November 18th

My favorite little baby boy turned 1 last weekend, but I knew I wouldn't get enough time with him sharing him with everyone at his birthday party. So, the night before my Mom & I went over so that his parents could get ready for the party and we could spoil the birthday boy!
We love him. And his birthday was fun too! We all took pictures holding signs of what we thought he would be when he grows up-
(We think he will be the head of an IT department!)
♥

Thanksgiving was super relaxed. The highlight was skyping with Josh!

...

Now I am anxious for Christmas break and my friends coming in from out of town! I can't wait for the annual Christmas time fun & Mexican Christmas (really can't wait for that!)! Only three and a half more weeks of work & it's fun time! yayyyy!!!

November 17th

My Mom came to visit & we went to dinner Tuesday night- I always see deer, (and I always think "good thing we are in an incorporated town otherwise someone would be shooting at it") but I still think it's cute & fun to see them just hanging out in someones yard. I am not a country girl.
I also love these tree arrows outside one of my favorite places to go in Carson-

♥

But to be real, I spent most of my week in bed with the flu miserable.





Lucky, lucky me this weekend I am at home with my parents AND my favorite baby boy is turning 1 this weekend and it is his birthday party! I am SO excited!!

November 10th 2012

I'm at my parents for the long weekend (no school Monday, YAY) and I decided to share more pictures of the Marshall Islands. I came home a year ago this weekend. I thought I would be so depressed this weekend thinking about it. But more & more I am coming to terms with this happy/sad time and realizing that everything happens for a reason. 

Here are some of my very favorite pictures-

This picture was in the paper! Even on my tiny island people would come & tell me that they had seen the picture in the Marshall Islands Journal.


Last October, I spent a weekend on the Army base with my friend, Joseph, and his family (his parents both worked there as well) in what is essentially and American town on this tiny island in the Pacific. The tiny plane that took us back and forth made me want to vomit. But looking out the window made it worth it. Flying over tiny uninhabited islands....
His parents lived in one of these awesome dome houses. After four months of living in the Marshall Islands I remember it being so strange to see an American house... with couches and chairs and carpet. There are no cars- everyone rides bikes everywhere.

I even went to Halloween there- I was an Island Santa :) The other 2 girls (Liz and Brittany) were both volunteers on Ebeye, another neighboring island.


& more pictures of my adorable former students/family- It's hard to believe that this was really my life. That I lived on a tiny island. It feels like it was all a dream.

November 6th

Yesterday I went on a nice long hike with a family friend, Teri... It was hard. And I was tired. But... it was worth it :) Plus, later Teri gave me a pulled pork & taco soup. I adore both. Yum.


Tonight I am relaxing watching the news- happy election day! ♥

PS Happy birthday Micah!

third island | marshall islands

I spent forever last night watching Law & Order SVU and creating photo books of all my Marshall Island photos-- something that I have been meaning to do for, you know, about a year now.  I have to say it was worth the hours... it was something I needed to do and I am glad to have it done. Here are some photos of my little island home ...

& here is my little island. The whole island.

There was an abandoned factory from World War 2 on my island. At one time it was used by the Japanese, but that was a lonnngg time ago. (It also wasn't unusual for unexploded ordinances to be found on around my island.)


Me & my host parents at the school. This picture always makes me sad/happy/nostalgic-

Friday November 1st

November 2nd

Last night Lauren & I went to Mortified. I have been wanting to see it for so long & told Lauren about how we needed to go & she said "Oh did you know Frank is a co-producer? I bet he can get us tickets. I've gone a bunch of times." Oh REALLY. I was so excited! Mortified was really funny and I had so much fun. Here is the youtube channel. Essentially, it's people getting up and reading parts of their high school journals.  I am 100% sure I could do this but I am also 100% sure I am not far enough disconnected from High School to do it YET. Someday!