Update

Wow, it's been awhile since I last posted. I feel like my life has been a whirlwind since my last post. Some bullet points on what I've been up to:

*FINALS...piles of lesson plans and integrated unit plans were handed in on the Tuesday of finals week, which was a relief, not to mention a small forest's worth of paper!

*Intern interview...the four of us SPU interns met our teachers at Whittier Elementary during the last week of classes. They're all master teachers who seem very knowledgeable, caring, and genuine women. We can't wait to begin working with them January 5!

*Chapel report...umm, yeah.....forgot to do that....

*Kindergarten....my field experience ended and I was sad to leave my little ones, not to mention Ms. Collins. I visited their class for the last time, read them a book I bought for them, and got pictures with them. I also promised to visit, which helped ease some of the little girls from pouting. At least I know I'm loved!

*Bashing around Washington....my dear friend, Kristen, arrived in Seattle on Dec. 8, and we spent the next week playing in the city and the mountains. We headed west to Olympic National Park, where we drove up Hurricane Ridge and had the most amazing, breathtaking view of the Olympics. We also witnessed a great sunset over Crescent Lake. We didn't make it to the rainforest, so we're saving that for another day :)Our time in the city was good, too. Mt. Rainier and the Cascades were out quite a bit, whcih was nice. Oh, and so was the sun, which we hadn't seen in a good three weeks. We hung out at the market; had dinner at the greatest Irish pub; we babysat my dear Gracie and Oliver; played hours of dutch blitz with emi and sonya; trekked all over downtown, where we heard a klezmer band play the Star Wars theme; and we went to church on Dec. 11, the day I was received as a member. It was good. Friends are good!

*Kim....YES, I got to spend four glorious - not to mention FREEZING - days with my dear best friend, Kim! I headed up to the Ranch on Dec 15, where we celebrated Kim's b-day and Christmas. We also worked and played a lot together, too. Horseback rides, hitching up the teams for nighttime wagon rides, snowball fights, playing with kitties, knitting, drinking tea...it was perfect. I so wish I knew when I would see her again....

So much for getting to bed early tonight. It's nearly midnight (MI time), and I'm still awake enough to finish my book. I'm reading The Red Tent - you should read it if you haven't!