Tell About It Tuesday -- Our Cup Is Overflowing

I tell you what, it's been an exciting few weeks around the Sullivan household.  First, Bethany graduated from high school, then she turned eighteen, and then .... well, let me save that part for a minute.

First, let me share our first big announcement with you.  My husband, after eight years as a high school principal, has accepted a position as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at another school district in our area.  This will be such a welcome change for him.  A high school principal's position, particularly in a small school district where there is no assistant, is a very labor-intensive, time-intensive, and stress-intensive (is that a word?) job.

He's there every time the doors are open, and is usually the first person to arrive and the last person to leave ... making for a 60-70 hour work week every week during the school year.  There have been a lot of blessings, though ... he was able to be both of our girls' principal ... not many dads get to do that!  And our school community family was absolutely wonderful to us throughout Hannah's illness.  But it was time for a change, and God has provided him with an amazing opportunity at his new school.  This district is about a 25 minute drive from where we live now, so we will not have to move unless we want to.  I imagine we will want to move at some point, but it's nice that we don't have to be in any hurry.  And he is especially pleased about the folks he will be working with in his new central office position ... and that makes this wife very happy.

Now for the second announcement ... Bethany is engaged!  Her long-time boyfriend proposed to her on Friday night, and she said, "Yes!"  The wedding will be next summer, and we are still working on a possible date.  We are beyond excited.  Brad is a wonderful Christian young man who has treated our daughter with the utmost care and respect ever since their first date two years ago.  He was actually a classmate and friend of Hannah's, and I love that when we talk about her, he is able to join in on the conversation.  He will be starting his senior year as a mechanical engineering major at the University of Arkansas this fall, where she will be starting her freshman year, pursuing her goal to be a dental hygienist.

Early on in their dating relationship, they made a commitment not to say "I love you" to each other until they got engaged.  They didn't want to say the words flippantly like so many young couples do these days ... they wanted them to really mean something when they were finally spoken.  And they held to that commitment all this time, making the moment of their engagement even more special.  He popped the question on top of a mountain outside of town (with his brother and sister-in-law hiding in the bushes taking pictures ... heehee) and then they came to see us at Relay for Life where we were spending the evening.  I don't yet have the pictures of the actual engagement, but I'll close this post with a few that we took at Relay.  Look at the joy on those faces ...

And my favorite ...

Our cup is overflowing ... We are truly blessed.