2010, by the numbers

I suppose it is time for some sort of reflection on the past year and especially the past 7 months. So, being the analytical person that I am, here are some numbers...

52.6... average numbers of hours I worked and attended classes between September and December

72... most hours I worked and attended classes in one week (last week in October)

3-10... number of hours I studied and wrote papers for grad classes on top of working

25... hours of graduate coursework completed (woohoo!!)

11... number of basketball games played in by the Lady Falcons

1... number of basketball games WON by the Lady Falcons (baby steps... baby steps)

7... players remaining on the Lady Falcons basketball team after the toll of the first half of the season

25... number of new family members I gained this year. I don't know if non-MTR readers can understand how important it is in a situation like this to have others doing exactly what you are doing. It's part of the fuel that keeps me going.

7 (at least)... number of times I told my roommate I was going to quit

7... number of times said roommate matter of factly told me "You are not going to quit. Stop whining." (Ok... so maybe not that matter of factly, because she is the greatest and kindest roommate ever.)

1,523,417... number of times I hear my last name every day. "Ms. Swo." "Ms. Swo?" "Ms. Swo... Ms. Swo... MS. SWO!!!" "Ms. Swo?" "Ms. Swo...?" "Ms. Swo?"

1,523,417... number of times a day I remember my mother saying, "If you say my name one more time..."

infinity... the degree to which the Lord has been gracious enough to grow a true, deep love in my heart for all of my students (cheesy, but true)

To me, the best way to sum up the semester is this:

The first day of school, I came home and nervously fretted about how I am surely not cut out for this job... because all I could think about was how much I hated middle schoolers and how I didn't really like any of my students.

Today, I sit in Starbucks feverishly planning for an awesome unit on cells that will begin next week, counting down the days until I get to see the 12 year old faces of my boys and girls again. I miss them!

And that, my friends, is a miracle of God. And for that I'm incredibly thankful. It is all for His glory...