on my birthday...

some of my most favorite gifts came from here. check it out. you won't be disappointed.

i love my sweet students & their happy birthday messages all over my whiteboard.

and one particular student psyched out of his mind that we share the same birthday.

and i cannot even wait one more second until my husband gets home to take me out on our hot date.

and i'm just so happy it's finally here - the most wonderful, best, fantasticalist week of the year.

amen and amen.

a cozy (almost) christmas weekend

on our agenda:
watch 'elf' (check)
sleep in (check)
eat pancakes (check)
tidy up our little apt.
make a grocery run
sweat our little buns off at the y
head off to the movies to see 'hugo' (have you read this book? it's great!)
church
christmas carols
appetizers with some of my favorite people

sometimes i get so excited just looking over a list - knowing the possibilities of how great each little thing could be/is/was.

for example, is anything sexier than watching your husband mop the kitchen floor? i think, no.

this is my favorite week of the whole entire year. i sway between wanting christmas to be here right this second and then remembering how much i love the anticipation, the waiting, the dreaming, the wrapping, the twinkling lights, the carols. waiting for that wonderful day is just as much fun as when it actually comes (in my book).

things to do this week:
read 'two from galilee'
finalize plans for the last week of my first semester teaching
celebrate my 25th birthday
celebrate two beautiful years of marriage
head home for the first time since july
celebrate the birth of my savior

(doesn't that sound like the best week ever?! i think, yes.)

also...

can i just say that there is absolutely nothing better than coming home, filling the tub with hot, bubbly water & diving in up to my ears.

it was a long one.

my kids at school are getting just a bit antsy (understatement).
as am i, really.

i think we're all ready for some time spent sleeping in, cuddling, sipping cocoa & gazing at twinkle lights.

at least that's what i'm ready for.

words to live by:

optimism isn't always dumb.

pessimism isn't always deep.

amen.

print found here

it's been a long time...

but i've been thinking.

and i think i need a little light and a little love spread out into the world.

so, that is my new goal.

light and love.

because we all have rainy days and crabby kids and burnt toast and crummy chores to do and bills to pay and bad news and broken coffee makers.

but who wants to dwell on that?

not me.

when i lay my head down at night, i want to remember the light. and the love.

here's to you. and to me.

may this season be full of the goodness god has given. the joy always surrounding us sometimes unseen. the love in my heart from me to you.

spring.

brown and green and gray and wet.

washing away the months of cold. and bitterness.

the hard earth soft once more. now able to be held in a hand. to be moved. to be changed. to be the place where new life bursts forth.

who would believe that same place covered,
layered with ice and snow could produce such beauty.

in a matter of changing seasons.

changing hearts.

to the One who takes my heart, holds it in His hand and makes it soft again.

undergoing changes...

as you have probably already noticed.

i needed something fresh, something new. kind of like this curtains i hung in our living room yesterday. they're not exactly new, but new to me. and i don't know that i actually like them, but they're different. so, that's nice.

i'm student teaching now with a focus on ell. i love it. the kids are so well-behaved & sweet. they just love to learn. it's wonderful.

we're trying to figure out what the heck to do with our lives. this may, i'll officially be certified to teach english & well, i think that's what i would really like to do. we're just not quite sure where. it's a big decision to make with two entire lives on the line.

i think i'll just focus on the right now for now.

enjoying a few days off.
biking to the library.
making homemade, from scratch, whole wheat, absolutely delicious pop-tarts.
painting my nails.
finishing lesson plans & my resume.
reading 'blood, bones, & butter' by gabrielle hamilton.
& planning something delicious & special for supper tonight.

enjoy whatever it is you'll be doing today.

hola.

i love...
triscuit thin crisps.
playing everyword on my kindle.
seeing students "get it".
dark chocolate with sea salt.
gray sweats.
spring cleaning.
spending cold & windy nights in my cozy & warm home.
scrabble. we played 3 times this week. and although i like to think i'm not competitive, but i wouldn't let jason stop playing with me until i won.
and jason. because he plays scrabble with me. and calls me princess goofnut. and gives me back massages until i fall asleep.

update:

tiramisu - success! it seems scary & overwhelming & entirely too many steps & way too many ingredients, but let me tell you.... it is worth it! totally worth it.

we had friends over for dinner on friday evening, served them tiramisu for dessert. they loved it of course & when they left, jas & i ate the rest right out of the dish. it was soooooo good!

i highly recommend the documentary "waiting for superman". we watched it this weekend & loved it. incredibly inspirational for future teachers. or current teachers. or retired teachers. or anyone who cares at all what's going on in the u.s. educational system.

coconut milk & honey in my coffee - revelation.

right now we've got a wicked, crazy ice storm going on... it's thundering & lightening while little ice pellets are hitting our windows. bizarre.

jas has been working late & i tend to wake up early now that i'm on a school schedule. i'm starting to really enjoy these quiet morning, soft light through the windows, a piping hot cup of coffee & either my journal or a good book to keep me company for a while.

hello!

4 day weekend, people. 4 days. i do not even know what i'm going to do with all of this freedom!

well, actually, i do know.

finish lesson plans (ah, the life of a student teacher)
make risotto & tirimisu - yes, i am actually going to do it! the real thing!
swim
run
bike (i'm training for a triathlon in may. holy cow, that seems soon)
finish 'hannah coulter' by wendell berry - have you read this? it's beautiful. absolutely, beautiful.
sleep.

i'm so stinkin' excited, i can hardly wait.

now, off to the grocery store to buy the one million ingredients for tirimisu!

wishing you a blissful weekend.

ssam bop

it's been a great weekend. great.

after a difficult week of student teaching, i was happy to have a few days to relax. i've been making some more lesson plans, tweaking worksheets, reading poems & short stories & i feel pretty ready for a new week.

we went for a 3 mile walk yesterday - outside! it was beautiful! blue sky, 35 degrees, heaven. really.

today, we went swimming at the y. i loved it. i haven't been swimming in months & months.

and i've been experimenting, trying to make some of my favorite korean foods at home. so far - i've made jap chae & ssam bop. they're both great. seriously, great. google them. i even ate with chopsticks & it was way too much fun.

all of this to say... it's amazing what some warm weather, favorite foods & exercise can do to turn a girl around. and i can't forget the incredible amount of grace i've been praying for.

love.

a list.

lately, i have been...
compulsively checking my lesson plans. then, finding a distraction. then, checking again. just to make sure i have every single teensy weensy thing covered. which i know i don't.

organizing. i love organizing. it makes me feel really productive.

addicted to my yoga pants. the second i get home from school - bam. in my yoga pants.

eating way too much. i think it's because it's so cold out. that's what i'm going with anyway. thank heavens i have a husband who makes me work out (in a kind, loving way - not in a demanding, drill sergeant way).

playing word games. bananagrams. scrabble. crosswords.

finding comfort in a cozy blanket, npr & orange scones.

these are a few of my favorite things:

organizing.
realizing my intuition is often better than a recipe.
snow days.

korea photos.

just a handful of photos to let you see what i've been up to. enjoy.

a whirlwind.

as these types of things often are...

we've completed over a week of classes with our wonderful students & spent a full day running around seoul. we've tried all sorts of new foods, seen mountains & tombs & rivers & fashion & art & towers & i can't even remember what else. we've met warm and kind koreans, opening their homes & taking us out for special meals & showing us their rich history & famous places.

i'm sorry this is so jumbled. so mixed up & seemingly random, but it's much like how our trip has gone. we have little information of where we are going or what we are going to do once we get there, but when we do finally get to where we are going, it's wonderful.

the people we've met are so kind and generous, giving whatever they have and welcoming us into their lives.

the history here is so rich & deep; and our tour guides (our students) are so appreciative & respectful of their heritage.

our students give us their full attention (most days) & participate in our crazy lessons.

i am so thankful to be a part of this whirlwind. perhaps i'll write more coherent thoughts later, but for now just know i am thankful.

korean dresses & the strawberry mam

sunday evening we went out with some of our students & one of their parents to a strawberry farm. it was all in these elaborate greenhouses and we were able to pick fresh strawberries & eat them right there - in january! the "strawberry mam" as she calls herself gave each of us a jar of strawberry jam & a jar of strawberry hot pepper paste - yum! after the strawberry farm we went to a korean/chinese restaurant & i must say i am a fan of this korean style of eating - a ton of food & very little talking. they just kept bringing plate after plate after plate. it was amazing. when we had finished gorging ourselves, we went to a traditional korean dress design shop & i was able to try on one of the beautiful dresses with a puffy skirt, hat & everything! pictures will definitely be posted when i get home - my computer doesn't want to read my sd card.

yesterday we had our first day of class with our english students. each day we will work with the students for 5 hours. yesterday, they had an opening ceremony where the vice principal gave a speech, then each student presented a "ppt" (powerpoint presentation) about themselves. it was a wonderful way to meet each student - they are so funny! one of the students promised to buy us a meal if his english scores improve. most of the day was spent doing informal interviews, getting to know the students and they english proficiency levels. we also had a few activities & spent the last hour playing word games - pictionary, scrabble slam & bananagrams - it was great!

i'm definitely looking forward to a full week of class & a weekend trip to seoul with our students!

peace & love from nonsan, korea.

things are crazy & i love it.

we have arrived in nonson, korea. i love it here. the people are so warm & kind, the view is spectacular & the food...yum.

so far we have been "taking a lot of rest" & recovering from the incredibly long flight. we're staying on campus at chungnam internet high school. it's a very nice campus & most of the students are on winter break so it's quieter than most months. our first day of the language camp is tomorrow & we're so excited to meet our students!

today we went exploring a bit - had a traditional korean meal - sitting on the floor with a grill in the center of the table. i am very glad to be a vegetarian - the other teachers ate dog. we had a lot of different dishes to try - i loved "korean pizza" & tofu lettuce wraps with traditional sauce. after dinner, we hiked up to a buddhist temple, which was absolutely beautiful. then, had jujube tea at a quaint little tea shop.

tonight we're going to explore nonson with some of the parents of our students - visit a strawberry farm, traditional korean dress design shop & another authentic korean meal. can't wait!

much love.

once again.

it's been ages.

the holidays have come & gone. the house is un-christmased. i'm packing like a crazy girl, trying to get it all right. i'm heading to south korea on thursday for a little adventure. i'll be teaching english for a couple weeks, exploring a new culture & trying new foods. i can't wait!

i'll do my best to keep you posted here - but no promises. i don't have any idea what the internet situation will be like.

hope your days were merry & bright - and your new year holds the promise of hope.