1. Nik is so awesome – he surprised me at school on Monday afternoon with some yummy Trader Joe’s hummus and pita chips along with flowers – to help me get through my long night preparing for my formal observation on Tuesday. AND he graded a bunch of tests for me – which enabled me to leave sooner than I’d planned on that night. And he even managed to pick a bouquet of flowers that had Gerbera daisies in it – our main wedding flower! (These are not what my bouquet looked like but we are going to have similar colors in the wedding!)
2. My observation on Tuesday morning went really well! That was my last one of the year so I’m now well on my way to being tenured. And I don’t have to be observed again until school year after next. Hip Hip Hooray!
3. The bridesmaid dresses have arrived and are now on their way to Alaska and New York. They are beautiful, very well made, and I love the color. That one can be fully checked off the list!
4. On Sunday, I gave Nik a list of 11 things to accomplish for the wedding and he’s basically done with the list! He had two very easy days on Monday and Tuesday because of state testing and so was able to do a bunch of it at school. It makes me feel much calmer about the state of our wedding planning.
5. I get to go on the 7th grade field trip on Friday and Monday is a holiday so that makes for almost a 4 day weekend for me.
6. Nik and I are going to the Baltimore Symphony on Friday night. On the evening’s program is Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Who could ask for a better way to start a long weekend?
7. We’re getting married in 31 days!!
Salmon and Souvlaki 
we prayed for you at church this sunday, so this email gave me a warm fuzzy.
Awesome!Hey, what are the colors of your wedding, exactly? I am going to pick up a new shirt for the wedding, and I would like to match the wedding party somewhat.
speaking of new shirts- eric does not own a single pair of dress pants or slacks or anything like that. he wants to use this opprotunity to buy the linen suit at banana republic-but seriously, when is he ever going to get to wear it again? it’s an afternoon wedding. isn’t a suit a little too dressed up? [at least for alaska standards, LOL, i forget what east coast standards are!] we are going to a wedding the next weekend here after yours, and i said i could wear my bridesmaid dress- eric said probably not, he’ll be wearing jeans. [his hot ones]chris should wear fucshia too!
those ARE great reasons to be happy! I’m glad … you should be happy a month before your wedding.
i’m so excited for you 🙂 And i am more then happy to vacuum your car!! I just looked again at your comment from Africa. . .I totally agree with you, and am still decided what to do. I have narrowed it down to two places. Kampala, Uganda and Maputo, Mozambique. I have had strong responses from both, and the time line i gave both of them worked well. We’ll see, i haven’t decided yet. Back to work, love you!!!
SMIZZACK DIZZOWN.
well, I really shouldn’t be Greek Orthodox if I don’t like olives. They have them ALL the time, and Chris and I both don’t like them.