Apologies for the lack of updates recently. Our life’s circumstances have changed quite drastically over the past couple of weeks, so we have more or less been in survival mode, coping with the changes at hand.
Anything can happen. Really and truly. Two weeks ago, the hunt for a teaching job was looking dismal. I had applied to 6 school boards in the Edmonton area, but even getting on a sub list for September was looking grim. Then, over the course of several days, I was offered a teaching position- in Red Deer!! (For those of you who may not be familiar with Alberta geography, Red Deer is a small city of approximately 100,000 people, located about an hour and a half south of Edmonton.)
It all happened so suddenly. As much as we were looking forward to setting up and doing life more closely with friends and family in Edmonton, jobs for teachers appear to be relatively nonexistent there at the present time. 24 hours after accepting the job, we were on our way to Red Deer.
Over the next 4.5 days, Brendon dedicated himself to the task of helping me get my room looking somewhat ready for students.
Bunting borrowed from a friend added a welcoming touch to my otherwise bare-looking room. On Tuesday of this past week, I kicked off the school year with my new 3/4 split class. Although we have only spent a few days together so far, I have to say that my new class is looking like a pretty stellar bunch.
I can’t tell you how incredibly THANKFUL I am for this teaching position. With so few teaching positions available, I realize I am extremely lucky to have the opportunity to pursue my calling as an educator. Having this teaching job, combined with knowing where our feet will be planted for the next year, brings immense relief, and is hopefully the beginning of a restored sense of stability and normality in our lives after several months of living out of suitcases and not knowing what comes next.
We are also very fortunate to have family in Red Deer (Brendon’s sister Nicole, her husband Craig, and their 4 beautiful kids) who have graciously accepted us into their new home on an acreage for the time being.
I got to share my first day of this school year with my nephew, Luke, who just started Grade 2, and my niece, Naomi, who had her very first day of Kindergarten.
It’s been fun spending time with our niece and nephews, whom we have been away from for quite some time. It is also awesome that our good friends Heather and Kyle reside in Red Deer with their two little girls, so we are definitely amidst good company here.
Although we didn’t necessarily end up where he had planned, Red Deer should be a pretty good place to call home for the next year.
For now, the “Edmonton dream” sits on the shelf while we embrace this new “Red Deer chapter” of our lives. Of course, frequent trips to Edmonton shall be scheduled to visit our dear ones in our home city.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering about the deer, this fine creature stands in Nicole & Craig’s yard. Our niece named him “Adam,” and I happen to quite adore him. His body is made of ceramic, but interestingly, the antlers are real. You may be seeing a fair bit of Adam on our blog over the next year.
hearts unmapped 