Since I've last posted a ton has happened! Brady and I got married in August. We then started work two days after we got married, meaning we had to drive from Indiana to South Dakota all in one day. This year I teach fourth grade. Let's just say they are not nearly as cute as my kinder kids. I only have 13 kids, which doesn't seem like a lot. But, with the attitude they give it feels like a class of at least twenty. Some days I really enjoy teaching fourth grade because of the content. Other days, I want to have my kinder kids back. It's mostly because of the fact that I miss being a mom to the little ones.
The other reservation I now work on seems a lot different than Pine Ridge. It's very different experience for me not living in a community of volunteers. It makes going out into the reservation community more difficult and time consuming when I actually get a chance. The parents have been very welcoming at least. Right now I live with Brady's parents in Bloomfield, NE during the week days since it's only 45 minutes to school. On the weekends I go to Vermillion, SD to be with Brady while he works on the house. This weekend we finished landscaping the front yard and fixed some of the siding on the back of the house. Tomorrow we are going to fix the railings on the front steps and paint the siding. Brady made a massive list that we've got to do before we can even THINK about listing the house to sell. We're hoping that we can move back to Bloomfield at the end of October even if the house doesn't sell right away.
Recently I got to Skype with two of my neighbors/previous students from Pine Ridge. It was the most wonderful feeling to see them all grown up! They are still the curious, ambitious kids that I once knew. It made me feel so good when my friend Chelsea told me that they were so excited to talk with me :) I'm grateful that my old life is still a part of my weekly life. I talked to the first grade teacher from Red Cloud and planned a Friday to come visit with the kids. I can't wait!! Hopefully they will be a little shocked. I'm guessing that I'll probably get mobbed.
Now, onto being a wife. It's been a bit chaotic since Brady and I only see each other on the weekends. Working on the house takes up a lot of our time together, but I'm so grateful that Brady is an excellent handyman. He makes working on projects way more fun. He's always been so supportive and I just need to remember all this hard work will be worth it as long as we can be together.
