Happy New Year!

Wow, it has been almost one year exactly since I have been on here. I've somewhat missed it but life has been absolutely crazy busy!

What has even happened? Well J and I went on all the dates I gave him for his gift last Christmas. J's brother got married to his wife after 12 years of dating! J's sister had a baby at the end of November and we were asked to be Godparents (maybe the highlight of my year).

At the end of the summer (I was a waitress all summer) I had an interview for a teaching position within my board but an hour away. I thought it would be good practice to go for the interview, the principals made me feel pretty at ease and I joked around a lot with them thinking I didn't stand a chance. Well they took a chance and offered me a full-year contract which I am almost half-way complete!

I am teaching the most adorable and challenging group of 23 (was 24) SK/1 students. I've never felt more stress or more joy. I have gone home crying and other times laughing, it is the best job!! I am completely sleep deprived but wouldn't want to be doing anything else. Those kids can drive me crazy but in the same day they can make me feel so proud of their accomplishments. Kids that didn't know all of the sounds in the alphabet who are already reading simple texts. Kids that could barely count to 11 that can now count past 100 and skip count by 5s and 10s. And we are not even halfway through the year.

Financially, I maxed out my TFSA and contributed $1500 to my RRSPs and that's about it. But I'm okay with it.

Why? Well, my career is what's important to me right now. I have money in the bank and rent is kind of consuming me right now. Again, I'm okay with it.

J is definitely the man I want to marry. Even a year and a half later I laugh everyday and love to be around him. So why not just get married? Well, he has debt: OSAP and a bank loan. He has been picking up reffing hockey games and making $3000 payments to his loans each month. We have the same goals and he is determined. I said I would help by paying our rent, he pays groceries. In addition, I have also been renting a room from a teacher to cut my 2.5 hour a day commute down 4 days a week. So I am paying $1325 a month in rent, plus oil heating.

I am not able to save a lot right now but I have $28000 in my TFSA, plus a comfortable amount in the bank plus I'm able to help J, I am really not worried about it right now.

Tomorrow I have to be on a panel and speak in front of more than 300 people, now that is what is really worrying shy me right now.