Highlights of 2022

•  In January, I completed my alternate route to licensure and earned my teaching degree. I began substitute teaching for Orchard Farm School District on Tuesdays and Thursdays while JoceLyn was in preschool.
• In February, we had a few snow days with some pretty heavy snowfall. By the end of the month, it had all melted and we were back at the zoo.
• In March, we signed the big three kids up for a Harry Potter night at the rec center. We'd been listening to the HP books, so they were very excited. JoceLyn got to go on a date with Mom and Dad to get hibachi and ice cream.
• For Spring Break, we took a drive to Jacksonville, FL for Jason to check out Complete Health who had given him a job offer. We stopped in Nashville, Chattanooga, Jacksonville, and then headed down to Orlando. We visited the beach, swam at the hotel pool, and then took the kids to Universal Studios Island of Adventure. Then, I dropped Jason off at the Orlando airport so he could fly home and I drove the entire 14 hours back to St. Louis by myself with the kids.
• In April, we said goodbye to Abraham, our grumpy old man, and smelliest love. We miss him terribly.
• Also in April, I started a long term substitute ELA teaching position at Orchard Farm Middle School. It was an excellent experience for me.
• My friend Megan and I bought Hamilton tickets for the same night. Jason went with me and it was everything I hoped it would be!
• In May, Jason and I took a trip to Jacksonville without the kids to go house hunting. We made an offer on a house in the Julington Creek neighborhood that fell through. So, when another house in the same neighborhood came on the market the next week, we put an offer in and got it!
• We sold our St Charles house a couple weeks later. The weekend it went up for sale, we had zero people come look at it. Finally, a couple asked if they could come see the house on Sunday. As we drove away, I said a prayer that they would love our house. I was then told that the minute the woman walked into our house, she started to cry because she loved it so much. Theirs was the offer we accepted.
• Ezra finished up flag football and RoxaBelle finished soccer. All the kids finished school, and I did too! I cried and cried on the last day of school and decided then that I would apply for teaching jobs in Florida.
• In June, we spent our last remaining days with as many Missouri friends as we could. Our ward held an open house "farewell" for us and everybody came to say goodbye. The house got packed up, and we moved into Tim and Gwen's house for a few days. Jason, Liam, and Tucker drove to Jacksonville while Ezra, RoxaBelle, JoceLyn, and I stayed behind so they could perform in their dance recital. Once the recitals ended, I signed the papers on our house, and drove to Atlanta in one day, then on to our new house in Saint Johns, FL.
• In July, our moving truck FINALLY arrived with our things. We spent The Fourth with our new friends, The Allphins. We took many trips to the beach and the pool; we even went down to Merritt Island to Uncle David's house.
• After not hearing back from my first job interview, and not receiving another job interview, I drove by a school one day and got the impression that THAT was the school at which I needed to teach. So, I went home and put an application in. They called me for an interview the next day, then as I was driving home from the interview, they called to offer me a job and I accepted.
• In August, I flew my mom out to watch the kids so that I could go to the week and a half of teacher in service days. Then, school started and I was in my own classroom! At Liberty Pines Academy, Liam started 6th grade, Ezra started 3rd grade, RoxaBelle started 1st grade, and I started teaching 7th and 8th grade ELA. JoceLyn started preschool at Roots Academy.
• In September, Emily and Nic came to visit on Labor Day. We experienced our first hurricane (school was closed for three days!). Liam started cross country.
• In October, my sister, Katy, came to visit! We met her at David's house, then went to the beach and out to dinner.
• In November, we got hit by another hurricane and my sister, Amy's, flight was cancelled. :( Ezra started flag football. Jalene and Val came for Thanksgiving.
• In December, Ezra's football games started and his team was undefeated! He is excited for the rest of the season. Liam and I went to see the school play, "The Matchgirl's Gift". RoxaBelle performed in the 1st grade Holiday Jingle concert. JoceLyn performed in her preschool Christmas program. I competed in the staff vs students volleyball game. My parents came to visit for a whole week over Christmas. Jason's Dad and Susie came to visit over New Years.