Cheers to 2010!

As a way to get to know me better, I thought of a fabulous idea!  This past year was by far the best year of my life (for obvious reasons), but to bring some cheer to this now foggy, dismal, and "nothing to look forward to until Easter break" couple of months we have ahead of us, here is a list of just why 2010 was two thousand awesome!

1.  January
First real subbing position in an English classroom.
Hey it was only three days, but it was my first real taste of day-to-day proceedings as a teacher.  I subbed off and on for about four months (junior highers are horrible, horrible people, by the way), but this was an actually enjoyable experience.

Graham's 25th birthday.
A quarter-century old.  :)

2.  February
Realizing just how much the Graham-ster really loves me.
I love Valentine's Day.  Top-three favorite holiday.  Graham hates Valentine's Day.  Bottom three, and that's saying something.  We got into a fight after I didn't LOVE the gift he threw together at the last minute (Hello?  Winnie the Pooh on DVD???).  That made two years in a row with big fights on Valentine's Day.  Through all the harsh, "honest" words, he stayed.  I was a complete butt and he stayed there talking everything out with me.  He didn't give up.  He needed me to understand that it wasn't about the flowers and the teddy bears, and I finally got it.  Sure, I want those things still, but I have a man who loves me.  Some things are just not as important as others.

3.  March
Student Teaching and my first quasi-real classroom.
I started teaching freshman English at my alma mater in March this past year.  It was tough, and some people were more difficult to get along with than others, but I got to teach 100 14-year-olds how to properly punctuate!  It was wonderful!  My student teaching mentor was so helpful, and I made some really great friends along the way.

Oh, and Graham and I celebrated 2 years together!  He's the best!

4. April
The hunt for the official career began.
This wasn't exactly a good thing, but a very monumental thing to say the least.  After four years of undergrad (which weren't all puppies and rainbows) and now nearing a fifth year with my credential classes, it was time for the big moment.  In April, I started putting my resume out to every district in Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties (so pretty much the entire central San Joaquin) hoping someone would bite.  There was one job I really wanted, though--one of three English positions at the new high school in Tulare where Graham was up for the head varsity baseball coach position!  It would be a perfect scenario, but it meant attending (and totally dominating) the Tulare County Teacher Job Fair in April.  It was scary, but I got to meet the principal and hope for the best.  My snazzy suit was certainly one of the best there.  (Thanks, Mom!)

5. May
Got my first job offer.
I was offered a job teaching 7th grade English at the middle school in my hometown.  I knew I did NOT want to stick around, but it was SUCH a relief to get a real job offer (it meant we could finally GET MARRIED!!!).  I was still holding out for that job in Tulare, though, and put in my application as soon as the official position posted. 

Finished my student teaching assignment.
I learned a ton, but I was so glad to get the heck out of there!

6. June
Ahhhhhhhh, June.  :)
Interviewed for the job in Tulare.... and got it!!!
I got my dream teaching job!! (at least for my Graham and me... wouldn't Carmel High School be the best???)  I learned later that over 50 people applied, 20 were interviewed, and I was one of three selected.  Granted I was definitely one of the cheapest, but it was those lucky shoes I'm sure.  I've worn them to at least 4 interviews, and I've always gotten the job!

Finished my teaching credential.
Got all my classes done, passed all my tests, and walked away with ... a digital password to access it online.  Not even a hard copy to frame.  Whatever.  Just glad that that HUGE formality was done and over with.

My birthday.
I turned 23 in June of this year.  Graham came up to Fresno where I was living for the summer, and we essentially reenacted our first "dinner and a movie" date.  It was SO much fun!

Oh yeah, and I got engaged!!
Graham proposed on my birthday with a book he made.  It had pictures of us and all the places we've been and things we've done.  It was so great, and the ring was BEYOND AMAZING!  Now THAT was a surprise!

7. July
Started my first real teaching job.
Thankfully, my new school district required three weeks of summer workshops to teach the current teachers how to work with this great new curriculum.  I walked into a three-week course on how to be an English teacher there.  What a blessing!  I would have drowned without all that time to plan and prepare (and bond with all the awesome members of my department).

8. August
School started!
It was time to begin.  Stressful.  Extremely stressful.  So glad to have this job though.

9. September
Moved to my first real place on my own.
Having my own place was great.  Now I have to share it with this big guy.  Oh well.  He's cute.  This made things so much better now that I wasn't having to commute an hour each way to work.  I also got to see Graham every day, which was a completely new thing for us since we'd always lived close to an hour away from each other (except for the first two months).

10. October
Started really building my home with Graham and hitting the wedding planning hardcore.
New house, new job, and a wedding to plan.  It was insane!  SO glad I had my mom and future mother-in-law to help.  They both were SO awesome.

11. November
Wedding planning!
Mom and I emailed every day about how we wished we had at least another month to prepare.  There was so much to do! 

12. December
Finished my first semester of teaching.
I survived!  They all said that that is how you know you're going to make it--if you survive your first semester.  I just feel bad for all the kids I have this year and for the next few years.  They're sort of getting gypped since they're teacher doesn't quite know what she's doing.  Oh well.  As we're learning, we're not teaching future English majors; we're teaching all students.

I got married!!!
After almost three years together (and deciding we wanted to marry each other only 5 days in... seriously), we finally got married!!!!  It was beautiful!  A Christmas wedding, and even though it poured rain, it was such a beautiful thing.  I cannot wait to spend my life with this man, even if he does weird things with his facial hair from time to time.  He's my rock, and I honestly don't know who I would be without his faith in me.

So that's 2010 in a nutshell.  So much fun and I could not be happier.  Bring on 2011!  I bet this one will be even better!