This summer has been a gift for Heather and for me, both individually and collectively. Heather recently finished an inspirational three day bike ride to Charleston in ridiculous heat to raise money for a worthy cause. This bike ride was the culminating event for a season of training to prepare her body for riding major miles three days straight.
For me, I spent June at the Spartanburg Writing Project, which for fourteen years has been a blessing professionally and personally and I pray each summer that I am able to give the best I have to the teachers who join us. In July the Mitchell family had our first major vacation. It was epic! Fifteen days out west to Yellowstone and to the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead. It changed me. It changed us. It was a powerful time for self reflection and for time together. I know I am a better parent and a better person for it.
Together, Heather and I embarked the first week of June on the book study, Seven by Jenn Hatmaker. For the few of you who have followed us on the blog, you know the ways this book has challenged us to live what we truly believe, and to live less of what the world offers. It has changed me.
With two teachers who have less than two weeks before our students come to class, we knew we were short on time but long on the desire to finish 7 strong. For that reason, we decided to skip the chapters on Waste and Spending. One, I married an Environmental Engineer and we don't waste much. Two - Heather and Frac live in the country as well and grow a garden too, and work minimize their carbon footprint.
We skipped spending, not because we don't need to grow in this area - it's just that with back to school coming we are both spending money preparing our classrooms and on our own children's back to school. I definitely was mindful not to over-indulge but the teacher salary scale helps to reduce a lot of overspending in that area.
We wanted to end our summer and begin our teaching careers this year reading the chapter on stress. We thought it was appropriate.
Sincerely,
Dawn and Heather
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