The Year Is Dying, Let Him Die

A fine title for this fine New Year's post. I always thought that was a funny hymn...but it is pretty, and I have a special fondness for it after singing it with my mom and Hannah in church last year (I'm talking about Ring Out Wild Bells for anyone that didn't catch that).

Shall we take a look back at 2009?

In January, we were living in Vermont and enjoying the way the snow falls by the foot up there. By some miracle, when we returned to Boston from our visit home to Minnesota, our car was completely snow and ice free. It was a Christmas miracle, to say the least. January is also when I started getting my cook on. For the first time in my life I enjoyed looking at recipes and trying things out in our funny little Vermonty kitchen. Jake enjoyed it immensely. Neither of us, however, enjoyed the continuing problems with the boilers in the SoRoHo. It was a cold month.

February kept me very busy with my new job at Vermont Law School and my continuing school. Jake was taking a writing class and enjoyed expanding his natural writing talents. We also travelled to Baltimore to the American Craft Council show where my mom had an awesome booth. We also got to stay with my Great Aunt Barbara and Great Uncle Ralph, which was very fun. We also visited the Boston Temple for the first time this month.

March was a boring month. We continued to have trouble with the heat, but we had our love to keep us warm! Oddly enough, turns out love isn't as valuable at maintaining your core temperature as a working boiler. But it is good for enjoying yourself while slowly freezing to death.

April was great. We spent a lot of time with friends, and more time cooking! Jake and I learned how to make tortillas! Our friends hosted a murder mystery party and we went all out for it. In the end, it turned out that all of us had tried to kill the guy...Jake poisoned him with arsenic and I shot him with a poison dart from my lens of my assassin's camera. We started spending more and more time with friends as we realized that our time together would come to an end.

In May, I attended the formal graduation ceremony for Vermont Law School. It was quite the pompous ceremony, but just small-towny enough for it to be thoroughly enjoyable. I had never walked in a graduation before except for the School of Environmental Studies, so this was a new experience for me! It was very fun, and I loved wearing my tam and hood. It was a bummer that I still had a few classes to finish up, because it was such a wonderful feeling getting that hood. Jake finished up his online class, excelling as usual. And we loved having some time off together.

In June our ward had an old-fashioned outdoor revival at Camp Joseph and I loved every second of it. We loved our ward so much out there. I also started taking an Indian Law class and found another huge interest of mine. In fact, I like Indian Law so much that I plan on getting a J.D. and practicing it one day soon. With the weather so nice out, Jake and I started taking lots of walks around South Royalton. We discovered some strange things about that town.

In July we went down to Boston with our friends and had almost the perfect weekend. We love Boston. And we love the Andersons. The two together were just awesome. We got to watch fireworks in the place I watch them on TV every year! And you all know how much I love fireworks. I also had my graduation celebration with all my fellow MELPs. I finished up classes as Jake finished up work, and we packed all our worldly possessions into our trusty taurus and began the drive back home. We had to stop at Eaton's Sugarhouse literally on the way out of town for a final indescribable breakfast smothered in tree-fresh maple. It was both sad and nice to be going home. We grew a lot out in Vermont, and made some life-long friends. Jake got to work in one of the world's best hospitals, I got to attend one of the world's best schools, and we both had the world's best time.

We found ourselves back in Minnesota in August, and our big dreams of fantastic employment started to slightly fade. We had a marvelous reunion with Aysia, and the rest of our families. We also came home to a new nephew!

Jake started school full-time in September, and we are incredibly blessed to have all those costs covered. I was doing a lot of informational interviews and getting to know a lot of people in my field. Unfortunately, everyone was (and still is) broke and not hiring. Jake turned 25 and Aysia turned 7 this month!

In October, I got offered two internships and a part-time seasonal job. Jake continued to rock in school and we enjoyed our early-morning ride to the transit station together. As I took both the internships and the job, my life got a lot less boring and doll-drum, something I had been eagerly awaiting for the previous 3 months.

I turned 23 in the beginning of November. I continued to work about 55-60 hours a week between all three of my endeavors. Jake really started ramping up at school, and although we were back in the basement and winter in Minnesota was near, our spirits were high...for the most part.

December was lovely. Although it was cold and snowy, Jake finished the school year strong with perfect attendance and stellar grades. I was offered the permanent job at T-Mobile, which I have taken, and we spent a lot of time both together and with our families. Jake's sister Jenny and her husband Erv welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Cora, into the world! That brings our niece/nephew count up to 3! We had a lovely Christmas and were able to have Aysia for almost a week!

Now that I look back on it, it was quite the year. I got a master's degree, Jake got amazing work experience and started school full-time, we had a cross-country move...

What a great year.

And you know what?

2010 is going to be even better. I can FEEL it.

Happy New Year to all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

For your listening pleasure...

We did it twice, and although this is not the best sounding, it does look the best. Sure we had a few bad notes...but Hannah sounds nice.

All in all, it's a little pitchy, but enjoyable and chock-full of Christmas spirit.

I know I've been a bad blogger lately, but I'll get back on track in the new year. Just watch me!

Merry Christmas one and all!

Better with Age

Not to worry, we're still alive and kicking up here in Minnesota!

One would think that with my incredibly boring life filled with couching, internetting, and eating candy, I would certainly have time to blog. And one would be right. I did have time to blog. I had lots and lots of time to blog.

However, one must keep in mind that couching, internetting, and eating candy is not blog-worthy.

It's just not.

I know there are millions of people out there that would disagree with me, and lucky for them, they can blog all about it.

But I am not going to blog about the merits of the 60-calorie Swedish Fish packets or the fun size 100 Grand bars, delicious and satisfying as they may be. Now I actually have something to say!

I AM EMPLOYED!!

I have two internships and a job now. My friend Lynley said, "Wow, I guess when it rains it pours!" I am going to be plenty busy from here on out... Which is going to make it more difficult to keep up with my admirable and impressive number of shows I watch during this Fall TV lineup. I think I can do it though.

It's all about the positive attitude.

My first internship is with the Will Steger Foundation. I am an education intern working on curriculum relating to climate change education, and specifically the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December. I'm sure I will tell you all more about it when I really get started.

My second internship is with Voyageurs National Park Association. I am a communications

intern working on the creation and distribution of a DVD called Minnesota's National Park Legacy that discusses the stories behind Minnesota's seven national park sites. I am really excited about these internships. It will be so nice to be doing something in my field!

My job is with T-Mobile. It's a part-time sales job which I think will be fun. I have a friend who works there and he loves it. Plus, it will be good to be making a little money!

Right before I started interviewing, I got a haircut to make myself look a little older and less collegey. The messy bun is a great hairstyle, don't get me wrong, but I had been doing it since high school, so it was time for a change. Jake was a little sad to lose all that hair, but he came around and now he loves it!

Jake is doing very well in school, as I knew he would. He spends most of his time studying, which is very different from the way I operated in college. I didn't have to take chemistry or calculus though, and I would like to think that if I did, I would have been more responsible and studied more.

Or at all.

Aysia is as cute as possible and getting really sassy. She turned 7 a few weeks ago! She was born three days after Jake turned 18, so it is always fun to have a joint birthday party with the two of them. And now that Aysia is 7, that means Jake is the big 2-5!! He's feeling pretty old these days.

But like a good wine (so I've been told), he just gets better with age.

Our State Fair is a Great State Fair!

Here we are back in Minnesota. Aysia wanted a family picture! Jake was making that face in all of them...

Not sure why.

Aysia starts first grade tomorrow! She is very excited. Her teacher was blown away by her reading! She is going to do great. It might be hard for her to be at school all day, but she will adapt quickly. I know she will have lots of fun and make a lot of new friends!

It wouldn't be the end of summer in Minnesota without a visit to that Great Minnesota Get-Together!

Jake, Aysia, Hannah, Jordan, Kyle, David (Jake's younger triplet brothers), and I loaded up the van and drove to a park and ride, where we then hopped on a bus to the fair. We had a truly delightful time. I have always loved fairs. Except for the tiny swirly twirly rides. Those are not too fun for me. I will take on any thrill ride, any roller coaster, any droppy bungee glidey thing you can throw at me. But if you put me on a tilt-a-whirl, I will tilt-a-hurl.

For those of you Minnesotans out there reading this, you know about the food at this fair.

It is legendary.

And we had a lot of it.

We started off the day at Jake's Aunt's food booth, Cinnie Smiths. They make mini cinnamon rolls that will knock you off your feet!

They come with a big side of cream cheese frosting for dipping. You can't let any of that go to waste.

After the Cinnie Smiths, we moved on to one of the new foods this year:

the Texas Steak Dinner on a Stick Complete with Dinner Roll!

I wasn't quite sure how to go about eating it, so I just started at the top and worked my way down.

Then Hannah got a homemade Nut Roll that was other-worldly.

Only some of it made it into my mouth. A lot of it ended up on my face.

And a lot of everything else we ate ended up on Aysia's face!

We had some frozen grapes which were delightful and refreshing!

Every year I walk past the alligator and think to myself that I will try it one year. Well, this was my year. I walked right up, ordered some deep fried alligator bits with hush puppies, and ate them. I was a little scared at first...

But they were actually really good! Some bits were a little too chewy for my taste, but for the most part, it was chicken-esque. We didn't tell Aysia it was alligator, and she tried it and liked it too! When she found out later what it was, she was a little shocked.

Jake tried the alligator too.

Hannah refused to try it. I'm sure this comes as no surprise to those who know Hannah. She's not much of a carnivore.

Cookies, however? Right up her alley!

Aysia chose a caramel apple as her special treat. A girl after my own heart. As we were leaving the fair, I remembered I hadn't had a caramel apple, so I had to get a caramel apple sundae (basically a bunch of pieces of apple in a bowl smothered in caramel...absolutely brilliant.) for the walk to the bus.

Now these are what I wait for all year. I love these. Straight-up LOVE.

The deep-fried candy bar on a stick. Milky Way is my candy bar of choice, although I have tried all the other flavors.

Seriously people, I have dreams about these.

We also went and saw all the animals, including the largest boar, which weighed in at over 1300 pounds!

Overall, it was a wonderfully successful day at the fair!

Jake starts school tomorrow, and I think he is a bit nervous. He has some tough classes this semester, but I know he will do great. On Tuesdays he will leave the house at 6:50 AM and return home around 10:30 PM... Tuesdays might be rough.

I have a few informational interviews coming up this week and next. Don't worry, I haven't gotten employed and not told any of you! I know it will happen though. I haven't lost all hope yet!

In the meantime, keep up the prayers and the vibes. I appreciate all of them!

Keep Believing Keep Pretending

Well we are back in Minnesota, and looking for places to live and jobs to do. We got back Monday afternoon and it has been kind of a whirlwind since then. Vermont is starting to feel like a dream, like I just blinked and the whole year happened. Without jobs and school for these few weeks, things are feeling exactly like they were two years ago. It feels like we haven't done anything or moved forward at all. But I keep reminding myself that I have earned two degrees in this time, and Jake worked an amazing job at Dartmouth and learned a skill he will use for the rest of his life, and we lived in Vermont for a year. I swear a lot of things happened and we have actually progressed in our lives, even though we may be living out of suitcases in my parents' basement again.

We could use some really mighty prayers for getting jobs. They worked for us in Vermont, so we will be enlisting the cavalry again. Just keep us in mind, if you would!

Jake will be starting school with a bang in a few weeks, and if I don't have a job by then, it's going to be quite a boring time for me. This will be my first break from school for the last several years, and I'm not sure how I'm going to fare. What if I'm not cut out for the working world? I suppose I could always just go back to school, but I really feel like I'm ready to work. There is a lot of change to be made out there, and I am ready to get going. Hopefully I can get a job quickly and use all this education I have! I know Jake is going to do great. I think he's a little nervous about all these chemistry and math classes, but he's a smarty-pants--he'll get the hang of it fast! And even if, on the off chance, it take him a little longer to get it, he's such a hard worker that he won't be satisfied until he really understands the material.

So here we are, back in Minnesota, just hanging out, playing some cards, and waiting for our lives to find us. If you find them first, please direct them this way.

It's a small world after all...

Although to be honest, next Saturday we're going to be wishing it was a lot smaller as we drive halfway across the country with all of our worldly possessions packed snugly in our faithful Ford Taurus. New York is a long, expensive state to drive through. 

I have one week left of classes. Five days, six class meetings. One paper, two small papers, two large projects, and whole lot of reading. I am really not sure how all of this is going to get done, but it always does somehow, so I am not too worried.

*******

Oh who am I kidding, of course I'm worried. But then, if I weren't, I wouldn't be me, 

and I like being me.

*******

Two weekends ago the law school put on a little celebration for the MELP and LLM (Master of Laws, post JD) students. It was very nice and very short. Two important things to consider when planning a graduation. Oh, and there was food. Glorious Vermont food.

How we will miss the Vermont food.

All the graduates had a chance to say a few words, and I said something along these lines:

"The world is small. The world is savable. And the world is SO worth saving. 

Thanks, and I'll see you out there."

It wasn't anything special, but I think it summed up my feelings quite nicely and shortly--again, two important things to consider when planning a graduation speech.

Now imagine you are there, and then clap for me. I worked really hard!

The new picture at the top of our blog is from that day too...I don't wear pink leggings EVERY day...

We have been having a hard time saying goodbye to some of our favorite things here, particularly our favorite places to eat. Two weekends ago we took a farewell trip to the Woodstock Farmer's Market for sandwiches, but decided they were too good so we went again last weekend too. Our farewell trip to Eaton's Sugarhouse may be coming up this weekend as well, and who knows, maybe we'll have to stop there again as we are literally leaving the state. We are saying goodbye to Boloco tonight. 

What a sad and delicious time for us.

See you soon Minnesota!!

God loves a Terrier, yes He does.

We had such a lovely trip to Boston over the Fourth of July. We had an amazing time. We went with our friends, the Andersons (Brian and Nicole, found on the right side of the screen). Her sister lives just outside of Boston with her husband and several turtles, and they were kind enough to let us stay in their beautiful home. Let me say that the Andersons have two little dogs, Buddy and Bandit, whose company I have thoroughly enjoyed while here in Vermont. Jake does not like dogs. His trademark move whenever a dog comes near is to stand still with arms up in the air until the dog goes away. But Buddy and Bandit came down to Boston with us and Bandit sat in the back seat with us the whole drive down and Jake did so well! He was holding Bandit, petting him, and I think Bandit fell in love with Uncle Jake.

He followed him around for the rest of the weekend. Jake even raced Bandit outside! 

They grow up so fast. 

Now of course I want a little dog, and am very very slowly wearing Jake down to the point where I feel we may have a dog in the next three to twenty years, depending upon how persuasive I can make myself. Here are Buddy and Bandit, the ferocious little beasts that have slowly melted Jake's heart of stone. Buddy is the rat terrier on the left, and Bandit the one on the right. Bandit might be my favorite dog I have ever met. Sorry Cooper and dearly departed Dominoes...Bandit has a little something extra. 

Just look at that face!! Bandit's mom was a rat terrier, but the Andersons don't know exactly what kind of dog his dad was. He looks part beagle, part doxen, with a corgi-type of body. Whatever he is, I just love him. Buddy is really sweet too, but it takes him a while to warm up to you. Buddy sat in the back with us on the ride home from Boston, and by the end, even he was sitting on Jake's lap! I am so proud of all of Jake's progress. I know it sounds silly, they're just dogs, but it's hard for Jake, and he has grown so much out here in so many ways. Dog acceptance is just the tip of the iceberg.

Back to Boston. Jake and I had been to Boston several times, but we had never done any of the historic sites on the Freedom Trail, so we did that this time. We saw so many incredible places that literally began this amazing country, and it was awesome to see them in person and feel the spirit of independence that abides there. There are a lot more pictures; feel free to check out my facebook for more.

The redcoats walked right by us.

And of course I had to see the "Make Way for Ducklings" statue at the public garden. It has always been one of my favorite children's books! Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, and Quack are all accounted for!

The public garden was one of my favorite places. There was this amazing tree that reminded me of Sherwood Forest in Nottingham.

I also made a new friend, Sherman. He is Nicole's sister and husband's turtle, but actually more like their son. He just roams the house and hangs out, and he sat on my lap for a long time. It looks like he has lipstick on since he just ate a raspberry! Sherman and I really bonded.

I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July and enjoyed the fireworks as much as I did! But then, if you know me, you know that even a little popper is enough to make me goofy happy. My mom watched the Boston fireworks on TV with the Boston Pops and everything, but said she didn't see us. It was so crowded, but totally worth it. We watched from the MIT side of the river, and our view was perfect. They were big and loud, just the way I like them! Of course getting home in the seas of thousands and thousands of people was a bit of a madhouse, but totally worth it. 

In short, we had a great time, with great people, doing great things. It was great.

Oh, also, Mike's Pastries. Wow. That's pretty much all I can say about that.

Coming soon: MELP graduation blog!