5 on Friday

Whew, long time no blog.  I've been keeping my book posts up to date because they are a great resource to look back on.  In the craziness of this semester, the blog has fallen by the wayside.  But I am writing this post on a Thursday, and, as of right now, I only have one more assignment due!  I'm taking a Praxis test next week too, but it's the ELA one (and, thanks to my incredible ELA content professor, I feel VERY well prepared!).

So I am celebrating by posting, and it's my favorite type of post...5 on Friday!

O     N     E

As I just mentioned, I am almost done with this semester.  It has been so hard, but I have also loved it.  One thing that has helped me get through this semester is the wonderful people I get to learn with and from!

This is one of my classes at a local Pho restaurant.  Seriously, I have an incredible cohort.  There are 8 of us doing the middle level MAT, and I think each of my fellow classmates is pretty incredible.  I am so thankful for all of our group texts and social events.

T     W     O

It's December, which, in Vermont, means SNOW!

Last year, we had a really mild winter.  I was sort of thankful for that.  It's nice to not be totally frozen all winter.  But I missed the snow!  I am glad that we have already gotten some snow here.  It's snowing a little today, and we have snow on the forecast for this weekend and next week.  Vermont is just magical looking all covered with snow.

Plus, it never hurts to have a white Christmas!

T     H     R     E     E

A couple of days before Thanksgiving, Bech and I had a cocktail party for some church friends.  Bech made rosemary gimlets, and I laid out a cheese board (complete with baked brie!).  Friends brought more appetizers and drinks (and no kids!).

We had the BEST time.  We have a great group of church friends, but we haven't gotten to spend a lot of time all together this fall.  The guys do guys nights, and the girls do girls nights (which is almost always just an excuse to drink margaritas and eat nachos together #nachoaveragechurch).  It was wonderful to just spend time all together.

Plus, the baked brie did not hurt.

F     O     U     R

I am almost completely done with my Christmas shopping!  Woohoo!

I know Christmas shopping is stressful for some people, but I really enjoy it.  The only part that is stressful is paying for it all.  This year, though, I tutored a girl for the PSAT this fall, and put all of that money aside so that I could pay for most of the Christmas presents.  It worked out really well.

And it's perfect timing, because we head to Mississippi a week from Saturday.  We are all SO excited.  I am extra excited because this is Gil's first flight to have his own seat.  I am going to bring his car seat with us and have him sit in it during the flight.  Has anyone else ever done that?  Any tips?

F     I     V     E

I've written before about my love for Advent.  I love this season right before Christmas. 

Last year, we read through this book (by Ann Voskamp) together, and we are doing it again this year.  I love this book so much.  There have been a few nights where I am holding back tears as I read the final paragraph.  I can tell a huge difference in Jack's comprehension and engagement with the book this year.  He is listening and is talking about it afterward.  

If you are looking for a way to prepare for Christmas with your kids, I would highly suggest this book!

There we go.  Five very random things!

5 on Friday

We are back in Vermont and back in the swing of life here again.  So time for my favorite post, 5 on Friday!

O     N     E

We had the most amazing weather while we were in Mississippi.  The boys ran around in shorts most days.  Jack even got in the pool last Sunday.

This is how Vermont welcomed us back.  Nice to see you too, winter.

T     W      O

This happened a couple of weeks ago, but I do want to put it up on my blog.

Jack had a field trip to go maple sugaring and I got to chaperone.  SO fun.  I felt like I was in Little House in the Big Woods.  We learned all about sugaring.  We tasted the sap, tapped some maple trees, collected the sap, and learned about how they cook the sap down to make maple syrup.  We even tasted some different grades of maple syrup.  This is us in front of a sugaring house where they boil the sap down.

T     H     R     E     E

I can't remember if I've mentioned this on my blog yet, but I am getting super into podcasts.  I've been listening to The Big Book Cast for over a year, but that was it.  

My current favorite is The Happy Hour With Jamie Ivey.  Y'all, I LOVE this podcast.  She is just talking to a guest for an hour.  It's super conversational, like they are just at happy hour with each other.  It makes me happy.  And it makes me clean more!  I pull out Mrs. Meyers surface spray in Basil (check out epantry for a great price), put on The Happy Hour, and clean.

Yes, I am aware that I live a SUPER exciting life.  You can be jealous all you want.  Sometimes I even have to pause the podcast to find a lego piece for Jack.

Other podcasts that I have been listening to: Here To Make Friends (Bachelor recap), Personality Hacker (all about Myers Briggs), Sorta Awesome, and The Popcast with Knox and Jamie.  With these, I sort of pick and choose random episodes.

F     O     U     R

As you might have picked up on in my last post, Gil is, how shall we say, sort of a grump.  Actually, I would describe him instead as a passionate little fellow.  When he is happy, he is OH SO happy.  When he is mad or grumpy, well stay away!  

We do have a little trick up our sleeve though, and that is the beautiful, raspy voiced Ellie Holcomb.  Gil Evans LOVES Ellie's music.  I don't even remember how we figured this out, but if he is throwing a fit, Ellie is a sure fire way to calm him down.  He loves to dance to her songs.

Ellie, want to come do a show in Vermont and make one little 18 month old's day?

F     I     V     E

I don't know why I struggle so much with the fifth point every week?  Maybe I should just make this a four on Friday.  Is that a thing?  Can I make it a thing?

Also, Gil was throwing a fit, so we are currently watching the video of "Broken Beautiful."  Jack used to love to watch Taylor Swift's videos at this age, and as much as I love TSwift, I appreciate Gil's love for Ellie a little more!

Alright, everyone have a wonderful weekend!  I'll just be curled up inside in snowy Vermont!

Five on Friday

My favorite post!

O     N     E

We have had a rough last couple of weeks.  After Gil was born, he was jaundiced for almost 3 months, because he wasn't hemolysing my blood (and he had a positive Coomb's test).  Please don't ask me what that means, because I don't totally know.  Anyway, in December, after 4 blood test to check his bilirubin levels, my pediatrician suggested we also test his liver function, just because we hadn't done that yet and his bili levels had been elevated for so long.

His liver enzyme levels came back high, but our doctor wasn't worried.  He just figured it was because of those bili levels and that the enzyme levels would go back down.  He told us to test again in January.

But in January, those levels had more than doubled!  So last Friday, Bech and I took Gil to a bigger hospital in Danville, about 1 hour and 15 minutes away.

The doctor there didn't seem too worried about Gil's levels, because he looks healthy and he is a really happy baby.  A lot of the things that could be wrong because of high levels would result in a jaundiced baby (and all of his jaundice is gone) with other signs that Gil doesn't have.

They drew a bunch more blood (arm draws on babies are officially the WORST) and we have a liver ultrasound test next week.  It may be that the enzymes just clear themselves up (and they have already gone down a little!) and that's that.  We can then just assume that Gil had some little virus that inflamed his liver and his body took care of it.  That is what we are hoping for, and that is what the doctor is thinking it is right now.

Here's sweet Gil after being poked, prodded, and having a ridiculous amount of blood drawn.  

This kid is a trooper!

T     W     O

Weight Watchers is still going well.  As of this past Sunday, my weigh in day, I have lost of 8 pounds in 4 weeks.   Not bad!

I am aware that things will get a little more difficult soon.  Right now I get 14 extra points a day because I am exclusively breastfeeding.  But Gil will be on to solids soon, and I will lose 7 of those extra points.  But I'm hoping it will get slightly warmer by then and maybe I can earn some activity points by walking.

T     H     R     E     E

Do any of y'all do swagbucks?  My sister got me started on it in November.  I earned some Amazon gift cards and used those for Christmas presents.

This year, I have gotten pretty serious about it.  Since the beginning of the year, I have earned almost $100.  I am trying to save up and pay for all of Christmas with it, as well as buy some airline miles.

In case you don't know what it is, you can sign up here, through my referral link. You get points by searching the web, filling out surveys, watching videos, etc.  I have earned so much by using the mobile app.  When I am home and connected to wifi, I just set my phone to run through the videos.  I make the daily goal each day, and I earn extra points each month for that.  

F     O     U     R

This is our outside view for right now!

There is so much snow!  And the temperature is staying so cold that it isn't melting.

I actually don't mind it too much.  I think snow is gorgeous, and our apartment is toasty warm inside.  We keep the kids bundled up really well.  The only not fun part is starting the car in the morning.  Today is was 12 degrees when we left the house!

F     I     V     E

While I don't mind the cold, I am still really excited about spring break.  Jack has a week off of school and we are headed back down south (thank you frequent flier miles!).

I literally got giddy the other day as I realized what always opens during spring break...Miss Gussies!  You can see evidence of my snow cone love here.  I'm pretty sure eating a lot of snow cones will not work with Weight Watchers, but I plan on splurging on one or two fresh lemon sours.

I also plan on enjoying the warm weather!  We have been so bundled up here.  It will be nice to put the boys in some warmer clothes, because that probably won't happen in PA until maybe late April (but more likely May).  And Jack is so excited to get so see all of his grandparents!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  We have lots of plans--a party tonight for a friend, a hair cut tomorrow, and a girls night tomorrow, plus lots of job application filling out for Bech!

5 on Friday

O     N     E

I finally updated my blog!  Now you can tell that we have 2 kids...poor Gil was getting the shaft.

I made the header and the about me using picmonkey and tutorials from Through Clouded Glass.  It's super easy to do!

T     W     O

I blogged last week about the 4 month sleep regression.  

Well we have been in hardcore sleep training around here.  I was totally slow on actually working with Gil on this.  It was just easier to rock him to sleep.  But we have been doing lots of cry it out and it's working!  He is learning how to self soothe and put himself to sleep (and back to sleep).  Last night I fed him three times (I'm not going to work on cutting that out anytime soon because he is little and does his best nursing at night) and then went in one other time to check on him because he was crying.  I patted his head and let him cry a little more and he was asleep in a couple of minutes!

Of course, the first couple nights were not that easy, but I really do think he is getting there!  And I feel like a different person once I got a little more sleep (imagine what a full night will feel like!).

I read some chapters from this book, and they really helped.  

T     H     R     E     E

An update on Weight Watchers.  After the second weeks weigh in, I had lost a total of 4 1/2 pounds.  Not bad!

These are my current favorite dessert.  They are tiny little ice creams that are 2 points each...perfect!

I am also still loving all of the new recipes from my SkinnyTaste cookbook.

F     O     U     R

We got some snow this week!  It snowed a little earlier this week and then off and on all day Wednesday.  

Which means outside looks like this!  Beautiful, right?

I just checked out the weather app, and it looks like we are due for some more snow this weekend.  Jack absolutely loves playing in the snow (and Bech is a sweet daddy who plays with him!).  I think we will have a fun weekend, with lots of playing outside and hot cocoa inside!

F     I     V     E

I finally started reading Bread and Wine and it is every bit as amazing as I thought it would be.  It's been on my kindle for a while (my family shares an account), but I didn't read it.  It just seemed like the sort of book I would want to own and hold in my hands.  And I was completely right.

I am sure I will end up writing a whole post on my love for this book, but for now, just know that it is such a good book.  I am loving every page of it (and I can't wait to try some of the recipes!).

Have a wonderful weekend!

Playing Catch Up

Actually, I feel like perhaps every blog post lately could have this title!  Life is just a little crazy over here at the Evans house right now--full of school, doctors visits, crying babies, wild and fun toddlers--you know, the normal.

So here's a little catch up of life lately:

T     H     A     N     K     S     G     I     V     I     N     G

We stuck around State College for Thanksgiving this year.  We had plans to spend time with two different groups on Thursday.  But on Tuesday night, we both just looked at each other and said, "Let's cancel and just stay  home."  It was the perfect decision for us this year!  I got a little sad on Thanksgiving night, but other than that, we mostly just enjoyed being lazy and staying in our pj's half the day!

The day before Thanksgiving we got probably 6 inches of snow.  I'm with Lorelai--I think the first snow is magical!

This little guy is showing his Vermont roots.  He LOVED the snow.  He played in it for several hours both Wednesday and Thursday.

This guy, not so much.  We didn't stay out for long, because it was cold.  But he wasn't a huge fan.  

But I think he did enjoy being our little Turkey!

Seriously, how cute is that baby butt with feathers on it???

B     O     T     T     L     E

So Jack was a champ at taking a bottle.  Actually, Jack was just a champ at eating in general.

A quick reminder picture.  Jack the CHUNK!  As my friend said last night, Jack didn't have a neck for at least the first year of his life!

Gil is not the same way.  If he isn't really hungry, he doesn't care to eat.  And he doesn't want to eat too much.  He's just a little pickier.  And I didn't start him on the bottle soon enough.

I'm not trying to wean; I just want to be able to leave him for more than 2 1/2 hours before I need to be back again.  So I put a cry for help on facebook, gathered up all of the advice, and put it to action!

And this, my friends, is the result.  Actually this picture is from last week, and he only drank an ounce.  Yesterday, he had two bottles instead of nursing sessions, and he did great!  One was 4 ounces!

So here's what advice helped:

* Try out different bottles.  We tried out our Dr. Brown's (we have TONS because that's what Jack used), Medela (came with the pump), Nuk (borrowed from a friend), and Tommee Tippee (borrowed from a friend).  If those didn't work, I was going to order the Adiri because I have heard they are great. But he seems to really like the Tommee Tippee the best.

* Warm the milk.  Again, Jack just wanted to eat...you could serve him cold milk and he would gulp it down!  Baby Gil, not so much.  So warming the milk is really important.

* Have someone other than mom feed him.  I've asked a few friends to try and Bech has been trying.  Although for the second bottle feed yesterday, I was able to feed him!

* Don't feed him when he is already angry/upset/hungry!  I think this is perhaps the biggest advice that helped.  I tried giving him the bottle after feedings or when he first woke up but wasn't really fussing.  This method has been really helpful.  Hopefully, we will soon be to the point where we don't have to do this, but I think it is helping him calmly get used to the bottle.

So hopefully that will help someone out.

C     H     R     I     S     T     M     A     S

We are in full swing Christmas excitement around here.  I'm going to be honest, we aren't really doing the Anne Voskamp book at night.  I tried it the first night, and I think it's still just a little over Jack's head.  Hopefully next year will be different.  But Jack loves to read about Mary and Joseph going to "Beckleham."

I absolutely love Christmas and I love Christmas decorations.  Jack is the perfect little guy for me, because he gets so excited about all things Christmas (Bech, not so much!).

My mom sent a package with some dollar store Christmas happies for Jack.  I wrapped them one night and put them under the tree, thinking we could open one a day for the next several days.  Jack gets up REALLY early and comes into our room.  We always send him back to his room, telling him to play quietly.  Well last week after I wrapped the presents, he didn't go back to his room.  I came downstairs 15 minutes later and he had unwrapped every last present!  He was so excited.  I'm pretty he thought that was Christmas morning.  

So, yeah, we need to work on that waiting to open presents thing...

B     A     B     Y   *   G     I     L

Baby Gil is finally coming out of his colicky stage.  As long as he stays on his schedule, he is a happy, smiley little guy.  He still has a little bit of a witching hour at night, but I think part of that is because we don't get him down at time (putting two kids to bed is tough!).

I tried to get him to smile in this picture, but instead, he gave me his emo face.

We are pretty crazy about this little (almost 3 month old!) baby.  Jack loves to make him smile and tells Gil that he is his favorite.  

M     I     S     S     I     S     S     I     P     P     I

We head home in less than a week!  We will be in Mississippi for a little over 2 weeks and I can't wait. I plan on taking a nap EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Do you hear that, family?  Every day.

I also plan on playing family board games, eating yummy sushi, lots of laughs, and lots of resting.  I am worn out!  And I am sure that my family will be happy to hold Baby Gil and give me a break!

We are flying home this year.  I don't mind the drive home (we love staying with our friends in Nashville).  But I didn't really want to do it with a 3 month old.  We would have had to stop every 3 hours for almost 30 minutes each time!  That adds almost 3 hours to our trip time!  

So instead, we are flying with a 3 month old and 3 1/2 year old.  Really, I'm not sure which idea would have been crazier!  Jack was a dream to fly with at this age, so let's hope Gil will be too.  And I plan on bringing Jack's kindle with a new movie loaded and some Dimeatap (just being real, y'all).  I think we will get through it!

Back to the ole blog!

Remember when I used to actually post on my blog?

Yeah, me neither.

Seriously, the past two months have been tough.  I started work, Jack started daycare, Bech started his second semester of grad school (complete with 2 night classes!).  There have been several nights where we have waddled in the door (due to our puffy jackets) at almost 6 and eaten cereal for dinner.  

So what have I not blogged about the past two months?

Well...for starters it has been CRAZY cold and snowy.

We are getting pretty good at driving in the midst of snow storms.  This winter has been rough.  I know it's been tough on the south too, which is really saying something. 

I am hoping that the winter is almost over.  This weekend we are getting up to the 40's, which seems downright toasty to me right now.  Even poor Jack is done with this weather.  The past two mornings while I put on his coat, he has cried and said, "I not like the cold."  

Me too, buddy, me too.

The long weekdays have made the weekends more special.  We have tried to enjoy our time together.

One weekend, we made the almost 10 hour trek to Nashville and back for my goddaughter's dedication.  It was a lot of time in the car, but totally worth it.  We love our sweet friends there and are always happy to spend time with them!

We went to get some BBQ for Valentine's Day.  Here's my little lovebug in his VDay shirt from Bella.

Finally, my child likes fries!  I was getting a little worried about him.

We've gotten to spend some time with State College friends, too.  This is Jack and his buddy Preston.  They are 9 months apart, but Jack LOVES Preston.

He used to show his affection by pushing him down, but lately they've just been playing Thomas together.  Much better!

We've had several other meals with friends, which is wonderful.  We have some sweet, sweet friends up here.  

We also have a sweet church, which we joined this past month!

 Finally, here is a picture of Jack from yesterday.  His Nina (Bech's mom) sent him a Mardi Gras shirt.  How old does my little boy look here?  I can't even handle it.  No more Baby Jack.  Heck, I'm not even sure I can get away with Toddler Jack for much longer!

So that's a brief summary of the past two months.  Honestly, there have just been a lot nights in, cuddling and watching Tarzan for the umpteenth time.  We are ready for some warmth and some sunshine!

Another game of catch up...

Life is crazy crazy crazy right now!  I am going to try to get up to speed, but I am exhausted so this post will be ALL over the place!

Two weekends ago, Jack started getting sick.  I took him to the doctor Monday, and poor Jackie boy was diagnosed with pneumonia.

A week and a half later, after 10 days of antibiotics and 3 doctors visits, we are finally finished with it!  Jack was a trooper.  He had a couple of rough nights, but he took his medicine like a champ.

Gosh, I love this kid.

But, since he got sick at the start of our last week at home together, we spent most of the week cuddled up on the couch or playing legos and trains at home.  Fun, yes, but not what I had in mind for my last week home--I was imagining the library every day, a couple of "chicky christy" (Chick-fil-a) visits, etc.

This past Monday, I started my job!

Sidenote, I'm not sure how much I am allowed to say about my job.  I was pretty vague about my teaching job last year as well.  Last fall I interviewed for a position at Penn State.  They liked me, but I wasn't as qualified as HR was requiring for the hire.  I got a call in December about doing an interim job for them.  So I will be working for a little over 3 months, filling in for a girl who had the chance to be part of a program abroad.  

Since it is interim, the pay is not amazing, but I am glad to be doing something!  Already, I think I am going to really enjoy this job.  I have some past experience, and I am excited about different opportunities within the job.

But, I am also excited that it is for 3 months.  I have enjoyed my time at home with Jack so much.  And, while staying at home is no piece of cake, being a working mom, at least for me personally, is more demanding.  By the end of April, when the full time staff person returns, I will be ready to return to being home with Jackie boy!

Even though I am enjoying my job, this has been a rough week so far!  It is FREEZING here in State College.  Literally, I don't think we are going to have a day above freezing for at least two weeks.  I am dying.

And then, on top of that, our pipes froze Tuesday night.  I managed to scrape together a (gross) bun for work that day, then came home, exhausted and cold, but expecting a nice, warm shower.  The maintenance men had come that morning and fixed the pipes.  But it was so cold during the day that they refroze again.

One of the maintenance men came out again and, bless his heart, spent two hours working on it.  He managed to unfreeze the downstairs pipes (so the kitchen sink and the half bath worked), but he needed to come back the next day to fix the upstairs.  Which meant I washed my hair in the kitchen sink.

I know kitchen sink baths are super cute when you are a baby.  They are NOT cute when you are 28.

Oh yeah, and add to this week that Bech has a show next week, so he has been at the studio until at least 9:30 every night. 

So tonight, Jack and I got home, ate cereal (and not organic...just the generic Wegman's nastiness, #momoftheyear) for dinner, and both took hot baths/shower.  He's asleep and I am about to be, and 9:15.  

To say I am excited is an understatement.

Sometimes you just need cereal for dinner and a geriatric bedtime.

Plus I just filled my rubber water bottle up to take to bed with me.

Just call me Grandma!

5 on Friday

And again...my only post this week is 5 on Friday.  I just love that I can sort of "blog dump" our week on Fridays!

O     N     E

We went to Philadelphia this past weekend.  It was a sort of there and back again trip for us--Bech needed to get some work done in the studio and I had a baby shower to go to Saturday morning.

We headed out Thursday afternoon, went to a ceramics opening, spent the night and next day with some good friends of ours, another show Friday night (for one of Bech's fellow MFA classmates!), then back home by 11:30 that night.  

It was fast paced, but fun--with a visit to Toys R Us (I bought some groupons for there and needed some Xmas presents for Jack) and Ikea (which included a full on melt down in the middle of the kids section).

My favorite souvenir from our short trip?  Jack's first piece of pottery!  Well, technically his second.  Bech made him a little amphora/drinking cup before he was born.  But it stays far away from his little toddler hands.

But Michael, the friend we stayed with, gave Jack a beautiful Jack-sized mug.  And he LOVES it.  I let him use it (with close supervision)...like daddy, like son!

T     W     O

It's getting cold here!  Two mornings this past week we have had snow!

The weather has gotten warm again this weekend (mid 50's), but then will dip into the the 40's again after that.  I know it won't be long until we have LOTS of snow.

I am not as obsessed with snow as I used to be--I know it will be really cold and I will get sick of it by the end of winter.  But I think it will be really fun to see snow through Jack's eyes.  He was so excited about this little bit of snow this week!

T     H     R     E     E

I have talked before about how much we are loving our new friends here in Pennsylvania.  One of our church friends lives just a couple of minutes away, in the same small town as us.  They have two little boys, one Jack's age and the other 1 1/2 years older.  The boys all play great together...lots of running, yelling, and FUN!

Jack and I invited the boys over for a play date yesterday to decorate cookies.  The two little boys did more eating than decorating, but I think they all had lots of fun.

F     O     U     R

We are home this weekend!  Yay!  

Seriously, we have been traveling sooo much this fall.  And I have loved it all, but I also love lazy weekends at home.  We have plans to hang out with another couple at some point, but nothing else.

Which means I plan to drink lots of hot cocoa and spend lots of time in my pj's.

Just being honest...

F     I     V     E

My sister got Bech and I into Revenge.  Have y'all seen this show?  We love it!

We are still only on season 1, but I have to say, Nolan is my favorite character.

Bech and I don't usually agree on tv shows.  He's a Breaking Bad fan, I like  America's Next Top Model.  So we are always happy to find a show we both like!

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Missing Vermont

We have had a crazy week of weather in Baton Rouge.  Sunday was so warm.  After church, we had a potluck picnic.  Everyone was running around with short sleeves and bare legs.  Then, mid week, it rained, and the past couple of days have been chilly (well 60 degrees chilly!).  This strangely warm weather made me think (well more than I usually do) about Vermont.

We are loving being back in the South.  And we were so excited to move back down here.  But I am realizing lately how many things, both expected and unexpected, I miss about Vermont:

1.  The Food

I knew this would be the case, but I didn't realize how much!  Vermont is all about local food.  Bech and I try to eat organic.  We try to only buy free range or grass feed meat.  And that is hard to find here.  Luckily, we have a Whole Foods in Baton Rouge.  It's a "big business," but it does sell meat, milk, and cheese that we like.  Plus, they have a bulk section for flour, sugar, and spices.

But I often find myself dreaming of City Market...

(side note, I found this picture online, but we know that girl!)

Or American Flatbread

Or El Gato's, or Tiny Thai, or the Burlington Farmers Market...This list could go on and on.

2. The Snow

Yeah, I know, I am crazy for saying this.  And I don't miss this everyday!  But sometimes, when I can wear shorts in late January, I wish for a little snow.

I mean, that's pretty beautiful, right?

3.  The Library

While I was in grad school, I worked at the UVM library, Bailey Howe.  And I miss it!  It was such a fun job...being around books, organizing books, getting to know all of the wonderful workers.  

I absolutely love my job now, but I did love that job.  

4.  The People

(my good friend Chris and two of my favorite professors)

(The Amazing Angeline and her brother Jeff...he's not a Vermonter, but he's in the picture already, so he'll count!)

I think I was prepared for Vermonters to be really rude and not very kind.  I mean, isn't that what all Southerners believe about "Yankees?"  

(our friend Renee...seriously one of the sweetest people you will ever meet)

But I LOVED so many people in Vermont.  They were amazing.  We had friends that just loved on us so much.  And I miss them.

I think I am a nomad by nature.  I like to move.  I like to live in different places.  But one of the hardest things about that is that a piece of my heart stays in those places.

I still have dreams that we are back in Malawi.  That I am shopping at Foodworths, eating at Nando's, teaching at the Academy.  I always wonder if I will ever get to go back and actually do those things again!

And that is how I feel about Vermont.  Will I ever meet friends for tequila margarita's at El Gato's?  Even more, will I ever get to see my friends from there again?

I am so thankful to be back near Southern friends and families, but I am sure missing my "Yankee" second home!

Midweek Randoms...

1.  It is COLD here.  Very, very cold.  Like the low tonight is 0 degrees.

2.  We had a good amount of snow last week.  Then it got warm yesterday, and a lot of snow melted.  Then it got cold again.  Can you do the math?  That means ICE.  Ugh.  I fell twice today (luckily, I was not holding Jack!), and now I have lovely bruises on my hands and knees.

Bech took these pictures of the snow.  It may feel miserable outside, but it really is pretty.

3.  School has started back up again!  Yay for my last semester of masters work!

4.  I already have homework :(

5.  We took more bath pics.  I know, I know.  But he's just so darn cute naked!  Bech took these, so they are more "arty."

Love him.

I would like to interrupt to say that there were so many more that I didn't upload.  Does that make this any better?

Alright, bath pictures are done now.

6.  I am one chapter away from finishing my French book.  My goal was to finish it before school started and I got pretty darn close!   I am reading Le Petite Prince right now and am enjoying it.  I will take my test on French in two weeks.

7.  Friday night we are celebrating Chinese New Year at AFH...I am super excited!  We are doing a joint event with the Chinese group, so it's going to be legit.

8.  Bech is at the pottery studio working late tonight, Jack is asleep, I have done all the homework that is due tomorrow (and some for Friday)--so I am going to curl up in bed and watch some Murder, She Wrote.

Goodnight!