Off we go on another adventure!!

Hello!

So I know that I haven't been updating nearly as much as I would like - however, it has been quite the past couple weeks here on the rez.  So here are a couple quick updates - most of us mercy volunteers leave tomorrow morning to head to California for our mid-year retreat!! ahh...definitely needed!

So those updates...

The southwest liturgical conference two weekends ago = AMAZING!  This conference definitely gave me the opportunity to remember and more fully recognize some of my strongest passions in life - that being MUSIC and the want to make mass/church a place where people find a community...it opened up some doors in my mind that I didn't realize were open - perhaps a life as a Parish music minister??? :) :) :)...so now the amount of doors open in my mind are basically endless! I am so blessed to have these opportunities flowing through my mind...but man is it tiring to think about choosing my next step in life!  

Here are a few pictures from the event....

This is actually just our choir at church every Sunday!

Opening prayer

Some of the St. Michael's group that went

Another great choir!

Old Town Albuquerque - turned the corner to find this bear just sitting all lonely on the bench...haha it was ridiculous!

In regards to school, my relationship with my students is a rollercoaster as any teacher should expect.  One day I want to just give up, the next I love them all so much I don't even know what to do with myself!!!  haha...we are in the middle of a space unit right now and just finished up listening to their Planet Speeches today - fun times!  It will be good to get out of this crazy month of January where I believe the students have had two or three days off, three or four 2 hour delays (two consecutive ones the last two days), and I myself have been gone after this week four days due to that conference and now the retreat!!! Ahhhhh...I really do hate missing class.  It's so annoying trying to stay consistent with the kids and catch up on things when you are GONE!  haha

Alright, off to finish packing for California - please continue to send your prayers to me and our community as well!  Thanks!

Back home in AZ - ready for the warm weather....oh wait...

Well Hello there everybody!

We are back in Arizona!  We arrived back at our lovely blue house Sunday January 6th and it has already been a crazy week and a half or so since being back.  Not going to lie though, it hasn't exactly been the easiest transition for any of us after getting a little taste of our lives away from here.  It's always hard transitioning though right?

Well anyways, after a week full of disappointing football games and cold weather, we had a whopping 45 minutes of school time this morning before being let out due to the FROZEN PIPES in all the buildings on campus!  Yes that's right...frozen pipe day! It has been getting down to -15 or -20 or so the last several nights and tonight is not supposed to be much better with it forecasted to reach -22!!!!  Crazy.  We already have a two hour late start - so we will see what happens...

This quarter we are moving into preparing for accreditation of our school which is getting pretty crazy! However, I love it too!  I love that our school is taking it upon ourselves to take a look in the mirror and point out what we need to work on as a school in order to make it the best possible place for our students.  The kids deserve it.

I am also looking forward to this upcoming week because on Wednesday I leave for Albuquerque where I will be attending the Southwest Liturgical Conference for four days!  I will be attending with a few members of the mission parish and am thoroughly pumped to learn about different religious education realms from great speakers and leaders of the church here in the Southwest!  I am even attending a session where none other than a Norbertine Canon will be the speaker - Woot woot!

It should be a wonderful learning experience that will certainly challenge me to continue to be the best educator I can while always keeping in mind and intertwining my gift of faith!

Alright, off to play banana grams - becoming a house favorite - gotta love it!

Peace

p.s.  New Year's Resolution - Take me where you want me to go God (hahaha...but seriously)