A few things we've been up to...

I don't even know where to begin. Soooooooooo much time has elapsed since I last posted something meaningful and even informative here. I don't even know if anyone is reading this thing anymore! I know that I've definitely let things slide.

I'm sorry to be such an delinquent blogger. My lack of posting bears no reflection on the dullness of life...but rather the craziness of it!

In the words of Inigo Montoya (The Princess Bride), "Lemme explain. No, there is to much to explain--lemme sum up". Here are the highlights of our summer so far (in no particular order):

1. I went curly. Many of you who know me know that for years now (well, ever since I started having long hair) I've been battling to achieve the long straight locks that many women either naturally have or are able to create. During the drier, colder parts of the year (namely fall and winter) I've had varying degrees of success. But when the humidity of summer hit in areas like Chicago, DC, and Sokcho, I fought the good fight every morning with my hair dryer. Once I opened the front door and my hair hit the moisture, it was a lost cause, and my hair would spazz out and do it's own funky thing. One day, a week after getting my hair cut here in Korea, I gave up and refused to fight it. The heat in Korea is way too unbearable to use a high dryer every morning, and I was tired of battling the mop on my head. So, I just showered and let it air-dry, just to see what would happen (an experiment). With a little scrunching, and a little product (thank you Monica and Nikki, I now know how to use product!), I have a very fun and twisted head of hair. And it's all natural!! Who knew?! And since you all now how low-maintenance of a person I am, you know how happy I am never to put so much as a comb to my head in the morning. So I guess it'd be more accurate to say that I discovered my curliness, since in fact it's been there all along :)

2. I went home for summer break. Starting my MA at Cornerstone University (in Teaching English as a Second Language) necessitated that I head to Michigan for the last two weeks of July. My family, who is awesome and very accomodating, arranged to stay in a cottage on the lake nearby (in Rockford) for the first week. My parents, Carey and Kris (and the kids), and Sarah and Kevin (and the girls) were all there. Kevin even brought his boat out so that we could go tubing, skiing, fishing, and riding around the lake. It was a week of sunning, swimming, and chilling out on their beautiful open porch. Though my class demanded more of me than I expected, I still got some good bonding time in with everybody. I just felt sorry that I could not visit and talk with everyone more. (You can see pictures of our time together here)
The second week I stayed at Sarah's in Byron Center. My second class was not overwhelming, but it was still a lot of work! Even so, Sarah, Kevin, and the girls kept me in check when I was at home. Kyra was very kind in letting me take over her room, and Katie encouraged me a lot with her spunkiness. Both girls were understanding of my need for space and quiet, which was great, even though I just wanted to play with them instead! Sarah and Kevin were terrific, allowing me to borrow their car to get to school, letting me print papers on their computer, and cooking really yummy food (thanks for the Mexican dishes and the homemade pizza, Kevin!)

3. I started grad school. In our original plan when we decided to come to Korea, I deferred my acceptance to DePaul University (Chicago) and was going to start when our contract finished. Well, as you can see, our plans changed, and we chose to stick it out another year here. One of the stipulations of that decision was that I find another program that could work with our being abroad. A woman we met randomly on one of our vacations alerted us to the benefits of online programs, and I started researching places with TESOL grad courses. I settled on Cornerstone University's (Grand Rapids, MI) online MA because of its flexibility and the warm and supportive staff I communicated with. This summer, I headed back to GR (boy, did that feel weird--I haven't been near the Beltline in about 5 years!) and met up with the 30-odd students in my cohort. Wow. To be around so many folks that are interested in the same issues as I am is intoxicating. The two weeks (first class was Introduction to Issues in TESOL; second class was on TESOL Methodology) were very challenging in terms of workload, but very rewarding in terms of the quality of discussions and interactions we had. These people are really cool, and I'm very excited to be working with them over the next two years.

4. Mom and Dad celebrated 40 years of lovin'. Nothing deserves a party quite like a long and faithful marriage. My siblings, who are talented, creative, and know how to get down, planned extensively for a 40th anniversary bash for my folks. My sister created beautiful photo invitations and made the centerpieces. Kris, my sister-in-law, served as a contact for prospective guests, planned the party itinerary and activities (she's the showwoman). They both worked on the food and the decor. My brother, who is skilled at all things graphic, put together a magnificent DVD montage of their pictures and favorite songs. (I'm sure you guys did a ton more, and if I've left things out, I apologize!). Oh and I? What did I do? Nothing :( Their party happened on the day that I left, which I was quite bummed about. The weeks preceding my trip to the US and the time I was there were really hectic, but that's no excuse. I wish I could have been as dutiful and creative as my siblings were, to show Mom and Dad how much they mean to me.
The silver lining is that I got to visit with my aunt Tami and Grandma and Grandpa Anderson, whom I hadn't seen in ages. They were in town for the event, and the night before my flight back to Korea, we spent time together on the sofa talking and outside walking around the neighborhood.

5. Paulie and I turned 3. Hard to believe that already three years ago we vowed to be lifetime partners in crime. Whereas the first two anniversaries had us racing river rapids (Rappahannock) and exploring the jungle (Philippines), this anniversary was spent over dishes of gelato at the local beach resort and dining at a fine hotel. Simple--classy--understated. Like us.

In addition to these events, we've also received exciting family news: 1. that my cousin, Colin, is engaged and will get married next summer, 2. that cousins Bekah and Jason are now parents of little Griffin Alan, 3. that Mary Beth (Paul's mom) just started a new job as a special education administration consultant, 4. that Jon, Paul's brother, will soon celebrate a year with his lovely girl Michelle.
There's also big news from our friends: 1. that Andy (Paul's high school buddy) recently got engaged to his love Liz, 2. that Jon and Laura-Leigh Giso (our friends from Salem) are about to move into their new house, and 3. my pal Monica (from college) and her husband Jim are expecting their first in February.

We're excited about all these developments and we are thankful for the joy God has given to our loved ones and to us.

Photos:
1. Monica and I getting to catch up at the lake one night (when she popped the big news on me!)
2. Sarah and I munching on some very tasty s'mores
3. My Cornerstone cohort, after our two weeks of pain!
4. Mom and Dad posing on the glorious porch
5. Paulie and I shaking it up Mommas and the Poppas-style ("California Dreaming") at the noraebang