366

Today marks 366 days since I left my first career as a corporate event planner. A crazy 366 days it has been too! I do not for one second regret leaving ESRI. I had an incredible experience and learned A LOT!! How many 22 year old, fresh out of college girls get the chance to plan a 14,000 person international event?!?! How many young women get to plan a company's largest events, work with vendors across the country, and travel to the opposite coast annually for a big event that they planned that includes speakers from the white house?!?! I don't think many. I truly learned so much doing it too. Of course it had its rough moments, days, weeks, months...but it was an experience worth having and I realize that although I spent so much time wondering why I was there, I'm glad I was. And if nothing else, I made some truly great friends that I think I will have for a long time. It's hard to travel and spend a week or more with someone and not bond with them! We made some good memories, and I am grateful I can continue to be a part of their lives. As mentioned, I do not regret leaving ESRI. It was the right move to make for many reasons. Plus, I had the passion to pursue a career in education and I am loving that experience. However, I must say that something inside me misses it. Not the company. Not the drama. Not the being unappreciated. But the actual event planning process. I used a different part of my brain and talents when working on events. A part of my brain that actually functions really well. And to be honest, I feel a little rusty and lost without it. I wish that there was some way that I could have my cake and eat it too. Keep being a teacher and working with my beloved students, but still find the time to work on an event here or there on the side. I know it sounds crazy and like I am asking to be in over my head, but I miss it. I really do. Events are something that come naturally to me. I can walk into any given space and see how it should be set up, what kind of lighting would look good, and what color scheme I would want to work with. I even like to speculate in my head how many tables would fit and what shape table would work best. Silly, I know, but I can't turn it off. Every time I go to an event of any kind, all I can think about is what went into putting it together. I criticize the signage, wonder how many hours one person spent answering emails about the most minute details, and  try to guess how many arguments were had over the centerpieces. I know, it's ridiculous, but I love that stuff. My hope and prayer is that someday, one way or another, God will unite my two passions of working with students and planning events. I know that marriage will probably look unlike anything I can imagine, but that's OK with me, since I have come to learn His plans are SO much better than my own. This has been proved to me time and time again and I don't question it for an instance. So here I sit, 366 days later....not even in the place to reflect on my first year as a teacher yet, but finally ready to reflect on my first career. I write this more so that one day, I can look back on this and see what God has done. I know he will bring my two passions together one way or another and I want to have this to look back on say, "Look! I came from this place of longing and THIS is what GOD did for me!" Of course, I am impatient and will struggle through the waiting process, but at least I have the promise of a God who loves me and will use me and the desires of my heart for His own good. So thank you God, for where I have come from, and thank you God, for where you are taking me. Could we just get there a little faster? =)

Oh Me, Oh My, Where Has the Time Gone?

Well, I started this blog some time ago to keep friends and family updated on our life happenings and adventures....I posted twice and our life went on a CRAZY and BUSY adventure and well, needless to say, the blog, while thought about often, went untouched. My end of the year resolution is to improve in this area! Since I now have some free time on my hands, I will post a few updates from the past few months....

Biggest Change of All: New Career! After much prayer, thought, consideration, testing, and hoping, I started a new career in August. I left the crazy world of corporate event planning and decided to become a teacher....a middle school teacher at that!! And I love it! I am working in a school that focuses on training kids for careers in public safety. I teach 6th grade and grade and thoroughly enjoy it! However, while learning this new profession, working on lesson plans, grading, parent conferences, etc., I now FULLY understand why teachers have the summer off!! This takes up ALOT of time. AND to top it off, I am enrolled in school again. Needless to say, this is my excuse for not posting anything in months....I spend a great deal of time on the computer, but not for personal reasons anymore! (More to come in future posts about my new job....)

PSA....Home of the Phoenix....HOORAH!!

Something Fun: Another fun thing that this fall contained for the Dennistouns was Matt's softball season. He joined a church league and was provided the chance to release some of his competitiveness again! Every Saturday evening we headed out to the field and he got to play, while his adoring wife cheered from the stands. When it came down to it...their team ended up winning their league championship...it was a lot of fun and we are looking forward to the next season!

The winning team!

The champ with his number one fan!

Other Exciting News: My little brother graduated from nursing school! After many years of HARD work, endless hours of studying, some crazy stories from clinicals, and a great study group, he graduated as an RN! We are very proud of his accomplishment! Now we are praying for a good job to follow!

Nick, RN, with his study group

Other Updates and Fun Events From the Past Several Months:
- Finally got to see Dave Matthews Band with our good friends Josh and Adri!
- Attended the National Youth Workers Convention....which is sentimental because it is where Matt and I got engaged!
- Celebrated the Mom's birthday with a delicious dinner at North Woods Inn....a old time family favorite!
- Enjoyed the fruits of our labor in the form of a blossoming vegetable garden!
- Made our first attempt at painting by tackling the bathroom...and I think it looks pretty good! Now, I just need to finish the baseboards...and yes, it's been a few moths since I re-visited that as well, another Christmas Break "To-Do!"

Well, I think that covers the major highlights of the last few months! In all honesty, life has been fairly boring! I sit on the couch and grade, lesson plan, and do homework, while my faithful husband makes sure that things like dinner and laundry are taken care of so I don't have to worry about anything else! I truly appreciate him and can't wait till my credential program is over so I can go back to being a more domestic wife!