We are back in Madras (Chennai) at my grandmother's house after a 5 day drip in the mountains of western Tamil Nadu state (the same state that Madras is in). It is funny how her house can feel so much like home, and how you can long for it when you are gone.
But, we had a very nice trip, we left Christmas night on the night train, and traveled all night to Mysore. Indian trains are an experience (as are most things in india). You can see the tracks through the toilet hole, and you sleep on bunks that are stacked 3 high. Everyone and their brother takes the train in India, so getting to the train, and finding the right car and bed, and getting settled in is pure chaos... never mind the fact that you are trying to keep track of 10 people.
I don't know what we would do it we didn't have my dad to translate and talk to the drivers and people etc. After two hours in the van we ended up at the wrong resort (not sure whose fault that was) and after another 5 hours (because we had gone the wrong way) we finally arrived at the proper resort. Although, it is only 60 or 70 miles, because of the pure chaos that is travel in India, you can never travel more than 20-30 miles in an hour. During our time there, we went on 2 safari's and saw everything from elephants and leopards (15 feet from the road) to wild boar, peacocks & monkey's. Sadly, we were not able to ride on an elephant, thanks to the animal rights activists... however the soft top jeeps that were at least 20 years old were great fun.
We spent our 4th anniversary in Ooty, my favorite spot that I remember from my last trip. We drive up a mountain pass (they measure the distance by the hairpin turns - 36 turns). It is a one lane road filled with everything from busses and vans to motocycles with 2 adults and their two children to people walking. After creeping behind a bus for nearly a mile, the entire bus cheered as we passed them. The hills are covered in tea plants. They are harvested by women who carry a huge basket on their backs. These women are paid 60 rupees per day (about $1.50), and if they pick more than 25 kilos, they get 1 rupee (2 cents) per extra kilo. We toured a tea factory, and made the owners extremely happy when we bought 50+ bags of tea between all ten of us. :)
We then stopped in Coimbatore, where we have a bunch of family, and where my grandma will be moving early next year. We had a great time, and I had my first bucket bath (my grandma has water heaters and showers but our friend did not). Other than taking about an hour to heat a gallon of water, it wasn't bad.
We are now in our last stretch here in Chennai before heading home on the 5th. I will miss the food and my grandmother, and all the interesting sights, however I am looking forward to not being a spectical. I am SOOOO sick of everyone staring. In the US it is rude to stare, but in India, whether it is rude or not... everyone outright stares. Sometimes, I just stare back to make them feel uncomfortable, and some will finally avert their eyes, but some will just keep doing it! There is a chance I could pass for an Indian, but when you are traveling in a party of 10, with 4 very white americans there is no chance. I am also looking forward to calmer traffic, toilet paper, soap in all bathrooms, my bed, toilet paper and slightly cooler weather.
If it is not too much I am hoping to give you a day-by-day tour of our trip with pictures when I get back. I can't wait to show you all of my pictures!!! I have taken over 1500 pictures.
Happy New Year!!! It is 4:30pm on the 31st here so it will be New Year here 10 1/2 hours ahead of you! (if you live on the east coast). If I don't talk to you before, I will talk to you when we get back on the 7th!
Blessings,
Leah
P.S. This post was sponsored by my wonderful great-uncle who came to visit and brought his computer that has an India-wide wireless card!!
12.31.2006
12.21.2006
HELLO FROM JAPIUR
Hello!!
I am sorry it has taken me so long to update. Internet access has been less than available. :) We landed in India on the 13th, and spent 4 days in Chennai (Madras), spending time with my grandmother, eating FAARRR to much wonderful food, visiting where my dad went to school, a snake park, and a thousand little fabric, trinket & stainless steel shops. We also saw the sun rise on the Indian Ocean... they Bay of Bengal to be exact. On Sunday we went to a Tamil speaking church and my dad preached while the pastor translated. (My dad speaks Tamil, but for preaching they use a special dialect, which he said is like speaking in King James Version, so he spoke in English) and we sang away in a Manger a capella.
On Monday morning, we left at 3am for Delhi. We flew to Delhi and toured the city, then, after staying in one of the nastiest hotel ever, I was wondering if I would get flees from the mattress, and the carpet was damp 24/7, not to mention it was bright red. We left early the next morning for Agra... the Indian City of Love. :) The Taj Mahal is in the city of Agra, and no motorized vehicle is allowed in a 2 kilometer radius because of pollution, and no factories are allowed so that there is no pollution, so the city is filled with handicraft materials. Everything from bedding and hand-made rugs to hand carved marble and rose wood elephants. We got to the Taj Mahal around 6 and watched the sun rise... and Somebody asked a question, and Somebody said YES!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO RYAN & MEREDITH!!!!! (Keep end May/early June open!!)
Needless to say, we are more than a spectacle... 10 Americans traveling together. Everywhere we stop there are 10-20 beggars and sellers reaching their arms into our van trying to sell anything and everything. We have bought mini chess boards, ankle bracelets, colored elephants and much more... There is NO set price, they will tell any American at least 10 times the price, so we can usually talk them down to at least a 1/4 of the asking price, maybe less. It is quite fun. The key talk them down, and talk them down and then walk away... then they come running after you with the price you wanted.
Yesterday we headed from Agra, to Japiur... the Pink City. All the shops and buildings are covered in a redish mud clay paste, so everything looks pink, especially at sunset. When we were traveling yesterday the traffic stopped because a man had held up a few shops and was running with about 15 lacks ($600,000), so we sat on the road, with about 15 boys begging for pens near our bus, and waited for 2 hours while the police sorted everything out. The entire journey took about 8 hours.
Travel in India is very different. First, they drive on the other side of the road... most of the time. They horn is an extension of your voice, depending on how many honks and how long it can mean "I am passing you" "Please move over a little so I can get by" "You cut in front of me" "I am turning here" or "Get off the road." I have loved our drives, we see everything from boys playing cricket in the dirt with stones and women carrying cow dung patties on their head, to camels and elephants and auto rickshaws and bike rickshaws as well. We have been traveling in 12 passenger van, and most times the ac works, it has been nice.
Also, if you ever travel to India... don't forget toilet paper!! Most places now have western toilets (as opposed to a hole in the ground) but they don't have toilet paper. Often beggars will stand outside and sell napkins. :)
Thankfully we are staying in a nice hotel today and we were able to get on the Internet. I will try and upload a few pictures, but there are no promises. The one downside of having a 10 mega pixel camera is that it will kill the computer before it uploads! But not to worry, I have taken over 1000 pics so far, and we are only 1/3 of the way through. :) There will be plenty when we get home! Each picture tells a story, so I cannot wait to share them!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Blessings,
L
I am sorry it has taken me so long to update. Internet access has been less than available. :) We landed in India on the 13th, and spent 4 days in Chennai (Madras), spending time with my grandmother, eating FAARRR to much wonderful food, visiting where my dad went to school, a snake park, and a thousand little fabric, trinket & stainless steel shops. We also saw the sun rise on the Indian Ocean... they Bay of Bengal to be exact. On Sunday we went to a Tamil speaking church and my dad preached while the pastor translated. (My dad speaks Tamil, but for preaching they use a special dialect, which he said is like speaking in King James Version, so he spoke in English) and we sang away in a Manger a capella.
On Monday morning, we left at 3am for Delhi. We flew to Delhi and toured the city, then, after staying in one of the nastiest hotel ever, I was wondering if I would get flees from the mattress, and the carpet was damp 24/7, not to mention it was bright red. We left early the next morning for Agra... the Indian City of Love. :) The Taj Mahal is in the city of Agra, and no motorized vehicle is allowed in a 2 kilometer radius because of pollution, and no factories are allowed so that there is no pollution, so the city is filled with handicraft materials. Everything from bedding and hand-made rugs to hand carved marble and rose wood elephants. We got to the Taj Mahal around 6 and watched the sun rise... and Somebody asked a question, and Somebody said YES!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO RYAN & MEREDITH!!!!! (Keep end May/early June open!!)
Needless to say, we are more than a spectacle... 10 Americans traveling together. Everywhere we stop there are 10-20 beggars and sellers reaching their arms into our van trying to sell anything and everything. We have bought mini chess boards, ankle bracelets, colored elephants and much more... There is NO set price, they will tell any American at least 10 times the price, so we can usually talk them down to at least a 1/4 of the asking price, maybe less. It is quite fun. The key talk them down, and talk them down and then walk away... then they come running after you with the price you wanted.
Yesterday we headed from Agra, to Japiur... the Pink City. All the shops and buildings are covered in a redish mud clay paste, so everything looks pink, especially at sunset. When we were traveling yesterday the traffic stopped because a man had held up a few shops and was running with about 15 lacks ($600,000), so we sat on the road, with about 15 boys begging for pens near our bus, and waited for 2 hours while the police sorted everything out. The entire journey took about 8 hours.
Travel in India is very different. First, they drive on the other side of the road... most of the time. They horn is an extension of your voice, depending on how many honks and how long it can mean "I am passing you" "Please move over a little so I can get by" "You cut in front of me" "I am turning here" or "Get off the road." I have loved our drives, we see everything from boys playing cricket in the dirt with stones and women carrying cow dung patties on their head, to camels and elephants and auto rickshaws and bike rickshaws as well. We have been traveling in 12 passenger van, and most times the ac works, it has been nice.
Also, if you ever travel to India... don't forget toilet paper!! Most places now have western toilets (as opposed to a hole in the ground) but they don't have toilet paper. Often beggars will stand outside and sell napkins. :)
Thankfully we are staying in a nice hotel today and we were able to get on the Internet. I will try and upload a few pictures, but there are no promises. The one downside of having a 10 mega pixel camera is that it will kill the computer before it uploads! But not to worry, I have taken over 1000 pics so far, and we are only 1/3 of the way through. :) There will be plenty when we get home! Each picture tells a story, so I cannot wait to share them!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Blessings,
L
12.12.2006
In Malaysia
Hello from KL! (Never mind what is says, it is 8:30am on Wednesday).
After:
26 Hour in Airplanes AND 17 Hours in Airports we arrived in KL safe and will all bags!!
The computer here is not cooperating, so I don't have pictures yet, but hopefully when we get to India we can upload them!
One of our first impressions of KL, is that it feels like an American city. There are wide highways with lines (although, they don't drive like they have lines), there are green highway signs white letters... in English, and the high rises look like any American building. And even our hotel is covered with Christmas decorations. (Although, they don't quite understand, as they have the 7 dwarfs standing around a Christmas tree in the lobby, and Snow White is no where to be found).
I also didn't realize that the Malaysia doesn't really have its own culture, it is a mixture of everything else. There are Dutch, English, Portuguese, Indian, Chinese & Islamic influences, and even the Malay language is made a mish-mash of Mandarin, Arabic, Hindi & English.
The government owns most of the land, and employs a lot of the people. If you work for the government, you don't make any money, but you do get your house and car paid for, so it seems to entice most people. :) And if you some day want to move to Malaysia, don't plan on owning a foreign car, because the government, in an attempt to make sure people buy local cars, puts a 300% tax on all foreign cars, so your 7 series BMW would cost you a whopping $250,000 ($768,000 ringets).
So far we have visited a Chinatown market (anybody for a fake Rolex??), been to the top of the KL Tower, which has 360 degree views of the city, been to a chocolate factory, visited the central market with lots of little shops, almost died a few times in traffic, had lunch for $10 at an Indian restaurant (that it all 6 of us ate until we were stuffed, and even with tip it was only $3 each). Today we are taking a tour of the historic side of Kuala Lumpur and then heading to the airport, and we will be in India tonight!
L
After:
26 Hour in Airplanes AND 17 Hours in Airports we arrived in KL safe and will all bags!!
The computer here is not cooperating, so I don't have pictures yet, but hopefully when we get to India we can upload them!
One of our first impressions of KL, is that it feels like an American city. There are wide highways with lines (although, they don't drive like they have lines), there are green highway signs white letters... in English, and the high rises look like any American building. And even our hotel is covered with Christmas decorations. (Although, they don't quite understand, as they have the 7 dwarfs standing around a Christmas tree in the lobby, and Snow White is no where to be found).
I also didn't realize that the Malaysia doesn't really have its own culture, it is a mixture of everything else. There are Dutch, English, Portuguese, Indian, Chinese & Islamic influences, and even the Malay language is made a mish-mash of Mandarin, Arabic, Hindi & English.
The government owns most of the land, and employs a lot of the people. If you work for the government, you don't make any money, but you do get your house and car paid for, so it seems to entice most people. :) And if you some day want to move to Malaysia, don't plan on owning a foreign car, because the government, in an attempt to make sure people buy local cars, puts a 300% tax on all foreign cars, so your 7 series BMW would cost you a whopping $250,000 ($768,000 ringets).
So far we have visited a Chinatown market (anybody for a fake Rolex??), been to the top of the KL Tower, which has 360 degree views of the city, been to a chocolate factory, visited the central market with lots of little shops, almost died a few times in traffic, had lunch for $10 at an Indian restaurant (that it all 6 of us ate until we were stuffed, and even with tip it was only $3 each). Today we are taking a tour of the historic side of Kuala Lumpur and then heading to the airport, and we will be in India tonight!
L
12.08.2006
Signing Off...
Well, this will probably be our last post this side of the international date line! If I don't talk to you before...
Check back for posts, and hopefully pictures soon from Malaysia & India!!
L
MERRY CHRISTMAS &
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Check back for posts, and hopefully pictures soon from Malaysia & India!!
L
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures
This morning we woke up to find that the pipes had been frozen solid during the night. (Well actually all 3 boys got into the shower a few second apart and found out, I slept until they all started talking about it loudly). So, after lamenting the scene for a few minutes, they all got dressed and headed out for work. I, on the other hand, could not think of going out with my nasty greasy hair slicked to my head and an unwashed face (thank you dad for burning that into me!).
Sooo...
Once the boys were gone, I emptied the ice maker, and put it on the stove (using my resourcefulness that I get from my mother's side of the family!) and then proceeded to wash my face and hair in the stock pot. I must say, it was not half bad, although I am very glad no one was there to laugh at me, because all the ice made only about 3 inches of water, and the pot was about 15 inches deep, so everything almost to my shoulders was in the pot before I hit the water. So, although the scene did conjure up memories from my grandmother's house as a girl with my head over the sink smelling the nasty iron water as my mom washed my hair, I think I would do it again if I had to... although, I will always prefer a real shower.
L
Sooo...
Once the boys were gone, I emptied the ice maker, and put it on the stove (using my resourcefulness that I get from my mother's side of the family!) and then proceeded to wash my face and hair in the stock pot. I must say, it was not half bad, although I am very glad no one was there to laugh at me, because all the ice made only about 3 inches of water, and the pot was about 15 inches deep, so everything almost to my shoulders was in the pot before I hit the water. So, although the scene did conjure up memories from my grandmother's house as a girl with my head over the sink smelling the nasty iron water as my mom washed my hair, I think I would do it again if I had to... although, I will always prefer a real shower.
L
BBLLLUURRRRRRR
On Day 1241...
I am sorry, my faithful readers, that we have been delinquent in posting. The last two weeks has been filled with fun, and busyness... and I am not shopping for Christmas at all! In an attempt to catch you up, before we leave TOMORROW... here are a few of the highlights...
My birthday! - I celebrated no less than 4 times! I had three birthday dinners, one out with my husband, one with family, and a final one with friends (which was cooked by Ryan, Jonathon & Drew and was great!). I got my traditional carrot cake, picked out a Christmas tree, was given a vita mix!!! and was even woken up by a call from my mother, singing happy birthday... horrible flashbacks to my childhood. :)
India Preparations - I have been shopping, shopping, shopping! Thankfully my mom went ahead of us, so we can bring what is missing... so I have bought shower curtains, bug spray (which is quite a feat in December!), gifts for our Compassion kids that we are going to visit!, cardamom seeds, gifts for relatives,Emergen-C, NyQuil, sandals, travelers checks, passports and visas, luggage tags, ear plugs, sheets and much much more. Thankfully after packing last night we still had an extra bag! Although I think that all our carry-ons are overweight... who allows only 12 lbs???
Christmas Parties - We have also attended 3 Christmas parties, one for work, one for choir and one with friends. At our choir party Ryan & I managed to pick up a nice purse and cookbook from the white elephant party. :)
Driveway - Well, the men who poured our driveway were not satisfied with the result, so they have graciously agreed to pull it up and re-pour it... however they started yesterday, so now I won't be able to park my car in the garage before we leave. I am still very thankful they are doing it, but it is just another thing to remember. (I had watched every morning to make sure they hadn't started, so I could get my car out of the garage... well yesterday morning I didn't check and I went to leave and they had just put the jack-hammer to the pavement, but hadn't turned it on... thank goodness!)
Christmas Concert - Every year our church puts on a Christmas Concert, which happens the first Sunday in December. So, 3 nights, Saturday & Sunday of last week were consumed with practice. The gospel was clearly presented through the lens of Christ's humility, and really understand what is meant when John said "The Word was Made Flesh." It was an amazing time, our choir director always does a finaminal job with the program, and this year was no different.
Christmas Cards - I love sending out Christmas cards. Despite Drew telling me I was crazy, we wrote a letter, and I had addressed 160 cards... they went in the mail this morning!
OK, back to all the other things I need to do!
L
I am sorry, my faithful readers, that we have been delinquent in posting. The last two weeks has been filled with fun, and busyness... and I am not shopping for Christmas at all! In an attempt to catch you up, before we leave TOMORROW... here are a few of the highlights...
My birthday! - I celebrated no less than 4 times! I had three birthday dinners, one out with my husband, one with family, and a final one with friends (which was cooked by Ryan, Jonathon & Drew and was great!). I got my traditional carrot cake, picked out a Christmas tree, was given a vita mix!!! and was even woken up by a call from my mother, singing happy birthday... horrible flashbacks to my childhood. :)
India Preparations - I have been shopping, shopping, shopping! Thankfully my mom went ahead of us, so we can bring what is missing... so I have bought shower curtains, bug spray (which is quite a feat in December!), gifts for our Compassion kids that we are going to visit!, cardamom seeds, gifts for relatives,Emergen-C, NyQuil, sandals, travelers checks, passports and visas, luggage tags, ear plugs, sheets and much much more. Thankfully after packing last night we still had an extra bag! Although I think that all our carry-ons are overweight... who allows only 12 lbs???
Christmas Parties - We have also attended 3 Christmas parties, one for work, one for choir and one with friends. At our choir party Ryan & I managed to pick up a nice purse and cookbook from the white elephant party. :)
Driveway - Well, the men who poured our driveway were not satisfied with the result, so they have graciously agreed to pull it up and re-pour it... however they started yesterday, so now I won't be able to park my car in the garage before we leave. I am still very thankful they are doing it, but it is just another thing to remember. (I had watched every morning to make sure they hadn't started, so I could get my car out of the garage... well yesterday morning I didn't check and I went to leave and they had just put the jack-hammer to the pavement, but hadn't turned it on... thank goodness!)
Christmas Concert - Every year our church puts on a Christmas Concert, which happens the first Sunday in December. So, 3 nights, Saturday & Sunday of last week were consumed with practice. The gospel was clearly presented through the lens of Christ's humility, and really understand what is meant when John said "The Word was Made Flesh." It was an amazing time, our choir director always does a finaminal job with the program, and this year was no different.
Christmas Cards - I love sending out Christmas cards. Despite Drew telling me I was crazy, we wrote a letter, and I had addressed 160 cards... they went in the mail this morning!
OK, back to all the other things I need to do!
L
12.05.2006
12.01.2006
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
I love traditions... especially Christmas traditions. Every year Drew & I have cut down our Christmas tree and decorated it with the ornaments we buy in the places that we visit. This year the whole gang came out for the event. :) Here is the whole family (including Dodger) & Melanie on the tractor ready to head up the mountain to cut a tree. Thankfully the trees were in the shade, where it was cool... because I don't know if I could have cut down a tree is the 74 degree sunny weather!
Cutting down a tree is a family event at our house, and this year we brought our good friend Melanie, because until now... her 26th year on earth... she had never had a real tree... let alone cut it down! So here she is, loving the experience, standing next to our tree. :)
11.30.2006
The Things We Do For Fun
The Youth Leader at our church is a boy at heart. So, last week's game reflected this side of his personality. Basically you and your partner had to hold one hand, and the goal was to stomp (ahem...I mean tap) your partner's foot. The first one to three wins. Surprisingly there were no serious injuries. :) What do you do for fun?
11.28.2006
Giving Thanks
I realize this is coming a few days late, but it is never too late to give thanks, right? I thought I would list out a few things that I am thankful for this year. These are in no particular order.
1. My Church
Drew & I have finally found a church that is home. There is something very sweet about being in fellowship with people that you know, and that love you. Our first year in NC was not easy, but finally finding a church home has made this year full of blessings. We have made many new friends, of all ages. I have never been part of a church that is so giving. When we moved, people I had never met, showed up to help... in the rain. And we have been SOO blessed by helping others in the same way, moving, making meals, cleaning, babysitting or just being a friend. I don't know how to even begin to describe the amazing peace I have knowing that I am worshipping with others who's lives are focused on serving Jesus.
2. My Family
I have probably said this before, but I LOVE being part of a large family. They are my most constant friends. On my birthday last Sunday, I was woken up by a call from my mom, Meredith and two brothers calling from Malaysia to sing me happy birthday, then I was able to cut down a Christmas tree with Drew & his family, and they even made me my favorite carrot cake since my mom wasn't here to do it! And then two more phone calls from my dad & my brother Micah. And to finish off the night, my brother Ryan gave me a Birthday Card. I could not have asked for more.
3. My Best Friend
I am constantly amazed by how well Drew knows & loves me. He is my best friend, the one I talk to, vent to, and my constant partner. It is more than I could have imagined, and I am so thankful God brought him into my life. I don't know what else to say...
To Sum Up: I am loved well.
Happy Late Thanksgiving!
L
1. My Church
Drew & I have finally found a church that is home. There is something very sweet about being in fellowship with people that you know, and that love you. Our first year in NC was not easy, but finally finding a church home has made this year full of blessings. We have made many new friends, of all ages. I have never been part of a church that is so giving. When we moved, people I had never met, showed up to help... in the rain. And we have been SOO blessed by helping others in the same way, moving, making meals, cleaning, babysitting or just being a friend. I don't know how to even begin to describe the amazing peace I have knowing that I am worshipping with others who's lives are focused on serving Jesus.
2. My Family
I have probably said this before, but I LOVE being part of a large family. They are my most constant friends. On my birthday last Sunday, I was woken up by a call from my mom, Meredith and two brothers calling from Malaysia to sing me happy birthday, then I was able to cut down a Christmas tree with Drew & his family, and they even made me my favorite carrot cake since my mom wasn't here to do it! And then two more phone calls from my dad & my brother Micah. And to finish off the night, my brother Ryan gave me a Birthday Card. I could not have asked for more.
3. My Best Friend
I am constantly amazed by how well Drew knows & loves me. He is my best friend, the one I talk to, vent to, and my constant partner. It is more than I could have imagined, and I am so thankful God brought him into my life. I don't know what else to say...
To Sum Up: I am loved well.
Happy Late Thanksgiving!
L
11.23.2006
Bumpersticker of the Day
I WOULD RATHER HAVE
A GERMAN DIVISION IN FRONT OF ME
THAN A FRENCH ONE BEHIND ME
11.17.2006
11.16.2006
Are you Happy?
I always find it interesting when those who do not know the Lord try to find the meaning of happiness. The survey says that we can't even judge what will make us happy... that even though we say that having children makes us happy, according to their research that is not true. You can read the whole article here, but here are some of the findings from the survey... according to this I am pretty close to being completely happy. :) - L
According to a Pew Research Center survey, the happiest age group is men 65 and older; the least happy: men 18 to 29.
The survey also found:
Married people are happier than singles.
College grads are happier than those without a college degree.
People who were religious are happier than those who aren't.
Sunbelt residents are happier than other U.S. residents.
Republicans are happier than Democrats -- but both are happier than independents.
The survey also found:
Married people are happier than singles.
College grads are happier than those without a college degree.
People who were religious are happier than those who aren't.
Sunbelt residents are happier than other U.S. residents.
Republicans are happier than Democrats -- but both are happier than independents.
11.15.2006
In Hand
Well, after a longer-than-is-healthy wait, our visas & passports are safely in hand!!!! REJOICE!!! I can't believe that we are leaving in less than a month, my mom and two of my brothers are leaving today! I should start thinking about packing!! YIKES!
L
L
11.12.2006
11.09.2006
Fall in Asheville
This was taken across the street from our house. I LOVE FALL! (Especially in Asheville). Below are some pictures that were taken in the last few weeks while my mom, Buzz & Meredith were here... with my new camera. :) Enjoy!
Nothing Like the Rockies...
I cannot believe that it is mid-November.
I knew it would come fast, as soon as my mom got here it was 2 weeks with her, a week with Meredith, election day (Don't get me started), then fly to Idaho and before you know it, it will be Thanksgiving and then I will be leaving for India...
I am currently in Boise, Idaho visiting my best friend from college, Heather, who is getting married while I am in India. (Yay for heather, sad that I can be there). So, I am here spending a few days with her, helping with wedding plans, and a bridal shower and whatever else. :) I had forgotten how much I LOVE the mountains. There is something that feels so safe about huge rocky mountains. Not to mention that Boise, is just a fun city... full of cool coffee shops. :-D
So far, Heather and I have been to lunch, a coffee shop, two florists, proofed wedding invitations, looked at Thank you cards, visited a hair dresser/massage/make-up/pedicure place, had dinner with her fiance (and his massive dog/wolf pet) and watched a few episodes of LOST.
I am hoping to finally figure out how to download pictures off of my new camera... so you may get some random pictures soon. :)
L
I knew it would come fast, as soon as my mom got here it was 2 weeks with her, a week with Meredith, election day (Don't get me started), then fly to Idaho and before you know it, it will be Thanksgiving and then I will be leaving for India...
I am currently in Boise, Idaho visiting my best friend from college, Heather, who is getting married while I am in India. (Yay for heather, sad that I can be there). So, I am here spending a few days with her, helping with wedding plans, and a bridal shower and whatever else. :) I had forgotten how much I LOVE the mountains. There is something that feels so safe about huge rocky mountains. Not to mention that Boise, is just a fun city... full of cool coffee shops. :-D
So far, Heather and I have been to lunch, a coffee shop, two florists, proofed wedding invitations, looked at Thank you cards, visited a hair dresser/massage/make-up/pedicure place, had dinner with her fiance (and his massive dog/wolf pet) and watched a few episodes of LOST.
I am hoping to finally figure out how to download pictures off of my new camera... so you may get some random pictures soon. :)
L
11.03.2006
Vote Early & Vote Often
On Day 1206...
Well, I at least followed the first part of the statement. Today I voted. Odd, because it is Friday, not Tuesday, but apparently in Buncombe County, NC the week before election day you can vote early at the courthouse. It was nice because since we just moved I didn't know where my precinct was, so it solved that problem and I could do it before there were thousands of people in line.
Can you vote early where you are? My mother-in-law is not going to vote early because she says that half the fun of election day is standing in line with friends and talking. I guess I have never lived anywhere long enough to make friends with the people in my precinct. :-P
OK, that is all for now... just remember to VOTE!!!!
L
Well, I at least followed the first part of the statement. Today I voted. Odd, because it is Friday, not Tuesday, but apparently in Buncombe County, NC the week before election day you can vote early at the courthouse. It was nice because since we just moved I didn't know where my precinct was, so it solved that problem and I could do it before there were thousands of people in line.
Can you vote early where you are? My mother-in-law is not going to vote early because she says that half the fun of election day is standing in line with friends and talking. I guess I have never lived anywhere long enough to make friends with the people in my precinct. :-P
OK, that is all for now... just remember to VOTE!!!!
L
11.02.2006
Visa Issues
My Dad is My Hero.
Well, in preparation for our trip in December, not only do you need a passport (my first one expired 8 years ago :-P), for India we need a Visa as well.
If you think our government is slow, try theirs. I am positive that all of the employees in the Washington D.C. Indian Embassy are individuals who were "promoted" from some other government office, because of their amazing ability to do nothing 8 hours a day for years on end. According to the paperwork it takes 10 working days from when they get your paperwork. Well, I sent ours on Oct 3, and as of yesterday as still not received the return receipt let alone our passports with that lovely little stamp. So, three days ago I started calling...
I probably called 30 times. (They are only open for inquiries from 9:30-12:30). No one EVER answers the phone, AND all of the mailboxes are full, so there is no possible way to even leave a message. I was beginning to get nervous when the Calvary arrived...
They must have a special hotline for Indians because they answered my dad's call AND they even answered his questions!! And thankfully our visas are in the mail. I won't rejoice properly until I have my passport back in my hands, but I am very thankful for dad's... especially Indian ones. :)
L
Well, in preparation for our trip in December, not only do you need a passport (my first one expired 8 years ago :-P), for India we need a Visa as well.
If you think our government is slow, try theirs. I am positive that all of the employees in the Washington D.C. Indian Embassy are individuals who were "promoted" from some other government office, because of their amazing ability to do nothing 8 hours a day for years on end. According to the paperwork it takes 10 working days from when they get your paperwork. Well, I sent ours on Oct 3, and as of yesterday as still not received the return receipt let alone our passports with that lovely little stamp. So, three days ago I started calling...
I probably called 30 times. (They are only open for inquiries from 9:30-12:30). No one EVER answers the phone, AND all of the mailboxes are full, so there is no possible way to even leave a message. I was beginning to get nervous when the Calvary arrived...
They must have a special hotline for Indians because they answered my dad's call AND they even answered his questions!! And thankfully our visas are in the mail. I won't rejoice properly until I have my passport back in my hands, but I am very thankful for dad's... especially Indian ones. :)
L
10.23.2006
10.20.2006
10.12.2006
Passing
Andrew's paternal grandfather Earl went home to be with the Lord early this morning. Although it is never easy, there is a peace that comes from knowing he knew the Lord, and that he has lived a long (92 years), blessed life.
Andrew & I will be driving to eastern NC tomorrow for the funeral.
Please pray for his grandmother Helen, their 8 children and many grand & great-grand children.
Blessings,
L
Andrew & I will be driving to eastern NC tomorrow for the funeral.
Please pray for his grandmother Helen, their 8 children and many grand & great-grand children.
Blessings,
L
10.10.2006
10.09.2006
Life Without Internet Access
On Day 1181...
It is hard to imagine that in 2006 some people do not have access to the internet, but I think that we could qualify for some sort of "unplugged" prize. Although, our cell phones do work at home, the development we just moved into has not run phone or cable lines... so until that glorious day we are forced to live in the dark ages. :)
Here is a Top 10 List from the past few weeks:
(in case you were wondering what we have been up to)
10. Dealing with the ramifications of having my purse stolen.
My mother-in-law got a call late one night saying that someone had found my check book in a parking lot on the other side of town. They called her because I am not in the phone book, thank goodness she is related to me. The offenders also made a bunch of charges during the 24 hours before they shut my work credit card off. Thankfully they like junk food, gasoline & subway more than electronics, clothes and cars. :)
It is hard to imagine that in 2006 some people do not have access to the internet, but I think that we could qualify for some sort of "unplugged" prize. Although, our cell phones do work at home, the development we just moved into has not run phone or cable lines... so until that glorious day we are forced to live in the dark ages. :)
Here is a Top 10 List from the past few weeks:
(in case you were wondering what we have been up to)
10. Dealing with the ramifications of having my purse stolen.
My mother-in-law got a call late one night saying that someone had found my check book in a parking lot on the other side of town. They called her because I am not in the phone book, thank goodness she is related to me. The offenders also made a bunch of charges during the 24 hours before they shut my work credit card off. Thankfully they like junk food, gasoline & subway more than electronics, clothes and cars. :)
9. Cooking
There are four women in our church that have just had/are having babies in the month of October. One who is having twins!! So, Saturday Drew, Ryan & I spend the day cooking up a storm. We made 4 batches of chicken noodle soup, 2 pans of layered meat loaf, loads of cookies & 2 pumpkin pies to distribute on Sunday.
8. Youth Group
Our church has started a great new study, it is called The Person of Jesus study. It is discussion based and going through different attributes of Christ, honesty, compassion etc. If you have not done the study I would strongly recommend it. I have been teaching it to the middle school girls twice a month. And next week we are having the entire youth group (40+ kids) over to our house for a cookout and game night. It should be crazy :)
7. Landscaping
Since we only plan to stay in this house 2 years, we are trying to get as many plants into the ground this fall as possible so that when we put it on the market a year from this June the potential buyers will be so overwhelmed by the cuteness of house, that they will make a full price offer on the spot. I am sure that my viney pink flowers growing all over the porch and the thousands of tulips and daffodils will go a long way toward this end. Not to mention the mums, japanese maple, nandina, holly, asters & black-eyed susans. They say that landscaping makes the difference... I hope they (whoever that may be) are right. :) I will post pictures once I get a new camera.
6. Mailbox
We finally have a mailbox at our house! It may sound small, but to have a mailbox, and a number on your house goes a long way toward getting you mail. The fact that we were told the wrong zip code and didn't find out until last week has set us back a bit, but Fed Ex has found us... now we just need to get the post office & UPS to find the house and we will be good to go!
5. Camera - The Canon Rebel XTi
I have been researching cameras for a while now. I have been saving for over a year for the perfect camera. An SLR, but nothing huge, one that I won't hate carrying around with me throughout our Malaysia & India trip, but big enough that it can take nice pictures. Well, I have found it. 10 Mega Pixels, automatic (for the lazy me) and manual (for the person I want to be). Drew & I are taking a 1 day Digital Photography class this month and I hope to take a class at the local community college in the spring. :) (Jen, I wish you lived closer so I could follow you around... sadly I will just have to enjoy seeing your pictures).
4. Furniture
It has been a long time in coming, but we finally have something to sit on!! When we moved in all of our dingy college furniture moved to the Bonus Room, and our main level was left practically bare. There were 2 folding chairs, and I made a bar stool using one of the chairs and my little step stool, but it was far from comfortable. After many many hours of looking I finally decided on some bar stools (thank you BBB clearance) but they had to be shipped from Kentucky... so last Monday they arrived (as I said before, Fed Ex has been the only one to find our house) and Ryan spend many hours putting them together. But we now can eat breakfast sitting, not standing. And then Saturday, the couch arrived, so it is beginning to really feel like a house! Now all we need is a rug and a fire in the fireplace. :)
3. FALL IS HERE!
Fall in the mountains is one of the most beautiful things on earth. I wait all year long for the temperature to drop, and the leaves to start changing and pull out my sweat shirts and jeans. Growing up in Utah fall was the month of September, but now in NC, fall is September - November and I LOVE it! The leaves are just beginning to change, and the temp has been a consistent 65 for 3 weeks now, and it is supposed to continue for at least that long. Hopefully Mom, Buzz & Meredith will be able to enjoy it with us... which leads me to my next point...
2. Visitors!
My mom and my youngest brother will be here a week from today!! They are going to be here for 2 weeks, just spending time with us (and maybe doing a few projects... hint hint mom :). The 2 bedrooms have clean sheets and by the end of the day they should have lights that work, and a bathroom to use with towels and a shower curtain. :) I can't wait!!! AND, Ryan's girlfriend Meredith is also coming to visit. Her trip will overlap a little with my mom, so it should be a continuous party!
1. Trips
And finally, I will be taking one short trip before we leave for India. I booked my tickets yesterday. One of my best friends from college, and the maid of honor in my wedding, is getting married!!! Sadly, I will be out of the country on her wedding day, so I am flying out for her bridal shower and to spend a few more days with her before she becomes Heather Jennings. :)
L
9.26.2006
9.25.2006
Date Night
Thanks to a friend, I found out about Nickel Creek coming through town, so I bought tickets and planned to surprise Drew. (I didn't make it, I told him a week ago where we were going.) I can remember the last time we went out for the evening, the house has consumed us of late. We had an amazing time, the concert was in Greenville, SC so we drove down (about an hour) and had dinner at this great little brick oven pizza place downtown, wandered around, had coffee and then walked to the concert. It was an amazing show... there CDs do not do them justice. They are some of the most talented musicians I have every seen. They sang many of their own songs, and sang Brittany Spears' Toxic (I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard), and Chris (L in pic) even played and entire movement of one of Bach's symphonies on his mandolin. My favorite was probably "Short People Got No Reason To Live" (Sarah H, if you haven't heard the song, you need to find it and listen to it). and the reason it was so great was because Sara (who sang it) and her brother Sean (R in pic) are TINY people... probably less than 5' although I am not sure. Anyway, it was an amazing evening and a great time to spend with my husband. So, if you hear of Nickel Creek coming through your town some time between now and the end of 2007 (when the are taking a "break of indefinite length") you should go and see them.
L
9.21.2006
Not What I Needed
Well, as I stated in my last post, I managed to catch something awful while I was in VA for the wedding. So, last Friday I left work early, walked in, put my things on the counter and walked straight out to my hammock swing for a little relax time before Andrew came home.
Well, I was awakened by screeching tires, and watched as a red truck pulled away from my house. I immediately ran inside only to see that my purse was gone. They had gone into the house and taken my purse.
So, needless to say we never made it to the fair on Friday... I spent the afternoon turning off my credit cards, clamping down on my bank accounts, changing locks and filing a police report. And although this has been a horrible ordeal there are still many things to be thankful for:
1. They left me alone.
2. They only took my purse.
3. I took my phone out to my chair with me.
4. I stopped everything fast enough, so they didn't spend any money.
5. Andrew had all the same cards, so I was able to turn them off within 20 minutes.
6. The left my car keys, which were sitting on top of my purse.
Sadly, they did get my purse with my millions of cards, (credit, debit, business, skymiles number, ymca, library etc.), digital camera (no pics for a while), my jump drive and all of my chapstick it could have been much much worse, and I am very thankful that it was only my purse.
L
PS I had been on the fence, but it has been confirmed that we need a big dog.
Well, I was awakened by screeching tires, and watched as a red truck pulled away from my house. I immediately ran inside only to see that my purse was gone. They had gone into the house and taken my purse.
So, needless to say we never made it to the fair on Friday... I spent the afternoon turning off my credit cards, clamping down on my bank accounts, changing locks and filing a police report. And although this has been a horrible ordeal there are still many things to be thankful for:
1. They left me alone.
2. They only took my purse.
3. I took my phone out to my chair with me.
4. I stopped everything fast enough, so they didn't spend any money.
5. Andrew had all the same cards, so I was able to turn them off within 20 minutes.
6. The left my car keys, which were sitting on top of my purse.
Sadly, they did get my purse with my millions of cards, (credit, debit, business, skymiles number, ymca, library etc.), digital camera (no pics for a while), my jump drive and all of my chapstick it could have been much much worse, and I am very thankful that it was only my purse.
L
PS I had been on the fence, but it has been confirmed that we need a big dog.
9.15.2006
Wedded Bliss
I am sorry this post is so long in coming, I somehow managed to catch something awful and have been under the weather since last Saturday. But, on to the wedding. Last Thursday I left the boys at home and headed to VA for the wedding of one of my college roommates, Dana. We lived together in the dorms during the summer, and during the school year we shared a full-time position. We had a great time living together, we made a road trip to NYC to see Shakespeare in the Park and one crazy trip to NC. Friday afternoon 9/8 she married Brooks Lampe and a little tiny church north of Leesburg. It was a beautiful wedding, that lasted 1 1/2 hours. We then headed to a nearby winery for the reception. We had a great time, and I was even able to catch up with many old friends who were in town for the occasion. I stayed in VA through Monday and was able to catch up with all of my VA pals before heading home. It was a great trip.
I also listened to the book The Secret Life Of Bees on the drive up and back. Has anyone read the book??? What were you thoughts? I am not sure what to think. ok... ttfn.
Off to have lunch with my handsome hubby and then take enjoy the BEAUTIFUL fall weather at the fair. :)
9.07.2006
9.06.2006
Blogger Hates Me.
Well, Dear Readers...
This post has been a long time in coming. I started it two days ago and blogger will not cooperate, it either crashes, or won't let me post pictures (hence the fact that they are posted individually below instead of part of the post). Hopefully you will even get to read this!
Our life has been crazy to put it mildly... so instead of trying to break it up and furniture out what happened when, I will update you on what has happened since I last posted...
So here goes... Last Tuesday we finished packing and thanks to many wonderful friends we loaded up the moving van and had loaded, driven to the new house, eaten pizza and unloaded the truck in 2.25 hours... yes, my friends, it was amazing. And God was watching over us... we had to be out of our apartment on Thursday, but we had commitments on Wednesday so Tuesday was our only day to move... however Thanks to Ernesto it has been raining constantly, however God held off the rain the entire time, and it began POURING only as the last piece of furniture was coming off the truck.
Wednesday & Thursday were spent cleaning out our old apartment (which was spotlessly clean by the time I was done... except for the freezer I forgot to clean out... oops), and attempting to pass our final inspection. We have managed to find the most inept inspector this side of the Mississippi... he turned us down TWICE because a 2 inch piece of insulation was missing... augh.
But, At Last, on Friday... We passed our final inspection, closed on our house all at the same time. We now own our first house... (ok so 76% of it belongs to Wells Fargo, and the remaining 24% belongs to us..., but that is neither here nor there.) And to celebrate... we promptly left town. :)
Friday night we headed to Charlotte to stay with Drew's brother Jonathon. He made us an amazing dinner and we stayed up too late playing Super Mario Brothers... ahhh the good old days.
Saturday morning we headed to Charleston, SC where Ryan became a father... He is now the proud owner of a Gibson ??? (you will have to ask him for the actual name, the picture is below.) You couldn't wipe the silly grin off of his face for hours, and he would just stare at her, not even picking her up. He was lost to the rest of the world.
While we were in Charleston we visited all the local shops, ate tons of seafood, visited rainbow row, wondered the streets, and walked along the ocean, visited Fort Sumpter and sweated until you couldn't sweat any more. It was a whirlwind but a great trip.
On Monday we went furniture shopping, and I found the perfect couch. So, 5 weeks from yesterday we will have something to sit on... (which is probably about how long it will take to get it clean!).
And finally... yesterday was our first night in the new house (the power finally got turned on) and we spent 4 hours last night attempting to make it livable... we put up the shower curtain rods, dug up some towels and bedding and I even found silverware! Even though it is a mess, it feels like home. It probably has something to do with the fact that I put up the hammock chair my mom gave me for Christmas. We need two more because all we do is fight over it. It is absolutely heavenly reclining in a chair/hammock on my front porch around sunset... or any time really...
Ok, off to unpack a few more boxes...(and pack for my weekend trip to VA, for one of my college roommate's weddings).
L
This post has been a long time in coming. I started it two days ago and blogger will not cooperate, it either crashes, or won't let me post pictures (hence the fact that they are posted individually below instead of part of the post). Hopefully you will even get to read this!
Our life has been crazy to put it mildly... so instead of trying to break it up and furniture out what happened when, I will update you on what has happened since I last posted...
So here goes... Last Tuesday we finished packing and thanks to many wonderful friends we loaded up the moving van and had loaded, driven to the new house, eaten pizza and unloaded the truck in 2.25 hours... yes, my friends, it was amazing. And God was watching over us... we had to be out of our apartment on Thursday, but we had commitments on Wednesday so Tuesday was our only day to move... however Thanks to Ernesto it has been raining constantly, however God held off the rain the entire time, and it began POURING only as the last piece of furniture was coming off the truck.
Wednesday & Thursday were spent cleaning out our old apartment (which was spotlessly clean by the time I was done... except for the freezer I forgot to clean out... oops), and attempting to pass our final inspection. We have managed to find the most inept inspector this side of the Mississippi... he turned us down TWICE because a 2 inch piece of insulation was missing... augh.
But, At Last, on Friday... We passed our final inspection, closed on our house all at the same time. We now own our first house... (ok so 76% of it belongs to Wells Fargo, and the remaining 24% belongs to us..., but that is neither here nor there.) And to celebrate... we promptly left town. :)
Friday night we headed to Charlotte to stay with Drew's brother Jonathon. He made us an amazing dinner and we stayed up too late playing Super Mario Brothers... ahhh the good old days.
Saturday morning we headed to Charleston, SC where Ryan became a father... He is now the proud owner of a Gibson ??? (you will have to ask him for the actual name, the picture is below.) You couldn't wipe the silly grin off of his face for hours, and he would just stare at her, not even picking her up. He was lost to the rest of the world.
While we were in Charleston we visited all the local shops, ate tons of seafood, visited rainbow row, wondered the streets, and walked along the ocean, visited Fort Sumpter and sweated until you couldn't sweat any more. It was a whirlwind but a great trip.
On Monday we went furniture shopping, and I found the perfect couch. So, 5 weeks from yesterday we will have something to sit on... (which is probably about how long it will take to get it clean!).
And finally... yesterday was our first night in the new house (the power finally got turned on) and we spent 4 hours last night attempting to make it livable... we put up the shower curtain rods, dug up some towels and bedding and I even found silverware! Even though it is a mess, it feels like home. It probably has something to do with the fact that I put up the hammock chair my mom gave me for Christmas. We need two more because all we do is fight over it. It is absolutely heavenly reclining in a chair/hammock on my front porch around sunset... or any time really...
Ok, off to unpack a few more boxes...(and pack for my weekend trip to VA, for one of my college roommate's weddings).
L
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