Really? A Decade?

It's amazing to think that ten years has passed. Well, my ten-year class reunion was a reminder that a decade had truly passed as a legal adult. I am going to copy a great idea from a friend of mine, www.mamanash.blogspot.com, and ponder my last ten years.

2000: I was making horrible decisions and "getting things out of my system" with a fake ID my second semester of freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. (Hey, I'm just being honest!) My sophomore year, I moved off campus to an awful dilapidated house with three other girls. OMG. How am I still alive?

2001: Moved into a big, beautiful, charismatic house my junior year with 6 other girls. It was quite the experience, but filled with some wonderful memories. I also decided that I did not want to go into journalism anymore and officially changed my major to elementary education.

2002: Met Casey and knew I was going to marry him. I worked at Holiday Home Camp on Lake Geneva, WI that summer. I decided that I liked the inner-city children, it was all so new to me!

2003: Had to transfer to St. Cloud State University in January to finish my degree. I was terribly depressed to leave halfway through my senior year. I had no friends and completely submersed myself in school. The long-distance relationship with Casey was never easy.

2004: Continued to work very hard in school, did several classroom experiences, and was accepted into the Urban Block program for that fall. I moved down to Minneapolis and was so happy to be closer to my friends and Casey. My student teaching in northeast Minneapolis was a wonderful learning experience.

2005: I finished my student teaching and graduated Summa Cum Laude. I was offered a 5th grade position at Evergreen Elementary School in Casa Grande, AZ. It was a whirlwind moving down to Phoenix with Carla, putting together my classroom, and starting my first year of teaching.

2006: I successfully finished my first year of teaching and soon after Casey and I were engaged. That fall they moved the fifth grade team over to a brand new school, Desert Willow, while they renovated Evergreen. I loved my new school and my class! I also started doing yoga and taking my health a little more seriously, thankfully!

2007: Before the school year ended I accepted a second grade position to stay at Desert Willow. Casey and I were married on July 21st, but bought our first house just three weeks before. It reminded me of that first house I lived in my sophomore year! We spent much of our time fixing it up. I also had an awful class that year and swore I never wanted to teach again. This was a tough second half of the year.

2008: Casey's brother, Tim, and got married to Steph. Now I wasn't alone with the Huberty last name! I finished that year of school and spent a lot of time that summer studying better ways to teach second graders. It paid off and I had a wonderful class that fall and I was much more prepared! BTW, we were still fixing up our house. The best part of that year came at the end when my niece, Colbie, was born.

2009: I finished that year of school floating on a little cloud. I was getting the hang of second grade! I had a great time being home that summer two different times. Then the phone call from my principal came offering me a position to teach a multi-age ELL classroom. I accepted the position with a lot of uncertainty, but it ended up being a blessing. Casey and I had our prayers answered in September when we found out we were pregnant! It was a tough couple months that I have literally blacked out, but now we are so excited.

2010: The first three days have already been perfect. As I sit here writing this entry, my wonderful husband is sleeping on the couch next to me, with our cat curled up at his feet. We have a cute little house to call our own, two jobs to go to tomorrow (as much as we sometimes don't want to go), food in our fridge, and a little baby in my belly.

I know that this year will probably be one of the most memorable years for us. It will probably come with its share of joys and heartaches. We know that our gift is not certain and anything can happen between now and June 1st. Each year that has passed we have become closer with our families, realized that our parents are our heroes, and decided that we need God for most everything. These things make life a bit more manageable.

Happy New Year!