A Red and Turquoise Kitchen

Just a few photos of our lovely kitchen after it was all set up. Well, mostly... We are still missing a few things that we will need but we are getting them slowly but surely. Everything has a place but it may not be where we keep it forever. We are so blessed with this beautiful space to cook. We are so pleased with our color choices- the red and turquoise are classic but nice and bright. Steven is even tolerant of the few pink pieces that sneaked their way in... :) Our pantry is well stocked after a nice welcoming Sunday which included a pantry shower! Now I just have to get the hang of working with an electric stove and nice stainless steel pots and pans- luxuries we never had in the DR.

The flowers were a welcome gift that the Ladies Group at church presented us with.

Here you can see some of our favorite appliances including a dishwasher!

Here we are cooking our first real homemade dinner- Spaghetti, courtesy of a wonderful congregation!

You can see the pantry door back in the right corner.

Dinner is ready!

HOME

Everyone asks, "Are you settled in yet?" We always answer, "We're getting there," or "We're working on it." But the simple answer is no, we are not. We have gotten a lot done since we first got here (or rather Steve's dad got a lot done when they arrived with our moving van). Here are a few pictures to show our progress.

After unpacking the boxes that came in our car. The floor was just covered in packing materials.

Our first dinner at home- from the Target deli.

Our bedroom, complete with air mattress and tv trays.

The kitchen. Fairly empty but as organized as possible.

The other kitchen counter.

Our new mattress! We still have no other furniture in our bedroom but the bed is so comfy!

After Steve's parents arrived with the moving truck. It was like starting over only with a LOT more stuff than last time when we unpacked just our little car.

The guest bedroom furniture is old and it is a very small room but it is already pretty cozy. Come visit and you will stay here!

Our bedroom- filled once more with boxes.

Things have gotten better since these last pictures. As we get the house set up, I'll post pictures of the different rooms so you can get a good idea of what our house really looks like. We'll also want to fill you in soon on the new jobs and our excitement over calling a new pastor. As always, we love your comments. They inspire us to keep writing.

A Whole New World

God has blessed us so greatly! I cannot say that enough. Last June we returned from Santiago, Dominican Republic where we taught in a bilingual school. If you missed the stories of all those adventures, you should really go back and check out the previous blogs. Some crazy stuff happens when you spend a year overseas.

On July 23, not so long after getting home to the Midwest, Steven and I got married- finally! The wedding was the happiest and most beautiful of days! My brother, Seth, shared an excellent message from God's Word based on the text we chose- Ephesians 3:16-19. Everything was perfect and our fantastic photographer captured it all brilliantly. Here is just a taste of her excellent work!
The wedding was followed by a short but sweet honeymoon. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Whitewater, but the highlights were wine tasting, a sunset lake tour cruise in Lake Geneva, and dinner at a 20's themed house-turned-restaurant with jazzed-up broadway tunes playing on the piano.
We went back to my parents' house, got a good night's sleep, filled up the car, and started the drive to Arizona. The scenery was beautiful! It took us 4 days, with stops in Omaha, Denver, and Albuquerque before finally reaching HOME. Life has been a whirlwind since- as if all that wasn't enough! We will continue to post pictures of our home and school and write about all the exciting things happening here. Welcome back!

Saying "Good-bye"

It's a long process. We've been working on it for a while now. Slowly the realization is setting in. These people are not going to be a part of our lives anymore:

My Zumba class girls- just as I was getting really comfortable with the group. (Being the only white woman isn't always easy, especially when dancing is involved!)

Our Sosua beach server. He always remembered us and even called us family.

The members of Cordero de Dios (Lamb of God), our beloved church family here.

Pastor Alex and his dear family. They have welcomed us into their home on so many occasions now!
David, the boy I tutored, and his family- such kind and genuine people.

My students. I like to think of them as my babies, but they really are second graders now. I see it every time I look at them. This one has been the hardest of them all. I pray that God continues the work he started in their hearts this year.

In today we said our last good-byes. The good-byes to all the wonderful teachers at our school. This year has been very difficult, but we have been so very blessed.

Monte Cristi

June 4, 2011 we finally made our trip to Monte Cristi. We had been putting off the trip due to all the rain that Steve has told you about in a previous blog. Finally, with only 2 weekends left in the country, we had to go- rain or shine.

We woke up early to a cloudy morning. The bus left at 8:45. We had heard different stories about the length of the trip, but everyone told us it was FAR away. I heard 3 hours from some people and 4 hours from others. When looking at a map we were shocked, because it looks closer than Santo Domingo, which is 2.5 hours away. Not a problem, right? Wrong. The trick with the buses here is that they don't tell you what stop you are at!

A few stops in we asked the women in front of us which stop it was. I didn't recognize the name of the town but we had only been on the bus for an hour so we couldn't have been there yet. After a while we asked the the women again and they said Dajabon.... maybe? Then they asked where we were headed. Monte Cristi? That was one of the first stops, they said! We went and asked the chofer (driver) and he told us we were in Monte Cristi at that moment. We skeptically got off the bus and found ourselves in the right place!

We took two moto conchos (motorcycle taxis) out to the beach. The ride was so beautiful! We even saw some birds in the water that looked like flamingos! I don't think they are native to the Caribbean... but the birds were tall and stood on one foot with heads tucked under a wing. Any ideas?

We arrived at the beach and were instantly being eaten alive by mosquitos!!! Thankfully another family was there and offered us repelente. After that we could really enjoy the beauty of this beach. Notice the zapato (shoe) in the pictures!

Both the other groups on the beach loved the idea of having a photo shoot of the American couple! Here's a sample of their work:
We relaxed on the beach, ate our picnic lunch, and watched as white clouds were replaced by dark gray ones. When the rain started we decided that we might as well swim since we were going to be wet either way...
After a little swim the rain slowed. We tried to hike but it was muddy and slippery so instead we went to the security guard house and played with their puppy while waiting for a taxi to take us back to the bus station. We were glad to have gone, but content to head home early with another adventure to tell.

Last Day of School

At last!!!! Finally!!!! Right?

In a few minutes, my 6th graders will come through the doors of my classroom for the last time. Many of them I will see for the last time. I have seen them all grow so much. When they walked into my room in August, they were little 6th graders. Now as they come in to take their last final, they are practically 7th graders. They've also grown intellectually. They write opinion essays, they identify themes, they use possessive nouns (a big deal with English Language Learners). I have a student that came to class the first day and did not know any English. Now he has extended conversations with me and reads full paragraphs and understands them. And I don't think I can take any credit for any of this. It seems like the intellectual growth and physical growth happened together, gradually and naturally developing throughout the year.

Today is the last day of my first year of teaching. I'm not going to say it was easy, and it definitely was not what I thought it would be. But it has prepared me for next 40 or so years of teaching I have ahead of me, God willing.

This is a pretty important day.

Rain, Rain, Every Day

Literally, every day it rains. It's called a "rainy season." We don't really have those in the Midwest. There really aren't other seasons here, no Summer/Winter/Spring/Fall. There's hot and less hot, and wet and more wet. Right now we are in a hot/more wet season. Usually it doesn't rain all day, but it is usually cloudy all day, and when it does rain, it'll keep up for the rest of the day, and it rains a lot.

I used to laugh at Dominicans on rainy days. Everything stops. No on goes anywhere, plans are cancelled, nothing happens, all just because it rains. How silly! Letting a little water stop you? Not at all. Here is my guide to help you understand the frustrations of the rainy season that I have learned throughout the year.

1. You have to walk a lot.
.....a. Umbrellas are only helpful in mild rain and for a short time.
.....b. Not fun in the rain.

2. The streets flood. Guaranteed. If it is raining, the streets will flood.
.....a. Also not fun if walking.
.....b. If driving your own vehicle, you might not be able to make it.

3. Public Transportation
.....a. Moto-conchos (motorcycles) are right out.
.........i. No fun at all.
........ii. Dangerous in wet streets.
.......iii. See 2b.
.....b. Conchos and Guaguas
.........i. All full. You will have to wait for a long time. (See 1a)
........ii. See 2b.

So, yeah. We don't do anything if it's raining. And it's been at it for over a month now. But I'm not complaining, because while it is raining every day, it is better than the alternative. Rain means it is cooler. If not for the rain, we would all be roasting alive in the summer sun.