A Weekend Away

Last Friday, Mike and I packed up the car and headed east to the great state of Illinois. Living in Des Moines with no family members within the state lines (extended or immediate) the Iowa Penteks are no strangers to 4+ hour car rides, I35, or I80.The trip was wonderful... great weather, great company.. and could not have come at a better time.

If you would have told a younger, oh so eager to be a teacher, version of me (cut to a picture of a 4 year old me taking my "class" of stuffed animals on a "field trip" to our living to watch a movie)  that, someday-

I'd fall in love with a man who would be a teacher too, along with his mom, dad, and sister and this would be important because, as a teacher, you'll go through personal triumphs- and he and his family will be there to celebrate with you because they truly know how hard those are to achieve- and you'll also get some bumps and bruises along the way- and they'll be there to say, "we've been there too, and you'll make it through, now how 'bout a stiff drink"- 

I would have said, "there's no way I'll be that lucky."