Our Christmas, spent alone with the pups, was thrilling, to be frank. Chavonne asked me to seclude myself in our second-floor bathroom while she established a complex scavenger hunt for me to complete in order to find my presents. She listed a subtle hint as to where to look and then a quote relevant to the gift; Chavonne is notoriously poor at dropping hints, so this provided a great challenge and was a whole lot of fun. Far and away my most exciting gift is a Black and Decker paper shredder, providing for me the gift of identity security and privacy.
For Chavonne, I bought a sewing table after significant consultation from my mother-in-law, as well as arranged a New Year's Day trip to the Inn on Negley to stay in the Macintosh Room. Knowing how emotionally and physically difficult 2009 was, this cozy and absolutely quaint hotel was just what we needed. We enjoyed our first English high tea (Captain Picard was really onto something!) and learned that scones are to die for. More significantly, we just talked to one another about our life, our goals, our dreams, and our fears. I'm so lucky to be married to someone I can learn something new about every day.
Since that highlight, Chavonne and I have returned to school and work without renewed purpose or, sadly, energy. Historically, the first three months of the year are the slowest at the agency as energy assistance calls and pantry utilization falls off significantly. I'm grateful for this because it allows me to at least initially focus on my academic responsibilities, which are multiple. This semester will be learning about Models of Intervention (which I'm anxious to really delve into), Children and Families at Risk (I'm keeping an open mind toward working with children), and beginning my second (and final) Concentration field placement at...the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh! I will be working in the MEN/s group, which I'm insanely excited to do. I'm hoping that I can really learn about domestic violence and do right by the group participants and myself. It should be a challenge, but (as of today, anyway) I'm up for it!
Sadly, things do not bode well for Mario and Luigi as I've completely cast aside my DS for console games once again. Chavonne and I spiked one another into pits, threw one another into molten lava, and otherwise displayed comedic ineptitude whilst playing New Super Mario Brothers Wii, which I recommend highly. Since our rescue mission has been completed successfully, I've sworn an unswerving vengeance upon the Land Shark that destroyed my home.
In all, 2010 looks from the outset not dissimilar from 2009. I'm warm, well-fed, deeply in love, and hard at work. Hopefully we'll take a few more steps forward this year as well.
I love the number of links in this entry! I am so glad we had such a wonderful time with each other over the holidays. I know that this year will be exhausting emotionally and physically, but it will be so worth it to be done with school soon. I love and adore you!
Good luck with those land sharks!