the on site fitness center...no more leaving the house and driving to the gym!!! Most of all, I'm excited about getting to see my husband every single day for the first time EVER in our relationship...9 years to be exact. It makes my heart so happy that Preslie will get to see her daddy everyday for the first time in her little life (and sadly, maybe the only time for a long time). We have no idea how long we will be in New Orleans (could be a couple of months, could be a year...no clue!) so I plan to make the most of this time. For the first time in 12 years, I won't have a job or school...that means no conference calls, meetings, deadlines, assignments, classes. I admit that I'm a little afraid that I may get restless without a job (even though taking care of Pres is a full time job!!!) or schoolwork, but I am going to enjoy this time with my family! It took me awhile to become comfortable with the fact that after all of the hard work and studying (and hoping there would be teaching jobs available) the past year and a half that I might not be back in Lafayette to teach in August. In fact, I would say it took me months to be ok with this possibility because for the last year I have worried so much about finding a teaching job when I was done. Somehow I just let go and put it all in God's hands to work out. If I have realized anything, its that life is so incredibly short, that God places these opportunities in our paths for a reason, and then its up to us to live life to the fullest and to seize these opportunities...that my friends, is exactly what I plan to do! Because no post is complete without a picture, here are a few pics from our new home in NOLA :)