drizzle

today is rainy and cold. it feels like winter in lynden.

i miss summer.

why do i wait so long to post? now i have too much to say and not enough creativity to say it in.

ergo, a list:

• babysitting nephews increases my patience and is generally fun

• working in an office all alone makes me grateful that i work with people at my real job

• working in an office all alone is a nice break from working with people at my real job

• i helped with dordt discovery days and learned about gamemaking on the computer and physics. both of these areas need a little work.
  

• i watched all 15 innings of the all-star game the other night. i will always be a twins fan.

• philip and i have one year behind us and lots of good memories!

• more memories are on the way as we drive to california next week and then to washington the following week!

• returning to washington will be much easier than moving to washington. this time i have my best friend with me!

pictures will come eventually. and that's a promise. unlike my sister, who promised to post more pictures and hasn't yet...

happy july!

i think i drive too much

I say this because Mom and I drove from Lynden to Sioux Center in the last few days and I took about 10 pictures. Total. I chalk it up to driving many many many miles in my life and seeing the I-90 route many many many times as well. But I love love love it!

We stopped in Missoula for a girls' weekend and walked around a lot and ate a lot and enjoyed spending time with Al. Below is a picture from the Higgins Street Bridge in downtown Missoula, overlooking the Clark Fork (one of the 14 times Mom and I crossed it in our journey!). Pretty sunset.

I am in Iowa now...and the sunshine is fabulous.
Highlights of my Iowa summer so far:

• having my nephews race out of the house and across the lawn to give me big hugs
• sleeping in my cozy bed
• eating with my whole family (minus Al...I wish you were there!)
• running (er...walking with short bursts of jogging in between) with Phil this morning
• SUNSHINE! WARMTH! ACTUAL SUMMER WEATHER!
  

from the veteran teacher

that's right. a veteran teacher. oooh, that sounds good.

obviously, i am done with school, as of noon today (minus the staff meetings and final grades and cleaning up the classroom). i cried a little. i love my kids.

in other news, the birch bay tide is the lowest it has been in 90 years, so yuan and i went out and checked it out. we got wet and saw dead crabs. it was fun.

in other other news, i am apparently allergic to shellfish. i am sorry, my favorite asian roommate.

4.5 days

top of the space needle

christa & al showing us the moves

al & phil being sneaky at waterfront park in seattle

view from 520'

the best sunday night tradition ever

al & i post-contra-dancing on memorial day...ahh, how we glisten!

rundown of the weekend:

friday night: phil and i vegged out and watched meet the parents and meet the fockers.
saturday: drove to bothell and saw kris and kim get married, ran into my old pastor from when i was about five, hung out with phil's aunt and uncle, met up with al and christa at the folklife festival in seattle, watched them dance, and ate thai food while listening to instrumental christian contemporary music, listened to wonderful celtic/bluegrass music, found out that there was a shooting at the festival near where we were at, but the girl who got shot didn't even realize it right away. oh, hippies.
sunday: went to church with phil's aunt and uncle, ate yummy mexican food, met up with the girls in the city, did some contra dancing myself, went up the space needle with phil, listened to some awesome drumming, got wine, aged cheese, and sourdough bread and had a "quiet" party back in bothell.
monday: last morning of contra dancing--even phil got out and danced with al. i danced with tom, paul (a 50 something with purple converses) , quincy, and al, said goodbye to al and christa, played frisbee with phil after finding his grandparents' old house, said goodbye to phil, and drove home to lynden.

i think i will stop now. it was a superb weekend. and now, only 4.5 days of school left. we're all ready to be done. yes. yes, we are.

my first pedicure!

Denise and I got pedicures last night. Look how boring I am.
Sunny weather + heat + biking + new Camelbak + 13.5 days of school left = AWESOME.

ezekul saw de wheel

lifting the cannon at fort casey

with the barnacles at deception pass on whidbey island

at the beach in stanley park, vancouver

birch bay scouting

al visited this weekend. it was stupendous and filled with water, as you can see.
i don't like saying goodbye.
only 17 1/2 days of school left.
only 4 units to complete before school ends.
only 3 units to start!
al bought me a jasmine plant and a pretty yellow pot. i hope i don't kill it.
i like junk food. and sisters. and movies. all mixed together.
it has been one year since i graduated from dordt.
i'm starting a bible unit on ezekiel, which brought back memories of chorale freshman year. (dooma-looma dooma-looma)
and...cut.

bored enough to make a change

i am waiting for al to come. but my waiting is not in vain, nor in boredom. i gave myself the task of changing my blog template, and with the help of justine and a few questions for blogger, i did it. i was really tired of my old one. and this one is a tad bright and cheery for anything long-term, so i'll probably change it in the near future. but for now, i like orange.

19 1/2 days of school left.

i miss you, lauralee

i'm a little dutch girl

kissing tulips
angelique
tulip capital of the world

Ok, so I give up my rant. If you're still interested in reading about my life,
look at the post below :)

no pictures...how sad

Blogger is dumb. I've been trying to post pictures and all it does is just sit there and stare at me and pretend to be working when in reality it is not doing a darned thing.

And the tulips looked so pretty, too.

Hmmm. Updates without pictures. Ok, I can do this.

In the last month I have:

-cut my hair
-had a lovely visit from Philip which included much catch-playing and movie watching and eating
-changed my calendar (no, really!)
-seen Mount Vernon tulips (that was today, and I have pretty pictures, but I don't want to go into all that ranting again)
-pared the school year down to 22 1/2 days!!!!
-had a garden planted in my backyard (notice that I did not plant it)
-finally seen Juno!!
-had my first and hopefully last experience with ROSS
-seen very little sun and warmth

Ok, so without the pictures, this post is blah. Hopefully this update will suffice until Blogger cooperates.

P.S. I signed my contract again for next year. I'm teaching 5-6 math and language arts. A welcome change!

in all fairness, i did warn you

i told you that the last blog would suffice for the next month. and here it is, april 8. :)

i am sitting in the dordt library right now. i went to a dordt class yesterday. i saw a dordt play on saturday. i am being infiltrated with dordt. and i like it! even if it is just for a week.

here is a list of things i've done so far:
--1 shot of captain morgan (first things first!)
--1 game of sorry
--1 date with philip
--2 movies
--2 dordt classes
--2 covenant church services
--1 dordt play
--1 picnic with old roommates and friends on campus
--numerous hugs, hi's, and how are you?s
--1 lunch date with a friend
--1 haircut (goodbye, 6 inches of hair!)

people i've seen:
--scott & sheryl
--dre & jason
--josh
--matt & april
--joelle
--melissa s (in passing...sorry, melissa!)
--dave, shannon, and jonas
--mike, heidi, and adelaide
--MY PARENTS
--my puppy
--nate & kirbee
--justine
--shaffstall
--tj
and lots and lots of others...i can't keep track of everybody!

things to come:
--1 play rehearsal of justine's show
--2 family dinners with trav, tami, and the boys
--1 visit to bepa with philip and landon
--1 coffee date with teresa and baby katherine
and who knows what else???

i love iowa.

Phil and I in a tree on Whidbey Island
Deception Pass: the Three Stooges
Taking pictures at Birch Bay (where else??)
Young adult bonding: Yuan, Kerri, Andrea, Tarantula Ted

Another month, another blog. We've been trying to get the internet at our apartment, but Verizon sucks. Don't be fooled by their helpful facades. It's all a lie.

In other news, in less than 3 months, I will be done with first year teaching. Huge sigh of relief to follow. It's going well, but I'm looking forward to some changes in teaching next year. I'll likely be moving down to the 5th-6th grades and teaching only math and language arts. We'll see...contracts come out next week.

Philip came to visit, and it was good to have him see my life out here and be with him for a week. Lots of card-playing and eating enchiladas and sightseeing and talking. A good week.

Mom and Dad come next week! Huzzah! They will hear my concert with the Whatcom Chorale, which is great, because they have only missed one concert in my entire life, I think, and that was in December.

Spring is coming to Lynden...I've been walking around town every Saturday morning, taking in the sunshine and green grass and blooming flowers. All the rain this winter might have been worth it. Maybe.

Ok...I hope this blog suffices for the next month. I have good intentions, but so did that road to hell.

is it june yet?

My new room at the apartment...yes, there is sunshine coming in my (gasp!) WINDOW!
Birch Bay...always beautiful

So, it's been awhile. And I have nothing brilliant to say except that I'm completely discouraged as a teacher. I just finished grading Bible tests. One of my questions was "How can the adults in your life better support your relationship with Christ?"

Most of my kids made suggestions like, "Don't lose your temper. Don't blame all of us for something only one person does. Stay calm. Be patient. Be a good role model. Trust us...we aren't all bad kids. We aren't all selfish." The more I read, the more discouraged I felt because I have failed in all of these areas. What business do I have teaching these kids? I'm tired and discouraged and sick to death of teaching because I say the same things and run into the same problems every hour of every day. I feel like a complete hypocrite because my goal should be to model Christ to my students, and I have utterly failed in that area. How can I encourage the kids to have faith and be Christlike when I can't even do it myself?

dum-de-doo

Recent happenings:

1) I said goodbye to my loved ones again and settled back into L-town. It feels normal.
2) I had a hellish week of school.
3) I signed a 6-month lease on an apartment beginning in February.
4) I moved some stuff into said apartment.
5) I found out that our third roomie is allowed to come back from Indonesia and work!!!!
6) My check-engine light went on. Again.
7) Did I say it feels normal to be back here? It's a good feeling. Finally.
8) I ate on my own this entire week without being upset about it. In fact, it felt kinda relaxing.

To coin the phrase...cheers.

all around the world

I just spent the last hour getting lost in blog-surfing. I've read blogs by close friends and by almost-strangers. And I feel as though I've been having coffee with my best friend. I'm seeing that so many others are going through the same things I'm going through right now...moves, changes, goodbyes, crying so hard you can't stop because you miss the days when home was only one place and one set of acquaintances...
Home has been wonderful. Yet every morning I wake up and have to remind myself that I'm not here to stay. In about a week I will again be waking up in my basement bedroom in Lynden, making preparations for school on Monday and wondering what the heck my next P.E. unit will be (curse you, physical education!) These changes are so difficult...yet reading others' blogs puts my own situation into perspective. Change is inevitable. It's necessary.
I look at people like Carolyn in South Korea, Erika in Norway, Rachel in Nicaragua...they are so much further from home than I am. But in some ways I feel farther from home. Those people are surrounded by others who are far from home. In Lynden, I'm surrounded by people who know only one home...one place...one set of acquaintances. It's difficult because few others understand the way I feel. I'm scared of saying goodbye again and returning to the place I was so excited to leave last week. It's my life now, and as proud as I am of making it through the last 5 months, it's only the beginning.
Ok...on to happier things. This week has been wonderful. Phil and I have celebrated our 6-month anniversary with two dates. We took turns planning. Last night, I took him out for Mexican and ice skating!!!! And then we went to his place and watched The Ringer--well, I slept through it, but what else is new? He made dinner for me the other night and the townhouse's living room has never looked better. I've spent time with my sister and brother and sister-in-law and nephews. I took Dillan to see The Waterhorse yesterday and it was a great bonding experience. I also gave him his first couple of piano lessons last week. He is eager to learn. I miss him and Landon so much--they have grown up a lot since July. I saw my Bepa the other day, which was wonderful, considering the fact that I didn't think I would see her ever again when I said goodbye to her in July. I love being near my parents again, although we know that our relationship has shifted somewhat. I'm a little more independent and self-sufficient than last time we were together.
Another week to spend with family and loved ones. Thank you, Dad and Mom, Philip, Al and Trav and Tami and Dillan and Landon and Kasey, Becca, Josh, Nikki, Matt and April, Nick and Lari, Walhof and Paul, Chad and Ephron and hopefully Dre and Scott and Sheryl...for making this Christmas break a time to strengthen relationships. I love you.

have a cup of cheer

kerri as zwarte piet...i looked something like this as well
kerri standing guard at our chosen tree
the traditional picture...me not getting my choice of a tree
my students decorating for Christmas

flooding at ebenezer!!!
the view of our backyard from the laundry room 2 weeks ago
dara and i making snow (errrr...slush angels) on the deck
dara dismantles the male snowman
our little Christmas tree

6 days. 6 days until a break, home, family, Phil, food, Iowa, Covenant, Dordt warts, traditions, games, dates, friends....the list goes on and on.
I am excited.
On the downside, my car is currently getting a new transmission. If you have a guess for how much that will cost, guess higher. Ouch.
Oh, well. It's just a car. And it's just money. More than ever I am understanding the importance of Christmas. It's a time of waiting, expectation, family, and celebration with ones you love. And I will get a 2-week dose of it in just a few days.
But for now...time to clean my house and finish Christmas shopping. Much love to all!

what they don't teach you in school (at least not that i remember)

1. Waiting sucks. I guess I had to wait my turn to answer a question or to get a sip from the drinking fountain, but that's not even real waiting. Grrr.

2. Catching mice may be preferable to leaving out bags of poison for them so that they wake you up in the middle of the night with their chewing and you possibly find them dead 5 days later.

3. The first Christmas season away from home is very difficult. Because now every stupid sappy Christmas carol makes you cry because you're not hearing it in the familiar living room or with the familiar people.

4. Other people's Christmas traditions are not as cool as mine.

5. Adjusting to not having friends your age is difficult, especially after living in a college community (where something is ALWAYS happening) all of your remembered days.

6. Life apparently goes on even when you're down and depressed, dragged kicking and screaming into a world you're not sure you want to be a part of (and by dragged, I mean I made the decision to sign a contract that would take me 1700 miles away from life as I know it).

7. Time actually flies if you'd stop thinking about it. IT'S FREAKING DECEMBER ALREADY!!! AND I HAVE TAUGHT MY STUDENTS NOTHING!!!

*Edit: The latter part of #7 may not be entirely true. However, I don't have the courage to take a poll.

you came along one day and you rearranged my life

thanksgiving day and haircut day! and we're still friends!
sarah and neil return to their childhood. apparently sarah had too much turkey. :)
columbia: the van dyken kids and their arm candy
my personal favorite
rod opening the tea i gave him for christmas; vonnie looks on
biker babe!
my hot biker guy
in between bike rides--mistlin park
mark is wiped out after the family christmas celebration
stay awake!

What a wonderful weekend. It was amazing. It's going down in the record books as an important weekend. The only bad part of the weekend was having to leave yesterday. It's going to be a long three weeks (I know, Phil, it will go fast) until Christmas.

Highlights of the weekend:

1)Looking for Phil at the Sac airport and seeing a mountain man!

2) cutting Phil's hair without losing his affection

3) holding hands all weekend

4) That one winery we went to...with the jazz trio...

5) sunshine and 50 degree weather in the mountains!

6) spending time at the cabin in the mountains

7) getting big hugs from Rod and Vonnie yesterday when I took off

8) riding motorcycle with Phil

9) playing Pepper with Sarah & Neil and Mark & Apryl

10) fitting in with the family

Only 3 1/2 weeks until Christmas. Long distance relationships suck. Anyone else have a tough time living in the moment instead of in the future? I thought so. I know what I want and now I have to wait for it. It's a new experience. I suppose it's what Mom would call a "growing experience." Thanks, Mom.
Keep plugging, everyone. It's the advent season. A time of expectation and waiting. We've been doing it for over 2,000 years. We can do it a little longer.

in this bittersweet world...

cuddling at mcmenamin's


cardwell hill cellars...family-owned and operated
a bit o' booze
jaz, nick, and andrea at tyee winery
fall colors do exist in the northwest...

Why do I wait so long to post? Now I either have to leave nothing out or leave everything out. Grrr.

In the past few weeks, I have completed my first set of report cards, survived my first parent-teacher conferences, participated in Whatcom County's celebration of the CRC's 150 years, eaten out too many times, drank beer with my boss once, attended a play, and driven through torrential rain and wind in order to visit my dear Nick and Lari (oh, wait! That was just today!)

I think that's the short list.

I am counting down the days until Thanksgiving break. We are currently at 8. Not long. Yet I'm at the point where I'm again realizing that I need to live in the moment, because it's really all I have. Memories are good, but they can't take the place of the present. In our school office, we have a little sign that says, "Today is a gift...that is why it's called the present." And worrying about the future can't change it. I'm trying to enjoy the little moments that make up my days. It's a great idea, but tough to follow through on.

I will end with a list of the excellent movies I watched while cuddling with Nick and Lari this weekend:

1) The Ringer

2) Accepted

3) V for Vendetta

Watch them! They are stupendo!