Much Overdue Update

Hello my four followers!

Sorry for the emotion-ridden last few posts; I promise I started to blog about something completely different, but my fingers just led me to unload.

Now for an update.

This semester is absolutely bonkers.  Twelve hours of graduate school, two jobs, and a new addiction to cooking leads to very little time for yours truly.  Don't get me wrong-- I absolutely LOVE everything I am doing.  Particularly school; I finally feel like I am being challenged to grow in limitless ways and push my knowledge to the limits.  Not only do I get to research current hot-topics in education, but I get to dialectically debate these dilemmas with professionals... with complete understanding that the debate is purely for educational purposes and not for unloading personal agendas.  I LOVE IT!  Last semester (with almost all online classes) I found myself ardently missing academic debates and classroom culture... now I have it in spades.  Downside:  I have three 20+ page research papers to write this semester and an average of 200-300 pages to read each week :-s We'll see how that goes.

Now for the anxiety.

Chad has been very fortunate as a result of the on-campus career fair and has TWO job interviews in the next week.  One in Fort Worth, TX and the other in Little Rock, AR.  In this time of economic uncertainty for both education and engineering, I am absolutely thrilled that he has these amazing opportunities.  But, for those of you who know me know that I am a planner.  I create long term goals and find security in certainty.  Not knowing what or even where we are going to be in a few short months is hard... particularly since my dream job opened up in Kansas City.  Although this is a particularly stressful and anxious time, both Chad and I have resigned ourselves to the fact that we have absolutely no control over this situation and leave our lives in the hands of our Lord and pray that He will guide us where He needs us to be.  But as a planner, this is very hard for me to do and quite scary. 

On a lighter note.

Chad and I had a fantastic first Valentines (and celebration of 6 months of marriage).  Although we have been in Manhattan now for 5 years, we had not visited 4 Olives.  I've always wanted to go there to see what all the hubbub was about... and Chad surprised me with reservations (made a month in advance!) for two to 4 Olives Valentine's evening.  All I have to say is... WONDERFUL!

I have this horrible habit of not taking pictures, but wanted to describe to you the most wonderful and thoughtful card I could ever receive.  So here's what it said:

"Sometimes you surprise me by asking if I still love you, still find you beautiful...
And I wonder, how could you not know?
My love for you is so strong that I think the whole world must see it.
The slightest though of you during the day still excites me.
And when I see you, all I can think about is that moment when our lips will touch.
Time could never dim my love for you, because with every beat of my heart, I only want you more."

And then Chad added a note which I will keep private... but was definitely needed.  It's crazy to think we've been together this long (almost 6 years) and we still get butterflies in our stomachs.  It's also crazy to think how things will be 50 years from now.

Well, I am going to go round off my marathon day of homework with some more reading and writing a 5 page paper.

Hope everyone is staying warm on this blustery evening :)