12.1.2007

it was a pretty average winter's afternoon in chicago. the day was saturday, december 1st, 2007. i remember it like it was yesterday. liz and i were sharing our pilsen apartment on 18th street. she had to work at trader joe's on ontario. i planned to do the reverse commute (again) out to wheaton. both normal events in our respective lives. the only glitch was the snow, and a lot of it. we boarded the 18th street pink line together, planning to split ways when i went to the ogilvie metra station and she transferred to the red line north to work. after what was normally a one minute trip to the next pink line stop at UIC took over an hour, we realized we would have to revise our plan. we battled the snow, wind, hail, ice, and intense cold as we cautiously walked down ashland to find a bus or taxi that was able to drive through such intense weather conditions. liz made it work, late, and after hours of busses and trains i finally arrived in wheaton. although frustrated, cold, exhausted and hungry... i'm so glad i stuck out the trip all the way to the college ave. station and that familiar light, blue honda waiting for me. rather, for that dark haired, exuberant, and tender-hearted boy who was so often waiting at the other side of the sliding metra doors. i didn't expect this to be any different from the countless hours we had spent together since we re-connected at our then job at quest. i expected an afternoon studying for my urban studies degree alongside a person who was becoming a very dear friend. when i remember those first few months together, laughter, games, conversing, and a lot more laughter come to mind. i don't remember very much about dec 1, except that neither of us wanted the day together to come to an end. that was happening more and more often. finally, after hours of playing cards in his parents' basement, we decided reluctantly to call it a night. the drive to the csukor's (where i was privileged enough to sleep over at so frequently) was peaceful. i remember listening to christmas music and admiring the moonlight, snow covered trees. after a few minutes of saying goodbye in their driveway, i reached over to open the door when jason stammered something like..."uh..eh...ahh....argg.....ummm...can we talk for a minute?" sorry, hope the sound effects come across clearly, it's the best i could do :) he said something about how much he was enjoying our friendship, and how he was surprised how easy and enjoyable it was together. he told me how he was guarding his heart because he valued our relationship so much, and so had been watching for "red flags" during our months hanging out together to warn him from pursuing anything anything more than a friendship. he told me it had been two months, an no red flags. then he realized that he should start recognizing reasons for us to pursue more in our relationship. the list of reasons pretty much made itself. that's when he asked me if i wanted to be his girlfriend and try something more. he told me he didn't want me to consider it unless i was sure it was something i wanted, our friendship was potentially at stake after all. well, the rest is history... tomorrow, december 1, marks four years learning all about jason. what makes him laugh. what he likes to eat. how he is with family and friends. how to communicate care in ways that he needs. i am learning to love jason, my husband, more and more every day. i consider him a specific and purposeful gift from God in my life. he challenges me. he irritates me. he tries my patience. he looks out for my needs. he fills so many minutes in my day. but ultimately, he is making me better. a better friend, daughter, sister, teacher, christ follower. i love you jason and celebrate the many twists and turns our relationship has taken from our junior high youth group days, to working together at quest, beginning to date four years ago, vowing our futures together two and a half years ago, and today four months into this journey. i can't tell where we're going, hopefully it's not another dead end in the mangroves... but even if so, there's no one else i can imagine spending my days with. i'm so glad you asked me to be your girlfriend. and i'm so glad i was smart enough to say yes :) here are some pictures from our early days together...

el dia de gracias

although a bit early, we celebrated thanksgiving this year in the most traditional ways. well... as traditional as you can amidst 85 degree weather, the lack of family, and teaching a full week, while living in far away Honduras. our "thanksgiving" morning started with the ever popular (american) football game. jason played, and i babysat adorable and sweet natalie (the daughter of two of our co-workers). we all made the short trek to E.I.S.'s main futbol field, dressed in opposing white and black to battle it out. the heavy rain and mud-soaked field only added to the thrill of the game. jason's team, the black team, tasted sweet victory after a goal made by your's truly. he even punctuated the goal with a full out front flip into the end zone. go jason! here's a quick shot, documenting the crazy teachers who thought a muddy football game would be the perfect start to our thanksgiving.

i was super excited to try out a few new recipes to serve at the foreign hire thanksgiving dinner hosted by the CNA apartments. Jackie helped me bake the very popular Iced Pumpkin Cake Cookies and Chocolate Covered Macaroons. We spent hours Friday night stirring, mixing, tasting, dropping by spoonfuls, frosting, and more tasting of these delicious, sweet treats. The cookies were a HUGE success. My favorite quote of the night, "This Pumpkin cookie brought tears to my eyes, as I re-lived my childhood", added to the chorus of compliments I received all night for our baking. Here's a picture of our dessert table, and the links to the "All Recipes" description. Enjoy... they're delicious!

I also made the following Carrot-Pineapple cake, also feature on "All Recipes". http://allrecipes.com/recipe/carrot-pineapple-cake-i/detail.aspx It was extremely moist, probably due to the crushed pineapple, freshly shredded carrots and sweetened coconut mixed right into the gooey cake batter. The double-layered cake was frosted with a basic cream cheese and coconut frosting. Carrot shavings and crushed walnut topped it off as a beautiful garnish to showcase its irresistible flavor. The quote of the night, "This was the absolute BEST carrot cake I've ever tasted", coupled with, "This puts my grandmother's carrot cake to shame, please don't tell her!" added to my enjoyment of the process. I was so glad that my efforts were able to please so many people, and were so thoroughly appreciated. I mean, Jason enjoys EVERYTHING I cook, but then again, he enjoys MOST EVERYTHING he's ever eaten. He's not the most critical voice when it comes to food :)

My last creation, another take on the traditional sweet potato dish, was also a big hit! I started with boiled and sweetened orange yams (VERY hard to come by in Central America). Then I layered them in a clear, glass baking dish with the following enhancements to "candy" the dish: brown sugar, pecans, coconut, and honey. I can't remember the exact measurements, likely because I didn't use any :). My favorite kind of cooking involves wondering what ingredients I have in the cupboards, that would help to achieve the flavor I'm going for. In this case, mission accomplished. After about 45 minutes of baking, I removed the gooey and crystalized sweet potatoes, topped them with a few mini marshmallows at jason's request, and sprinkled fresh coconut and pecans to enhance its "curb appeal". They were, surprisingly, the only traditional sweet potatoes at the dinner, so this added to their popularity among both the Americans and Canadians alike. Thanksgiving dinner was a very nice evening together as friends. We cheered each other, sang a Thanksgiving song, shared stories, and took some time to enjoy the efforts of our friends to provide a night of normalcy and tradition, in an otherwise abnormal and always changing lifestyle.

from me and jason... happy thanksgiving to all! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)

it was a LONG october.

hard to believe november 1st has already come and gone. i told my students today that it's especially hard to believe since i'm still wearing sandals and tank tops :) they just snickered. i remember the smells of october, though. the smells of cool morning air, quite refreshing after the hot and muggy end to a chicago summer. i remember the smell of leaves burning over an open fire pit, as friends gather to reminisce about old times. i remember the sounds of the wind whipping through the trees, commanding the branches to drop their leaves in preparation for a long, bitter winter. i remember the taste of sweet, warm chai, sipped carefully while reading a good book, curled up in a fuzzy blanket. i remember the crackling warmth coming from the fireplace, and the twinkling of dozens of candles lit in every nook and cranny of our apartment, inviting me to just stay, and be. it's no wonder fall is my most favorite and anticipated season. i should have guessed that I would be presented with some unique challenges this fall, 2011. i miss the leaves, the cool morning air, and the bon fires with friends. i long for a sip of warm chai, a fuzzy blanket to provide relief and the sound of a crackling fire. i wish more than anything that this fall i could have shared personally in the joys and losses of my dear friends and family. congratulations dani and michaela. i KNOW you make amazing mothers already, and i can't hardly wait to be a part of this season in your life soon. barkers and csukors, i grieve the loss of a very dear woman, peggy finn, and am crying tears of sadness with you, hoping in our most satisfying and comforting God to be near you now. wells and austy, i am so proud of and happy for you in this huge step of faith. i know God will deliver to you a precious child to love in the right time and in the right way. keep us posted! sisters, you are taking huge steps in your life right now, and it seems like the first time i wasn't there sitting in the front row. i hate that. in my heart i am though, front and center. cheering you on and planning to give you that standing ovation as soon as we're together again. i guess it's about time for me realize that my job as a big sister is pretty much done. i trust you to walk in a manner worthy, and always seek first the love of your Father in heaven to fill you. i'm learning from you now.... :) mom and dad, watching you handle all this change with grace, love and wisdom rocks my world. the way you just keep getting "better" and "better" as parents, astounds me. i'm sorry for the pain we are causing you right now, in all of our leaving the nest, but know you raised us well to follow our dreams and trust in our faith to guide us. i love you. this is a very small start to the many ways i have missed the october i have always known...but i wanted to end with some updates about what life in honduras, during october, has looked like for us... first, we started off october by celebrating jason's 28th birthday a week late... but he didn't mind once he learned what i had up my sleeve ;) what screams "jason" more than: rugged, outdoor, deserted river lodge, white water rafting, canopy tour, quelf, card games late into the night, hot springs, massage, sleeping in, delicious food, a new tennis racquet, and birthday snacks?! nothing. you're right. except maybe a rock band set, but that's going to be pretty hard to top for a while

october ended even better than it began! my parents visited! they sacrificed so much to make the trek down here, but boy were we grateful! they spoiled us every chance they had, reminded us of why they love us, updated us on what everyone back home is up to, stuffed their suitcases full of the many things we miss from home, and most importantly shared in four full days of our life here. well, not so much our day to day life, since we left san pedro about 12 hours after they arrived :), but the life we're building here together as we learn a new language, meet hundreds of new people, and experience a culture so different from our own. we decided to take them to Copan Ruinas, good choice. the weather was perfect! howard, the owner of Casa de Cafe (a beautiful bed and breakfast on the edge of town, overlooking the mountain range separating Honduras from Guatemala, upgraded us to his two story town house. needless to say, we extended our trip two days :) we saw the Mayan ruins, took long leisurely walks, and ate delicious food. we met some very interesting people, and they got to know my friends. we laid in hammocks, drank fresh coffee, hot cocoa and lemon grass tea every morning. we even had time for some shopping, a must in any milano family vacation ;) without fail, the time passed too quickly, but i will hold tightly to these memories and cherish the generosity and love my parents lavished on us during their visit. oh, did i mention, that i convinced my parents to go on a zip lines with 14 separate sections, the longest being both a kilometer long and a kilometer high. they rock!

the "middle" is a little more difficult to capture with a picture. we've worked hard, getting to know this new school setting and our colleagues better. this brings new challenges in and of itself. we have now lived, worked, played, traveled, and worked some more with a relatively small group of the same people for over three months. that is taxing after a while. i think we're coming out of some of the weirdness and drama, and hopefully all finding ourselves a bit more confident and comfortable in what our places are. i have continued to love teaching here. i have time to take my time and carefully and thoughtfully plan out what and how i want to teach. i have been asked to join a committee with my principal, representing the middle among a group of other teachers and administrators from other divisions. i may have the opportunity to help facilitate some professional development for middle school teachers in the future. my relationships with my students have grown and are beginning to blossom in to something quite special. especially with a few. we've gotten to spend some more time in san pedro, actually getting to know our city better. we've hiked "coca-cola" mountain a few times. we've tried new restaurants, our favorite so far is "Baranda's". we saw a movie, "Crazy, Stupid, Love"... quite good and exceeded our expectations. we've found more success navigating the cloudy and illogical world of paying bills and managing our utility services. after another more than one week long stint without internet, i think we have this done to a science. jason likes to say that "frequency" over "intensity" is the way to get anything done here. that's been the case in so many cases! our house has been painted... a few shades of deep, rich brown throughout the main level, and then a bright robin egg's blue in our bedrooms. i'll let you guess who picked out which colors. i do have to admit, though, our bedroom is my favorite! it's so peaceful and refreshing to come home to. i dressed as a gypsy (sorry Mama) and jason as the "prime meridian" for halloween. i made my first infused drink, a candy corn martini. sweet and very festive! i have fallen in love with "carmelita", the caramel colored pit at the pet store. don't worry wells, jason won't let me play with her ever again :) we have started having some faith related conversations with friends here, wondering what our next steps would be. jason is really confident that it's our fruit that will produce any lasting impact. we're praying that we would love him more and more, honoring him with our actions every day, and really that our lives would point others towards a fulfilling relationship with jesus. i'm not sure mine always does, but i'll take it day by day and step by step. for now, i'll leave you with a last minute thought. “Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living.” ― Jim Elliot