What to do? What to do?

Amber and Abby enjoying the world's richest hot chocolate.

So, what do you do when pretty much all of the people you are trying to meet are on vacation for the month, you may ask? Well, that's a great question!
Yes, it's true. Things here have been a little slow. The school age children (which would include the kids we normally teach english to in Platyny and Jemiolowo) have been on winter break for all of last week and this week. Rather than having a long break at Christmas, they have a few days off around Christmas, then a two week break later in the winter. Also during this time, the university students are preparing for and taking finals. The way things work here, you have several chances to pass your finals if you don't pass the first time (pretty good deal, huh?!) and after the several weeks of final exams, they have a 2 week break. All in all, regular classes won't start again until the last week in February!
So, yes, things have been S-L-O-W! In general, the pace of life here is slower than in America, but these past few weeks have been exceedingly slow paced. However, it's been a nice time to hang out with my teammates here and there have been some exciting things going on. So, here's a little rundown of what's been going on here:

-Amber and I hung out with Abby, one of our "nieces" here. She just turned 11 in October and is super cool. We got to have some girl time and went to a little cafe and had some yummy treats. I had ice cream, but Amber and Abby had these hot chocolate drinks that are popular here. Now, these are no Swiss Miss powder packet hot chocolate mixes. This is the real deal, as you may be able to tell from the picture. It's literally melted milk chocolate bars and cream! It's intense...a little too intense for me! We also played a game called Farkel (a game of sheer and simple luck, which I never fail to lose at!) and Abby helped me set up my Webkinz site! Do any of you mothers of young children know about Webkinz? My friend Angie got me one for Christmas and it's so cute!
-Amber and I have gotten to hang out with all of our nieces and nephew over the past week. We hung out with the Stevenson girlies last Saturday while Sean and Lydia went out, then hung out with Mikaila and Ethan while Bryan and Stacey went out last night. Theses kids are seriously SO fun, even if Ethan does kick my tail playing ANY and ALL video games! (did I mention that he's 5?)
-Amber and I finished watching all of season 2 of the Office! (yes, I am aware that we are, like 3 seasons behind--but it's a long story!) and season 3 of Deadliest Catch (thank you, thank you, thank you Aunt Barb and Uncle Tom!!!!--and can I just add that I found the official Discovery Channel Deadliest Catch blog? Um...SO EXCITED! I mean, the show's theme song is Bon Jovi's "Wanted: Dead or Alive". It's got to be great, right?)
-We have also watched my very own copy of "Bride and Prejudice"! Woo-hoo!
-Our team had our first meeting of a church service we're starting on Sunday nights that will be in English. We're calling it IF (International Fellowship) and are hoping to reach out to internationals living here and english speaking Poles. Amber and I taught the kids and it was a great time.
-On Saturday, Amber and Patsy and I are headed to Prague, Czech Republic, for a meeting called Ebenezer. It's for all of us in Central and Eastern Europe who have just finished one year living overseas. I'm super excited for it. I've heard that Prague is a beautiful city AND I'll get to see some of my friends from my time in Virginia at training (and meet some new friends). What I'm NOT excited about is the 13 hour train ride that it will take to get there. And as if that's not horrendous enough...the train pulls out of Olsztyn at 5:15 AM (which equates leaving our flat at 4:30). Um, I'm pretty sure I'm not even human at that hour. There is not enough coffee in the world to help this girl at that hour.
-Ok...here's the truly big, exciting news: remember the girls (from the previous post) from Jemiolowo that went to the camp? Four of them met Christ and trusted Him as their Savior while they were there! How awesome is our God?!?!

So, there you have it. That's pretty much what's been going down in funky-town. I hope to have a much more exciting post upon my return from Prague...but no promises =)

Operation Christmas Child in Jemiolowo

This past Friday, we all piled in the two vans and headed out to Jemiolowo, one of the two villages where we've been teaching English to the kids. We went out to pass out Operation Christmas Child packages and a few of the people from the church here in Olsztyn put on a puppet show, which the people loved. There were quite a few people from the village there, and the kids put on a brief presentation for us, which was really great. Of course, pastor Marcin organized the whole event and did a great job. He's such a neat man and just genuinely loves people. It's been great being able to help him in any way as he finds different ways to minister to people and show them Christ's love.

Amber and some of the girls we've been teaching and hanging out with. The three girls sitting in chairs are at a winter camp this week (they have 2 weeks of break from school). Please pray for them, and for the other kids who are there and for Marcin, that they would have a great week and have an opportunity to meet Jesus and know His love for them.

Me and one of the cute little girls...and Ethan hanging out in the background!

Alethea and the Soltys of this village having a conversation...in Russian! This lady is so kind and so helpful to us! She is definitely a blessing and a "person of peace" who has welcomed us into her village. Please pray for her (I'll be real honest here...I have NO IDEA what her name is!) and for the people of this village. We are planning to do some block party type things this summer and are hoping that they'll open up connections and opportunities to start Bible studies for those that are interested.

This is kind of a dark shot, but here is pastor Marcin introducing the puppet show. You can see some of the kids in the background.

Christmas-Part 4

Ok, so this is the last of the Christmas Extravaganza '07. These are just some pictures of one of my favorite places on earth...Lake Erie; Huron, Ohio in Particular. It was great to be home and spend time with my family and friends and Bruti, but it was also just great to walk down the quiet beach and hear the water and just feel the breeze off the Lake. It was definitely a great trip, and I would have to say that I enjoyed every minute of it. So, here are a few of the sights that I got to enjoy during my time in Huron.

I was definitely excited to see this freighter coming in. We also saw one heading out, late one night. I really like seeing them at night, with all of their lights, but it's a little hard to photograph!

The Huron Pier and Lighthouse

Nickelplate Beach

I LOVE being on the beach in the summer, with lots of people around and enjoying a summer afternoon, but I think I may like this scene even more. It is absolutely still, quite, and beautiful; it's a great place to spend some time with the Lord and clear your head.

Christmas- Part 3

Not only did I get a chance to see my family and friends while I was home over Christmas, I also got to meet my new dog-niece, Brutus! (yes, I agree...Brutus is a rather masculine name for a female dog, but I'll get to that later). She's about 7 months old and is a Beagle/Lab mix. I must admit, my first introduction to my dog-niece was a little overwhelming. It was Saturday morning, my first morning waking up at home and I suddenly had this crazy dog jumping up on me and tearing through the living room. One second she's jumping up on you and literally the next second she's running this crazy course around the living room and down the hall. My dad called those little episodes her "brain farts". However, it didn't take long for me to fall in love with her (and for her to settle down). She's the CUTEST dog and, I have to say, I miss her. We went on a couple of walks on the beach, she chewed on some of my socks, she hung out with me while I ran on the treadmill...good times. Here's a few pictures of Brutus for you to enjoy!

Yes, this really happened. Kyle yelled upstairs and we all thought something really serious had happend. Nope. He'd just figured out how to get Brutus on the treadmill!!

Me and Bruti. Yes, that's the name I've chosen for my dog-niece. It's just not right for a GIRL to be named Brutus. Now, I am all for team pride in supporting the Buckeyes...but, really. SHE'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!! And, if you ask me, some of her "brain farts" stem from her confusion...my dad kept calling her a "him" or "he" all week. SHE'S CONFUSED, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Fortunately she has an aunt who loves her and gave her some girl time. (Also, please notice Kyle's cheezy grin in the background. He cracks me up.)

The day after Christmas, Kyle, mom, Andrea and I were all sitting around that night playing euchre and suddenly realized that we hadn't heard Brutus for a while. That's when we noticed that she'd just hopped up onto the "forbidden" couch to lay down and literally put her little head on the pillow! It was SO cute, and she looked so tired and comfy-cozy...how could you tell a face like that to move?!?! She was one tired puppy (get it?) =)

For any of you who know my dad, we all thought he was a dog-hater. Not true! He definitely liked having Brutus around and Brutus LOVED him. They bonded. In fact, after Kyle and Brutus left on Saturday my dad actually said he missed her! Well, actually, he said "I miss little wingnut". Same difference.

This picture isn't too clear, but you can see Kyle and Brutus pulling away in his Jeep. I included this picture, because it was about this time last year that he got his Jeep and I blogged about it, mentioning that the only thing he needed was a dog to ride along with him. Mission: Accomplished. (on a side note, Kyle said that Brutus was so tired after her busy week with her family that she was asleep about 10 minutes down the road.)

Christmas Part 2

Me and the beautiful Angela Claire. She's the only girl I know who would ASK to be picked up in my dad's big van. I love her!

Amanda, Me, Sarah, Jenn (and Baby Reese), and Julie in the lobby of Bob Evans. Thank you girls SOOO much for making this get-together happen! I love you all and will definitely be making my tour of northwest/southwest Ohio in about 10 months!

Ok, at first glance this picture is ridiculous. Oh wait...it really is ridiculous. This is Brandi "neck dancing"...it's our version of dancing in the car and works best to classic rock when you're also singing along with the guitar solos. We have fun together, what can I say?

Sharon, me, Teresa, and Brandi. Hanging out with Teresa was all I could have asked for...Mexican food, coffee, seing their new church, and hanging out in her living room with a fire in the fireplace. I just wish she would have played The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald on her pretty new guitar for me. Maybe next time.

In between lots of great family time last week, I also got to spend some time with some amazing friends. They were all so great and made time to hang out and I SO appreciate it!! The first evening I was home, I was treated to some homemade chocolate and enchiladas at Brandi's house. It was wonderful to see her and her kids again! The next day, Kyle and I headed south to Mansfield and saw some of our friends from back in the day. It was so great to see Carrie, Eric, and Lauren and Mr. and Mrs. Peffley too! Then, on Christmas Eve I got to hang out with my Angela Claire. This girl is such a joy to me. I love her! Then, on the 27th, I got to get together with some of my friends from my OU days (you all are the BEST!!! anytime any one of you wants to head to Poland....there's always a free bed!) AND hang out with Brandi as we drove (and got a little "sidetracked" along the way) the 3 hours together. And, last but not least, time with Tim and Teresa and Sharon. Phew. I soaked up every minute of it and had a blast. I really just wish I could have packed them all up and brought them all back here with me.

Christmas, Part 1

Here's my Quinn cuddle-time. I'm not sure why Amy has this expression on her face. All I'm saying is that Quinn was a little gassy. I'm just saying...

I just think this is a cute picture!

I'm not exactly sure why we all ended up crouched down on this one. There are several pictures like this that we tried to take and actually get Brutus to look up. It was a no-go.

Again, I just think this is a cute picture. Kyle was putting up the rest of his ornaments and Brutus was tagging along, watching intently. If only she listened this intently!

Christmas morning hug. That's a bear hug, for sure.

Well, I've made it safely back to Poland! I'm here in my cozy little apartment enjoying watching kids sled down the hill next to our building. I'm also trying to figure out how to blog about the past week. It was a great trip, and there's so much that I want to share! So, stick around for a few installments of pictures and play-by-play of the past week!


First of all: family. I am blessed. I have a wonderful family and it was great to get to see so many of them while I was in town. On Saturday, my dad's side of the family got together. I have to confess...I was still a little out of it and forgot to take many pictures! Bummer. But, it was a great time and I really appreciated all of the people who travelled and made the time to get together.



Then, on Sunday my mom's side of the family came to my parent's house for a little Christmas celebration. It was wonderful to see everyone (even though the Texans were missed---but, in honor of y'all, I went out and bought my fat baby boots!!!! I brought them back here to Poland with me and I love them. They're brown on the foot and a color called tigerlilly on the rest! Just wanted to share that with you) Ok, where was I...oh, yes, it was wonderful to see everyone. It was fun to have Jacob, Jenna, and Rylee running around, and I LOVED my Quinn cuddle time. And, of course, it was great laughing and catching up with cousins and aunts and uncles. (This is totally random, but I just have to add that it was great talking to my cousins and finding out that blog-stalking is in my genes).



And, last but certainly not least, time with my immediate family. Wow. I couldn't have asked for a better week with them. It was WONDERFUL! I am so blessed and so thankful. I have no clue how to sum up the week, so here are some of my favorite things:



-laughing--few people make me laugh as hard as my mom, dad, and brother. Kyle nearly got me kicked out of the Christmas Eve service at church. All I'm saying is that there was a reference to "more cow bell" and the "Rhymemaster Rev. Al Sharpton". Unreal.

-playing cards--it's official...my dad and I are the euchre champions. Of course, we only played one game because we were so tired, but I'm confident that we would have won other games as well. I guess we'll just have to continue play in a few months. It was also a great time playing Phase 10 with grandma, too. She was letting the one-liners fly and I think she was even talking some Phase 10 trash. There was a LOT of laughter that night!

-eating--I love sitting down to dinner with my family and we did plenty of that throughout the week: perch, walleye, salmon, fisherman's stew, turkey soup...yum!

-spending time with Kyle driving to Mansfield and to pick up his girlfriend. He's a great guy!

-sitting around together watching movies--we watched We Are Marshall, Ocean's 13, The Guardian, and The Prestige...all good ones

-playing with Kyle's dog Brutus (she gets an upcoming post all to herself!)

-lots of real-life bear hugs from my mom and dad, rather than just the imitations over Skype

-running on their new treadmill

-waking up in the morning, taking it easy, and just enjoying coffee with my mom and dad



I could really go on and on. Like I said, it was just a great week home. Thank you to all of my family for their love and support and encouragement and prayers. You all are a blessing and I love you!